Dwayne Johnson used bodysuit to transform into Maui for Live-Action Moana

On By Littum

Dwayne Johnson went all out to transform into Maui for the upcoming live-action film Moana.

The actor who voiced the larger-than-life demigod in two Moana animated Disney films, recently confirmed for Additional that he wore a bodysuit to make his physique more realistic compared to Maui’s in the film directed by Thomas Kail, due for release in 2026.

“It’s a suit that took a long time to put on,” Johnson said. “So I’m so glad you said, ‘You bulked up,’ because when you say, ‘You bulked up,’ it means you couldn’t tell.

Photos from the shoot were previously leaked by paparazzi, sparking a debate on social media over whether the actor, who already has a very muscular build, was wearing a bodysuit. In the photos, Johnson was seen with a demigod-sized physique as well as all of Maui’s tattoos.

But Johnson clarified that it actually took “a couple of hours every day to transform, put it on” to fully become the beloved character.

“We were shooting outside, and when those pictures came out, I was like, ‘Shit, we got caught,’ because we put up walls so there were no paparazzi,” the actor added about the photos being leaked. “But they got into the boats and started taking pictures.”

Johnson voted for Maui in 2016 Moana and Moana 2which came out this week. The sequel is already making history with the biggest Thanksgiving opening ever for the five-day holiday, among other records.

As for the live-action film, Johnson will star opposite newcomer Catherine Laga’aia, who takes on the titular character. Auli’i Cravalho voiced Moana in the animated films. The The red one actor added that working on the live-action project was “eye-opening.”

“I had a handle on who Maui is. I know the voice, I know the man, I know his inspiration. I can access things, I got it,” Johnson explained. “The moment I stepped on set as a live- action Maui, I immediately realized, oh wow, this is different in terms of, this is real flesh and blood and skin and bones, and it becomes real all of a sudden.”