Weird Al Mocks The Rock Over Moana Makeover—And More Viral Reactions

The new trailer for Disney’s live-action Moana movie is making waves—all because of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's wavy mane.

The bald actor rocks a curly wig in order to play Maui in the film, after he voiced the character in the 2016 animated original and its 2024 sequel. With the new footage giving fans their first real look at Johnson’s live-action version of the demigod, however, some aren’t finding the makeover too convincing.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, director Thomas Kail talked about about landing on the final look.

“We knew that it had to be something that could have real lift to it,” he told the publication. “Because you’re doing this on the water, ‘What does it look like wet?’ is a real conversation when you’re making Moana. That one weighs seven pounds more with all the water in it for all those hours a day.”

Johnson himself also spoke about the transformation, saying he didn’t anticipate how heavy with wig and prosthetics required would be. “That is an additional 40 pounds on you,” he said of the bodysuit he also wore for the role, “So that was an adjustment on how to actually work my emotions through the 40 pounds of prosthetics and hair and body that I had on me.”

Weird Al Reacts to Maui Makeover

Social media was quick to react to Johnson’s wig, with Weird Al Yankovic coming in with a burn of his own.

“We’ve told all the casting agents that the Weird Al biopic sequel is currently on hold, but they just keep sending in headshots,” the curly-haired star quipped on Instagram, sharing a screen shot of Johnson from the trailer.

More Viral Reactions

Yankovic wasn’t the only one taking aim at Johnson’s wild tresses, however, as Maui’s mane became a major talking point on social media. Many felt it didn’t do justice to the character’s curly locks in the original film.

“Live actions are a mistake. We just need to leave some things animated,” read one comment on a viral post, while another echoed that sentiment, adding, “Nah the disrespect these live action Disney is doing is insane -1000 aura.”

“What type of wig they put on this man’s head, is this a woman’s wig? doesn’t look like something that’s realistic to the tribe and Maui vibe,” read another post on X. “Why does he have a blow out?” asked another viewer.

Dwayne Johnson as Maui in the live-action ‘Moana.’ Out July 10th. pic.twitter.com/QpjT8nnrQN

— Pop Base (@PopBase) March 23, 2026

The comments kept comment, with criticism including, “What is this... This ain't Maui..... this is a cosplay gone wrong Why does it look so cringe?”, “When the ocean chose a demigod but Disney said 'nah give him the $5 Party City Hawaiian wig and call it a day'” and, “this looks like a snl costume ngl.”

Put simply, one critic said, “The hair is such a mess.”

Others also compared the wig to the blonde one John Cena rocked in the Barbie movie, in which he played a mermaid.

Hi Dwayne ! pic.twitter.com/MC6VF1hAvD

— Zouave (@_LeZouave_) March 23, 2026

More Details About Moana Adaptation

Of course, not all the online reaction was about Johnson’s hair, as a ton of the comments accompanying the trailer on YouTube and Instagram were also excited to see the finished film.

Just like the 2016 original, the live-action adaptation follows the titular Moana (played by newcomer Catherine Laga'aia) as she leaves her home and embarks on a nautical journey to lift a curse. Along the way, she teams up with Johnson’s demigod, battles coconut pirates and, spoiler alert, saves the day.

The original movie was a box office smash, pulling in $687.2 million worldwide against an estimated $150-170 million budget. The song "How Far I'll Go" was also a hit with viewers and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars; the film itself also earned a Best Animated Feature nod.

A sequel, Moana 2, was released in 2024 and was an even bigger success, making more than $1 billion worldwide against a similar budget.