1. The story takes place 2,000 years ago in the South Pacific.
2. To research for the movie, members of the team took a trip to the South Pacific, where Moana takes place.
3. They met villagers, navigators, chiefs, elders, archeologists, and anthropologists to gain background information about island culture.
4. Hamilton creator Lin-Manual Miranda is a member of the the music team. He actually joined the team before Hamilton gained world-wide recognition.
5. Moana is the 16-year-old daughter of chief Tui, the well-respected leader of the people of Motunui Island.
6. Although her father wants her to be the next chief, Moana wants to be a voyager — like her ancestors.
7. Maui, a demigod who is played by The Rock, is covered in tattoos that tell the story of all of his exploits.
8. One of his tattoos, which is named "mini-Maui," is actually a tattoo of himself that has the ability to move on his body.
9. Maui's character movement was very difficult for animators because he doesn't wear a shirt. Usually characters wear clothing, which hides most of their muscles, skin, and anatomy. Without a shirt, they had to figure out how to make Maui move and how his muscles engage.
10. Also, he sings a song written by Lin-Manuel Miranda in the film.
11. In the film, the ocean is an actual character.
12. In a sneak-preview clip shown at Comic-Con, Moana is seen meeting the ocean for the first time. The water truly acts like a human and tilts its head and waves at Moana.
13. Two of the film's main characters — Pua (Moana's dog-like pet pig) and HeiHei (a rooster who stows away on Moana's adventure) — don't speak.
14. Pua might just be the cutest character in Disney history.
15. HeiHei went through a massive character evolution. At first he started out as a bit of a jerk and a watchdog for the Chief, but he wasn't resonating with the audience. Instead, they decided to do one thing: drastically lower his I.Q.
16. Moana doesn't have a romantic interest. The story's about our heroine finding and listening to her own inner voice.
