First Look At Disney Animation's 2016 Release 'Moana'

By Germain Lussier/Oct. 20, 2014 9:45 am EST

Disney Animation is on a roll. The legendary home of Mickey Mouse was living under the shadow of Pixar for a few years, but they've since come back incredibly strong. Big Hero 6, out next month, is a winner. 2012's Wreck-It Ralph is really great and, of course 2013's Frozen is the biggest animated film in history. After that, the only official news we have about what's coming next is Zootopia, which will be out in early 2016.

Now, Disney has official announced its 56th animated film. The movie is called Moana, and you can read more about it below.

Disney made the official reveal on their Twitter. Here's the tweet:

We're thrilled to announce Moana, our 56th animated feature film coming to theatres late 2016! pic.twitter.com/S8x1KkJwYh

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) October 20, 2014

And here's a bigger version of the image. Click to see it in super high-res.

So what do we know about Moana? A little. The team behind The Princess and the Frog - Ron Clements and John Musker – are directing it. Here's the official plot description:

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes Moana, a sweeping, CG-animated comedy-adventure about a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors' quest. A born navigator, Moana sets sail from the ancient South Pacific islands of Oceania in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore. Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker, Moana arrives in theaters in late 2016.

Back in 2013, Bleeding Cool said the following about it, adding a little info.

It's an epic, or even mythic, adventure set around 2000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific. The lead character, Moana Waialiki is the only daughter of a Chief in a long line of navigators. She's really a bit of nerd, but a nerd about sea voyaging, and when her family need her help, she sets off on an epic journey. Some of the other characters are demi-gods and spirits drawn from real mythology.

That same story said Moana was aimed at a 2018 release. If it has in fact moved up two years, that could mean the complicated story process at Disney Animation (read more about that here) is going better for this than the other rumored films they're supposedly working on. (Those include a story set in space, and one about giants.)

As for the release date, the tweet saying this film comes out in "late 2016" means 2015 won't have a Disney Animated film. But, they'll come back strong in 2016 with two movies. In March, there's Zootopia and then Moana, in the Fall/Winter.

Zootopia was previously announced as a 2016 release. Here's the official description:

In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox who's trying to make it big goes on the run when he's framed for a crime he didn't commit. Zootopia's top cop, a self-righteous rabbit, is hot on his tail, but when both become targets of a conspiracy, they're forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends. In theaters in 2016.

Moana sounds pretty promising though, would you agree? Here's the full press release:Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed plans today for "Moana," a sweeping, CG-animated comedy-adventure about a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors' quest. In theaters in late 2016, the film is directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker ("The Little Mermaid," "The Princess and the Frog," "Aladdin")."John and I have partnered on so many films—from 'The Little Mermaid' to 'Aladdin' to 'The Princess and the Frog,'" said Clements. "Creating 'Moana' is one of the great thrills of our career. It's a big adventure set in this beautiful world of Oceania."In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore. "Moana is indomitable, passionate and a dreamer with a unique connection to the ocean itself," Musker said. "She's the kind of character we all root for, and we can't wait to introduce her to audiences."