Walt Disney Animation Studios has announced that Jemaine Clement (The BFG), Rachel House (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), Temuera Morrison (Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones), Alan Tudyk (Zootopia) and Nicole Scherzinger have joined Dwayne Johnson and Auli‘i Cravalho in the cast of the upcoming animated feature Moana.
“Our assembled voice cast for this film is beyond our wildest dreams. We are so fortunate to have this group of talented actors, many from Oceania, breathing life into their characters,” said co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker. “We are so thankful to have found such extraordinary people who not only capture the voices of these characters, they elevate them in every way.”
· JEMAINE CLEMENT provides the voice of TAMATOA, a self-absorbed, 50-foot crab who lives in Lalotai, the realm of monsters. The conceited crustacean wants to be more than a “bottom feeder” and overcompensates for this perceived shortcoming by covering himself in all things shiny.
· RACHEL HOUSE lends her voice to GRAMMA TALA, Moana’s confidante and best friend, who shares her granddaughter’s special connection to the ocean. Although her son Tui, the chief of Motunui, is a no-nonsense leader, Gramma Tala most definitely dances to the beat of her own drum.
· TEMUERA MORRISON voices Moana’s father, CHIEF TUI, the gregarious and well-respected leader of the people of Motunui Island. Chief Tui wants Moana to follow in his footsteps as leader of their people, but fears his daughter’s draw to the ocean and the world that lies beyond their reef.
· NICOLE SCHERZINGER voices Moana’s mother, SINA, who always has her daughter’s back. Playful, sharp and strong-willed, Sina appreciates Moana’s longing to be on the water, but also wants to protect her daughter from the fabled dangers beyond the reef.
· ALAN TUDYK, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ lucky charm, is behind the voice of HEIHEI. Heihei is one dumb rooster—the village idiot, in fact. When the clueless chicken accidently stows away on Moana’s canoe, he lands a front-row seat for her epic journey.
SEE ALSO: New international trailer for Disney’s Moana
Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast South Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one today knows why. From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Moana,” a sweeping, CG-animated adventure about a spirited teenager who sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder and fulfill her ancestors’ unfinished quest. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demi-god Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), and together, they traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous fiery creatures and impossible odds.
Moana sails into the U.K. cinemas on December 2nd 2016.
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Originally published July 25, 2016. Updated November 30, 2022.
