Moana (Live-Action)

[Disney's Divinity]

There's a part of me that kind of hopes this one gets slice-and-diced the way Mulan, TLM, PP&W, L&S, etc. have been getting.... Moana herself was the only really great thing about the movie, tbh. Well, Pua... I suppose he could still be adorable in a live-action film--but not quite as adorable as in the original.

I personally like Dwayne Johnson. I didn't know there was anything going on career-wise there. Either way, I think this would've happened regardless. And it wouldn't be the first time they've offered an original actor to return--they offered Eddie Murphy the same on the Mulan remake at one time.

[D23ExpoVisitor25]

There's a part of me that kind of hopes this one gets slice-and-diced the way Mulan, TLM, PP&W, L&S, etc. have been getting.... Moana herself was the only really great thing about the movie, tbh. Well, Pua... I suppose he could still be adorable in a live-action film--but not quite as adorable as in the original.

I personally like Dwayne Johnson. I didn't know there was anything going on career-wise there. Either way, I think this would've happened regardless. And it wouldn't be the first time they've offered an original actor to return--they offered Eddie Murphy the same on the Mulan remake at one time.

I don't feel Peter Pan and Wendy or Little Mermaid deserve it since David Lowery could make the former great and Halle Bailey doesn't deserve the hate she's getting for the movie. But, the rest, I'll give you that.

[Sotiris]

And it wouldn't be the first time they've offered an original actor to return--they offered Eddie Murphy the same on the Mulan remake at one time.

No, they didn't. That was just a false report by The DisInsider which they later deleted. Mushu was never going to be part of the remake.

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, interesting. I assumed it was an idea shopped around before they stupidly cut all the characters / songs.

@D23ExpoVisitor25: I actually meant slice-and-diced as in "changing everything," but that works, too.

[Farerb]

Just the other day, I was thinking why Disney doesn't do more with the Moana property since it's so popular. It's constantly on the top ten most watched streaming movies. It may even be more beloved than Frozen. However, I didn't expect this announcement. This will be the first GC movie from the studio to get a remake. To me the fact that it's such a recent movie doesn't make it worse than remaking Snow White or Beauty and the Beast, though, but it's true it's more surprising. Personally, I would've much preferred a sequel, even without Musker and Clements.

The way I see it is this:
If you look at the Disney canon, specifically Musker & Clements films, you'll see that some of them have cheap TV series (Moana will get a high budget series, but it's a series nonetheless), some of them have cheap DTV sequels and some have remakes (I'm pretty sure Treasure Planet and The Princess and the Frog will get remade at some point too), but none of them got a full length theatrical sequel made by other people, something about it just doesn't feel right to me. It also wouldn't surprise me that the reason Disney is doing a TV show and a remake instead of a sequel is perhaps because they contractually can't (just a theory), but also because what is there to tell? The story was complete. Yes a TV show is some sort of continuation, but it doesn't need to have big stakes like a sequel does, they can just go from one island to another and sing songs (sort of how I feel about Encanto - what can be done in a sequel that is bigger than the original whereas a TV show can just present the characters' day to day lives). Maybe that's just me but I never feel I need more out of something I love, I'm pretty much content with one movie, one story. For example - how would you feel about a sequel to The Lord of the Rings (something that unfortunately might actually happen nowadays)?

As for this remake - I get why people are upset and I agree that it's disrespectful to the animation team and animation as a medium (maybe that's why they asked Jared Bush to be a part of this). I was upset when Beauty and the Beast was announced, but at this point, after most of them getting this treatment, it's just whatever for me. No I still don't like it and I still think the idea of remakes is stupid, but I've come to accept that most Disney animated movies will be remade, this one is just happening sooner rather than later, so I have nothing to do but shrug

I know people like Bob Iger and view him as the savior of Disney or whatever, but I feel that Chapek and he were the two CEOs that had the least respect to animation as a medium and an art form, and pretty much viewed it as IP factory they can exploit down the line.

[blackcauldron85]

...he's reprising his role which makes it weirder that Auli'i isn't returning as Moana. Did Disney not offer her the part? That seems unlikely. She's still in the same age range and it's not that there other actresses of Pacific Island descent with more star power than her. I think she was the one who didn't want to come back.

Auli'i is 22 years old now, so I wonder if Disney thinks she's too old to play a 16 year old?

[Avaitor]

It's possible that Auli'i wants to give another girl of Polynesian/island descent the same opportunity she had and is backing off from reprising the character. That, or in addition to being an EP, she may be a little too busy for the role. Isn't she supposedly in the running to play Nani?

[Woodrow Pride]

I'm still trying to recover from the news.

This is just the strangest thing that’s ever happened. Seriously, does every single animated movie need a live-action counterpart? Does anyone else feel like they’re going to remake the old live-action movies, and then remake the remakes in CGI and in live-action, and then remake the CGI movies in live-action and then again in CGI?

Also, do you think this new Moana get new songs like TLM got new songs? Because I'd be more than happy if they didn't. How Far I'll Go was a nightmare.

[D82]

Somehow I don't think Miranda will be treated as disrespectfully as he treated Menken on the TLM remake though. Although I think this soundtrack would be better if they saddled him with another composer like the Lopezes or Pasek & Paul, whereas I don't think Menken or Elton John needed the help quite as much.

Well, Alan Menken and Elton John are paired with other people because they usually just act as composers and need a lyricist. Miranda, on the other hand, tends to write both the music and the lyrics on his projects. Although, on Moana he collaborated with Opetaia Foa'i. I wonder if he and Mark Mancina will return as well.

I know for a fact that a Tangled live-action remake was in development before the pandemic hit, but got pushed to the back burner since. There have been rumors about TPatF and Frozen getting remakes too, but I can't vouch for those. It's indeed surprising Moana is getting one first, but I agree with Mooky that The Rock was probably the one who pushed for this to move forward so quickly. I wonder what impact this development will have on Jungle Cruise 2. Will it be delayed or will it be cancelled?

It's interesting to know a Tangled remake was in development. Now that they're doing Moana, we can expect live-action versions of other recent films too. I didn't remember Jungle Cruise was going to get a sequel. I imagine Moana will take precedence over it because it's probably expected to perform better.

It wasn't clear from the video, but it was mentioned in the press release he's reprising his role which makes it weirder that Auli'i isn't returning as Moana. Did Disney not offer her the part? That seems unlikely. She's still in the same age range and it's not that there other actresses of Pacific Island descent with more star power than her. I think she was the one who didn't want to come back. Then again, the remake it's still in early development and years away from hitting theaters, so maybe she'll change her mind and decide to play the part after all.

Thanks for confirming. As others have said, I think Auli'i might be considered too old for the role, especially if it takes a couple of years or so for filming to start, but perhaps you're right she was offered the role and rejected it.

The way I see it is this:
If you look at the Disney canon, specifically Musker & Clements films, you'll see that some of them have cheap TV series (Moana will get a high budget series, but it's a series nonetheless), some of them have cheap DTV sequels and some have remakes (I'm pretty sure Treasure Planet and The Princess and the Frog will get remade at some point too), but none of them got a full length theatrical sequel made by other people, something about it just doesn't feel right to me. It also wouldn't surprise me that the reason Disney is doing a TV show and a remake instead of a sequel is perhaps because they contractually can't (just a theory), but also because what is there to tell? The story was complete. Yes a TV show is some sort of continuation, but it doesn't need to have big stakes like a sequel does, they can just go from one island to another and sing songs (sort of how I feel about Encanto - what can be done in a sequel that is bigger than the original whereas a TV show can just present the characters' day to day lives). Maybe that's just me but I never feel I need more out of something I love, I'm pretty much content with one movie, one story. For example - how would you feel about a sequel to The Lord of the Rings (something that unfortunately might actually happen nowadays)?

I understand how you feel about an official sequel. I don't want one either, especially without Musker and Clements, but I hate remakes even more. I think they're more disrespectful and damaging than sequels.

In my opinion, there are always ways of continuing a story, even when it seems complete, but more often than not the continuations in these cases are quite inferior. I agree about sequels in general. When it comes to superhero movies, I do wish they get sequels if I liked the original because I'm used to these types of films getting continuations, but generally, I don't. Especially, when they're book adaptations. I would be completely against a sequel to The Lord of the Rings and I don't like fairy tales getting sequels either.

Also, do you think this new Moana get new songs like TLM got new songs?

I think that's quite likely. At least one to compete for awards.

[Farerb]

I understand how you feel about an official sequel. I don't want one either, especially without Musker and Clements, but I hate remakes even more. I think they're more disrespectful and damaging than sequels.

In my opinion, there are always ways of continuing a story, even when it seems complete, but more often than not the continuations in these cases are quite inferior. I agree about sequels in general. When it comes to superhero movies, I do wish they get sequels if I liked the original because I'm used to these types of films getting continuations, but generally, I don't. Especially, when they're book adaptations. I would be completely against a sequel to The Lord of the Rings and I don't like fairy tales getting sequels either.

I actually agree with you about remakes, I guess I'm just used to them at this point.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think sequels are always bad, I think films like Incredibles, Zootopia, Inside Out, etc... can have great premises for sequels as long as they build on the same themes that were introduced in the original.

What I don't get though is if this movie is happening solely to stroke Dwayne Johnson's ego, why wouldn't he want a live action Maui prequel movie? Maybe that's going to be next or something, if so, he might have wanted to make Moana a live action franchise rather than animation so he could get recognition for his appearance and not just his voice. Another thing I don't understand is what happened to the next Jumanji movie?!

[Patricier21]

I understand how you feel about an official sequel. I don't want one either, especially without Musker and Clements, but I hate remakes even more. I think they're more disrespectful and damaging than sequels.

In my opinion, there are always ways of continuing a story, even when it seems complete, but more often than not the continuations in these cases are quite inferior. I agree about sequels in general. When it comes to superhero movies, I do wish they get sequels if I liked the original because I'm used to these types of films getting continuations, but generally, I don't. Especially, when they're book adaptations. I would be completely against a sequel to The Lord of the Rings and I don't like fairy tales getting sequels either.

I actually agree with you about remakes, I guess I'm just used to them at this point.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think sequels are always bad, I think films like Incredibles, Zootopia, Inside Out, etc... can have great premises for sequels as long as they build on the same themes that were introduced in the original.

What I don't get though is if this movie is happening solely to stroke Dwayne Johnson's ego, why wouldn't he want a live action Maui prequel movie? Maybe that's going to be next or something, if so, he might have wanted to make Moana a live action franchise rather than animation so he could get recognition for his appearance and not just his voice. Another thing I don't understand is what happened to the next Jumanji movie?!

Let alone jungle Cruise 2.......

[D82]

I actually agree with you about remakes, I guess I'm just used to them at this point.

Don't get me wrong, it's not that I think sequels are always bad, I think films like Incredibles, Zootopia, Inside Out, etc... can have great premises for sequels as long as they build on the same themes that were introduced in the original.

What I don't get though is if this movie is happening solely to stroke Dwayne Johnson's ego, why wouldn't he want a live action Maui prequel movie? Maybe that's going to be next or something, if so, he might have wanted to make Moana a live action franchise rather than animation so he could get recognition for his appearance and not just his voice. Another thing I don't understand is what happened to the next Jumanji movie?!

I'm more used to remakes now too. When they announced Beauty and the Beast, for example, I was quite upset. Now, I'm more resigned to their existence. I guess I'm also resigned to getting sequels from WDAS, even though there haven't been that many. When they announced Ralph Breaks the Internet I remember feeling a bit sad. It felt like the end of an era for me and it seemed Disney had become like every other animation studio nowadays. They had made sequels before, but very few and far between. I knew this was different. But after that movie and Frozen II, plus the announced Frozen III and Zootopia 2; they just feel inevitable.

A live-action Maui prequel would've been a much better idea and would've made more sense for him. That way he would've been the protagonist and they wouldn't even need to replace Auli'i Cravalho, since her character wouldn't need to appear. And yeah, what happened to Jumanji 3 or, as Patricier21 pointed out, Jungle Cruise 2? Those are movies where he'd be the main character. And the Jumanji franchise at least has been quite successful so far.

[Farerb]

When Beauty and the Beast was announced I remember thinking that this was a Best Picture nominated movie and that a live action film that is revered so much would never get this treatment. Obviously I was wrong since there's already a remake for West Side Story, and now Hollywood studios plan to remake movies like The Wizard of Oz and Vertigo. Even Harry Potter is going to get this treatment.

[D82]

Yeah, nothing's sacred anymore. And it's also the audience's fault. If people didn't show up for these movies, they wouldn't keep making them. Anyway, at least they're usually quite inferior to the originals, which will continue being classics. So, we can take comfort in that.

[DisneyFan09]

Well, to give my opinion: Now that it`s actually been confirmed, I first thought that it was a belated April Fool`s joke. But now that it`s obviously going to be a reality, it`s quite surprising, indeed. I thought Disney had their policy of waiting 20 years before adapting one of their most recent properties to live action. It seemed more likely that Tangled or Frozen would transition the live action remake transformation first, since they were released before Moana. But obviously not...

Frankly, as contradictory it may sound, I would`ve rather preferred a true, actual sequel to Moana than a live action remake.

[MaQu]

I'm really not happy with this, and I usually don't mind live-action remakes. I agree it's insulting to the animation, they could wait at least a decade. I am also against casting the same people that voiced original characters, give someone else a chance to play Maui. I'm sure Dwayne Johnson pushed for it to be made, personally I don't really like him as an actor and his authority over the projects. I am also worried about Jungle Cruise 2.

[Disney's Divinity]

At least The Rock playing himself will be a more respectful portrayal of Maui, where many found the design in the animated film to be problematic, racist, or whatever. I don't know what Maui in Polynesian legend is described as looking like myself, but most of those complaints came from people within the culture who would know, I suppose.

[Woodrow Pride]

This hit the nail right on the head:

But despite evidence proving otherwise, it seems like Hollywood can’t shake the idea that animation is, by definition, inferior to live-action. Couple this line of thinking with high-profile comments made last year about animation being “just for children,” and it becomes increasingly apparent that these reboots aren’t done to honour its source material.

Instead, they’re arguably done with a desire to replace said source material because it’s considered to be of a poorer standard because it’s not live-action. Instead of being made with love, it feels like these reboots are being made with a glimmer of resentment toward their original form.

Source: https://www.thedigitalfix.com/disney/mo ... -animation

[Farerb]

They are done because of money, but it's true that the perception of animation took a turn for the worse in recent years, but in all fairness, animation studios don't really do anything to change that, in fact I'd say that they contribute to that perception, including Pixar and Disney

[PatrickvD]

I’ve heard the phrase ‘Hollywood is out of ideas’ a lot in the past and always thought it was a bit overdone…. like, it lost its meaning, because people were applying it to everything, even sequels that were good or in-demand.

But between this and Warner announcing the Harry Potter remake I’m kinda ready to say it: Hollywood is fully, 100%, completely out of ideas.