Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho may anchor Disney’s upcoming coming-of-age tale as the mismatched leads – one, a wide-eyed explorer; the other, a flamboyant demi-god – but Moana‘s voice cast is packed to the rafters with eye-catching talent.
In the aftermath of SDCC, the House of Mouse confirmed that Ron Clements and John Musker’s maritime adventure will also feature Jemaine Clement – hot off his turn in The BFG – Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger and the loveable Alan Tudyk, who holds a role in Gareth Edwards’ Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Below, you’ll find a comprehensive overview of those new additions and, more importantly, the characters they’re set to play in Moana, which includes everything from a dim-witted rooster to a 50-foot crab that enjoys nothing more than his own company.
- Jemaine Clement (The BFG, Despicable Me, Rio, Rio 2, What We Do in the Shadows, “Flight of the Conchords”) provides the voice of Tamatoa, a self-absorbed, 50-foot crab who lives in Lalotai, the realm of monsters. The conceited crustacean wants to be more than a “bottom feeder” and overcompensates for this perceived shortcoming by covering himself in all things shiny.
- Rachel House (Whale Rider, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) lends her voice to Gramma Tala, Moana’s confidante and best friend, who shares her granddaughter’s special connection to the ocean. Although her son Tui, the chief of Motunui, is a no-nonsense leader, Gramma Tala most definitely dances to the beat of her own drum.
- Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Once Were Warriors, Six Days, Seven Nights) voices Moana’s father, Chief Tui, the gregarious and well-respected leader of the people of Motunui Island. Chief Tui wants Moana to follow in his footsteps as leader of their people, but fears his daughter’s draw to the ocean and the world that lies beyond their reef.
- Nicole Scherzinger (Grammy-nominated singer, West End’s “Cats”) voices Moana’s mother, Sina, who always has her daughter’s back. Playful, sharp and strong-willed, Sina appreciates Moana’s longing to be on the water, but also wants to protect her daughter from the fabled dangers beyond the reef.
- Alan Tudyk, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ lucky charm (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, Big Hero 6), is behind the voice of Heihei. Heihei is one dumb rooster—the village idiot, in fact. When the clueless chicken accidently stows away on Moana’s canoe, he lands a front-row seat for her epic journey.
Following up on their experience on The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, Moana stands as Clements and Musker’s first foray into animation in quite some time – and we couldn’t be more excited. Beyond that, Pixar stalwart John Lasseter is also attached to the movie as an executive producer.
Look for Moana to sail into theaters on November 23, 2016.