Moana: Dwayne Johnson to Voice and Sing for Disney Animated Movie

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Dwayne Johnson Signs on to Disney Animation’s MOANA; Will Show off His Singing Chops

By Matt Goldberg

Published Apr 1, 2015

The actor will be voicing a demigod in the animated adventure.

Back in December, we reported that Dwayne Johnson was in talks to join Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming film, Moana. The comedy-adventure revolves around a spirited teenager and born navigator who teams up with the legendary demi-god Maui and sets out to fulfill her ancestors’ quest.

Johnson is now officially on board to voice Maui, and he also shared another exciting bit of news on his Instagram post:

At DISNEY STUDIOS signing contracts to play the male lead in their next big classic animated musical, #MOANA. Just had an amazing 2hr presentation and it's easy to see why they're the greatest story tellers in the world. Im excited. And in the background my homies Fred & Wasabi from #BigHERO6 are jumpin' for joy joy cause they heard I'm gonna sing in the movie. #WeTrulyKnowWhereWereGoing #WhenWeUnderstandWhereWereFrom #NeverForgetHome #MOANA A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Apr 1, 2015 at 11:11am PDT

You can see from this video (start at 1:25) that he’s not a bad singer, and while he might not be on the same level as Idina Menzel (and let’s face it, not many are), I’m excited to see what he’ll do with the role.

Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid), Moana opens November 23, 2016. Here’s the official synopsis:

In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.

moana-concept-art — Image via Disney Animation Studios