Actor Dwayne Johnson turned emotional during the presentation of the live-action Moana at CinemaCon 2026. In a video shared on his social media over the weekend, Johnson revealed that his character, Maui, is inspired by his grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia. He shared that his grandfather passed away when he was just 10 years old, but they shared a close bond. The actor also posted a picture of his grandfather, describing him as a “big” and “powerful” man.

Dwayne Johnson on Moana live action film

“As many of you know- and maybe some of you don’t- the character of Maui was deeply inspired by my grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia. He’s walking in the clouds now. He passed away when I was 10 years old. We were very close—about as close as a 10-year-old kid can be. This is my grandfather. He inspired the character of Maui. He’d be very proud right now,” Johnson said in the video.