About 50 pupils from St Gregory Primary School met Dwayne Johnson in London on Tuesday after a January video campaign pulled an ordinary school trip into a face-to-face encounter. The children had expected a standard outing; instead, the day ended at the Moana Experience and with a promise of a cinema hire for them, their friends and family.
Daniel Woodrow said the children had no idea at the start of the day that Johnson would be there. He added: “For the biggest movie star on the planet to spend so much time with the children... that was incredible, and you could see how excited they were.”
January video drew Johnson in
In January, the pupils recorded a social media video in the hope of getting Johnson’s attention, and the clip later went viral. Johnson responded with a four-minute video message saying he was “so moved” and that it was “so cool” for them to try to contact him.
He told the children: “I heard you guys were super, super pumped and excited to see live action Moana, so I'm going to find a theatre, rent it out, and you guys are going to see Moana.” He also promised to pay for their sweets and snacks, turning a school request into a practical outing with a clear next step: a private cinema visit for the pupils and the people they wanted to bring.
Potters Field Park meet-up
The encounter itself took place at the Moana Experience in London, at Potters Field Park next to the River Thames, with Disney and the school working together on the visit. That setup mattered because the children were not just handed a photo opportunity; they were folded into the launch machine for the upcoming live action adaption of Moana.
Johnson said at the event: “It was awesome [to meet them] and they were losing their minds and going bonkers and going crazy.” He also said: “That's the fun part of fame and the best part of fame. This kind of stuff is important.”
Woodrow’s school trip surprise
Woodrow said Johnson also sang happy birthday to one child and took a video with the group, adding: “He said happy birthday to someone... and he took a video with them, so the children have all been in a movie with Dwayne Johnson now, which is incredible.” He finished the day by calling it “an amazing day.”
The sharp twist is simple: the pupils set out expecting a routine excursion, but the viral appeal, Disney’s involvement and Johnson’s reply converted it into a one-off event with a built-in payoff. For the school, the useful takeaway is the cinema promise; for the children, the bigger prize was the moment itself, and that is what will carry the story forward when they finally sit down to watch the film together.
