Viewers of the 2016 Rio Olympics were treated to a new TV spot for the upcoming Disney animated movie, MOANA. This movie looks like it is going to be an incredible adventure film to inspire young viewer, especially girls. The film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Maui, once-mighty demigod. It also stars newcomer Auli’i Cravalho as the title character of MOANA, pronounced MO-AH-NAH. I kept getting the pronunciation wrong but after visiting the Hokulea back on July 4th I did get a few tips on pronouncing Hawaiian names. I am now sure but there seems to be a tie in between the Hokulea and Moana in such that Moana is on a sailing quest to be a master wayfinder.

The thing with the Hokulea is that the sailing crew does not use modern instruments but rather the traditional and almost lost skills of sailing the open ocean and using the wind, birds, waves and stars to guide them. It looks to me that MOANA is set in a time when there were no modern instruments and she will have to navigate using those skills as well. I don’t know for sure if there is any tie between the two entities but that would make a fantastic connection between the real world and the mission of the Hokulea and this upcoming incredible story.

You can see the TV Spot here.

More about MOANA which opens in theaters everywhere on November 23rd, below.

MOANA

Genre: Animated Comedy/Adventure
Rating: TBD
U.S. Release Date: Nov. 23, 2016
Voice Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Producer: Osnat Shurer

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 Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-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 Nov. 23, 2016.

Notes:

• Filmmakers auditioned hundreds of talented young women throughout the Pacific Islands before finding the gifted Native Hawaiian Auli’i Cravalho, who did not initially pursue the coveted role. The film’s Hawai’i-based casting director recalled her singing performance from a video submission for a fundraiser/talent showcase and asked Auli’i to come in and try out. Three auditions later, including her first trip to Burbank, Calif., she earned the title role, thanks to raw talent.
• Dwayne Johnson stars in the critically acclaimed “Ballers” for HBO, directed by Peter Berg. Last year, he starred in the blockbusters “Furious 7” and “San Andreas.” Up next, Johnson appears in “Central Intelligence” opposite Kevin Hart for New Line, the big-screen adaptation of “Baywatch” and “Fast 8.”
• The diverse and dynamic team behind the film’s inspired music include Tony®-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway’s Pulitzer Prize-winning and multiple Tony-winning “Hamilton,” Tony-winning “In the Heights”), Grammy®-winning composer Mark Mancina (“Speed,” “Tarzan” “The Lion King”) and Opetaia Foa’i (founder and lead singer of the world music award-winning band Te Vaka).
• Directors Ron Clements and John Musker made their writing-directing debut on the 1986 feature “The Great Mouse Detective.” They went on to write and direct some of Disney’s most beloved animated classics, including the undersea adventure “The Little Mermaid” in 1989, the hilarious hit “Aladdin” in 1992, 1997’s epic comedy “Hercules” and, most recently, 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog.”
• Producer Osnat Shurer served as the executive producer of the shorts group at Pixar Animation Studios, responsible for Pixar’s short films, as well as all DVD bonus materials. While at Pixar, Shurer produced or executive produced a host of hit shorts, including the Oscar®-nominated “Lifted” (2006), “One Man Band” (2005) and “Boundin’” (2003).

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Visit the official MOANA website here: http://movies.disney.com/moana

MOANA arrives in theatres everywhere on November 23rd!