As a film enthusiast with a keen eye for detail and a soft spot for animation, I find myself deeply moved by the behind-the-scenes stories of “Moana.” These tales not only reveal the creative process but also highlight the human experiences that shaped these beloved characters.
Notice the boundary where the sky blends with the ocean? That spot summoned Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson to return for another round of recording sessions, this time for Moana 2.
After first appearing as the main character in the 2016 film “Moana”, the actress from Hawaii was excited to reprise her role.
In our initial movie, Moana’s main goal was to re-establish ties with the past. This is what the 24-year-old, who is currently performing in Broadway’s Cabaret, mentioned during her interview on Good Morning America. Furthermore, having collaborated with the troubled demigod Maui (portrayed by Johnson) to revitalize the ailing ocean so that her people can resume their explorer ways, she explained that this film is essentially about forging connections for the future.
And, hopefully, inspiring a new generation of girls to see how far they’ll go.
Johnson expressed to TopMob News during the New York City premiere of his film Red One (Nov 11) that a key aspect of Moana is the theme of female empowerment. He also mentioned this notion of always wondering, “What lies beyond the reef?
The father to daughters Simone (age 23), Jasmine (8 years old), and Tiana (6 years old), both with ex Dany Garcia and wife Lauren Hashian, remarked that “often, people try to limit or mold young girls, implying ‘you can only be this.’ However, in the movie Moana 2, you have the freedom to be anything you aspire to be.
2023 saw me utterly captivated by the staggering success of the original blockbuster that raked in over $687 million worldwide and topped the streaming charts across all platforms. As a devoted Disney fan, I couldn’t help but be riveted for an astounding 11.6 billion minutes, peering into the water, eagerly waiting for more magic.
Johnson aimed to please those fans with the upcoming sequel and the 2026 live-action version, as he shared with TopMob, “We gave it our all.
Before diving headfirst into the excitement of Moana 2, let’s take a moment to delve back into the past and uncover some intriguing behind-the-scenes facts about the original movie that have been hidden beneath the waves.
What can we say except, you’re welcome?
Disney princess creation process includes directors presenting three separate concepts to John Lasseter, who then selects a promising one to develop. The origin of Moana, directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (known for The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules), stemmed from Musker’s fascination with the South Pacific culture.
By exploring Polynesian folklore, researchers unearth numerous stories revolving around a shape-shifting figure known as Maui. Although each island has its unique take on the story, Maui is frequently celebrated for bestowing upon humans the ability to harness fire, delaying the sun’s pace, and utilizing his legendary fishing hook to emerge the islands from the ocean depths.
2. In the initial draft of the script, Dwayne Johnson’s character, Maui, was the main focus. We even affectionately referred to him as something powerful, such as “Mighty Maui,” as Clements shared with Entertainment Weekly.
The screenplay included a female character who played a significant role. As Clements explained, “The story is loosely based on a myth in which a girl’s lover was abducted, and she turned to Maui for help in finding him.” He continued, “That’s the basic outline, but there wasn’t much else to it. Yet, he found it intriguing, commenting, ‘You need to delve deeper.’
4. A discarded concept featured Moana, the young daughter of a tribal leader, as an out-of-place character in an ancient era.
In their conversation with EW, the directors mentioned a time-travel element in the narrative where a current child encountered their forebears. However, they clarified that the tale of a youngster who found themselves immersed in modern technology only to uncover an ancient civilization is not the one they chose to tell.
4. A preliminary voyage to the Pacific Islands significantly altered the direction of our project team’s work. As Osnat Shurer explained in an interview with Canada’s Tribute magazine in 2017, we spent a considerable amount of time immersing ourselves in the communities, sitting alongside elders, children, and scholars, and even sailing with them. Upon our return, we were filled with a profound respect for their culture, history, people, and unique rhythms and harmonies. It was at that moment that we collectively decided to honor the culture; to highlight its beauty, its intricacies, its mystery, and its past.
She shared that a senior figure from Mo’oera had a profound impact on her, who expressed, “‘For a long time, you’ve absorbed our culture. Could you experience the reverse for once?'” This sentiment resonated deeply with her, and she emphasized that they gave it careful consideration.
In my journey, I’ve discovered profound truths that have significantly influenced my path:
5. The movie portrayed a significant historical incident known as the Long Pause, during which inhabitants of the Western Pacific Islands are believed to have halted their exploration for approximately 1,000 years before resuming their journey towards Eastern Polynesia.
For quite some time, there has been much discussion about why that pause occurred. However, movie creators decided to explain this gap by suggesting that Maui took the heart of Te Fiti, which led to explorers failing to come back from their journeys. This made people hesitant to venture beyond the coral reef.
6. To preserve the authenticity of the locale, filmmakers established the Oceanic Cultural Advisory Group. Comprised of anthropologists, educators, linguists, skilled tattoo artists, choreographers, haka practitioners, master navigators, and other specialists they encountered during their Pacific Island expeditions, this group’s purpose was to offer guidance on every facet of the region’s culture.
7. The decision made at their request concerned Maui’s abundant hair. Initially, he was depicted as bald, but his advisers pointed out that Maui is not bald; instead, he has long, lush hair which is a part of his mana (spiritual energy), as stated by Clements to USA Today. Thus, it was decided, “Maui will have hair.
8. The alteration caused quite a stir among some individuals within the finance department; they found themselves pulling out their hair in frustration. As Clements pointed out, maintaining such elaborate hairstyles comes at a cost. This unexpected increase in hairstyle expenditure left those managing the budget rather anxious, as it doubled our previous amount. In animation, dealing with hair and water is particularly difficult. Consequently, we encountered some difficulties here.
9. However, unlike Johnson, Maui might not have sported a clean-shaven look, but the actor revealed that the character was partially modeled after his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa.
10. In Maui’s cherished tune “You’re Welcome“, it was originally Moana singing the words as a gentle reminder to the demigod about his achievements.
In their initial encounter, she admired him deeply. Later on, when she stumbled upon this struggling individual, seemingly disheartened, she felt compelled to inspire him and thus sang a song that encouraged him, reminding him of his past accomplishments as Musker shared with EW.
Changing the narrative, with Maui boasting about his grandeur, not just altered the tale, according to Musker, but it provided Lin-Manuel Miranda “more material to work with.
11. Indeed, the real-life actress Auli’i Cravalho looks remarkably similar to her screen persona, yet this resemblance occurred by chance. The character of Moana was created prior to her casting. Sometimes, things just seem destined to happen.
12. In reality, Cravalho, a 14-year-old native of Hawaii, was the final actress to audition following casting directors who had viewed numerous aspirants from the Pacific Islands.
During the callback, she was instructed to act as if she had been given the role. As Rachel Sutton, the casting director, put it, “They hinted that they might be offering you the part, but not quite saying it directly.” Cravalho responded, “That was clever,” and indeed, this approach added an authentic touch to the behind-the-scenes look at the production of Moana.
13. Regarding Nicole Scherzinger, who hails from Hawaii, she was chosen to play the role of Sina, Moana’s mother, following some impressive auditions. In her own words during a 2016 interview, “I couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘Wow, let me in the room! I want to contribute to it in any way possible.’
14. Pua and HeiHei were incorporated into the film due to the number of pigs and roosters seen during South Pacific research trips, and interestingly, their voices were provided by real animals. Pua’s sounds were directly taken from a genuine pig, while HeiHei’s voice features both Alan Tudyk imitating rooster noises and authentic recorded rooster sounds.
15. Initially, the plan was for the rooster to serve as a companion rather than stealing the limelight as he did; however, Heihei might have been the one who stole the show. (Paraphrased)
As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but reflect on the decision made regarding Pua, Moana’s loyal pig companion. Originally, he was meant to embark on this grand voyage, but in the end, he remained behind on the shore for safety reasons. However, as Director Musker shared with Entertainment Weekly, there were moments of hesitation. “The pig was intended to accompany her,” he said, “but we found ourselves persuaded against it. The story worked better with Moana being more solitary, bonded only with this bumbling rooster, and not having the reassurance of Pua by her side. Regrettably, there were adorable scenes that we didn’t get to include.
16. As a lifestyle expert, I’d like to share an interesting tidbit about the creators of Moana, Musker and Clements. Known for their unique touch in previous films where they appeared as animated townspeople in Aladdin and muscle-men in Hercules, they planned to continue this tradition in Moana, incorporating themselves into the storyline.
Originally, the humor lay in the fact that the grumpy rooster character resembled John, while the pig represented me, as stated by Clements to EW. However, it turned out that the rooster wasn’t always portrayed as being unintelligent.
17. In actuality, “He initially came across as quite arrogant,” writer Jared Bush revealed during a 2016 Comic-Con panel. “Heihei exhibited a strong attitude. Through numerous screenings, we discovered that the character wasn’t striking a chord. We began to adjust a small aspect of Heihei’s personality.
When they tried out an animation trial with a less intelligent rooster character, it brought on the chuckles. Bush remarked, “Pua is the sweetest Disney character, while Heihei is the most dim-witted.
18. In the whirlwind of brief appearances by Disney legends in the animated film “The Little Mermaid,” Flounder swims past during the vibrant scene of “You’re Welcome.” Wreck-It Ralph can be spotted on a tapa cloth that Chief Tui presents to baby Moana, while Baymax is one of the Kakamoras who confront Moana and Maui from the movie “Big Hero 6″… (This version maintains the original structure but uses simpler language and rephrases some elements for clarity.)
19. …and additionally, Sven from Frozen, depicted as one of the beings transformed by Maui’s hook, as well as Marshmallow, who also appears on a tapa cloth, were both present. Even a brief glimpse was given of Olaf being disassembled in Moana’s boat.
20. Those who stayed through the movie’s end credits were rewarded with an additional Easter egg: A glimpse of Tamatoa, the mischievous yet melodious crab that Maui and Moana overcame to reclaim his hook, still trying to free himself from their battle aftermath.
“If my name was Sebastian,” he said, “and I had a cool Jamaican accent, you would totally help me!”
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2024-11-28 15:18