Moana

[Warm Regards]

Do you know if there's a good resource where one may find out how R&J were restricted (as you say) on The Princess and the Frog. It would be a very interesting read.

Didn't Ron and Jon initially want Alan Menken as the composer, until Lasseter shoehorned in Randy Newman late in the project?

[D82]

Didn't Ron and Jon initially want Alan Menken as the composer, until Lasseter shoehorned in Randy Newman late in the project?

Yes. I found an article about that from then, but maybe someone here knows the story better. I remember when Menken was replaced, but believe it or not I didn't have Internet at the time and I couldn't follow Disney news the same way as I can now.

http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief ... osure.aspx

[D82]

Here are some new details from the press day articles:

First, if you think that Maui's ugly, look how he was going to look like at one point of the production (top panel on the left):

http://www.insidethemagic.net/wp-conten ... -small.jpg

An interesting tidbit, Maui was bald in early versions. After consulting with the Oceanic Story Trust, the Directors and the Producer learned that those who grew up with the legend of Maui always imagined him with a full mane of hair. The hair was incorporated into the design, and actually added a lot to the character.

Source: http://thatsitla.com/disney-talk-creati ... e-johnson/


And those who don't like animal sidekicks almost got a Disney film without them. The character of Hei Hei, the rooster, was almost cut of the film and Pua has had his part shortened because the directors decided he won't take part in Moana's journey. That's why we didn't see him in the last trailer.

Originally, Pua was at Moana’s side throughout her journey. But as the script was refined, it became clear that he was a bit of a security blanket, and that from a dramatic storytelling perspective, he could better serve Moana’s story with his absence. By leaving him behind, Moana’s isolation and alienation are emphasized, and audiences are able to feel her homesickness that much more.

Source: http://www.ramascreen.com/meet-moanas-e ... a-the-pig/


The following interview also tells some new things about the first act of the film (beware of spoilers):

Ron Clements: She has this inner conflict. She's 16 years old and she doesn't really know who she is. She goes to her grandmother who she's really, really close to, ever closer then her parents and confines in her, her problems and grandma decides on a specific date that it's time to tell Moana a secret that has been kept from her. The secret on the island and takes Moana to this hidden cave where Moana will finally understand why she's been drawn to the ocean her whole life. She finally understands her purpose and realizes she should be a voyager like her ancestors and be out on the open seas. Her grandmother puts her on a mission to find Maui and return The Heart of Tafiti to him, she could save her island from this threat of Tikal and bring peace to the ocean once more.

John Musker: This is the moment when Moana is filled with this understanding when her grandmother gets really ill and in her last breath, her grandma tell Moana in order to save her people she must do this mission. So she takes a boat from the secret cave and sets out on this quest. Once she's out there she's alone at sea and its vast and epic but it turns out that she has a stow away which is this rooster named Hei Hei. He's a local figure on the island and is kind of an idiot. In the early treatments of the story he was actually smart and an ordinary guy but he didn't seem as funny as we wanted him to be. So we needed to find a funnier take on the rooster.

Ron Clements: He may be the dumbest character in Disney history (laughs).

John Musker: So Moana and this very stupid chicken encounter a horrible storm and are shipwrecked and find themselves on this mysterious island.

Source: http://lrmonline.com/news/talking-moana ... nat-shurer


And lastly, a pair of details about the songs:

To (story writers) Jared Bush and Dave Pimentel, Lin and their music team were very instrumental in bringing the film’s vision to life. “It was very serious. That’s a really fun part of the process. There’s many songs that were written that aren’t actually a part of the movie because eventually the character changed or the story changed. ‘We know the way’ the big voyaging song, that didn’t used to be where it is, it used to start the movie.” Bush revealed.

“It used to be in the beginning as a celebration of the Polynesian culture and what they did with miraculous way finding skills that they had and the brave people of the South Pacific.” Pimentel elaborated. “We had it out front and John Lasseter was the one who told us ‘let’s put that over here in the cave way finders scene because we want to experience it with our 16 year old character and see it through her eyes.”

Source: http://legionofleia.com/2016/09/disneys ... -on-music/

A bunch of the animation crew working on the movie also have South Pacific roots. Story artist David Derrick came to the studio to work on this project because he was of Samoan ancestry and it was very personal to him.

Derrick was able to sneak in his family’s tapa into the movie in the background of a scene — Moana walks past women holding the tapestry while singing a song while walking through the village.

Source: http://www.slashfilm.com/moana-oceanic-story-trust/

[jazzflower92]

I kind of find it interesting they sat out Pua for the journey, and just let Hei Hei come along for the ride. I bet there would be a reason for it as well, because of the fact that Hei Hei might play an important part of the story. Pua on the other hand, as they said would be too much of a security blanket and might not contribute to the journey as much as they thought at first. I think all the posters we've seen with Pua are just earlier throw backs when he still was going accompany Moana. Kind of like how earlier Zootopia merchandise pointed itself to the older scripts where Nick was the main character.

[DisneyFan09]

Apparently, you can't be both a princess and a strong lead character anymore.

I know, right? It's beyond stupid and insipid. And frankly irrelevant.

I don't understand why Disney would want to downplay the fact that Moana's a princess. You'd think after Frozen's success they'd wanna shout it from the rooftops.

Ditto. Since "Princess"-Movies has become Box Office bait lately, why not relying on the term anymore? Its what Disney is known for in the first Place.

[unprincess]

^B/c Disney still thinks the reason Frozen was such a huge success was b/c they "tricked" men and boys to watch the film.

I bet there would be a reason for it as well, because of the fact that Hei Hei might play an important part of the story.

he will be this film's surprise villain. They are playing up the stupid characterization waaay too much. Im suspicious.

[blackcauldron85]

This is a neat article about the evolution of HeiHei:

How the makers of Disney's "Moana" almost chickened out
http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief ... d-out.aspx

[JeanGreyForever]

http://www.mtv.com/news/2929319/disney- ... tion-hero/

Apparently Moana is Disney's first action hero heroine. Because Mulan and even Merida suddenly don't exist anymore.

[jazzflower92]

I don't know about you, but I really think the focus on her being labeled an action hero is kind of again turning another thread into a complaint fest. In my opinion, I just really want to focus on the story and the other things.

[Disney Analysis]

http://www.mtv.com/news/2929319/disney- ... tion-hero/

Apparently Moana is Disney's first action hero heroine. Because Mulan and even Merida suddenly don't exist anymore.

Actually, Merida isn't a Disney character, she's a Pixar character. And Mulan is not a princess.

[disneyprincess11]

This is ridiculous! I know Moana does more than the other princesses. But good god! Disney is acting like NONE of the princesses exist! Mulan saved a whole country! Merida, who's Pixar, did archery and sword-fighting. Ariel became human to get her prince. Jasmine and Rapunzel went out there to get freedom. Tiana works her butt off. And dear god, the princesses, Anna and Elsa, who they SHOVE down our throats: Elsa has SNOW AND ICE POWERS. Anna traveled all the way to Elsa, not giving up and defeating wolves. Like seriously, Disney?! I just picture Musker and Clements cringing while they're saying these things. And "Let's give a princess a realistic body type for once" is really offensive and hurtful to the other princesses, especially that I'm a very petite girl. Suddenly, the other princess don't matter anymore. They're "weak" and "bad role models," despite the Princess lineup telling us otherwise.

[Tristy]

I don't know about you, but I really think the focus on her being labeled an action hero is kind of again turning another thread into a complaint fest. In my opinion, I just really want to focus on the story and the other things.

Well, the problem is Disney listens too much to criticism on the internet boards from people who complain about the characters based on the toys rather than the actual movies themselves. This tends to be what criticisms for Disney Princesses and movies are like:

She's too pretty.
She's too plain.
She's not black.
She's not white.
She's too thin.
She's too fat.
This movie's not dark enough.
This movie's too dark for kids.
There's too much singing.
There's not enough singing.
She's too weak.
She's too strong (Insert "Rey is a Mary Sue" joke here)
She doesn't have any negative qualities.
She has too many negative qualities.

To Disney and to the people who make these complaints, how about just a movie with a good story and characters? Isn't that enough?

I do remember something when Brave came out that people were talking about Fergus being one of the rare instances of a goofy king rather than the stern king Disney comes up with. Yeah. Because the king from Cinderella, King Stefan, King Hubert, and the Sultan didn't have any comedic traits.

[Disney's Divinity]

And Mulan is not a princess.

Uh.... If you want to get technical about it, neither is Moana.

I bet there would be a reason for it as well, because of the fact that Hei Hei might play an important part of the story.

he will be this film's surprise villain. They are playing up the stupid characterization waaay too much. Im suspicious.

LLLOL Oh my God, they got us! They've fooled us all! It doesn't matter if he's cute and cuddly and non-threatening, you shocked us, Disney, and that's the most important quality of a GOOD VILLAIN in any movie!

[blackcauldron85]

I just received an email from Disney Store saying "Introducing Moana!"...here's the link to the new merch:

https://www.disneystore.com/moana/mn/10 ... MP=EMC-eml

[disneyprincess11]

Gorgeous new poster (and the movie is officially PG)

EDIT: New trailer on Thursday during GMA!

https://67.media.tumblr.com/581ea683bb9 ... 1_1280.jpg

[DisneyEra]

Gorgeous new poster (and the movie is officially PG)

https://67.media.tumblr.com/581ea683bb9 ... 1_1280.jpg

Tangled's is more "Bad Ass" if you ask me

[Disney's Divinity]

I like both posters, but I generally prefer the ocean as scenery, so I'd pick Moana's poster as the better one. (Maximus is the best part of the Tangled poster.) Plus, I like Moana's design/clothes much better than Rapunzel ad the sidekicks look cute.

I've spun back around to being excited for this again. I find this "era" is very unpredictable because I never know if someone involved will luck up and get out something interesting amid all the usual Lasseter BS. I wish the Lopezes were making the music for this film (since Menken is off the table). I’d rather the Hamilton guy was stranded on Gigantic, which I have no interest in so far.

[DisneyEra]

Brown Beauties

[JeanGreyForever]

I really like that poster as well as the ocean backdrop. Much better than the Tangled one imo.

[D82]

Nice poster! Also, in addition to announcing that the new trailer will premiere on Thursday, Dwayne Johnson has said that there will be something new from the film each Monday:

Today also kicks off something special that we’re calling #MOANAMondays -- From now until our Thanksgiving weekend release, myself, the cast and Disney will be serving up amazingly cool looks at the film, taking you deeper into how it was made, and what you can expect from our story and characters. And most importantly, THE MUSIC.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/BKQ2_DjDTJJ/