American and Canadian actor and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as “The Rock”, has been handpicked to star in a Disney flick! On Wednesday (3rd Dec), the actor tweeted that he’s clearing his singing pipes to prep for his new role: the voice of Maui, a Hawaiian demi-god, in Disney’s forthcoming animated musical comedy, “Moana”.
In case you missed it, here:
Excited to star as “Maui” in Disney’s next big animated musical, MOANA. Incredible story! **clears throat #TimeToSing http://t.co/mtuvFgRkaE
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 3, 2014
“Moana” is an upcoming computer animated musical film co-written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (“Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “The Princess And The Frog”), with help from New Zealand actor and screenwriter Taika Waititi.
It is slated by Disney to be the 56th film in the Disney animated feature canon.
“Moana” concept art (Source: disney.wikia.com)
Originally described as a “mythic adventure set around 2,000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific”, the film will follow the journey of a spirited 14-year-old teenager named Moana as she sails the Pacific Ocean to complete her “ancestor’s quest”. During her incredible journey, she’ll come across sea creatures and extraordinary beings, including her hero, Maui, a legendary demi-god. She then teams up Maui to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.
The film is to be scored by Mark Mancina, who composed tracks for The Lion King, Tarzan and Brother Bear; alongside him, Dave Metzger will conduct and organise an orchestra that will perform the film score.
The Rock’s role is first role announced from the film, which is due out in 2016. The role of Moana is still up for grabs.
Meanwhile, The Rock can be seen next in the upcoming “Furious 7” aka the 7th instalment of the “Fast & Furious” film series, slated for release on 3rd April 2015.
Source: HuffPost Ent.