Looking Back at Disney's Moana: Production Stories and Animation News

Animation News and Emmy Nominations

• 🏆 Disney Channel and Disney Junior received a remarkable 44 Daytime Emmy nominations for their animated programming.
• 📺 Shows like "Elena of Avalor" and "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures" were highlighted for their nominations, alongside "The Rocketeer."
• 🎬 The discussion touches on the reboot of "The Rocketeer," with a critique that it deviates significantly from the original film's spirit.

Animation Industry Moves and Projects

• ✈️ Josh Cooley is transitioning from Pixar to direct his first live-action film, "Malamander," after working on "Transformers."
• 🚀 Andrew Stanton is also directing a live-action feature, "Chairman Spaceman," based on a New Yorker story.
• 💡 The departure of talent from Pixar, including Cooley, is discussed, with optimism for the next generation of filmmakers and a potentially improved studio culture.
• 🎶 Alan Menken and Glenn Slater are confirmed to be writing the score for the upcoming musical fantasy film "Spellbound."
• 🎭 The potential for "Spellbound" to be John Lasseter's long-desired princess movie is explored, contrasting it with Pixar's early rules against such elements.

Broadway and Disney+ Productions

• ❄️ The closure of "Frozen" on Broadway is mentioned, with speculation that it's to facilitate international productions and potential Disney+ filming.
• 🌳 A previous stage adaptation of "The Jungle Book" and a planned stage version of "Hercules" are also discussed.
• 🎬 The possibility of a filmed version of "Frozen" appearing on Disney+ soon is high, given recent filming activity.
• 🎬 The "Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2" documentary series on Disney+ is praised for its honesty and depth.

"Zenimation" and Pixar SparkShorts

• ✨ "Zenimation," a new series on Disney+, is lauded for its beautiful and calming compilation of animation clips, edited by David Bess.
• 🎨 The series seamlessly blends hand-drawn animation from the 1950s with modern CG animation, creating a consistent feel.
• 🎬 A new Pixar SparkShort, with a painterly style, is mentioned for its themes of truth, self-acceptance, and parental understanding.

"Moana" Production Insights

• 🌊 The "Wonderful World of Disney" TV night screening of "Moana" sparked a lively Twitter discussion with key creatives like Oken Shurer, Jared Bush, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
• 🐔 Early versions of "Moana" featured different takes on Heihei, including an angry version voiced by Alan Tudyk, before settling on his