Episode 65: Disney animation legends ride the waves with Moana

Their legendary careers have included the animated classics The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog – and this year’s Oscar nominated Moana. Directors Ron Clements, John Musker and producer Osnat Shurer of Moana join us this week live in Stockholm to share their excitement of being nominated and journey they have taken to bring the story to the screen. Musker and Clements started their partnership early and their collective CV is like a map of our Disney movie childhood – starting with The Great Mouse Detective. When Disney merged with Pixar it ushered in a new era and Shurer shares with us how the culture shifted for both companies. Moana, or Vaiana, as it is named in many European countries, is already a huge box office success in the US for its incredible visuals and inspiring female protagonist who sets out on a mythical adventure across a series of islands in the South Pacific to find the shape shifting Demi-god Maui. Another reason the film is so popular? It’s wonderful soundtrack! One of it’s composers is Lin-Manuel Miranda started working with the film nearly three years ago before his rise to total stardom with Hamilton. Now he is Oscar nominated for ‘How Far I’ll Go’, which is one of the films hits. On this episode we hear how all three were involved in the research for the film, including their travels through the South Pacific, the challenges of creating their first CG feature film together and the excitement of being Oscar nominated!

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