Moana

[ce1ticmoon]

I understand the sequels as a business decision, so I had kind of made my peace with the Pixar sequels under the assumption that they'd still keep a good balance with their original films (which is what they were saying they were going to do). But as it looks now, the schedule is so heavily slanted toward sequels that it's quite disheartening. And yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see Disney Animation with a similarly unappealing slate a few years from now.

[unprincess]

there seems to be way more mythology inspired story in this then there was in Frozen or Tangled, which kinda just became "generic European" princess films... Now that they've given us a good synopsis of the story, Im really excited about this!

[D82]

And wasn't the footage of infant Moana previously shown last year at the Disney D23 Expo?

Yes, it was shown there too.

Now that they've given us a good synopsis of the story, Im really excited about this!

I’m more excited about the film now too. By the way, I love the French poster. Both of the posters released for Moana so far are very good.


Here's another description of the scenes shown at Annecy:

Set among the islands of Oceania in the South Pacific, “Moana” explores the mystery of why Polynesian explorers, who were once the world’s greatest navigators, suddenly stopped sailing for nearly 1,000 years. The film, whose title means “ocean” in various Polynesian languages, is named for its heroine (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), the feisty 16-year-old daughter of aquaphobic Chief Tui, who forbids the people of Motunui from venturing beyond the island’s outer reef.

According to Clements, “The ocean is a character in the movie. It has a personality.” Water has been notoriously difficult for anyone to animate, of course, though it plays a key role in the most impressive of the clips the directors shared, in which young Moana has her first encounter with the sea. The scene depicts her as a young girl playing on the beach. As she approaches the water to collect seashells, it pulls back and away from her, allowing her to walk deeper and deeper without getting wet before extending what looks like a cross between a wave and a giant blue tongue out to make contact. It could be the contact scene from “The Abyss,” suggesting communion between this fearless young explorer and the ocean that will allow her to save her people.

The film’s plot, set up in the opening scene — a myth involving the trickster demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) related by Moana’s grandmother — involves the disappearance of an artifact called the Heart of Te Fiti, as well as Maui’s magic fishhook (believed to be the tool with which he created many of the Polynesian islands). Once she reaches her teens, Moana will discover the secret of her people’s seafaring past and set out on a quest that washes her ashore the same island where Maui has been stranded all these years.

One of the clips depicted the scene where Moana and Maui meet, cutting short just before the Rock sings a musical number written by Miranda. While Maui is a big, hulking character, he looks nothing like the wrestler who voices him, covered from fingers to neck in tribal tattoos, including one — whom the filmmakers call “Mini-Maui” — that is animated in 2D silhouette by Art Goldberg, responsible for the genie in “Aladdin.”

Among the various obstacles Moana and Maui face (which also includes a journey through the Polynesian underworld) are the Kakomora, which Clements described as a race of “treasure-hunting, coconut-clad little pirates.” Moana’s only other companion on her trip is a stowaway rooster named Hei Hei, whom the Kakomora kidnap, setting up the chance for a spectacular rescue storyboarded by John Ripa. “Of course, he was inspired by ‘Mad Max,’” Musker explained after a clip whose rope swinging tricks and dynamic camera could only be possible in CG. “If you see the movie, it’s like Disney meets ‘Fury Road,’” he promised.

Source: http://variety.com/2016/film/news/annec ... 201798053/

[jazzflower92]

And wasn't the footage of infant Moana previously shown last year at the Disney D23 Expo?

Yes, it was shown there too.


Here's another description of the scenes shown at Annecy:

Set among the islands of Oceania in the South Pacific, “Moana” explores the mystery of why Polynesian explorers, who were once the world’s greatest navigators, suddenly stopped sailing for nearly 1,000 years. The film, whose title means “ocean” in various Polynesian languages, is named for its heroine (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho), the feisty 16-year-old daughter of aquaphobic Chief Tui, who forbids the people of Motunui from venturing beyond the island’s outer reef.

According to Clements, “The ocean is a character in the movie. It has a personality.” Water has been notoriously difficult for anyone to animate, of course, though it plays a key role in the most impressive of the clips the directors shared, in which young Moana has her first encounter with the sea. The scene depicts her as a young girl playing on the beach. As she approaches the water to collect seashells, it pulls back and away from her, allowing her to walk deeper and deeper without getting wet before extending what looks like a cross between a wave and a giant blue tongue out to make contact. It could be the contact scene from “The Abyss,” suggesting communion between this fearless young explorer and the ocean that will allow her to save her people.

The film’s plot, set up in the opening scene — a myth involving the trickster demigod Maui (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) related by Moana’s grandmother — involves the disappearance of an artifact called the Heart of Te Fiti, as well as Maui’s magic fishhook (believed to be the tool with which he created many of the Polynesian islands). Once she reaches her teens, Moana will discover the secret of her people’s seafaring past and set out on a quest that washes her ashore the same island where Maui has been stranded all these years.

One of the clips depicted the scene where Moana and Maui meet, cutting short just before the Rock sings a musical number written by Miranda. While Maui is a big, hulking character, he looks nothing like the wrestler who voices him, covered from fingers to neck in tribal tattoos, including one — whom the filmmakers call “Mini-Maui” — that is animated in 2D silhouette by Art Goldberg, responsible for the genie in “Aladdin.”

Among the various obstacles Moana and Maui face (which also includes a journey through the Polynesian underworld) are the Kakomora, which Clements described as a race of “treasure-hunting, coconut-clad little pirates.” Moana’s only other companion on her trip is a stowaway rooster named Hei Hei, whom the Kakomora kidnap, setting up the chance for a spectacular rescue storyboarded by John Ripa. “Of course, he was inspired by ‘Mad Max,’” Musker explained after a clip whose rope swinging tricks and dynamic camera could only be possible in CG. “If you see the movie, it’s like Disney meets ‘Fury Road,’” he promised.

Source: http://variety.com/2016/film/news/annec ... 201798053/

http://www.wyspy.webd.pl/en,kakamora.html

http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/ocea ... y=KAKAMORA

He mentions the Kakomora, and they are based on creatures in Polynesian mythology who tend to be very malicious. It really goes to show they did their research for this flick about Polynesian folklore.

[DisneyFan09]

The latest article mentions the directors assembling the songwriters. Yeah, right

[disneyprincess11]

The Moana soundtrack will be released on November 18th

https://www.amazon.com/Moana-Soundtrack ... sney+moana

[DisneyFan09]

It's somewhat surprising that The Princess and the Frog is credited among Musker and Clements resume in the synopsis. I thought it was labeled as a failure, due to it's underperformance. But the funny and synergetic thing is that they've somewhat come full circle with it (due to aforementioned reasons).

[Kyle]

It may not have bee the huge success they wanted to be, but by no means was it the bomb you're making it out to be.

[DisneyFan09]

Well, it wasn't my intention to label it as a bomb. My statement was about it's underperformance, not bombing.

[DisneyEra]

It may not have bee the huge success they wanted to be, but by no means was it the bomb you're making it out to be.

Imagine your a Disney Executive in early 2010. You look at the numbers:

The Princess & The Frog- $271 million
Up- $731 million

That was the end of 2000s & the final death of original 2D features at WDAS

[Disney's Divinity]

Up's budget was $175 million, while TP&TF's was around $60-70 million according to Sotiris (I can't find the exact post where that info was posted)*.

So they both did around 4 times their budget, and it did very well when released on DVD/Blu-Ray as well.

*Sotiris will probably correct me later and I'll be pretty off.

[estefan]

Taika Waititi, one of the film's writers, who is set to direct Thor: Ragnorak talked about his involvement with Moana in this interview.

As for other projects, what can you say about your involvement with Disney’s Moana?

My full involvement now is informal. I was the first writer on it, and then I left to go and make [What We Do in the] Shadows, so my formal involved ended a few years ago. But I’ve stayed in touch with them and stuff and I try and keep track on how it’s going. I’ve got high hopes for it. I hope it’s good – It looks amazing!

But even though you’re not involved necessarily with the current production, you still have skin in the game as it were? I don’t mean financially, I mean emotionally.

Emotionally, yeah. I just really want it to be good because they’ve got a huge responsibility to the people of the Pacific to do a good job. It’s one I wouldn’t want to do by myself. It’s a big ask, and I feel like they’ve done some great research, made some great effort in what they’re doing. I think Dwayne playing Maui is really amazing. I’m a huge fan of that guy. It’s got all of the elements that I feel should make it work. And I think with someone like Lasseter behind it, all of these films, and overseeing them, it gives me high hopes.

[DisneyEra]

Up's budget was $175 million, while TP&TF's was around $60-70 million according to Sotiris (I can't find the exact post where that info was posted)*.

So they both did around 4 times their budget, and it did very well when released on DVD/Blu-Ray as well.

*Sotiris will probably correct me later and I'll be pretty off.

Your right about the budgets, but the executives would not green-light more 2D features at $60+million to make a worldwide gross of $270+million. For all the flak Rapunzel "Tangled" got during it's marketing, it made $592 million worldwide. That was higher than HttyD 1 & Despicable Me 1, both of which are now franchises with 3rd features coming in June 2017 & May 2018. WDAS has never looked back after Tangled's success.

[Disney's Divinity]

Your right about the budgets, but the executives would not green-light more 2D features at $60+million to make a worldwide gross of $270+million. For all the flak Rapunzel "Tangled" got during it's marketing, it made $592 million worldwide.

And cost around $260 million to make.

What they should or should not have been satisfied with is irrelevant, since they already made their choice. My point was that they were equally successful based on the money spent to make them.

[DisneyEra]

Your right about the budgets, but the executives would not green-light more 2D features at $60+million to make a worldwide gross of $270+million. For all the flak Rapunzel "Tangled" got during it's marketing, it made $592 million worldwide.

And cost around $260 million to make.

What they should or should not have been satisfied with is irrelevant, since they already made their choice. My point was that they were equally successful based on the money spent to make them.

Then how do you explain this:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/09 ... -2010mar09

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/21 ... d-20101121

It shows that the executives were disappointed in the overall end result of The Princess & the Frog & were doing everything they could to repeat this from happening again. Almost to a point we're they were going to end Fairy-Tale Musicals for good at the studio. Tangled's budget was high because of all the reworking's the feature went through over the years: Rapunzel Unbraided/Glen Keane's Oil Painting version. Tangled's end result was WDAS highest grossing feature since The Lion King & prompted the studio to take the shelved Snow Queen, & give it a Tangled makeover which became Frozen. So while The Princess & the Frog made the studio money, it's overall impact was a disappointment. It killed original 2D features for good there after & almost ended Fairy-Tale musicals as well.

Ed Catmull on The Princess & the Frog's Box Office: "Based upon the response from fans and critics, we believe it would have been higher if it wasn't prejudged by its title"

[Disney's Divinity]

Then how do you explain this:

I explain it as Disney being uninterested about resurrecting hand-drawn animation in the first place. That’s especially apparent when you consider the second movie in the lineup was Winnie the Pooh… (intended to be the final nail in the coffin, mayhaps?) Whatever Disney says in interviews is just noise to me, because they are rarely honest in the reasons they give to explain why they do what they do. They already had an agenda to create 3D films like Pixar regardless of what TP&TF may have done.

[D82]

Here's a short interview with John Musker and Ron Clements from Annecy. There isn't a lot of new info, only a few new little details. It's in French, but I posted a link to the website translated by an online translator. I know the translation isn't very good, but hopefully you can understand the main things.

Translated interview: http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.a ... 3_2923.php
Original website: http://www.lepoint.fr/pop-culture/cinem ... 3_2923.php

Here's also a video interview with the directors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOPgUujtO7M

And the introduction of their presentation of the film at the animation festival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPH4w6XTXP8

[disneyprincess11]

Well, the guy who was making Moana fan art and claimed that they're legit is back. The time, he stole Jim Kim (???)'s Vanellope sketch as his own.

http://alvropadilha.tumblr.com

[jazzflower92]

http://thespinoff.co.nz/media/27-06-201 ... olynesian/

The movie is not even out, and it's getting controversy for depicting Maui as being bulky, instead of lean and fit. It figures whenever Disney tries it's best at representation, they still can't win.

[Super Aurora]

And cost around $260 million to make.

What they should or should not have been satisfied with is irrelevant, since they already made their choice. My point was that they were equally successful based on the money spent to make them.

Then how do you explain this:

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/09 ... -2010mar09

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/21 ... d-20101121

It shows that the executives were disappointed in the overall end result of The Princess & the Frog & were doing everything they could to repeat this from happening again. Almost to a point we're they were going to end Fairy-Tale Musicals for good at the studio. Tangled's budget was high because of all the reworking's the feature went through over the years: Rapunzel Unbraided/Glen Keane's Oil Painting version. Tangled's end result was WDAS highest grossing feature since The Lion King & prompted the studio to take the shelved Snow Queen, & give it a Tangled makeover which became Frozen. So while The Princess & the Frog made the studio money, it's overall impact was a disappointment. It killed original 2D features for good there after & almost ended Fairy-Tale musicals as well.

Ed Catmull on The Princess & the Frog's Box Office: "Based upon the response from fans and critics, we believe it would have been higher if it wasn't prejudged by its title"

I explain it as Disney being uninterested about resurrecting hand-drawn animation in the first place. That’s especially apparent when you consider the second movie in the lineup was Winnie the Pooh… (intended to be the final nail in the coffin, mayhaps?) Whatever Disney says in interviews is just noise to me, because they are rarely honest in the reasons they give to explain why they do what they do. They already had an agenda to create 3D films like Pixar regardless of what TP&TF may have done.

Both what Divinity and Disney Era said holds water. While I'm not as keen into whole anti-2D conspiracy you Disney nuts love to over explode into, I do think there is a little bit of that flew in around time the comparison in BO, marketing and favoritism between PatF and Tangled came around shortly after Tangled's release. I believe I remember around time Patf was coming out soon, a slew of titles were already announced as line up and the original plan they had in mind each year they alternate between hand drawn and CG movies. I remember one interview or sometime advertising that. This seems be apparent with PatF been start of "rebirth of hand drawn/classic adaption" follow by Tangled (CG) (previous was title Rapunzel), and then Winnie the Pooh(2D)- and then they were planning Joe Jump/Wreak-it-Ralph (CG), Snow Queen(hand drawn), etc.

So what seems to happen is that when PatF didn't make the money they were hoping it would generate especially with it's advertising (they really advertise this movie quite bit, with Oprah and return of hand drawn, etc.) and then when Tangled came along blew that away, by that point the marketers tried to figure reason or way justify for PR purpose why tangled succeed where PatF didn't meet up with their expectations. And one of them most likely was "hand drawn wasn't in demand" but by that point Pooh was coming along due to already being near finish and that was hand drawn and a classic iconic tale. And here's where I think Divinity is right. Marketers and Disney PR most likely did conspired by time of near Pooh's release in order to keep their previous PR statement of "hand drawn wasn't in demand for audience" to public intact. How's? Near zero merchandise and advertising. I realized this when I went to Disney's NYC Times Square store at exact day Pooh was release in theaters. There was practically zero merchandise or promotion for the movie. none. On opening day. It was also release in summer and near Harry Potter's final movie's release. Even when being release to dvd/blu ray, barely any advertisement to it's release as far I'm aware. So from that point on everything was change to CG now. I think that pivotal moment was the switch around and when you realize it's start of this "trend". I don't think the "anti-hand drawn" agenda went back any further back than that point, like Sotiris and others over blow it to be.

That being said, I think Moana will do fine in BO and there's nothing to worry about. Won't be Frozen and I think even executives expect that, but it will be successful.