It was only a matter of time before Walt Disney Animation Studios set its sights on adapting its more recent classics into live-action. Now, a new trailer for Moana offers another glimpse at how the studio is reinterpreting one of its biggest hits, while a new featurette celebrates the live-action reimagining’s artistry.
Continue reading “New Live-Action ‘Moana’ Trailer and Featurette Spotlight Cultural Artistry”
Disney has released the first trailer for its live-action Moana. It may only be a teaser, but it offers a glimpse of what’s to come and showcases the power in Catherine Lagaʻaia’s voice as she steps into the role of the titular wayfinder.
Continue reading “Live-Action ‘Moana’ Trailer Sets Sail”
While Moana 2 is already out on digital, it is also scheduled to debut on Disney+ on March 12 and hit store shelves on March 18. Ironically, the sequel was originally supposed to be a Disney+ streaming exclusive, but first-time directors Dana Ledoux Miller, Jason Hand, and David G. Derrick Jr. were able to navigate creative changes and deliver something that was a hit with theatergoing audiences, while also having a grander celebration of Polynesian culture.
Continue reading “‘Moana 2’ Creators Share Resonating Stories with Cultural Specificity”
The first Moana was a journey of self-discovery for the title character (Auliʻi Cravalho) who teamed up with the awesome fishhook-wielding and shapeshifting and sometimes self-centered demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to restore the heart of Tefiti. Eight years later, audiences are reunited with the characters they love in Moana 2, a sequel that’s worthy of your time.
Continue reading “‘Moana 2’ is a Beautiful Sonic and Visual Feast”
To celebrate the forthcoming release of Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Moana 2, fans are invited to join Disney, National Geographic Pristine Seas, and Polynesian Voyaging Society to celebrate the explorer and Moana in all of us and answer the call to protect our oceans together. And they have released a featurette to help inspire the conservationist in us all.
Continue reading “‘Moana 2’ Featurette Inspires Explorers to Protect the Oceans”
Post-production is essential to completing any film, especially an animated one like Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana 2.
Continue reading “Sound and Animation Team Talk New Sights and Sounds of ‘Moana 2’”
In 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Moana, an animated musical based on Polynesian mythology. The studio strived to make the film’s details more authentic to Polynesian cultures through research and the help of Oceanic Story Trust. Now Moana 2 takes the next steps to advance off-screen representation by bringing two filmmakers of Samoan-heritage on as directors.
Continue reading “‘Moana 2’ Directors and Producers Talk Off-Screen Representation”
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana was more than a commercial and critical hit of 2016; it was also a celebration of the Polynesian culture. Set on the fictional island of celebrates Motunui, the film followed the title character (Auliʻi Cravalho) who embarks on a oceanic adventure with the mighty demigod Maui (Dwyane Johnson) to save her village from a blight.
Continue reading “‘Moana 2’ Footage Reaction: Disney’s Latest Sets Sail for a New Adventure”
A little over a month remains until Moana 2 hits theaters, and for folks in New Zealand, they’ll have more than one way of experiencing it.
Continue reading “Reo Māori Dub of ‘Moana 2’ Arrives the Same Day as English-Language Counterpart”
Last year, Disney made a surprising announcement that their oceanic animated musical Moana would be developed into a live-action film. It would celebrate the islands, communities, and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen through the eyes of a young woman eager to chart her own path by sailing the ocean.
Continue reading “Disney’s Finds its Live-Action ‘Moana’ in Catherine Laga‘aia”
Walt Disney Animation Studios has revealed the newest trailer and poster for the nightly anticipated Moana 2. How far will she go this time?
Continue reading “‘Moana 2’ Trailer Voyages to Answer Ancestral Call”
When Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana first hit the shores in 2016, it was critical and commercial smash that brought Polynesian culture and a contemporary sound from singer and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda onto the big screen in a way that could only be described as magical. Now, the studio hopes to replicate that once more with Moana 2, a newly announced sequel that is set to arrive in theaters November 2024.
Continue reading “Walt Disney Animation Studios Announces ‘Moana 2’ for a November 2024 Release”
The Disney “I Want” song is a popular type of song that sees its main character sing about their wants for a better life than the one they have now and/or search for what they’ve been looking for their whole lives. And it’s not out of selfishness or something petty. It’s an essential piece of music that encapsulates the protagonist’s desire to overcome their struggles and define the motivations that help understand the character and propel them forward in the story. With Disney celebrating their 100th anniversary, we are looking at some of our favorite “I Want” songs.
Continue reading “Ranking Our 10 Favorite Disney “I Want” Songs”
Disney is preparing to chart a course to a live-action telling of their beloved animated hit, Moana, with voice talents like Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho, as well as writer and co-director Jared Bush on board in creative capacities.
Continue reading “Disney Sails Live-Action ‘Moana’ into Early Development”
Riele Downs and Auliʻi Cravalho are ready for a change.
Continue reading “‘Darby and the Dead’ Stars Riele Downs and Auliʻi Cravalho on Playing Against What’s Expected”
Walt Disney Animation Studios gave a group of selected journalists their first look at their upcoming musical, Encanto. The film centers on the Madrigals, a magical family who live in an enchanted casita in the mountains of Colombia. At the age of five, the home gifts a Madrigal child a unique magical power, who then uses it to help the family and neighboring town. Everyone except, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz). However, she when she discovers that the magic is in danger, she sets off on a journey to save it from being extinguished.
Continue reading “‘Encanto’ Directors Talk Representation and Working with Lin-Manuel Miranda”
In Netflix’s new film, All Together Now, Amber Appleton is a musically gifted high schooler with a heart of gold, as she spends her days giving all she can to others, while working towards realizing her potential. However, what her friends and peers don’t know is that she is homeless and is living on a bus with her mother. When the circumstances surrounding her hidden life take a turn for the worst, Amber must learn to accept help from others.
Continue reading “Auli’i Cravalho’s Experience in Timely Coming-of-Age Drama, ‘All Together Now’”
For the better part of a decade, this has become an annual tradition for yours truly.
From January to December I compile a list of the best, artistic and most progressive films, television shows, and music albums. One of the reasons I do this is to provide resources to readers who are looking for cerebral, fun, and progressive media. It does exist as my lists have continued to prove. Don’t say I never gave you anything. You’re welcome.
Originally published at NBC Asian America
I am an avid toy collector, and every few years I like to take stock of the number of action figures that feature Asian American and Pacific Islander characters. When I started doing this in 2009, it was difficult coming up with enough figures to fill out a Top Five list. Fortunately, it has become much easier to populate these lists since AAPI visibility in pop culture has dramatically increased in the intervening years. In fact, I actually had a difficult time winnowing down this year’s list since there are so many AAPI action figures from which to choose! Moreover, nearly every slot on the list is populated by female characters, which hopefully puts to rest the fallacy that girls don’t buy action figures.
Even though the movie is more than a year away, we cannot contain our excitement for Moana, the newest addition to Disney’s iconic princesses. Set for a Thanksgiving 2016 release, the movie will star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the demigod Maui and 14-year old newcomer Auli’i Cravalho has been tapped to play the titular Princess Moana. That’s right, a Disney Princess movie about Hawaii starring actual Pacific Islander actors in the roles of Pacific Islander characters. And Emma Stone is nowhere to be found!
Originally posted at Childish Things
Disney’s next Disney Film Canon Princess isn’t set to arrive until 2019 Edit: 2016! [Sorry!], and she’s a princess of color — Moana, a Pacific Islander. In the meantime, they are introducing a new Latina princess to its cartoon universe. Elena of Avalor will be introduced on the already popular Disney cartoon Sofia the First, before receiving her full spin-off.
It is about time that Disney spread its diversity notches to the Latina community. While it reeks of tokenism, it is still an excellent opportunity for young Latina girls to have someone to look up to other than the aged up Dora the Explorer. I’m actually surprised Disney didn’t jump on a Latina character soon, considering Dora has been so popular for so long. I hope this princess does well and that the Disney TV Cartoon princesses can join their film counterparts in inspiring young girls of color to follow their dreams and work hard and all those other themes. It’s so frustrating that each group must wait their turn basically before they can have some representation on television in a big way like this.
