Disney debuts Polynesian princess Moana
Disney fans can get excited for the latest princess' arrival: "Moana" hits theaters in 2016.
Disney announced plans for "Moana" last fall, and introduced the princess at its D23 Expo on Aug. 13. Moana will be the first Polynesian princess in Disney history.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson surprised fans by showing up at the D23 presentation. He will play a demigod named Maui in the animated film.
The film follows Moana, a young woman who sails off into the open ocean on an adventure in search of a fabled island amidst the ancient South Pacific islands of Oceana. She teams up with the legendary demi-god Maui and battles ancient sea and folk creatures, and in timeless Disney tradition, Moana naturally has cute little animal sidekicks: pig Pau and rooster Hei-Hei.
The presentation included a few short sequences from the movie, including one where Maui talks about his own past and a young Moana swims into the ocean, whose waves play with the girl. South Pacific band Te Vaka, led by Opetaia Foa'i, took the stage and played a musical number from the movie, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (creator of hit new musical "Hamilton"), Mark Mancina (composer for "The Lion King") and Foa'i.
The crowd went wild when Johnson took the stage against the backdrop of the "Moana" logo. He wrote on Instagram, "thank y'all for this incredible ovation. And by 'incredible ovation' I mean 'going ape s***'."
