Dwayne Johnson‘s Maui wig in Moana draws divisive attention online. The director of the live-action defended Johnson’s wig and called the locks on the actor’s hair “great” in a recent interview.
What did the live-action Moana director say about Dwayne Johnson’s wig?
The live-action Moana movie will hit theaters this weekend, but with its early release on Thursday, audiences have already begun criticizing it. One of the criticisms includes Johnson’s Maui wig. In a recent interview with Variety, director Thomas Kail shared his views on the internet’s reaction to the locks.
He stated, “My joke about it was that I mostly saw Dwayne on set, so I didn’t know he was bald. Every time I saw Dwayne, he’s wearing that wig. I was like, ‘Oh, it’s great.’”
Furthermore, he also talked about the wig being crucial to Maui’s role as a demigod. He added, “As the conversation unfolded on the original “Moana,” pre-2016, when the prospect of Maui, who was going to be played by Dwayne, was presented to the advisors on the film without hair, it was immediately flagged because Maui’s power and spirit come from his hair. Maui without hair is not Maui. So we knew Maui had to have it.”
Previously, original concept art for Maui, already based on his actor, was revealed during the animated film’s initial five-year development. In the art, Maui was presented bald with head, face, and neck tattoos. The live-action production wanted to reprise this original look, given that Johnson is famously bald. However, cultural advisers flagged the idea.
Moreover, the actor has already seen the memes about the now-famous locks online. The actor’s reaction to a TikToker’s post calling him out for selling “shampoo and conditioner” on his brand’s page went viral. He posed with the same locks, stating, “Hey, sometimes a Demigod’s radiant and ravishing hair needs shampoo/conditioner.” (via People)
The live-action Moana is currently in theaters.