Dwayne Johnson wore 40-pound prosthetics for live-action Moana remake

Dwayne Johnson wore a prosthetic bodysuit weighing 40 pounds (8 kilograms) while filming the upcoming live-action Moana remake.

The former wrestler, who voiced the demigod Maui in the original 2016 animation and its 2024 sequel, has reprised his role in the upcoming live-action remake.

To look more like his legendary character, Johnson had to wear a heavily-tattooed prosthetic bodysuit and a long brown wig, which collectively weighed 40 pounds.

The star admitted to Entertainment Weekly that he didn't expect the extra weight to pose such a challenge.

"The thing that became a challenge, that I had to work through very quickly, that I didn't anticipate was the prosthetics and the hair and then the body. That is an additional 40 pounds on you," he shared.

"There's a freedom when you perform, whether it's as an actor or singing. 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."

The Fast and Furious star revealed that it took about "two and a half hours every day" to transform into Maui, and in between takes, he had people open up the bodysuit to cool him down.

"Forty, 50 pounds is a lot to put on. Then it's a lot to maintain for months," he added. "It was gruelling because of the suit and how hot it was. Wait till you see pictures. In between takes, there's literally five, six people, all (with) fans, opening me up, pulling my hair back."

Johnson admitted that he, director Thomas Kail and the team considered using visual effects for his body but decided that there was "a tactile, emotional resonance" with a real bodysuit as it "moves and breathes with you".

The 53-year-old had four weeks to prepare for the live-action Moana after making The Smashing Machine, in which he gained 40 pounds to play a fighter. While he knew he had to lose weight for his next role in Lizard Music, Johnson didn't want to do so during the Moana shoot because he didn't want to "have a big bodysuit and then a small little skinny neck".

The trailer for the live-action Moana, starring Catherine Lagaʻaia in the title role, was released on Monday.

The film will hit cinemas on 10 July.