Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker, Moana is voiced by Hawaiian actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho.

When a blight strikes her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui (Dwayne Johnson), a legendary demigod, in the hope of returning the relic to Te Fiti and saving her people.

She then forms a crew and embarks on a voyage to recover the lost island of Motufetu and restore the channels that connected the people of the sea.

After directing The Princess and the Frog (2009), Clements and Musker started working on an adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Mort,[1] but problems with acquiring the necessary film rights prevented them from continuing with that project.

[2][3] The genesis of one of those ideas (the one that was ultimately green-lit) occurred in 2011, when Musker began reading up on Polynesian mythology and learned of the heroic exploits of the demigod Māui.

[4][5] Accordingly, in 2012, Clements and Musker went on research trips to Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti to meet the people of the South Pacific Ocean and learn about their culture.

[6] At first, they had planned to make the film entirely about Maui, but their initial research trips inspired Clements to pitch a new idea focused on the young daughter of a chief.

[7] Clements and Musker were fascinated to learn during their research that the people of Polynesia abruptly stopped making long-distance voyages about three thousand years ago.

For example, Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) were well aware of the existence of far away islands, had names for these places, and were interested in exploring them to benefit their societies.

The reasons for the halt of this voyaging tradition remain unknown, but scholars have offered climate change and resulting shifts in ocean currents and wind patterns as one possible explanation.

[5] Instead, Pamela Ribon came up with the idea of a grandmother character for the film,[13] who would serve as a mentor linking Moana to ancient traditions.

The film's story changed drastically during the development phase, and that idea ultimately survived only as a subtle element of the father's backstory.

[22] She also felt it was hard to be comfortable in the recording booth; usually, there were cameras for the animators to be able to add realistic facial expressions to the character.

[23] Cravalho reprised the role in Ralph Breaks the Internet where the character made a cameo appearance alongside the other Disney Princesses.

[30] In April 2023, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures was developing a live-action film remake of Moana, executive produced by Auliʻi Cravalho, who would not reprise her role, but would be involved in the casting of her replacement.

[93] Musker explained he and Clements invited a story without romance and alternatively have a focus on female empowerment with True Grit-quality: "the determined girl who teams up with a washed-up guy.

[96] The creative team decided to create for Moana a realistic model with which girls could identify themselves, strong enough to be credible in activities, such as swimming, climbing a tree and jumping off a cliff.

What's beautiful about it is that it sort of looks like a rock until you start scraping that away, and you reveal this beautiful abalone beneath it with all these ocean colors [...] I sort of added a curve to the shell and it's a nice juxtaposition between land and sea, and as a voyager she uses the stars to navigate, so I added some star carvings up on top of the shell.Moana's grandmother, Tala, tells the story of Maui, the shape-shifting demigod of the wind and sea and master of sailing who stole goddess Te Fiti's heart.

Sixteen years later, blight strikes her island and to attempt to prevent it, Moana suggests going beyond the reef which her father forbids her to.

Tala shows Moana a secret cavern full of ships, revealing her ancestors were voyagers but stopped after Te Fiti's heart was stolen due to the ocean no longer being safe.

Setting sail on a camakau from the cavern, Moana is caught in a typhoon and shipwrecked on an island where she finds Maui, who boasts about his achievements.

She escapes and confronts Maui who throws her off the boat multiple times but due to the ocean he reluctantly lets her onto the camakau.

Maui apologizes to Te Fiti, who restores his hook and gives Moana a new boat before falling into a deep sleep and becoming a mountain.

A visit from her ancestors tells her she must break the curse imposed by the power hungry god Nalo by bringing the island of Motufetu to reconnect the people.

In April 2023, it was announced that Walt Disney Pictures was developing a live-action film remake of Moana for a 2025 release, executive produced by Auliʻi Cravalho, who would not reprise her role, but would be involved in the casting of her replacement.

[115] On November 18, 2016, Moana appeared in a surprise pre-parade of the Happy Birthday Mickey cavalcade in Disneyland Paris.

[124] Victoria McNally states that she is the most revolutionary Disney Princess by not having a love interest, being a good leader, and embracing her culture.

[127] Plugged In writer Bob Hoose lauded Moana's focus, determination, and the fact she was able to face death to fix the wrongs of the past.

[141] Film Inquiry felt Moana lacked originality and unpredictability in her arc, calling her a "carbon copy of every other Disney Princess".

[143] Moana received a nomination for Best Animated Female from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists, tying for the award with Judy Hopps from Zootopia.