Disney magic is hard to come by, but when it hits, it makes the screen you're watching it unfold on all the brighter. With about five months left until their latest film, Moana, takes its bow in theaters, we've finally got our first look at the film. To say anything more would be to spoil the fun, so we'll just jump to it and provide the teaser for Moana below. Fair warning, you're going to want to crank the sound up for this one.
Undoubtedly, in an exercise of marketing synergy with tonight's Tony awards, Disney released the first trailer to Moana via their official YouTube account. The result, upon first glance, is a blend of the bold new spirit that Disney animation has been embodying for the past couple of years, with some older Disney elements that have been proven to work in the past. More specifically, the trailer's premise feels like something straight out of Hercules, especially with the animation style that depicts demigod Maui's legend - courtesy of his chest tattoos.
Of course, after some dramatic storytelling and a well-choreographed dance, we cut to Moana and her little pig sidekick, who are both un-impressed. Cue the title cards, and brand new music from Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina. What follows is an absolutely breathtaking clip reel that shows us images of Moana's lush visual imagery, with everything from sea turtles, sailing ships, and Dwayne Johnson's trademark smirk taking center stage. If you're curious, we've got a pretty awesome snapshot below, for reference.
Moana tells the story of our titular hero, who teams up with Maui, a sort of has-been demi-god, in order to complete an epic quest on the high seas. Monsters and various pitfalls will come between them and their endgame, with plenty of adventure and life lessons to learn from. It's the stuff that classic Disney films are made out of, with the very first Polynesian princess in the spotlight played by newcomer Auli'i Cravalho. The mysteries of Moana still loom in the distance, but with this first trailer they are starting to become clearer. If the future holds trailers as promising as this one, we may have Disney's next record-breaking hit in the foreseeable distance.
Moana hits the high seas on November 23, 2016.
