Dwayne Johnson has conquered the wrestling ring, blockbuster action franchises, and even the world of comedy, but one thing he hasn't put down for the count yet is animation. That may change this holiday season when he lends his voice to Disney's topical musical, Moana, a film that will see him paired up with Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. It'll also see him back playing a deity, but thankfully this looks a lot better than Hercules.
Miranda's involvement probably explains why the trailer dropped during the Tony Awards, as Disney looks to kick the marketing off in a big way. He's involved in the abundant musical score, joining with Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina to create pieces for the high seas adventure. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the story centers on a teenage girl named Moana (voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) from the land of Oceana who teams with demi-god Maui (Johnson) in an ocean adventure to save her people. The screenplay was written by Zootopia writer Jared Bush, Pamela Ribon, and upcoming Thor: Ragnarok director, Taika Waititi.
So you can see Disney is throwing a ton of talent at this one. As expected the visuals are absolutely stunning, with the crisp blue water so inviting you just want to dive into it. One issue is that so much of the trailer focuses on Johnson's character, Maui, that we don't see nearly enough of Moana, although we can already tell she's not going to be your typical Disney princess.
Moana hits theaters on November 23rd, and includes the voices of Phillipa Soo (also of Hamilton) and Alan Tudyk. Check out the synopsis followed by the trailer below!
SYNOPSIS: Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast South Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one today knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds.
