In this blog post, I have collected a number of articles related to various aspects of Moana. The articles have been placed in four categories, which are listed below.
Interviews With Clements and Musker
Moana is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the duo behind Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. They have been the subject of a number of articles, and have been interviewed by several prominent websites:
Directors John Musker and Ron Clements on Creating the World of 'Moana' — and How 'Little Mermaid' Almost Got Sunk - In this interview with Yahoo, Clements and Musker reveal why they chose to make a film based on Polynesian mythology. They also talk about how their initial pitch for The Little Mermaid was rejected - this anecdote is familiar to many Disney fans, but it's always fun to hear it.
Explore Disney’s Latest with Moana Directors Ron Clements and John Musker - In this interview with ComingSoon.Net, Clements and Musker discuss the differences between the 2D animation of their previous films, and the CGI animation used for Moana. They also talk about how Moana aims to celebrate exploration, and praise the movie's voice cast, which includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
How Moana Closes the Gap Between Disney's Past and Present - In this article on Gizmodo, Clements and Musker talk about the process of writing Moana, which involved a "brain trust" who analysed the story at every stage and edited it extensively throughout the production process.
Moana's Directors: From Disney's Past to the Future - This article on Den of Geek discusses Clements and Musker's history working with Disney, and features them talking about how they came up with the idea for Moana.
‘Moana’ Directors Talk ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Influences and Taika Waititi’s Screenplay - In this interview with SlashFilm, Clements and Musker acknowledge the role which Hunt For the Wilderpeople director Taika Waititi played in developing the script for Moana. They also mention the importance of music in Polynesian culture, and promote one of the movie's highlights, an action sequence inspired by 2015's hit action movie Mad Max: Fury Road.
The Old Hands: The directors of 'Aladdin' and 'The Little Mermaid' learn new CG tricks on 'Moana' - In this article for LA Times, Clements and Musker discuss their working relationship and their status as Disney icons who have been involved with the company since the 1970's.
Interviews With Other Key Figures
Clements and Musker are certainly not the only figures who have helped bring Moana to life, and many of the people involved in the production process have also talked extensively about their work.
INTERVIEW: Disney Producer Osnat Shurer on Making “Moana” and Developing A Strong Female Hero - In this interview with InsideTheMagic.com, Moana's producer, Osnat Shurer, praises the fact the movie has a strong female protagonist. She also talks about some of the other characters, including the demi-god Maui and Moana's grandmother, Gramma Tala.
Lin-Manuel Miranda ‘GMA’ Interview On ‘Moana’ And ‘Hamilton’ Documentary (VIDEO) - Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man behind the Broadway sensation Hamilton, wrote the songs for Moana. In this interview, published on GossipCop, he talks about writing songs for Dwayne Johnson.
Teenager Auli'i Cravalho Dishes About Role as Disney's New Heroine, Moana: 'I'm Just Being Myself!'- Moana's titular protagonist is voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, a 14 year-old Hawaiian girl who was chosen to voice the role after an online search. In this interview with People.com, she talks about how she got the part, and reveals which Disney Princess inspires her the most.
The Production Process
Moana has been in development for five years, and as the Gizmondo article listed above implies, this has been a very eventful period. Many articles have highlighted all the hard work which went into the movie.
How Moana Turned A Demigod Into A Sidekick - This Entertainment Weekly article discusses how Moana was originally meant to be centered around the character of Maui, until Clements and Musker chose to use a female protagonist. It's interesting to read about how the story evolved, as various ideas were rejected or changed.
‘Moana’: 15 Things to Know About Disney’s Culturally Robust Animated Epic - This article on Collider lists a number of anecdotes about the production of Moana. It focuses primarily on the production crew and the animators, and highlights the extent to which they tried to make the settings as authentic as possible.
Take A Look Behind The Scenes of Moana and 5 Years of Cultural Research- This article on OhMyDisney shows three featurettes about the making of Moana which first appeared on Dwayne Johnson's Instagram page. Johnson is full of praise for the way in which Moana portrays his "humble, yet fierce" Polynesian heritage, and these videos place even more emphasis on the respect which Disney have for Polynesian culture.
Moana's Merchandise
In addition to discussing the making of Moana, many websites have talked about the merchandise for the movie. The merchandising campaign for Moana got off to a bad start when a Halloween costume of Maui was withdrawn based on allegations that it encouraged racism and cultural appropriation. However, in the last couple of months, a wide variety of interesting merchandise has been produced.
Book Reviews: 4 “Moana” Movie Books for Kids and Adults - This article from Laughing Place talks about four books based on the film. The most interesting of these is "The Story of Moana", a 300-page novelisation of the film which also features a number of the Polynesian stories which inspired it. There is also a storybook which features a CD narrated by Rachel House (who voices Gramma Tala).
Hawaiian Airlines Unveils “Moana” Plane.- In order to promote Moana, Hawaiian Airlines has unveiled three custom airplanes based on the movie. These planes have images of the movie's central characters on their side. Personally, I am worried about the environmental impact that this promotion will have (even though Hawaiian Airlines are one of the more fuel-efficient American airlines), but it seems that it will tie in effectively with the movie's themes of exploration.
Moana To Be First Disney Film Translated Into Tahitian Language - One of the defining features of Moana is its depiction of Polynesian culture, which aims to be as authentic as possible. In order to highlight this, a version of the film translated into the Tahitian language will be released, Apparently, it will be the first major motion picture to be translated into this overlooked native language.
Watch the Packaging for This Moana Doll Turn Into a Fun Accessory - This is another article from Laughing Place, discussing a Moana doll with some unique packaging. The box, designed as part of Disney's SmartPackaging Initiative, is designed to be environmentally friendly, made using 70% recycled paper and vegetable-based inks. In addition, the box can be transformed into a toy boat, which children can use for a range of Moana-themed adventures. .
Summary
All the articles listed above highlight the most interesting and appealing features of Moana. In addition to talking about the experienced directors and the celebrities involved in making the movie, they promote the colourful animation, the memorable characters and the detailed depiction of Polynesian culture, which look like the three most important aspects of the film. I can't wait to see Moana in the cinema, and I'm confident that all the effort put into making it will lead to an incredibly entertaining finished product.
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