Current:Home > StocksCharles H. Sloan-Moana 2 Star Dwayne Johnson Shares the Empowering Message Film Sends to Young Girls -MoneyMatrix
Charles H. Sloan-Moana 2 Star Dwayne Johnson Shares the Empowering Message Film Sends to Young Girls
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-10 18:49:06
Dwayne Johnson is excited to see how far Moana 2 can go.
And the Black Adam star knows the upcoming sequel to the 2016 animated Disney film will go far,Charles H. Sloan especially because it speaks so directly to young women and girls.
"I think that the main thing about Moana is this idea of female empowerment," Dwayne told E! News at the New York City premiere of his movie Red One Nov. 11, "and this idea that we always say, ‘What's it like being on the reef and looking beyond the reef?'"
And the former WWE wrestler believes the message is universal, "even if you're not part of Polynesian culture."
"It's this idea that what people like to do—especially to young girls—is kind of constrain them," he continued, "and pretzel them into, ‘You can only be so much.' But in Moana 2, you can actually be anything you want." (For more from Dwayne, tune into E! News tonight, Nov. 12, at 11 p.m.)
Plus the chance to voice the character of Maui again was one the 52-year-old couldn't pass up. After all, he loves how Maui "does his best to empower Moana to look beyond the reef."
He added of the film's message, "Whatever it is you want to do, you can do it."
Indeed, Dwayne—who is dad to daughters Jasmine, 8, and Tiana, 6, with wife Lauren Hashian, daughter Simone, 23, with ex Dany Garcia—has already gotten a chance to see Moana 2, which hits theaters Nov. 27, so he knows the message shines through and is "just so happy with" how the film turned out.
He previously teased just how hard at work the cast and crew worked on the sequel, telling E! News, "We went for it." As for their mentality, he noted how when it comes to making a sequel to a film as "beloved" as the first one, the only option was to double down on what the new movie could be and "really go for it."
The Rock has also been working on his singing skills, not just for Moana 2, but also for the live-action version of the Moana, where he'll play Maui once more.
Sometimes he even gets a chance to practice in front of his fans, noting the "number one" request he often receives from them is to sing a few bars from Maui's number "You're Welcome."
"I'm going to sing in keys that don't exist," he joked, "but I think we got a shot."
—Reporting by Emily Curl
Watch E! News weeknights Monday through Thursday at 11 p.m., only on E!.veryGood! (7715)
Related
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Prosecutors warned that Trump learning of search warrant could 'precipitate violence'
- How much does an average UAW autoworker make—and how much do Big Three CEOs get paid?
- Colorado mountain tied to massacre renamed Mount Blue Sky
- At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
- Maren Morris gives pointed response to 'toxic' criticisms in new EP 'The Bridge'
- A New Mexico man was fatally shot by police at the wrong house. Now, his family is suing
- Jury finds officer not liable in civil trial over shooting death
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Jury clears 3 men in the last trial tied to the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Ranking
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Wisconsin man accused of pepper-spraying police at US Capitol on Jan. 6 pleads guilty
- Millions under storm watches and warnings as Hurricane Lee bears down on New England and Canada
- Climate change could bring more storms like Hurricane Lee to New England
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Letter showing Pope Pius XII had detailed information from German Jesuit about Nazi crimes revealed
- Gael García Bernal crushes it (and others) as 'Cassandro,' lucha libre's queer pioneer
- Biden announces more Iran sanctions on anniversary of Mahsa Amini death
Recommendation
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
1 dead, 8 in intensive care after botulism outbreak at bar in France
A judge rules Ohio can’t block Cincinnati gun ordinances, but state plans to appeal
New Jersey’s casinos, tracks and partners won $531M from gamblers in August
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
What if public transit was like Uber? A small city ended its bus service to find out
Armed man arrested at RFK Jr campaign event in Los Angeles
Artwork believed stolen during Holocaust seized from museums in multiple states