Dwayne Johnson's CinemaCon appearance was Disney's way of saving the best for last as he surprised the audience with a Moana 2 video, Deadline reported.
Before Johnson appeared onstage, Hawaiian dancers and drummers performed. There were eight dancers and two percussionists; the female dancers in red and the men in black. The actor who voices demigod Maui joined them on stage as the performance wound down.
Exhibitor Bob Bagby was on hand to present Johnson with the NATO Spirit of the Industry Award. The audience applauded before the actor talked about how the business flowed with its ups and downs. However, he added, “the one thing that will remain is the theater business.”
The video showed Moana singing, “We're finally back to where we're supposed to be.”
Her friends and relatives praise her for her friendship with Maui. In this is sequel, Moana is on another ocean adventure. The film is set to premiere on Nov. 27 but will be facing fierce competition with Paramount's Gladiator II.
While Johnson and Moana herself, Auli'i Carvalho, are reprising their characters in the animated sequel, Lin Manuel Miranda will not be back to write the songs.
Instead, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear — who played Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina in the first firlm — will be in charge of the music.
The first movie was released in 2016 and was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. The upcoming sequel is helmed by first-time director David G. Derrick Jr.
The first movie grossed $680 million at the worldwide box office. A live-action remake was supposed to be released this June, but insiders believed that it was rescheduled to make way for the animated sequel instead.
The live-action movie will see Johnson reprise his role. However, Carvalho will not be in it.
Johnson said he was grateful to be able to honor his Polynesian heritage with the film. He noted that the film embodies his culture and his “people's grace and warrior strength.”
“I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me,” the actor stated.
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