The Rock hires out cinema for 200 school pupils
James Gillham/Disney
Hundreds of schoolchildren enjoyed an exclusive screening of a new film and all the treats they could eat after The Rock made good on his promise to hire out an entire cinema for them.
Students from St Gregory Primary School, in Sudbury, Suffolk, and their friends and family watched the new live-action Moana movie at the Vue cinema in Colchester.
The trip was organised by Disney and the film’s star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who booked out all of the venue’s nine screens for the 200 pupils.
The actor made the arrangements after seeing a video of the students pleading with him to persuade their head teacher Daniel Woodrow to take them to see the movie.
James Gillham/Disney
Woodrow told the BBC that the “evening was perfect and incredible” with everyone involved “beaming and glowing”, while “the whole place had such a positive atmosphere”.
“We had about 700 people come to the cinema, the children, their friends, their family, and we had all nine screens hired for us, they were treated like royalty,” he said.
“On every seat there were chocolates and jelly sweets and popcorn and Moana cupcakes and a signed Dwayne Johnson poster.
“The children had the best possible time – they were coming out talking about their favourite bits and singing the song. The whole event was very special.”
James Gillham/Disney
The one-of-a-kind experience, for which the pupils wore Moana costumes and T-shirts, came after about 50 children got to meet The Rock in London last month.
The Year 3 and 4 students believed they were going on an “old-fashioned” school trip, before being taken to the Moana Experience in support of the new film.
Johnson arranged the surprise after their viral social media video caught his attention back in January.
Woodrow had told pupils that if the former WWE star saw the clip, he would take them to see the film for their end-of-year school trip.
The Rock saw it and sent back a video message promising to hire out a cinema for them and their friends and family to watch the film.
James Gillham/Disney
On Friday, the entire school got to enjoy an exclusive sing-along version of the film, which is a live-action remake of Disney’s hit animated version from 2016.
The students described it as being “brilliant” and “awesome”, as they left the screening, which featured an opening video message from Johnson.
Woodrow added that the experience had created memories that will stay with the children “forever” and would help shape them.
James Gillham/Disney
“If you’re in a position to do something for other people and to make a difference to them, then do it,” Woodrow said.
“We always tell the children they can make the world a better place, one act of kindness at a time, and here is the biggest movie star on the planet doing just that.
“I would hope the world is a better place and our children will be kind because of the experience they’ve had and the example that Dwayne Johnson has set for them.”
James Gillham/Disney
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