Directors John Musker & Ron Clements On Creating ‘Moana’

Moana hits theaters on November 23rd.

BackstageOL’s Dave Morales sat down with Moana directors John Musker and Ron Clements in this backstage interview to talk about the inspiration for the story and more.

The inspiration for the film started about five years ago, explained Musker. “We were looking for a new idea; I was intrigued by the Pacific Islands… I started reading Polynesian mythology. I learned about this character Maui, who is bigger than life; he’s a shape shifter.”

They continued to explain how the concept hasn’t been seen in a lot of movies and were curious to make it come to fruition. “We pitched it to our boss who thought it was a great idea [about] a really interesting world…that hasn’t been seen in a lot of movies,” said Clements. Their research consisted of traveling to islands Fiji, Samoa and Tahiti to learn more about “people’s connection to the ocean, the history of navigation, the importance and respect for nature” and more.

The film’s synopsis:

An adventurous teenager sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana meets the once-mighty demigod Maui, who guides her in her quest to become a master way-finder. Together they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds. Along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she always sought: her own identity.

The voice cast includes Auli’I Cravalho as Moana, Dwayne Johnson as Maui, Nicole Scherzinger as Moana’s mom and more. Moana features music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, score creator Mark Mancina and musician Opetaia Foaʻi (founder of the world music band Te Vaka).

Moana hits theaters on November 23rd. Watch the full interview with Musker and Clements below.