Dwayne Johnson’s curly wig for the live-action “Moana,” where he reprises his voice role as the demigod Maui, made plenty of waves online.
But rather than big Hawaiian swells, these waves were the crashing sounds of social media users poking fun at the look of the upcoming Disney film. In particular, audiences couldn’t get past how the production team gave voluminous, curly locks to the famously bald Johnson.
One user took to X to call it “the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen” and another said, “Dwayne Johnson with hair just doesn’t feel right… I can’t unsee this.” Perhaps the best burn came from Weird Al Yankovic, who joked that the hair piece’s curl pattern looked eerily similar to his own. “We’ve told all the casting agents that the Weird Al biopic sequel is currently on hold, but they just keep sending in headshots,” the prolific spoofer captioned his post with a close-up shot of Johnson.
However, all the attention added up to 132 million views for the movie’s trailer across YouTube and other social platforms in its first 24 hours. That figure trumps the first look for “Moana 2,” the live-action “Mufasa,” “Barbie,” “Wonka” and Johnson’s “Red One.“ As Johnson’s delightful deity would sing, “What can I say except, ‘You’re welcome.’”
For all the backlach, Johnson’s transformation was extensive. The actor told Entertainment Weekly he spent two and a half hours each day in the makeup chair between Maui’s wig and 40-pound prosthetic bodysuit.
“The wig was very crucial and important because, in holding onto the integrity of the character from the animated version, Maui was very proud of his hair. And he had beautiful hair, beautiful demigod hair,” Johnson said, noting the filmmakers toyed with (but ultimately abandoned) the idea of using digital effects to create Maui’s hair. “There were a handful of iterations that we were looking to apply very early. What is the most cost-effective? What’s the most time-effective? But ultimately, we have to go back to the main thing, which is, what’s the best thing for the film and the audience’s experience?”
Translating the electric pop of animation to real life isn’t always a simple task. Fans have routinely criticized Disney live-action films, like “Mufasa” and “Snow White,” for their heavy use of CGI or commented on how they look desaturated. “Moana” isn’t picture-locked, which means the coloring and visual effects are not yet complete, but sources say there are no plans to make a major creative pivot despite the social media pile-on.
Disney declined to comment about the “Moana” trailer.
Maui’s hair wasn’t the only target of social media vitriol; users also took aim at the look of the film, with one person observing, “I don’t understand how they managed to make Polynesia, of all places, look so washed out and dull.”
The new “Moana” was shot on location on Oahu in Hawaii, as well as at Trillith Studios in Atlanta, where the team completed some of the more visual effects-heavy action sequences. (That prompted one X user to joke, “Shooting even one second of a Polynesian-set movie in Atlanta should be a jailable offense.”) Because some of the movie was shot on soundstages, cinematographer Óscar Faura (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”) had to blend the footage that he captured in camera digitally to match the images. Bill Westenhofer serves as the visual effects supervisor, and previously worked on “Life of Pi,” which used CGI extensively to create its seascapes and animal characters.
It’s not unusual for special-effects heavy movies to get roasted online when audiences get a glimpse. Sources argue that commentators are just the loudest voices and don’t reflect popular enthusiasm for a project. In the case of “Moana,” less than 5% of mentions involved negative discourse around Maui’s hair and the overall look of the picture, an insider asserts.
The trailer performed particularly well for parents. “I’m more excited about this than my five year old,” one commenter wrote on Instagram. Another lauded the Polynesian representation in the film, writing that they had “full body chills” at seeing “a princess that looks like my people. A piece of my soul returned.”
“Moana” has company in the early-trailer criticism department. When Jon M. Chu released the first look at his blockbuster “Wicked,” the public was quick to critique the “dark” images, prompting the director to defend the musical’s on-screen aesthetic. “I wanted images that were evocative and provocative to show it’s not some bright, poppy story. We didn’t even have the effects done. I was coloring it on my iPhone,” Chu said. “I love playing in the shadows, but I did have my iPhone brightness very high. When I released the photos, literally from my iPhone, I realized, “Oh, everybody really doesn’t turn up their brightness that high.” I felt bad because I did that. There was no going through the studio.”
Then there was “Sonic the Hedgehog,” a 2020 adaptation of the popular video game. When Paramount debuted a first look at the film in 2019, online commentators recoiled at the speedy hedgehog’s human teeth and odd facial features. The backlash sent the filmmakers back to the drawing board, with director Jeff Fowler announcing, “The message is loud and clear. You aren’t happy with the design & you want changes. It’s going to happen. Everyone at Paramount & Sega are fully committed to making this character the BEST he can be.” Ultimately, audiences liked Sonic’s new look, turning up in force when he raced into theaters a year later.
When Maui and company sets sail this July, “Moana” might be the latest film to withstand the social media tempests. After all, if the live-action remake matches (or surpasses) the box office returns of the animated films, Disney will be laughing all the way to the bank.