Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho is sharing what it’s like to spend time with costar Dwayne Johnson.
While speaking with IMDb recently at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, Calif., the actress, 23, gushed about working with Johnson, 52, and the actor’s singing abilities while previewing Moana 2.
“It’s a blast. I love that guy. He’s truly larger than life, both on and off the screen,” she said, when asked how it felt to reunite with Johnson. “Smells good. He’s very kind. He’s great at his job. I mean, I always look forward to hanging out with him.”
“We just did some behind-the-scenes work, and any time I would mess up a line, he’d [clear his throat ],” she added. “It was harder to maintain my composure knowing that he was as on top of my lines as I was supposed to be on top of my lines. He’s a big jokester.”
While Johnson is not a trained singer, his character Maui’s signature song from Moana, “You’re Welcome,” remains one of the 2016 movie’s most popular hits.
“He sings all his own stuff. He’s been in vocal sessions. He’s been rehearsing,” Cravalho said of the work Johnson puts into his vocals. “He is now treating this like a true singer. Sometimes he receives music and lyrics, and I heard this from Kurt, our music supervisor, he’s like ‘You know what, I need to sit on this. I need to understand what this means.’ ”
Both Moana and Maui are set to return to Motunui and the oceans surrounding the island in the sequel, which is set three years after the original.
“Joined by Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced,” reads a synopsis.
In addition to the animated sequel, the first Moana is also set to receive a live-action adaptation, currently scheduled for release in 2026. Cravalho is working on that adaptation as an executive producer, while young actress Catherine Laga’aia will portray Moana opposite Johnson in the live-action version of the story.
“She’s a beautiful young woman of color. She’s so brave to be on that canoe with Dwayne Johnson,” Cravalho told PEOPLE of Laga’aia in July. “I cannot wait to see her shine.”
