Dwayne Johnson Advocates for Singing in Cinemas at Moana 2 UK Premiere

During his attendance at the UK premiere of Moana 2, Dwayne Johnson stated that moviegoers should feel at liberty to sing along in cinemas. The American actor, also known as The Rock, conveyed to BBC News on the red carpet, “Especially if you love music, that’s the fun part.” Auli’i Cravalho and Johnson are returning to their voice roles as Moana and Maui, respectively, in this film, which serves as a sequel to the musical adventure released in 2016. A discussion has recently emerged on social media regarding the appropriateness of singing along in movie theaters, a debate that was initiated by the release of Wicked just days prior. While some individuals contend that fans ought to be permitted to express their enjoyment freely, others assert that singing detracts from the cinematic experience for fellow audience members. Johnson, nonetheless, articulated his stance on proper cinema conduct. He declared, “Sing! You’ve paid your hard earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing.” The initial movie depicted an adventurous Polynesian teenager embarking on an ocean voyage to rescue her community. Disney has announced that Moana 2 brings Moana and Maui back together three years subsequent to the first film for a new journey accompanied by a group of “unlikely seafarers”. On Sunday evening, Leicester Square in London was transformed to resemble a Polynesian island, featuring palm trees, a beach, and dancers. Despite the distinctly untropical weather, numerous fans gathered, hoping to see Cravalho and Johnson. Cravalho, who was merely 16 years old when she first acted as Moana, has since appeared in movies such as 2024’s Mean Girls and performed on stage. However, she expressed being “so excited” to reprise her role as Moana. She informed BBC News, “I think Moana is at the forefront of a conversation where the word princess and the word hero are now interchangeable. She is strong, she is brave, she is not afraid to grab a demigod by the ear. She looks strong as well, at the helm of her ship.” Johnson, a 52-year-old former wrestler, lends his voice to the character of the outgoing demigod Maui in the animated feature. When questioned about parallels between the two roles, he indicated a distinct difference. He stated, “Maui [is] actually is a demigod. The difference is wrestlers think that they’re demigods, but they’re not. I know that because I was one of them,” he added with a laugh. Johnson, who is also set to portray Maui in the forthcoming live-action Moana remake, mentioned that his three daughters “love” watching him embody the character. He explained, “Because they see themselves in Moana, they feel they’re represented and they feel a sense of representation from the film too.” Cravalho, for her part, remarked that upon being cast as Moana, she “never could have expected… just how impactful this character would be”. She commented, “I knew it would change my life, but it seems to have also changed many other people’s lives as well.” “So sometimes when I meet kids who are at that really special age, I feel like Santa, where they look at me and say, ‘You’re Moana!’ And they believe it! And it warms my heart.” Numerous fans of the movie, who were children when the initial release occurred eight years ago, will now be teenagers or adults. Consequently, Disney will likely be hoping the film attracts both its nostalgic audience and a new generation of young viewers. However, it encounters strong competition, having been released only days after Wicked. The first Moana film earned $687m (£540m) globally at the box office and received two Oscar nominations. According to Disney, it was the most streamed movie in the US during 2023. A follow-up was initially being developed as a Disney+ series, but the company surprised its audience in February by announcing it would instead release the film in cinemas. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter who received an Oscar nomination for the original film, has not contributed to the music for the sequel. Instead, four composers, including the songwriting pair Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who gained recognition in 2022 for developing an unofficial Bridgerton musical on TikTok, have composed the songs. Moana 2 will be shown in UK cinemas starting 29 November. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.