Dwayne Johnson Complains About Untolerable Heat Inside 18-Kilogram Maui Suit for Live-Action ‘Moana’

Bringing the beloved demigod Maui to life in Disney's live-action remake of Moana demanded some serious endurance from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

The actor, who previously voiced the character in the original 2016 animated film and its 2024 sequel, stepped into the role physically for the massive blockbuster (scheduled for release on July 10). Speaking candidly with E! News, the 54-year-old former wrestler opened up about how grueling the iconic look was on his body.

As Johnson revealed, he physically didn't have enough time to get his body into the required shape after wrapping up the sports drama The Smashing Machine, where he played UFC fighter Mark Kerr.

"At that point, I was about 50 pounds (23 kg) heavier than I am right now," the actor explained. "Because I had to fly straight out to the Moana set to join my co-star Catherine Laga’aia, I had zero time for a physical transformation."

According to Johnson, who also serves as a producer on the adaptation, the team initially thought about keeping his bulkier frame as is:

"We considered having me step into the frame at the same weight I was in The Smashing Machine, but the body proportions were drastically different. We have a duty to stay true to the source material, and the fans are watching very closely. If I had walked onto that set looking the way I did back then, audiences would have had complete 'organ rejection.'"

Special Effects Secrets and 40 Pounds of Prosthetics

To save the day, Dwayne and his team turned to Oscar-winning makeup effects artist Joel Harlow. Together, they developed a custom bodysuit made entirely of highly sophisticated prosthetics and overlays.

The suit proved to be incredibly efficient for the visual effects (VFX) team. Since Maui’s famous tattoos are "alive" and constantly moving in the story, mapping CGI onto the suit’s texture was much easier and will look incredibly realistic to audiences.

However, admiring the details from afar is one thing—wearing them is an entirely different story.

"It was 40 pounds (18 kg) of suit, and it was hot as hell!" "The Rock" described bluntly.

The Endless Battle for the Perfect Frame

Johnson's changing appearance had already sparked intense fan theories online when followers noticed his noticeably slimmer physique at the Venice International Film Festival.

The former WWE star has always been incredibly open about the colossal effort it takes to build and maintain his world-famous muscles—especially when a role demands extreme weight gain.