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 Tonys, one for IN THE HEIGHTS and two for 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.
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.
Moana is the second Disney Princess to have a story not based on a fairy tale or legend, nor having a love interest. The first one was Merida from Brave (2012), four years prior.
Auli'i Cravalho is the youngest Disney Princess voice ever, being only 14 years old (16 by the time the film came out).
The word "moana" is the Polynesian word for ocean or sea. It is also a common Polynesian word for the colour blue.
Moana is the fourteenth official Disney princess. (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, and Elsa).
Moana is the first full-length computer animated feature film to be written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who were responsible for directing The Great Mouse Detective (1986), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002), and The Princess and the Frog (2009), all of which were predominantly in hand-drawn animation. When it was initially rumored that Moana would be made in the hand-drawn/computer-animated technique "Meander" introduced with Disney's short film Paperman (2012), director John Musker said that it is "far too early to apply the Paperman (2012) hybrid technique to a feature. The Meander digital in-betweening interface still has a host of production issues (including color) that need to be perfected."
Besides, the directors also stated that the environment, including the ocean, benefited much more from the use of CGI as opposed to a traditional animation and that three-dimensional computer animation is naturally good at generating the sculpted faces of the people of the South Pacific. Maui's tattoos, on the other hand, are purely hand-drawn animated without the use of the "Meander".
Besides, the directors also stated that the environment, including the ocean, benefited much more from the use of CGI as opposed to a traditional animation and that three-dimensional computer animation is naturally good at generating the sculpted faces of the people of the South Pacific. Maui's tattoos, on the other hand, are purely hand-drawn animated without the use of the "Meander".
After directing The Princess and the Frog (2009), John Musker and Ron Clements started working on an adaptation of Terry Pratchett's "Mort", but rights problems prevented them to continue with the project. To avoid similar problems, they pitched three new ideas, and in 2011 started developing the film based on an original idea.
The first Polynesian-themed Disney animated feature film since Lilo & Stitch (2002).
In the October 20, 2014 interview with Huffington Post, director Ron Clements recalls the experience of visiting the islands of the South Pacific to gain artistic and authentic references for the film: "When we visited those islands, John [Musker] and I were especially interested in meeting people who lived on islands where they had grown up surrounded by an ocean. We wondered how that might effect your point-of-view. And we learned a lot. We learned all kinds of things that we didn't know. We learned how the sea and the land are one and the same. How these people think of the ocean as something that unites the islands, not something that separates them. And then we learned about the great migration and how the people of the Islands take great pride in the fact that their ancient ancestors invented this way of navigation called dead reckoning which involved studying the stars and the currents. And way before the European explorers or the Vikings, these people had this very, very incredibly advanced techniques of navigation." As Clements continued, "So many of these ideas in terms of respect for nature, respect for the ocean and the elements - all of these things - really had a huge influence on us and then began to make their way into this film's story," Ron continued. "Which is why Moana is now the most ambitious thing that John and I have ever attempted. There's definitely an epic aspect to this story. Not to mention huge opportunities for comedy and action and adventure. But at the same time, there's also a key relationship at the very heart of this story. An emotional core that - I think - is especially important with this film. But as it is with any of these things, you just hope that - in the end - you can get it right."
This is the fifth consecutive Disney animated feature for Alan Tudyk following Wreck-It Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013), Big Hero 6 (2014), and Zootopia (2016).
Moana is the first feature film produced by Osnat Shurer, who is currently the Vice President of Development at Walt Disney Animation Studios. In the October 20, 2014 Huffington Post interview, Shurer stated: "And much as I loved all the projects currently in development (WDAS has a very strong development slate and amazing filmmakers at the helm), I particularly resonated with 'Moana' for a number of reasons: Ron and John are awesome. This film deals with a surprising, exciting, and lesser known culture, which is right up my alley. It's a fantastic story. And Moana has this kick-ass, feisty, interesting female protagonist," Shurer explained. "So that when Ron and John asked if I would be their producer, and I said I would very much like to, John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, and Andrew Millstein thought it was a fantastic match."
Lin-Manuel Miranda was signed on to write the music for Moana (2016) before the Broadway stage musical "Hamilton" became a worldwide phenomenal hit. After it did, he would often chat with the rest of the crew through Skype from backstage, sometimes still in costume.
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.
In the trailer Maui says he slows the sun with a fish hook and pulled the land from the ocean. These are Maori legends detailing how New Zealand came to be. Maui pulled the land up while fishing. He slowed the sun because the days were too short. There is also a version that Maui slowed the sun with a net.
In Italy the movie is named "Oceania" and its protagonist "Vaiana". This is both for opportunity and copyright reasons as the original name would be easily associated with Moana Pozzi, a famous Italian porn star from the late-'80s and early-'90s.
Starting December 2014, Disney hosted a global casting call for the role of Moana. Thousands of girls auditioned for the role through the Internet and actual casting calls in different locations. Nearly a year later in October 2015, Disney officially announced that the lucky newcomer who will voice Moana is Hawaiian-native Auli'i Cravalho.
In the October 20, 2014 interview with Huffington Post, director John Musker said of the film's inspiration: "I grew up reading the novels of [Herman] Melville and [Joseph] Conrad. And the South Seas, the exotic world that a lot of their stories are set in, was extremely intriguing to me. Just looking at the art which comes out that corner of the globe - the carvings, the statuary, the sculpture - I thought that it all begged for this bigger-than-life treatment that you can only get with animation," John remembered. "So to expand on that idea, I then began reading up on the mythology of this area. Which is when I came across these incredible tales about Maui, who's one of the great cultural heroes of the South Pacific." It was, then, Musker felt that a film it could be found amid the promising potential. After when the potential adaptation of Terry Prachett's "Mort" got canned, he and longtime collaborator, director Ron Clements, pitched the project to WDAS CEO John Lasseter. "So Ron and I developed this very simple storyline. I love this arena. I love the bare bones of the story you've got. But this really begs for research. On the ground research. So we were forced, as it were, " Musker said jokingly, "to go to the South Seas two years ago. We've gone twice now. Two big research trips. And those trips have been revelatory and kind of life-changing in a way. In that it made us take our very simple outline and rework the whole thing."
Dwayne Johnson is a firm believer that voice-acting is the most difficult career in acting, and is personally annoyed by celebrities being cast in animated films despite their bad delivery in voicing their characters. When Johnson was cast for the film, he repeatedly asked the other voice-actors present if he was indeed giving a good performance.
Moana (2016) is the first film directed by John Musker and Ron Clements to have to an oceanic setting since The Little Mermaid (1989).
Hamilton stars: Phillipa Soo and' Lin Manuel Miranda' are together once again in Moana (2016).
Moana (2016) is the most ambitious motion picture ever attempted by directors John Musker and Ron Clements, surpassing their previous films The Little Mermaid (1989) and Treasure Planet (2002).
Although this is a computer animated film, Maui's tattoos are hand-drawn animated. This marks Moana (2016) as the first full-length Disney animated feature film since Winnie the Pooh (2011) to feature pure hand-drawn animation.
This is Dwayne Johnson's second animated movie. His first animated movie was Planet 51 (2009), seven years prior.
With actors/actresses consisting of Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, Oscar Kightley, and Troy Polamalu, this marks the first time where Polynesians performers are the main focus of a Disney/Hollywood film.
When Maui is learning to shape shift again, one of the animals he briefly turns into is Sven from "Frozen".
This is one of the Few Disney Animated Feature Films where the Voice Actors would match their Character's mouth movements, with all the Dialogue Recording having been finished up 4 months before the film's release, as opposed to recording the dialogue long before the film's release before the animating, unless the dialogue is recorded late in production.
This is the 20th Disney animated feature film to simply be named after the main protagonist(s). The others were Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Dumbo (1941), Bambi (1942), Cinderella (1950), Peter Pan (1953), Lady and the Tramp (1955), Robin Hood (1973), Oliver & Company (1988), Aladdin (1992), Pocahontas (1995), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), Tarzan (1999), Lilo & Stitch (2002), Chicken Little (2005), Bolt (2008), Winnie the Pooh (2011) and Wreck-It Ralph (2012).
Auli'i Cravalho makes her acting debut in Moana (2016).
Directors John Musker and Ron Clements put in months of research and even immersed themselves in the Polynesian culture in order to make the film respectful to the culture and mythology of the Polynesian people.
Both Alan Tudyk and Temuera Morrison worked on at least one Star Wars movie. Tudyk is in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016) and Morrison was in both Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005).
Samoan Holler: As Maui jumps into the Realm of Monsters, he shouts "cheehoo." This is an expression of excitement rooted in the Samoan origins, and is often said today in Hawaii. This makes Moana (2016) the first time "cheehoo" is used in a Disney animated film.
Studio trademark: Habitually barefoot character(s): All of the human cast is barefoot throughout the movie, much like in Pocahontas (1995).
When Maui gets his hook back and is trying to transform into a Hawk, he accidentally turns himself into Sven from Frozen.
This is Dwayne Johnson's third Disney movie after The Game Plan (2007) and Race to Witch Mountain (2009).
This is Jemaine Clement's fourth animated film. His first one was Despicable Me (2010), where he voiced minion Jerry, and the other two times had been in Rio (2011) and it's sequel Rio 2 (2014), where he voiced Nigel the Cockatoo.
This is the second Disney animated feature film that's computer animated to use brief traditional animation at some point. The first one was Bolt (2008).
Missouri based singer-songwriter Abby Bowers auditioned for the role of Moana.
Director Trademark
John Musker, Ron Clements: [cartoon caricatures of the directors in their own film] The characters of Hei Hei the Rooster and Pua the Pig are based on the looks of the directors John Musker and Ron Clements; thus, continuing the tradition of the appearance of the John Musker and Ron Clements cartoon caricatures in their own films, dating all the way back to The Little Mermaid (1989). This time around, however, their caricatures are to be served as supporting characters rather than a small cameo appearance, as the story of Moana requires the use of Hei Hei the Rooster and Pua the Pig as Moana's loyal sidekicks.