HOMECOMING International global superstar, WWE legend, tequila mogul and extremely large man The Rock joins Catherine Lagaʻaia on the Moana red carpet

Sydney briefly became Motunui last night as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and local newcomer Catherine Laga’aia hit Darling Harbour for the Australian premiere of Disney’s live-action film Moana.

The pair walked the blue carpet at ICC Sydney alongside director Thomas Kail, drawing a fairly serious crowd for a Thursday night in Sydney, we’d say.

Johnson returns as demigod Maui, the character he first voiced in Disney’s 2016 animated film, while 19-year-old Laga’aia takes on the title role in her feature-film debut.

For the Sydney actor, the night was something of a homecoming. Laga’aia was selected from thousands of hopefuls for the role and now fronts one of Disney’s biggest releases of the year alongside one of the most recognisable men on Earth. No biggie.

Johnson also gave fans more than the standard red-carpet wave, reportedly joining Polynesian group Te Vaka on stage for a surprise performance of You’re Welcome. To be honest? We spent the entire time admiring how white his teeth are.

The live-action remake follows the same broad story as the original, with Moana setting out across the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti, reluctantly assisted by Maui and his extremely modest sense of self.

Moana arrives in Australian cinemas on Wednesday 8 July.