The Rock Calls For Supporting Women at CinemaCon, Saying “Real Masculinity” Means Championing Strong Women
Moana’s live-action movie is coming and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is looking for men to support women like the heroine. It’s the mark of “real masculinity” for the action star.
Disney is on the main stage at CinemaCon and Moana is getting a lot of love. The live-action adaptation stars Johnson alongside Carherine Laga’aia. When they played some footage from the film at CinemaCon, folks applauded the actress’s take on Disney’s popular adventurer. But, the WWE legend wants to see his fellow men step up and support the women in their lives.
“The hero of our story is not a princess, she’s a warrior. All men of all ages, we should empower and support and champion all women,” That’s what real masculinity looks like.”
Johnson would continue to give us a little more perspective on this live-action take on a beloved story. “The animated version was just an amazing experience for us as Polynesian people,” he added. “Maui has been with me for over a decade, and to have the opportunity to bring this powerful and vulnerable demigod to life means so much to me.”
It’s a nice message and one the world right now. Despite a lot of people in places of leadership cowering from the urgency of the moment, here is The Rock staking his opinion on supporting women unconditionally.
Moana as a symbol for girls all over
There’s no question that a lot of the young girls in the audience see themselves in Moana’s story. Just check those streaming numbers and you’ll get a good idea of how excited people are for these movies. The prevailing wisdom online is that no one likes the live action disney remakes. And, the box office returns would indicate that just isn’t true.
Moana’s enduring appeal is a huge reason for that. Go ahead and add-in the fact that she’s becoming more capable alongside Maui as of Moana 2. And, you start to get the picture. Co-director Dana Ledoux Miller talked about that evolution back in the animated sequel’s press run.
“We’re putting them through new tests, new challenges, and it really pushes them both to places that we haven’t seen them go yet,” Miller previously explained to EW. “It allows their friendship to grow and that relationship to become even more important to them. But it also means that Maui, a character who is so much larger than life, has vulnerability. It’s not easy for any of us to ask for help in our lives.”
The Rock on Masculinity
Getting this kind of big screen cosine from Johnson can only help the film. I know we like to have a little bit of fun with The Rock from time to time. He’s just such an interesting character overall. But, there are moments where he provides real clarity. Recall a few years ago at D23 when Johnson said that masculinity was a little more in-depth than your average dating guru makes it out to be.
“The idea of asking for help is actually a superpower. Masculinity, to me, is not being tough. It’s not being a b******,” Johnson clarified. “Powerful masculinity is having the confidence to look inside and say, ‘This is what I’m feeling, and it’s okay. Here’s my chest. I’ll gladly rip it open to someone who can help me.’”
(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
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