Disney were about to use AI for Dwayne Johnson in the live action Moana film, details revealed

Disney seriously considered using AI-generated deepfakes of Dwayne Johnson to digitally overlay his face onto body double Tanoai Reed, allowing for scenes when the real Dwayne Johnson couldn’t be on set. Reed, a cousin of Johnson, was already lined up physically to stand in as Maui in specific shots, while AI would create a seamless visual match of Johnson’s face.

As reported by The Wall Street Journal, the idea wasn’t to replace him entirely, but to give him a break. For days when Johnson couldn’t be on set, Disney planned to use Reed, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound stunt double with a similar build, to step in.

Disney was set to partner with AI company Metaphysic to superimpose a deepfake of Dwayne Johnson's face onto Reed’s performance, creating a “digital double” that could fill in the gaps seamlessly. While Johnson gave the green light, the plan opened a can of legal and ethical worms. Disney’s legal team got to work hashing out what rights they would need, how to keep Johnson’s facial data secure, and whether the studio could still claim full ownership of an AI-enhanced performance.

Over the next 18 months, Disney and Metaphysic negotiated the terms of the project, but concerns around intellectual property and data protection made things complicated.

In the end, Disney scrapped the digital double entirely, which means that the film will have nothing altered artificially, and all scenes of Johnson are shot with him. The revelation has opened multiple discussions about studios using artificial intelligence to work on projects and whether it has roots in ethics.

While technology advances steadily, with films like The Brutalist using AI to alter characters' voices in post-production, it also raises questions about where Hollywood is headed with the emergence of such advanced technology.

More details about Dwayne Johnson's Moana

Moana is Disney’s bold, sun-soaked return to the Pacific, this time in live action. Directed by Thomas Kail and scripted by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film brings a real-world glow to the mythic adventure that first made waves in 2016. Stepping into the shoes of Moana is rising star Catherine Lagaʻaia, while Dwayne Johnson sails back as the larger-than-life demigod Maui, tattoos, attitude, and all.

Dwayne Johnson announced in April 2023 that the remake was long in the making. Kail was on board by May, and by June 2024, Lagaʻaia had been cast, with John Tui playing Chief Tui, Frankie Adams playing Sina, and Rena Owen playing Gramma Tala, rounding out the island’s most iconic family.

Filming kicked off under the code name Canon in Atlanta on July 29, 2024, before wrapping in Hawaii that November. Visual magic comes courtesy of cinematographer Óscar Faura and VFX legend Bill Westenhofer, who left the Marvel universe to bring Polynesian myths to life.