Dwayne Johnson Confirms He's Wearing a 'Bulked Up' Bodysuit in Live ActionMoanaSet Photos

Mar. 15, 2025

Dwayne Johnson attends the world premiere of ‘Moana 2’.Photo:Darryl Oumi/Getty

Darryl Oumi/Getty

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnsonis back and bigger — but only while filming!Speaking exclusively toExtraabout his upcoming role in the live-action version of Disney’sMoana, the former pro wrestler, 52, shared that his beefed-up look was part muscles, part custom-made suit.“That’s a suit that took a long time to put on,” Johnson said of the larger-than-usual bodyseen in on-set photos of him in costume as the demigod Maui. “So, I’m so happy you said, ‘You bulked up,’ because when you say, ‘You bulked up,’ that means you couldn’t tell.“Johnson previously voiced Maui in the animatedMoanain 2016 and reprised the role for the upcomingMoana 2.Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) in Moana.Disney"That is a couple of hours every day of transforming, putting that on. We shot outside and when those pictures surfaced, I was like, ‘S—, we got caught, ’cause we were putting up, like, walls so there was no paparazzi,” Johnson toldExtra. “But they got into boats and started shooting pictures. So, but I’m happy you liked it. I can’t wait. The movie comes out in 2026.“The photos Johnson was referring to showed him dressed in traditional Hawaiian attire while walking on set on Nov. 20 — his bare chest and tribal tattoos were front and center as he wore a grass skirt.For theRed Onestar, transforming into Maui made him feel at home.Dwayne Johnson — Amazon MGM Studios' “Red One” New York premiere.Santiago Felipe/FilmMagic“My daughters, all three of my daughters were there. That was the first time we’d all been together in a public place before,” he told the outlet of having his family present forMoana 2’s premiere in Hawaii.“That was beautiful. My mom was there. It’s our culture. I grew up here, got in trouble here 15 miles up the road. My grandfather’s buried here. My grandfather inspired the character of Maui,” Johnson continued. “It all came together.”The actor added that he and Maui have quite a few things in common, especially them both being “egotistical” and “loud” with a “big mouth.““I have a handle on who Maui is,” Johnson added. “I know the voice, I know the man, I know his inspiration. I can access things. I got it.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“The moment I stepped on set … as live-action Maui, I realized right away, ‘Oh, wow, this is different,’ in terms of this is real flesh-and-blood and skin-and-bones,” Johnson said. “It becomes real all of the sudden. It was almost like getting in my grandfather’s skin and what that was like.”Auli’i Cravalho, who voices Moana in animated movies, will serve as an executive producer for the upcoming film. NewcomerCatherine Laga’aiawill play the character onscreen in the live-action remake. Thomas Kail, who won Tonys for directingIn The HeightsandHamiltonon Broadway, directed the live-action film.Moana 2is in theaters on Nov. 27, while the live-action remake of the first film opens on July 10, 2026.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnsonis back and bigger — but only while filming!

Speaking exclusively toExtraabout his upcoming role in the live-action version of Disney’sMoana, the former pro wrestler, 52, shared that his beefed-up look was part muscles, part custom-made suit.

“That’s a suit that took a long time to put on,” Johnson said of the larger-than-usual bodyseen in on-set photos of him in costume as the demigod Maui. “So, I’m so happy you said, ‘You bulked up,’ because when you say, ‘You bulked up,’ that means you couldn’t tell.”

Johnson previously voiced Maui in the animatedMoanain 2016 and reprised the role for the upcomingMoana 2.

Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) in Moana.Disney

Disney

“That is a couple of hours every day of transforming, putting that on. We shot outside and when those pictures surfaced, I was like, ‘S—, we got caught, ’cause we were putting up, like, walls so there was no paparazzi,” Johnson toldExtra. “But they got into boats and started shooting pictures. So, but I’m happy you liked it. I can’t wait. The movie comes out in 2026.”

The photos Johnson was referring to showed him dressed in traditional Hawaiian attire while walking on set on Nov. 20 — his bare chest and tribal tattoos were front and center as he wore a grass skirt.

For theRed Onestar, transforming into Maui made him feel at home.

Dwayne Johnson — Amazon MGM Studios' “Red One” New York premiere.Santiago Felipe/FilmMagic

Santiago Felipe/FilmMagic

“My daughters, all three of my daughters were there. That was the first time we’d all been together in a public place before,” he told the outlet of having his family present forMoana 2’s premiere in Hawaii.

“That was beautiful. My mom was there. It’s our culture. I grew up here, got in trouble here 15 miles up the road. My grandfather’s buried here. My grandfather inspired the character of Maui,” Johnson continued. “It all came together.”

The actor added that he and Maui have quite a few things in common, especially them both being “egotistical” and “loud” with a “big mouth.”

“I have a handle on who Maui is,” Johnson added. “I know the voice, I know the man, I know his inspiration. I can access things. I got it.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“The moment I stepped on set … as live-action Maui, I realized right away, ‘Oh, wow, this is different,’ in terms of this is real flesh-and-blood and skin-and-bones,” Johnson said. “It becomes real all of the sudden. It was almost like getting in my grandfather’s skin and what that was like.”

Auli’i Cravalho, who voices Moana in animated movies, will serve as an executive producer for the upcoming film. NewcomerCatherine Laga’aiawill play the character onscreen in the live-action remake. Thomas Kail, who won Tonys for directingIn The HeightsandHamiltonon Broadway, directed the live-action film.

Moana 2is in theaters on Nov. 27, while the live-action remake of the first film opens on July 10, 2026.

source: people.com