Disney is having a banner year. The studio has already topped their own annual box office record, and while their Star Wars, Marvel, and Pixar (and their budding live-action reboot contingent) releases account for plenty of box office heavyweights, Disney already released one spectacular original animated film this year inZootopia, and they’re looking to double-up with this month’sMoana. Today, we’ve got a new look at the upcoming animated adventure with a musical clip and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
Rooted in the culture of the Pacific Islands,Moanaembraces the legend of the ancient Polynesians' prodigious navigational talents through the coming-of-age story of the titular young woman. The daughter of a chief who is training to become a ruler in her own right, Moana rekindles her people’s passion for exploration when she sets out on a mission to discover her destiny. The film originated from a script byTaika Waititi, boasts the voices talents ofDwayne Johnson, the tried and true directorial team ofRon ClementsandJohn Musker(The Little Mermaid), and the music of Tony/Emmy/Grammy award-winner andHamiltoncreatorLin-Manuel Miranda. So yeah, we should probably all be pretty excited.
Check out theMoanaclip and featurette below. The film also features the voices ofAuli’I Cravalho,Temuera Morrison,Nicole Scherzinger,Rachel House,Jemaine Clement,Alan Tudyk, andHamiltonstarPhillipa Soo.Moanaopens in theaters on November 23rd.
Here’s the official synopsis forMoana:
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auliʻi Cravalho) meets the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity. Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “The Princess & the Frog”) and produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), “Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Jun 06, 2025.
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