If the new, full-length trailer for Moana, starring Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, feels like an updated throwback to Disney of old, there’s a reason for that. The folks who brought audiences Aladdin and The Little Mermaid are in charge of making the tale of Moana and the demigod Maui come to life and, if the footage is any indication, the story looks to be a yarn for both the senses and the heart–a combination see when the House of Mouse is at its best.
And a note: While a lot of the computer animated films that various studios crank out can feel a bit wooden without soul, the interactions between Moana and Maui in the trailer feels natural and fluid, thanks in no small part to Cravalho and Johnson’s spot-on and legitimately laugh-out-loud funny. The two actors obviously clicked in terms of chemistry and it definitely shows.
Moana, starring Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, premieres November 23rd from Disney. Also, be sure to check out the new poster for the film that Disney dropped earlier in the week.
From the official movie description:
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 exactly 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 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”), produced by Osnat Shurer (“Lifted,” “One Man Band”), and featuring music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘i, “Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016. For more information, visit http://disney.com/moana, like us on Facebook, https://www.
facebook.com/disneymoana; follow us on Twitter, http://www.twitter. com/DisneyAnimation; follow us on Instagram, https://instagram. com/DisneyAnimation.