The Live-Action MOANA Went All-In on Maui’s Wig and Body Suit… Even If It Looks a Little Weird on Dwayne Johnson
Disney recently dropped a new trailer for Moana, giving us our best look yet at Dwayne Johnson stepping into the live-action role of Maui, and it’s… interesting. The massive build, the tattoos, the larger-than-life presence are all there, but that flowing hair? It’s definitely grabbing attention.
There’s something a little off about seeing Maui translated into live-action. What worked effortlessly in animation suddenly feels exaggerated in the real world.
The hair in particular has this almost parody-like quality to it, especially on Johnson. But as odd as it may look at first glance, a lot more thought and effort went into that design than you might think.
Johnson opened up about the process in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, and it turns out becoming Maui wasn’t just about throwing on a wig and calling it a day. Even for a guy built like Johnson, the demigod physique required some serious help.
He wore a 40-pound bodysuit to bulk up to Maui-level proportions, and it wasn’t exactly a comfortable experience. Johnson said:
“There was an idea that maybe we were gonna do this whole thing with visual effects, body and everything. But then there’s also a tactile, emotional resonance when it’s a real bodysuit.
“It moves and breathes with you. So we thought the best iteration of this was, let’s go for it, let’s challenge Joel [Harlow, Moana‘s make-up designer], and he rose to the occasion.”
I can’t believe Johnson actually wore a body suit for the role! I rmember how he didn’t want to do that with Black Adam, so it’s crazy that he ended up doing it for Maui.
That physical transformation came with a cost. Johnson described the suit as “grueling,” especially because of “how hot it was.” And that was just one piece of the puzzle.
The hair, believe it or not, was its own beast. Director Thomas Kail explained that Maui’s signature look had to function in real-world conditions, especially out on the water.
“As a wayfinder, you can just see him on the back of the canoe with the wind blowing. We knew that it had to be something that could have real lift to it.
“Because you’re doing this on the water, ‘what does it look like wet?’ is a real conversation when you’re making Moana. That one weighs seven pounds more with all the water in it for all those hours a day.”
So yeah, that wild mane isn’t just for show. It’s engineered to survive wind, water, and long shooting days. Even if it ends up looking a little… unusual.
Altogether, the transformation into Maui wasn’t quick either. Johnson said it took around two and a half hours in the chair every day. And once everything was on, actually performing became its own challenge.
“The thing that became a challenge, that I had to work through very quickly, that I didn’t anticipate, was the prosthetics and the hair and then the body … There’s a freedom when you perform, whether it’s as an actor or singing.
“So that was an adjustment on how to actually work my emotions through the 40 pounds of prosthetics and hair and body that I had on me.”
Whether the look fully works or not is still up for debate, but it’s clear the team didn’t half-step the effort.
Love it or laugh at it, Maui’s live-action debut is going to be hard to ignore when Moana hits theaters on July 10.