Moana Director & Dwayne Johnson Break Down Maui’s 40-Pound Wig Dilemma In Disney Live-Action Remake

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Following the release of a new trailer for Disney’s live-action Moana remake, Dwayne Johnson and director Thomas Kail discussed the difficulties of creating Maui’s wig and the work involved in bringing the beloved character to life.

Dwayne Johnson originally voiced the character of Maui in the 2016 animated movie. Animating the demigod proved difficult, particularly when designing his hair.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Ron Clements explained that Dwayne Johnson’s hairpiece for his role as the demigod Maui needed significant volume because much of Moana is set on the ocean. He jokingly said that a key question during production was, “What does this look like when it’s wet?” He also revealed that the wig gains seven pounds of weight after being soaked with water for hours each day.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson discovered that transforming into Maui for the live-action Moana involved a significant physical challenge. The prosthetics, hair, and bodysuit added 40 pounds to his weight, and the entire process took over two hours each day. He had to learn to express his emotions while dealing with the weight and bulk of the costume, as he explained, “It was an adjustment working through 40 pounds of prosthetics, hair, and the body suit.”

Dwayne Johnson recently discussed his changing weight for different roles. He weighed 282 pounds while filming The Smashing Machine in 2025. When preparing for Moana, which started filming shortly after, he knew he couldn’t lose too much weight, as it would make his neck appear too thin.

He explained that he didn’t want a bulky suit paired with a thin neck, as gaining and then keeping on 40 to 50 pounds was a significant challenge. The entire process was incredibly difficult because the suit made him overheat. Between filming scenes, the crew had to work hard to cool him down with fans and by loosening the suit and pulling his hair back.

I learned that the filmmakers actually considered using visual effects to create Maui, but Dwayne Johnson really felt a practical bodysuit was the way to go. He explained that a real suit just has this amazing, natural feel and moves with you in a way CGI couldn’t capture. So, they ended up relying heavily on makeup artist Joel Harlow to design and create the bodysuit, and honestly, Johnson thinks Harlow absolutely nailed it – he really delivered!

Starring alongside Johnson in Moana are Catherine Laga’aia, John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen.

Dwayne Johnson works as a producer alongside Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Beau Flynn, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is famous for creating the musical Hamilton. Miranda was heavily involved in the 2016 film Moana, writing several popular songs including “How Far I’ll Go,” “You’re Welcome,” and “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors).”

Jared Bush, the screenwriter of the animated movie, partnered with Dana Ledoux Miller to write the script for the new live-action version. The film follows Moana, the daughter of a village chief, as she embarks on a grand adventure to restore a sacred artifact and save her people. During her journey, she receives guidance and support from Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson.

The first Moana film was a huge success, earning $687 million in theaters and winning two Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. Its sequel, Moana 2, came out in 2024 and has already surpassed $1 billion in earnings.

Moana will be released in theaters on Friday, July 10, 2026.

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2026-03-24 23:57