from Disney Moana 2 brought Dwayne Johnson back as Maui, a role he has a deep connection to through his family. The long-awaited 2016 sequel Moana saw the titular character embark on a new adventure across the ocean with a new crew, to unite the islands; she eventually reunites with Maui, and they fight together against the storm god, Nalo, and build the island of Motufetu. Although the sequel did not reach the same critical level as the original, Moana 2 It broke box office milestones and is considered one of Disney's best sequels.
The character Maui is one of the best of Dwayne Johnson's career, thanks to his voice acting skills, comedy and singing talent, with his song “You're Welcome” considered one of the best Moana songs. He spoke positively about his experiences voicing the character and being able to promote Polynesian mythology. Johnson is expected to reprise the role of Maui for the third time in the next live action film Moana filmand he credited his family heritage for his strong performance as a demigod.
The character of Maui was partially inspired by Johnson's grandfather
Maui's tattoos and physique were inspired by wrestler, “High Chief” Peter Maivia
Throughout the Moana franchise, Maui is portrayed as a powerful and mischievous demigod who takes pride in his abilities and his magical hook. Loosely based on the real Polynesian demigod, Maui is known for his artistic tattoos and great physique. When promoting Moana 2, Dwayne Johnson revealed that Maui's design and features were partially inspired by his maternal grandfather, Fanene Maiviaa wrestler and actor who performed under the name “High Chief” Peter Maivia between the 1960s and 1980s.
Johnson described his grandfather as “just like Maui, down to the build and the hair and the charisma.”
Maivia was a member of the Anoa'i wrestling family and had Samoan tattoos that covered her legs and abdomen, symbolizing her heritage. “Supreme Chief” Peter Maivia's tattoos and physical appearance were later incorporated into Maui's character design for Moana. In interviews, Johnson described his grandfather, who died in 1982 when Johnson was 10 years old, as “Just like Maui, from his build to his hair to his charisma, he sang and was loved.“Johnson described acting as Maui as being”in my grandfather's shoes. And that really moves me.” (through People)
Dwayne Johnson's daughters had cameos in Moana 2
Johnson's daughters had guest roles as members of the Moana fan club
Moana 2 depicts how life has changed for Moana since her first journey across the ocean to Te Fiti three years earlier. Her family grows with the introduction of Moana's younger sister Simea, and she later recruits a new team to accompany her on her next adventure in Motufetu. Moana's adventures also led to the creation of a mini-fan club on her island, dubbed Moana-Bes. Two of the fan club members were voiced by Johnson's daughters, Jasmine and Tianain special appearances for Moana 2.
Johnson spoke about how much his daughters enjoyed being part of the production and hearing their voices in the film, saying, “they loved it” (through ENews). During filming, Johnson sat behind his daughters in the recording booth to listen to their work and later recorded lines with them; he later joked that his daughters were “much better than daddy” (through GeoNoticias). The inclusion of your daughters Moana 2 has now allowed three generations of Dwayne Johnson's family to create a bond with the popular franchise that could grow even further with the release of the upcoming live-action remake.
Sources: People, ENews, GeoNoticias