Disney wanted to plant Dwayne Johnson’s face on a stunt double using AI for the upcoming live-action Moana. Here’s why they didn’t.
Here’s a little something to spice up your Tuesday morning. Disney’s live-action Moana is currently in post-production, but it seems the film wasn’t going to be entirely live-action at one point.
The Wall Street Journal (here via Deadline) has uncovered information about Disney’s plans to use AI in the creation of Maui, the demigod who helps Moana on her journey to save her island.
Disney had planned to digitally insert Dwayne Johnson’s face onto a body double for the character. Despite already having Johnson’s permission to do so, the studio eventually backed out for the risk of “bad publicity”.
“Disney would work with AI company Metaphysic to create deepfakes of Johnson’s face that could be layered on top of Reed’s performance in the footage—a ‘digital double’ that effectively allowed Johnson to be in two places at once,” the Wall Street Journal report noted.
The studio reportedly became worried about their ownership of the footage and Disney went back to doing things in the old-fashioned way of actors portraying the characters they’ve been hired to play. What a groundbreaking concept.
Read more: Disney’s Snow White | Can we have live-action back in live-action films, please?
Another Disney film also nearly included a whole character brought to life with the help of AI. Tron: Ares, which stars Jared Leto as an AI soldier, was planned to have a character brought to life with the help of AI, but these plans were eventually scrapped as well.
The live-action Moana is set to hit cinemas 10th July 2026. Catherine Laga’aia will portray the titular heroine alongside Johnson’s Maui. Tron: Ares arrives in cinemas 10th October 2025.
