How “Moana” Could Have Ended Differently (Spoiler Warning)

Disney’s latest film, Moana, has already taken its place in Disney legend. The story of a young Polynesian girl taking her destiny into her own hands (and the absence of a love interest) has drawn in audiences of all ages around the world. Many have said the movie promotes “girl power” and praised the writing as it was a departure from stereotypical princess cliches. Many fans of the film will be shocked to learn that Moana could have ended differently, one that fell victim to cliches.

If you haven’t seen Moana, stop reading here. The rest contains spoilers for the film.

While talking to Yahoo Movies, Ron Clements and John Musker spoke about changes that happened during the film’s production:

Ron Clements: “We had versions where [Maui] was so moved by her, he lifted up an island where he had never lifted up an island. He did various things that seemed to turn the focus on him.”
John Musker: “We sort of got pushback from women on the staff, [who said] ‘Wait a minute!'”
Clements: “A lot of the woman [said], ‘No, no.’ And they were right, and we agreed.”

Thanks to the female staff of Moana, the focus of the ending didn’t shift to Maui. Instead, the ending focused on Moana’s wayfinding abilities and guiding her people to a new island. Having the focus shift to Maui would have undermined Moana’s achievements. While Maui overcame adversity himself, pulling islands out of the sea and other acts would have shifted the restoration of Tafiti’s heart to him. Moana restored the heart of Tafiti, so the ending of her self-titled film should be focused on her. What makes this change stand out is how infrequently rewrites happen in animation. Reshoots are not a simple task, so Clements and Musker must have changed the ending early on. The ending they ultimately wrote shows Moana being accepted for who she is and using her gifts to restore her people’s adventurous past.

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