Now that the dust has settled from Disney’s D23 expo, we’ve been left to cherry-pick the very best and most promising projects coming out of the presentation, and one that’s already standing head and burly shoulders above the rest is John Musker and Ron Clements’ maritime adventure, Moana.
Offering up our first look at the young titular explorer not to mention Dwayne Johnson’s demi-god, Maui, the first concept art is a striking peak behind the scenes of the studio’s all-new IP. Charting Moana’s daring maritime adventure across the South Pacific, Disney’s latest animation will have our wiser-than-her-years protagonist plot course for a fabled island. As the artwork hints, along the course of the journey our budding explorers will encounter wondrous underwater ruins and mammoth sea creatures – such as the sentient volcano.
Cut from the same cloth as Disney’s finest work, Moana is in essence a coming-of-age story, with the title character setting out to prove herself as a master navigator and, ultimately, to prove her weight in salt to her nearest and dearest. In fact, a handful of images also bring to light her extended family, too, and already John Musker and Ron Clements’s feature film is shaping up to be one of the more intriguing releases on Disney’s mammoth slate.
Moana is on course to sail into theaters in time for November 23, 2016. In the meantime, be sure to get an early glimpse of some of the film’s lead character via the gallery above.
Moana is set in the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania. Moana, a born navigator, searches for a fabled island and her incredible journey teams with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, as they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.
