Moana is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy comedy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Let’s see some amazing facts and trivia about it!
1.It is the 56th Disney animated feature film.
2. The synopsis is: On a mystic island off Oceania in the South Pacific, the young princess of the tribe, Moana from Motunui Island, is a born navigator who sets sail in search of a fabled island of mysterious secrets. During her journey, she teams up with her hero and legendary demigod Maui.
3. It is being directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, and co-directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams.
4. The film introduces Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and features Dwayne Johnson as Maui.
5. The film’s songs were co-written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
6. After directing The Princess and the Frog (2009), Clements and Musker started working on an adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Mort, but problems acquiring the film rights to that property prevented them from continuing with the project.
7, To avoid similar problems, they pitched three new ideas, and in 2011 started developing the film based on an original idea.
8. In 2012, Clements and Musker went on research trips to Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti to meet the people of the South Pacific and learn about their culture.
9. Moana will be Clements and Musker’s first mainly computer-animated film.
10. One of the reasons for using computer animation was that the environment, including the ocean, benefited much more from the use of CGI as opposed to a traditional animation.
11. The filmmakers have also suggested that three-dimensional computer animation is well-suited to the “beautiful sculpturing” of the faces of the people of the South Pacific.
12. Maui’s tattoos are hand-drawn.
13. Taika Waititi wrote the initial script for the film.
14. Subsequent drafts have been written by Pamela Ribon,Aaron Kandell and Jordan Kandell, and Jared Bush. Eric Goldberg worked on the animation.
15. The filmmakers auditioned hundreds for the role of Moana, 14-year-old high school freshman Auli’i Cravalho was cast in the role of voicing the lead character Moana Waialiki, a young girl who sets sail with Maui.
16. On October 20, 2014, Disney announced that it would be releasing the film in late 2016, and hinted that it might be the November 23, 2016 spot previously announced by Disney in March 2014 for an untitled film.
17. On November 10, 2014, Disney confirmed that it would be releasing the film on November 23, 2016.
18. The picture will be titled Vaiana in many countries following a trademark conflict.
19. The picture will be titled Oceania in Italy, while the name of the protagonist will be Vaiana in lieu of Moana, presumably to avoid confusion with an Italian porn star of the same name, Moana Pozzi.
20. The film has been criticized for perpetuating stereotypes of Polynesians by depicting Maui as overweight.
21.When Moana is born the song “Circle of Life” from Lion King is featured.
22. Lin-Manuel Miranda is one of the few people to receive four of the five awards required to make a PEGOT (Pulitzer, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), having won a Pulitzer for HAMILTON; an Emmy for the song “Bigger” from the 67th Tony Awards; two Grammys, one for the cast album of IN THE HEIGHTS and one for the cast album of HAMILTON; and three total Tonys for IN THE HEIGHTS and HAMILTON. Should he win an Oscar for music from MOANA, he will be the third person ever to win the PEGOT, succeeding Richard Rodgers and Marvin Hamlisch.
23. Moana is unusual in being a female wayfinder, since most Polynesian wayfinders are males. During navigation it is important to be able to read the swells of the ocean, which is achieved by sitting cross-legged on the bottom of the boat and feel the movements of the waves in their testicles.
24. Auli’i Cravalho is the youngest Disney Princess voice ever, being only 14 years old (15 by the time the film came out).
25. The first Polynesian-themed Disney animated feature film since Lilo & Stitch (2002).
26. The word “moana” is both Hawaiian and New Zealand Maori for ocean or sea.
27. Fifth Harmony member and pop star Dinah Jane Hansen auditioned for the role of Moana. She was long rumored to be the voice of Moana until the official announcement of Auli’i Cravalho.
28. Moana (2016) was featured in Zootopia (2016) as a film called “Meoana”.
29. This is the 20th Disney Animated Feature Film to simply be named after the Main Protagonist(s).
30. First Disney Animated Feature Film not based off a Fairy Tale, as well as the first Completely Original Disney Animated Feature Film to use Musical Elements since Mulan (1998) and Lion King (1994) respectively.
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That last fact isn't even close to true. This is far from the first Disney Animated Feature Film not based on a fairy tale. What about Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, Bolt, Lilo & Stitch (which you mention in this article), and many others?