The news that Moana would be getting a live-action remake was always going to break eventually, but the fact it happened less than seven years after the animated favorite hit theaters didn’t do much to generate widespread enthusiasm.
If anything, it was another indication that Disney is running out of marketable properties and 2D classics to overhaul for a brand new audience, a worrying sign when an increasing number of the big budget reinventions have proven to be critical disappointments that even staunch fans of the OGs have been left struggling to support.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about the announcement was the caveat of Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui. While it’s hardly the worst idea in the world on paper, it’s yet another sign that the A-list superstar has absolutely no interest or intention of venturing outside of his comfort zone at any point in the near future.
Black Adam marked his maiden foray into the world of the superhero genre, and the fact it imploded so horrifically with such public embarrassment may have emboldened The Rock to retreat even further into his wheelhouse. Prime Video’s Red One and Netflix’s Red Notice sequels won’t even see the inside of a theater, but there’s only so many times you can see Johnson playing the same archetype over and over again before it gets stale.
That may have already happened looking at the apathy surrounding several of his most recent projects, but Moana reads like a surefire box office smash hit on paper, but it’s also playing it as safe as possible. Is it too much to ask for the actor and producer to tackle a character-driven role, break bad as a villain, or dive into R-rated territory once in a while? Clearly, the answer is a resounding “yes.”
