For those of you who grew up during what’s known as the Disney Renaissance era (1989-1999), this should come as a welcome surprise. Directing team Ron Clements and John Musker, who brought us THE LITTLE MERMAID and ALADDIN (among others), are returning to the world of Disney animation with their new film, MOANA. The CG-animated comedy-adventure takes place in the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania. Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.
Ron Clements had this to say about the project:
John and I have partnered on so many films from THE LITTLE MERMAID to ALADDIN to The PRINCESS AND THE FROG. Creating MOANA is one of the great thrills of our career. It’s a big adventure set in this beautiful world of Oceania.
Given that the Disney Renaissance was the era I grew up in, I’m a little partial to the Disney flicks of those years. I was a little upset to hear that this would be yet another CG animated film (as we don’t have enough classic animation these days), but I’m hoping that the directors will try to give us a new look rather than the same old. Having done TREASURE PLANET, they obviously have a keen eye for mixing traditional and computer animation, so let’s see how that carries over to a medium that’s completely computer-generated.
MOANA is set to be released in late 2016.