Credit: DisneyThe widely successful animated feature Moana (2016) hit theaters only seven years ago. And only three weeks ago, Disney and Dwayne Johnson announced that the studio would remake the film into a live-action adaptation. When? Ten years from now, when the film has aged a bit more? Nope, production will be starting this year.
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Although The Rock stated in the announcement that the film is in its very early stages, it would appear the production is moving along fairly quickly. Reel News Hawaii, a social media outlet that reports on news from the islands, has caught wind of when the Disney movie will begin production in Hawaii.
In a post, Reel News Hawaii shared the following:
Little Moana update for you. Looks like Disney is fast-tracking this one, with filming tentatively slated to start sometime in October and taking place in Hawaii & Georgia.
While it has yet to be confirmed by Disney, the speculated production window does seem to add up with everyone’s prediction of the film being released sometime in late 2024 or summer 2025.
Most fans have yet to wrap their heads around the concept of a live-action Moana (2016) since this would mark the first time Disney has remade one of their animated films in less than ten years of its original release. Just before its announcement, Lilo & Stitch (2002) was the first Disney film from the 2000s to be getting a remake. At this rate, audiences are starting to fear that every single animated feature will be getting a live-action adaptation and that Tangled (2010), Frozen (2013), or even Encanto(2021) could be next. It was rumored a live-action version of The Princess and The Frog (2009) was going to start production this year, but that project has been pushed back.
Dwayne Johnson and Disney didn’t want to wait to let this animated film become a classic before adapting it. Perhaps Johnson thought it would be more fun to remake the movie now, as they could bring the entire original cast to portray the characters. Besides a handful of voiceover choices, such as James Earl Jones as Mufasa and Chris Sanders as Stitch, most characters usually get recast with actors that audiences are not fans of.
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This could be Disney’s way of trying a new approach to their live-action remakes that could render different results for fans. However, one thing is sure; this is yet another unwanted remake no one asked for.
Are you tired of seeing Disney remake all their animated moves into live-action versions? Let us know in the comments.