Moana: Dwayne Johnson OK’d AI Double in Live-Action Remake

The upcoming Moana live-action remake was originally set to feature an AI-assisted double of Dwayne Johnson, a move that the star reportedly OK’d.

How is AI used in the Moana live-action remake?

According to The Wall Street Journal in a new report, during Moana’s production, Disney worked with AI company Metaphysic to create “deepfakes” of Johnson’s face, which would then be layered on top of Johnson’s real-life cousin Tanoai Reed (who was standing in for Johnson as a body double) to create a “digital double” that allowed Disney to film multiple scenes with the actor.

Disney and Metaphysic spent 18 months negotiating on terms of how things would work. However, WSJ notes that despite all the work into the AI double, no footage of it will appear in the final film at all.

As for why, the report mentions that Johnson originally approved the plan, which then sent Disney into hammering out how things would work. Alongside the security precautions and trying to protect Johnson’s likeness and data, Disney was apparently “also worried” that they might not be able to claim ownership over the entire movie if AI generated parts of the film existed in it.

This was seemingly enough of concern for Disney to decide not to include the footage in the film. It’s unclear if larger fan backlash over the use of AI played any role in the decision. WSJ’s report also mentions that, while executives are proponents of AI due to its cost-cutting measures, the legal uncertainty, combined with fan backlash, have slowed the use of it.

The live-action Moana remake will be released in United States theaters on July 10, 2026, from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film is directed by Thomas Kail from a script written by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. Alongside Johnson, the film also stars Catherine Laga’aia, John Tui, Frankie Adams, and Rena Owen.

(Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Source: Comingsoon.net