Disney will welcome a new strong, female character into their Ohana (Lilo and Stitch fans will remember that "Ohana" means family in Hawaii) when the brand new CG-animated, musical adventure, Moana, based on Polynesian culture, hits theatres in 2016.
The film will be helmed by the same team that brought The Little Mermaid, The Frog Princess, and Aladdin to the screen. John Musker and Ron Clements, inspired by the stories they read growing up of exotic adventures on the seas, decided that they wanted their next project to feature the sights, heroes, and gods of the South Pacific.
The titular character, Moana, is a 14-year old girl who sets sail on the South Pacific Ocean to find a fabled island her ancestors told stories of. Along the way, she will go to the depths of the Underworld and see creatures and wonders deeply rooted in the ancient folklore. She will also team up with the famous demi-god, Maui, her hero.
"Creating 'Moana' is one of the great thrills of our career. It's a big adventure set in this beautiful world of Oceania," said Clements of the new heroine in-the-making.
According to reports, Moana was originally scheduled for a 2018 release but has been pushed up. Despite the excitement over the announcement of the new character and adventure, many technical challenges still need to be overcome.
Musker and Clements visited the South Pacific at least twice for intensive research and immersing themselves in Polynesian culture and stories in order to truly honor the folklore and legends that inspired the movie.
Since the movie will be set on the open ocean, the CG animators, lead by Osnat Shurer as producer, face the challenge of tackling such an environment.
Rounding off the team is Ian Gooding as the film's production designer.
"It's very exciting at the Studios right now. People don't feel like they're limited in what their aspirations can be. There's a huge push now to just and try to do better. Make something as special as possible," Clements said of their progress on the film.
Moana is the most ambitious film that Musker and Clements have attempted to date and they hope that their vision to bring the world of Oceana 2000 years ago to life will be smooth sailing.
