Dwayne Johnson Tried 12 Maui Wigs for 'Moana' as He Embraces Meme Backlash
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 8
Dwayne Johnson Tried 12 Maui Wigs for 'Moana' as He Embraces Meme Backlash
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 8
Summary
12 wigs later, Dwayne Johnson said he "laughed so fucking hard" at memes about his long-haired Maui look after the live-action "Moana" trailer dropped.
Johnson told Variety the hair was crucial because "Maui's hair is one of his powers," and said the online fixation was funny but audiences should judge the finished film.
At the Los Angeles premiere, he also defended remaking "Moana" just 10 years after the 2016 original, arguing a live-action version brings its values to life through "real human beings."
Representation remains central to that pitch: Johnson said childhood heroes like Indiana Jones inspired him, but he rarely saw characters who looked like him on screen.
Disney is leaning into one of its biggest franchises ahead of the film's July 9 release—the 2016 original made $643 million, the 2024 sequel topped $1 billion, and Johnson says "Moana 3" is already being discussed.