When it comes to producing live-action films of beloved animations, it seems that Disney is on a roll! 

AMC Theater for ‘The Little Mermaid’

A live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid arrived in theaters on May 26th, and Disney has also told us that live-action versions of Lilo and Stitch and Moana are in the works. As far as Moana goes, many Disney fans were a bit confused as to why a relatively new animation was already becoming a live-action film. It didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the films receiving live-action adaptations, as most are at least 20 years old at this point. However, that doesn’t seem to stop anyone’s excitement! We just learned a NEW detail about the upcoming film, and we have a feeling it’s only going to add to said excitement.

We’ve received quite a few details regarding the Moana movie so far, including the fact that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be returning to play the pesky yet lovable demigod, Maui. The Rock just shared on Instagram that Helmer Thomas Kail will be directing the new Moana film.

View this post on Instagram

In case the name isn’t ringing any bells, that’s the director of Hamilton! Kail has won numerous Tony Awards and has a knack for combining historic culture and society with modern-day pop culture — and portraying it all through (extremely catchy) song and choreography.

©Disney

The Rock said, “He’s ‘the hardest worker in the room’ who’s won multiple Tonys for directing HAMILTON and IN THE HEIGHTS, so he comes to this project with intrinsic reverence for history and culture — edge and vibe — and music and dance.”

©Disney

Wow! The Rock went on to show lots of enthusiasm regarding working with Kail and the rest of the team, and ended with, “Our ancestors are watching and the ocean will always have a pulse.”

Moana

Y’all, we don’t want to develop any premature opinions, but we have a feeling that this movie will be good. We can’t wait to learn more details! We’ll continue to keep you updated with all the latest news, so make sure to follow along for more.

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Are you excited about Moana? Let us know in the comments!