LOOK: ‘The Art of Moana’ Delves Behind the Scenes of Disney’s Latest Animated Feature

imagery from ‘The Art of Moana’ book includes work from concept and character artists including Man Arenas, James Finch, Ian Gooding, Leighton Hickman, Mehrdad Isvandi, Jin Kim, Ryan Lang, Annette Marnat, Kevin Nelson and Bill Schwab.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ sweeping adventure Moana delighted audiences this past Thanksgiving holiday, taking in in $81.1 million from 3,875 theaters to seize the number-two Thanksgiving launch of all time behind fellow Disney title Frozen.
Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess & the Frog), Moana is produced by Osnat Shurer (Lifted, One Man Band), and features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i.
Inspired by ocean sailors who masterfully navigated the vast Pacific more than 3,000 years ago, the CG animated feature is about an adventurous teenager who is inspired to leave the safety and security of her island on a daring journey to save her people. Inexplicably drawn to the ocean, Moana (voice of Auliʻi Cravalho) convinces the mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) to join her mission, and he reluctantly helps her become a wayfinder like her ancestors who sailed before her. Together, they voyage across the open ocean on an action-packed adventure, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills her quest and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.
AWN has rounded up a slew of gorgeous imagery featured in Chronicle Books’ “The Art of Moana,” the official concept art book written by Jessica Julius and Maggie Malone with a preface by John Lasseter. Scroll down to see some of the stunning artwork in this behind-the-scenes book from artists including Man Arenas, James Finch, Ian Gooding, Leighton Hickman, Mehrdad Isvandi, Jin Kim, Ryan Lang, Annette Marnat, Kevin Nelson and Bill Schwab:

Man Arenas