It may still be five years away, but we now have our first look at Disney’s Polynesian-inspired animated feature, Moana!
In this gorgeous piece of artwork, we get a glimpse of the movie’s heroine, Moana, floating in a lagoon. The art style is lush and soft, and reminiscent of Mary Blair’s work. The moonlight makes the blues and greens feel cool and exotic. Notice the tiki idols in the foreground. The art piece also seems to recall Disney’s The Jungle Book.
Our friends over at Bleeding Cool have some exclusive story details about Moana:
“…it’s an epic, or even mythic, adventure set around 2000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific.
The lead character, Moana Waialiki is the only daughter of a Chief in a long line of navigators. She’s really a bit of nerd, but a nerd about sea voyaging, and when her family need her help, she sets off on an epic journey. Some of the other characters are demi-gods and spirits drawn from real mythology.”
Could Moana be Disney’s very first Polynesian Princess? The story sounds rather grand and mystic, and it will be interesting to see what directors John Musker and Ron Clements (who directed classics like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin) come up with in terms of animation style (we’re still hoping for a 2D/CGI hybrid).
Disney’s Moana will release in 2018.
Image Credit: Animation Heroine on Tumblr
