"Te Kā" means "the burning one" in Maori. The development name for Te Kā/Te Fiti, "Te Po", means "the dark one" in the same language. "Kā" is also a possessive particle in most Polynesian languages, which fits the character's loss of identity.
The spiral conch-shell symbolizes infinite space that gradually expands in a clockwise direction. Thus it's the Human Journey through birth, life, resurrection, and more.
Although Moana is from the fictional island Motunui some 3,000 years ago, the story and culture of Moana is based on the very real heritage and history of Polynesian islands such as Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. In fact, once you start looking for ties to Polynesian culture in Moana, it's hard to stop!
In Walt Disney Animation Studios' all-new epic animated musical, Moana 2, three years since her first voyage, Moana is on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui. Moana 2 opens in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024.
The animated Disney film, Moana, called Vaiana in the French version, was inspired by The Islands of Tahiti. Disney's creative team visited the islands of Moorea, Tahiti and Huahine, which was the inspiration for the character Te Fiti. Follow our visitor's guide in the footsteps of Moana.
“Moana actually died in the storm at the beginning of the movie. Maui is her guardian angel, who was tasked to take her to 'Te Fiti', which stands for heaven in the movie. “The whole movie was about her journey to the afterlife.”
Pocahontas is currently the only Disney Princess to have a tattoo (the symbol on her right arm) and the only one to wear one outfit throughout her entire film.
Over forty designs were proposed for Moana's necklace. The final appearance was chosen to represent Moana's ties to both the land and sea. The stars on the necklace represent Moana's identity as a navigator.
In the first film, Moana is around 16 years old when she sets out on a journey from her island of Motunui to find Maui and force him to restore the heart of Te Fiti. That would make her about 19 or 20 in the new movie.
Tui Waialiki is a supporting character in Disney's 2016 animated feature film Moana. He is the village leader of Motunui, and the father of Moana. Tui was an aspiring voyager in his youth, but after experiencing a traumatic event, developed aquaphobia and forbade his people from journeying beyond his island's reef.
The overarching message of Moana is, truly, that the worst thing to happen to you doesn't have to define you. Moana's father lives in fear due to a tragic past; Maui feels as though he is missing a critical part of himself without his hook; Te Fiti turns into a literal monster after she is attacked.
Inspired by Polynesian mythology, Moana is depicted as the strong-willed daughter of a chief of a Polynesian village, who is chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti.
Disney's Moana is set on the fictional island of Motunui. She is selected to sail and return the heart of Te Fiti, an island goddess, after it is stolen by the demigod Maui to give mankind the power of creation. Te Feti's heart is symbolized in a pounamu stone amulet which is lost to the depths.
Zendaya is not confirmed to be a part of the live-action Moana remake cast. Few updates have happened since Dwayne Johnson's announcement of a live-action Moana movie in 2023. The cast has not been announced, but Auli'i Cravalho (original voice of Moana) has been revealed to be sitting out of the film.
She takes one of her ancestor's boats and sails off towards the reef. As Moana looks back at the island, she's able to witness Tala's light go out, indicating that her grandmother has died. Tala's spirit takes the form of an illuminated manta ray, and guides Moana to the open ocean, beginning the journey.
