If there's one thing Disney is known for, it's the studio's many films that feature princesses as the lead role. In the past few years, however, Disney has transformed its female protagonists from dainty royals to fierce heroines.
Hoping to continue that trend is the title character of Disney's next animated film Moana. The film was originally slated for a 2018 release date, but Disney has moved it up to hit theaters in late 2016. Oh, and since today is apparently our lucky day, Disney also unveiled a first look at some concept art of the movie.
We're thrilled to announce Moana, our 56th animated feature film coming to theatres late 2016! pic.twitter.com/S8x1KkJwYh
— Disney Animation ●—● (@DisneyAnimation) October 20, 2014
That looks pretty darn fantastical, doesn't it? I can feel the rocking of the boat and a cool ocean breeze just by looking at it.
Moana tells the tale of of a Polynesian teen who sets sail to find a fabled island in ancient Oceania in the South Pacific, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She's joined by the Polynesian mythological hero Maui, and together they'll come across mystical creatures, underworlds and lots of other crazy things on their adventure.
Like Disney's last mega-successful animated feature Frozen, Moana will also be CG-animated. It will be the first CG-animated movie for its directors Ron Clements and John Musker, the team behind The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and The Princess and the Frog.
"I grew up reading the novels of Melville and Conrad. And the South Seas, the exotic world that a lot of their stories are set in, was extremely intriguing to me," Musker told The Huffington Post. "Just looking at the art which comes out that corner of the globe — the carvings, the statuary, the sculpture — I thought that it all begged for this bigger-than-life treatment that you can only get with animation."
Not only does it seem like Moana will be a stronger female protagonist than early Disney Princesses, such as Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella, but she will also continue what seems like a greater push for diversity among Disney's leading ladies in recent years. Disney made headlines when it introduced its first African-American princess Tiana in 2009's The Princess and the Frog.
Moana is sure to inspire comparisons with Disney's Hawaii-set 2002 animated film Lilo & Stitch, which revolves around a young girl who finds a companion in a lovable, dog-like alien. However, Lilo & Stitch was more cutesy than epic as Moana seems like it will be, so I have a feeling Disney's next animated film will be a different experience altogether.
If the studio is smart, it will lean more toward the balance of action, comedy, music and heartwarming moments that it perfected with Frozen rather than the epicness and folklore of Brave, which was an enjoyable 90 minutes, but certainly didn't live up to Disney/Pixar's previous efforts. Until Moana debuts, we will all undoubtedly be on the edge of our seats waiting to see how it will turn out.
