Dwayne Johnson hopes 'Moana' strikes a chord in China

Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson toured China in June to promote the live-action "Moana," sharing his experience portraying Maui and voicing hope that the film's story and emotions would resonate with Chinese audiences.

Dwayne Johnson poses for a photo at a "Moana" installation at Shanghai's North Bund in late June 2026. [Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures]

The film, directed by Thomas Kail and starring Catherine Laga'aia, Dwayne Johnson and John Tui, is a live-action adaptation of the 2016 Disney animated film "Moana." It follows teenage Moana as she answers the ocean's call and, for the first time, voyages beyond the reef of her island of Motunui with the demigod Maui on a journey to restore prosperity to her people.

Over the past decade, Johnson has portrayed Maui three times, voicing the demigod in two animated films before now taking on the role in live action. He said playing Maui has been one of the greatest experiences of his career, in part because the character was inspired by his late grandfather.

"When you look at pictures of my grandfather and look at Maui — his hair, tattoos, his body — he was a big man, insane, beautiful voice, tender, tough. So one of the privileges as an actor is to play a character so connected to my family," he said at a Shanghai event on June 23, which was the first international stop of the promotional tour.

He said the live-action format let him bring more raw emotion to the role than voice work alone. "It's real flesh, real blood, really with new emotions and real culture," he said, adding that Polynesian values around family and heritage share much in common with Chinese culture.

Dwayne Johnson poses with fans at a special screening event for "Moana" on the blue carpet at the Walt Disney Grand Theatre in Shanghai Disney Resort, Shanghai, June 23, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures]

He said he was delighted to bring Maui to life across both animation and live-action, and hoped more Chinese audiences would feel the power of family, heritage and courage in the story and connect with its emotions.

"Whenever I go out, wherever I go, the support and the love is always really beautiful. Also, the pride of culture — the pride that China has in their culture — I love that, because we're the same way in Polynesian culture. We're so proud of our culture too, and I love that. That's why I always love coming back to China," he said.

"Moana" opened in China and worldwide on July 10, grossing $95.14 million in its opening weekend. The 2016 animated original grossed $643 million globally, while its 2024 sequel grossed $1.06 billion.