Feeling the local teen would be perfect for the Disney role, she tracked her and her mother down and invited Cravalho to audition. But I never imagined being in a Disney movie, being Moana-representing my culture in that way."įortunately, the film's Hawai'i casting director remembered an unrelated audition Cravalho did as part of an a cappella group, which had been submitted for a talent showcase for a charity. In my mind, that was performing and I loved the feeling of it. When I was little, I used to dance around the house singing at the top of my lungs. While hundreds of talented people from across the Pacific Islands were eager to try out for the role, Cravalho set her sights firmly on her sophomore year of high school. The music will be composed by Tony-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Broadway's "Hamilton," Tony-winning "In the Heights"), Grammy-winning composer Mark Mancina ( Speed, Tarzan, The Lion King) and Opetaia Foa'i (founder and lead singer of the world music award-winning band Te Vaka). Ron Clements and John Musker ( The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, Aladdin) are directing Moana from their own screenplay, with Osnat Shurer (Oscar-nominated Pixar shorts One Man Band, Boundin) producing. I've never heard him sing before so it's going to be really interesting!" Here's what she had to say about getting the chance to work with Dwayne Johnson. She was then flown to Los Angeles, where she met directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and eventually landed the role. It was actually Auli'i Cravalho's singing that helped her land the role, after an Oahu, Hawaii casting agent discovered the teenager's vocal abilities during a charity competition. In April, Dwayne Johnson revealed that he will be singing in the movie.
I just love watching how she goes along in this wonderful movie and grows as a person and helps her culture along the way." 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. "From baby time to now, I wanted to be a Disney princess and then I wanted to be a singer or an actress. Here's what the actress had to say about getting the chance to play the new Disney princess, Moana. Today, People has our first look at the title character, who will be voiced by 14-year-old Hawaii native Auli'i Cravalho.
The story follows the title character, a young girl who teams up with Maui on her journey through the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, to find a lost and fabled island. Way back in December, action icon Dwayne Johnson came aboard to provide the voice of a demigod named Maui in Disney's new animated adventure Moana, which has been given a Novemrelease date.