Johnson's "Jungle Cruise" and "Smashing Machine" co-star Emily Blunt presented the award Dwayne Johnson has been officially crowned a legend — a Disney Legend that is. On Sunday at D23, Johnson was honored with the hall-of-fame-style award from the Walt Disney Company. From “Jungle Cruise” to the “Moana” franchise and “Race to Witch Mountain,” Johnson is no stranger to the world of Disney.
But as he took the stage to receive the honor, Johnson emphasized that his most important role is that of father. During his off-the-cuff speech, Johnson recalled the first time he took his eldest daughter Simone to Disneyland. She was five years old, and they had breakfast with the princesses.
I had never seen that before. She was just so into making a wish. … I said, ‘God, I wonder what was going through the little mind.’ And it’s just experiences like that that we create that I know she’ll never forget. That’s the beauty of Disney.
That’s the beauty also of being a Disney Legend.” As it turns out, the Disney Legends ceremony took place just after Simone’s 25th birthday, so he led the full arena in a “Happy Birthday” tribute to her. During his emotional remarks, Johnson also shouted out his younger daughters, Jasmine and Tiana, who were watching at home. He’s a non-conforming, rule-breaking, mold-breaking rebel.” This summer, Johnson brought “Moana” back to the big screen for a live-action voyage and reprised his role as the demi-god Maui.
In the lead-up to the movie’s debut, Johnson spoke about bringing Pacific Islander culture to the masses, and why the “Moana” cinematic universe matters for representation and visibility. Johnson, who also produced the movie, said he didn’t see himself represented in media when he was growing up: “‘Indiana Jones’ inspired me. When I was 8 years old watching Harrison Ford, I was like, ‘I want to be that guy,’ but that guy didn’t look like me.” As mentioned, the “Moana” movies are just part of Johnson’s legacy with the company.
In 2024, Seven Bucks Productions, the film and TV content label founded by Johnson and Dany Garcia, signed a first-look deal with The Walt Disney Company to develop films for theatrical and streaming. Last year, 20th Television closed a first-look TV deal with the company. The Disney Legends Awards program is a 39-year tradition of The Walt Disney Company, which began when Fred MacMurray (“The Shaggy Dog,” “The Absent-Minded Professor,” “The Happiest Millionaire”) was honored in 1987.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
