Next fall, Disney will be releasing a new animated movie called Moana (pronounced mo-ah-nah). It centers around a 16-year-old Polynesian who sets sail on a voyage to a fabled island in order to help her family. Along the way, she teams up with her hero, demi-god Maui (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) and comes across sea creatures, underworlds, and spirits that come from Polynesian mythology.
After auditioning over 400 young women, Disney finally found the perfect girl for the role of Moana. At just 14 years old, Auli’i Cravalho was chosen to live every girl’s dream of becoming a Disney princess…and she is literally adorable.
People had an exclusive interview with Cravalho and her mother, and she seems so fitting for the role. Cravalho described Moana:
“She’s brave, she is so empowered, she knows what she wants and she’s not afraid to get it, and I think that’s something that I can relate to as well. I just love watching how she goes along in this wonderful movie and grows as a person and helps her culture along the way.”
Moana will be Disney’s first Polynesian princess, and it’s nice to see that Disney wanted to stay as true to the culture as possible. Casting Cravahlo, who is a native Hawaiian is amazing, and others in Hollywood need to take notes.
Take a look at Cravahlo learning she got the role.
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[Lead image via]
