Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson at the premiere of Moana 2 over the weekendDwayne “The Rock” Johnson has weighed in on one of cinema’s most polarising issues – especially right now.
Since Wicked’s release last week, fans are split into two very distinct camps about whether or not it’s alright to sing along with the movie when you’re watching it in the cinemas, with arguments being shared on both sides.
As a compromise, some venues are organising separate sing-a-long screenings of Wicked for those who can’t just leave it to the professionals, but apparently The Rock doesn’t see a problem.
Johnson famously plays Maui in the hugely popular Disney musical Moana, lending his voice to the fan-favourite number You’re Welcome.
Johnson voices Maui in Disney's MoanaSpeaking to BBC News at the premiere of the new Moana sequel, the former WWE star insisted: “Sing! You’ve paid your hard earned money for a ticket, and you’ve gone into a musical, and you’re into it. Sing.”
“If you love music, that’s the fun part,” he claimed.
Although Moana 2 doesn’t arrive in cinemas until Friday 29 November, the soundtrack is out now, if you want to swot up on the new songs before you see the film for the first time.
But on a personal note… please, please, please don’t.
The Wicked film has incited a new debate about whether it's appropriate to sing in the cinemaLin-Manuel Miranda penned most of the songs in the first Moana movie, including You’re Welcome and the Oscar-nominated How Far I’ll Go, but he hasn’t returned for the follow-up.
In his absence, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear will helm the film’s music, alongside Opetaia Foa’i who worked on songs from the original, like We Know The Way.
Abigail and Emily won a Grammy for their work on the album The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, and previously provided songs for Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza: The Musical. The latter also toured with Beyoncé as the pianist on her Renaissance world tour in 2022.
