Dwayne Johnson is setting sail as Maui in Disney’s live-action Moana, arriving July 10. The Rock is seven feet tall and built like a fortress. Maui in the original was lean, tattooed, shape-shifting. Casting Johnson was always going to change the character.

Disney’s live-action adaptations have mostly worked at the box office. They tap nostalgia while offering something new. Moana has that nostalgia foundation. Kids grew up with the animated version. Parents remember the music. The Ocean’s call becomes a real ocean now instead of animated water.

Catherine Lagaʻaia plays Moana, the young navigator of Motunui who hears the Ocean calling her beyond the reef. Johnson plays the demigod who teaches her what she needs to know. The original film was built on two characters and their chemistry. The live-action remake bets Johnson can carry that same dynamic with Lagaʻaia.

Casting The Rock in a Disney adventure film was the kind of choice that makes studio executives comfortable. He’s bankable. He’s proven across genre. He can sell a film to audiences who might skip subtitled stories or unfamiliar properties.

The film had its first footage shown at D23. Audiences responded. Disney has already lined up Moana 3 in the animated universe, so the character matters to them long-term. The live-action version is a different bet. It’s trying to reach people who didn’t watch the cartoon or who want to see it remade for a new audience.

July 10 is less than two weeks away. Marketing is building. Johnson has been visible on social media promoting the project.