New art inspired by the live-action Moana shows a look at Dwayne Johnson as Maui and acclaimed Euphoria actress Zendaya in the titular role of Moana.
New live-action Moana art imagines Zendaya and The Rock in the lead roles. Following the release of Moana 2 this year, Moana will also be getting a live-action retelling. So far, the only confirmed actor to be in Moana is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who will be reprising his role as Maui.
Now, art from @manmeetsmachine offers a look at what Johnson will look like in his role, and includes a version of Moana played by Zendaya.
In the first image, Johnson’s look adheres fairly closely to that of the animated version of Maui. Zendaya also wears a costume fairly close to that of the 2016 version of Moana. The other images looks at this pairing along with other characters in an imagined version of the live-action Moana. In one image, Moana and Maui are on a boat together. Other images show a look at some supporting characters. Moana’s grandmother also makes an appearance in the art, giving a look at what the world of Moana could look like in live-action.
Would Zendaya Be a Good Choice for Moana?
Jonhson Will Reprise His Role In The Remake & Sequel
It is important to note that the inclusion of Zendaya is just a fan cast and does not represent any actual casting decisions. All that has been confirmed as to the lead role in the live-action Moana is that Moana and Moana 2 voice actress Auli’i Cravalho will not be returning to the role for the live-action film. This leaves the role of Moana fairly wide open as the film remains over two years away from its release date.
Disney’s Moana Plans Will Give Dwayne Johnson A Near-Unbreakable Remake Record
Dwayne Johnson’s confirmed return as Maui in Moana 2, in addition to his participation in the live-action remake, sets a record for Disney.
Given her recent rise in popularity, it makes sense that Zendaya could be an audience favorite to play the heroine. The actress has some things on her side when it comes to playing Moana. For one, Zendaya has singing experience, as evidenced by her work in the musical The Greatest Showman. She, like Johnson, also has the star power that might draw people into live-action Moana.
The biggest detractor from a Zendaya casting, however, is her age. In the original film Moana, Moana is supposed to be around 16 years old. While Zendaya has played younger characters, the actress is currently 27. She plays a high school student in Euphoria, but is starting to get far more adult roles, including her recent work in the film Challengers. It might be hard for audiences to see Zendaya as a 16-year-old girl if she were to be cast in live-action Moana.
