The ‘Moana’ live-action film, starring Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga’aia, Frankie Adams, and many others, did not perform as well as expected at the box office. Not only that, but the release was met with criticism and online debate about how many important parts from the original animated film were omitted from the live-action one. Almost a month after the film’s official release in theatres, leading star Johnson opened up about the mixed reviews, commenting that such things happen all the time. Read ahead to know more about what the ‘Jumanji’ actor shared.
Dwayne Johnson opens up about the ‘Moana’ backlash and mixed reviews
During one of his latest interviews, the action hero opened up about the kind of reviews his latest film, ‘Moana,’ received. In the live-action film, Johnson reprised his role as Maui, the demigod of the wind and the sea, from the animated version. Talking to PEOPLE about the criticism the film faced online after its release, Johnson shared, “Our first two reviews came out. I’ll never forget it… They were amazing. I was like, wow.” He then continued, joking that “it went another way, as sometimes happens.”He added, “That’s just the way it goes because we’re in this business,” while sharing that he and his wife, Lauren Hashian, talked about this a lot. He shared that they “had a lot of these conversations at home, at the kitchen island late at night when the babies are asleep.” Johnson further commented that he understands where a lot of people are coming from, further sharing that the main aim for the movie to be made was to put Polynesian culture at the center.“The culture really stood up,” he commented, adding that “because of me and our kids who can now look at the big screen and go, ‘That’s us for the first time on a big screen. That’s us up there. How cool is that?’”
Lauren Hashian also weighs in on the ‘Moana’ release
Johnson’s wife was also one of the film’s producers. During the interview, she also shared her thoughts on the film and its box office performance, commenting that she fully agrees with Johnson’s thoughts. During the interview, the star added, “The whole community, the whole culture, really showed up, and they understood. Even if you’re not Polynesian, I think we can understand family and love and loss and perseverance—especially as a mom. Having kids and watching it through their eyes, for me, it’s very magical.”
