The films tell the story of Moana, a young girl from the island of Motunui, who is unable to ignore the call of the ocean. Defying the wishes of her parents, she sets out with the demigod Maui on ...

Is ‘Moana’ based on a true story? The character of Moana is not a real person. However, the demigod, Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson in the movie), has been around in Polynesian folklore for ...

How the Story of ‘Moana’ and Maui Holds Up Against Cultural Truths A Smithsonian scholar and student of Pacific Island sea voyaging both loves and hates the new Disney film ...

For many, the story of the demigod Maui (Johnson) is a new one, ... Is the Character Moana Based on a Real-Life Legend? No. She’s all Disney, but we love her just the same.

If Maui's name is a hint, then Moana could well be based on the true story of how Polynesians were believed to have made it to Oceania's islands to begin with. In 1947, ...

‘Moana’ Directors Reveal How the Story Changed. Veteran directing team John Musker and Ron Clements also share how they came up with the film's idea.

I wouldn’t quite put this in the category of “Same s—t, different day,” but the story is engineered to strike very familiar beats. (It’s also what Stephen K. Bannon, for one, would call ...