Moana will be the 57th animated film from the Mouse House and the second film of 2016 from Disney Animation! The comedy adventure will take place in the South Pacific about 2000 years ago and follows the adventures of Disney’s first Polynesian Princess — Moana. A tale of mythic proportions that could very well delve into the mythic history of the South Pacific. It looks like the film will be partly hand-drawn in conjunction with the new tradition of CGI style.
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin Hercules, Treasure Planet, The Princess and the Frog), it is expected to be a musical film which will be a great balance to their other film coming earlier that year Zootopia which will be more of an action adventure flick.
Plot synopsis:
in the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.
“John and I have partnered on so many films—from ‘The Little Mermaid’ to ‘Aladdin’ to ‘The Princess and the Frog,’” said Clements. “Creating ‘Moana’ is one of the great thrills of our career. It’s a big adventure set in this beautiful world of Oceania.”
“Moana is indomitable, passionate and a dreamer with a unique connection to the ocean itself,” Musker said. “She’s the kind of character we all root for, and we can’t wait to introduce her to audiences.”
With two Pixar films coming in 2015 and two Disney films coming in 2016, we simply can’t wait!
Moana will be coming to theaters late 2016.
Previously: Moana concept art preview of future Disney film?
Note: Peter Orrestad contributed to this post.