The princess is here! Disney released a teaser trailer for Moana on Sunday, June 12, offering fans an exciting first look at the upcoming movie about a Polynesian princess who traverses the Pacific Ocean.
In the clip, we are introduced to the film’s titular character (voiced by newbie Auli’i Cravalho), a spirited 16-year-old looking to learn more about her royal ancestors’ past, as well as her pet pig Pua and her demigod BFF Maui (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson). The trio fearlessly embark on a sea voyage in an effort to learn more about themselves.
The story is set to a stellar soundtrack, penned by a handful of talented composers, including Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who recently won the award for Best Original Score of a Musical at the 2016 Tony Awards on Sunday, June 12.
The computer-animated film also explores the deep-rooted history of the South Pacific, which animators Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin) placed above all else while researching for the project. The artists traveled to multiple Polynesian islands to gain a better understanding of the culture before putting the final touches on Moana’s narrative.
“The whole idea of voyaging wasn’t in our initial story. And then we learned what a source of pride it was for [the people of the Pacific Islands], that they were the world’s first great navigators, using dead reckoning to find their way across the ocean,” Musker explained to MTV News last year. “We wanted to celebrate that.”
Watch the video above. Moana hits theaters on Wednesday, November 23, 2016.
