Latest news with #Auli'iCravalho
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I Genuinely Can't Watch "Moana" The Same Way After Learning These Facts
In 2016, the world fell in love with Moana. From identity to steering away from the comfort of tradition, the film resonated with fans and was arguably one of the best Disney films of the 2010s, pulling in $643M worldwide, which would lead to a $1B box-office sequel in 2024. Here are 19 fun facts about Moana that will make you rewatch it again: was originally supposed to be bald. In the original concept artwork, he was depicted as bald with face tattoos. Polynesian cultural advisers working with Disney pointed out that Maui's rich hair is crucial for his "mana" (spiritual energy). That's right, when Maui hits us with "The People's Eyebrow," it literally would've just looked like an animated Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. is Moana? 14-year-old Native Hawaiian Auli'i Cravalho earned the role in an audition, where casting director Rachel Sutton confirmed Cravalho was the very last girl she saw on her last day of casting. almost got "Millennial Moana" in a scrapped concept. Director John Musker said the story would've been about a modern boy dropped in an old world. Musker said he "had an iPhone, all this modern stuff, and then discovered this ancient culture. We did not do that story." was originally going to sing "You're Welcome" when she met Maui. Musker said, "When she first met him, she idolized him, and when she came upon this down-and-out guy, this mope, she had to get him going and so she sang a song to him, reminding him, 'Don't you know you did all these great things?'" Ultimately, it worked better for the script to give Maui an introduction song in the same vein as the Genie from Aladdin. Maori culture, "hei hei" simply means "chicken." seen throughout the film, are REAL. They can be found in the Polynesian islands and across all tropical and subtropical oceans. And, just as in the movie scene, they are indeed thieves. Protect your shells! Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Christian Ender / Getty Images actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda contributed lyrics to "How Far I'll Go" and "You're Welcome," as well as collaborated with Opetaia Foa'i and Mark Mancina to create the film's musical score. Musker and Ron Clements used The Lion King as inspiration for Moana's music. The directing duo hired veteran composer Mark Mancina, superstar Miranda, and South Pacific songwriter Opetaia Foa'i. For The Lion King, composer Hans Zimmer, pop star Elton John, and South African producer Lebo M all contributed to create the legendary soundtrack. See the similarities? Darryl Oumi / Getty Images, Jeff Spicer / Getty Images early versions of the story, filmmakers made Maui the main character. Ultimately, story-building is a long process, and they veered a different way for a more relatable character over a demigod as a lead. To think we almost got "Mighty Maui" as a film. wave special effects in the film are breathtaking, and they were a huge part of the film's appeal from the start. About 80% of the shots have special effects, but they weren't going for photo-realism. Director Clements said, "We knew the ocean was going to be a huge part of the movie because it's such an important part of the culture and deal in believability, not necessarily reality." were robbed of more Pua in the movie. Originally, he was supposed to go out on the adventure with Moana. Musker said, "The pig was supposed to go with her, but we sort of a little bit got talked out of it. They liked Moana being more isolated, stuck with this idiot rooster, and not having the comfort of having the pig with her. There were cute scenes that we don't have." admitted his character Maui was partly inspired by his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa. are a sea-full of Disney easter eggs in the film. Obvious ones like when Maui transforms into Sven from Frozen. Less obvious: Flounder from The Little Mermaid appeared during "You're Welcome" in a brief swim-by. Merida from Brave, Moana's character is an original Disney princess, not plucked from a fairy tale, making her the second of her kind. one was shocking to me: Miranda's involvement in the film dates back to 2014. Hamilton came out in 2015. This means the movie biz (and of course Broadway) already knew how special he was before he gained nationwide fame. performed as Ariel in ABC's "The Little Mermaid Live!," a live-action concert rendition of The Little Mermaid in 2019. This makes her one of the few people to portray multiple Disney this was all as a teenager. necklace symbolizes her connection to land and sea. don't believe Moana was born to be a voyager of the sea? "Moana" means "ocean" in many Polynesian languages, including Maori and Hawaiian (origins of the name). lastly, there is extreme significance to when Moana discovers her people used to be voyagers. There is a reference to "The Long Pause," which happened in real life. It's lovely that Disney made a crucial part of this story as a period where navigators ceased exploring and settled down in their islands. What is your favorite Moana moment? Sound off in the comments below! Watch Moana on Disney+.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Global Box Office
Moana 2 has entered the prestigious league of movies whose films have crossed the $1 billion mark in box office earnings. The film, starring the voices of Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho, joined the ranks of Disney's 2024 box office animated hit, Inside Out 2 and Marvel's Deadpool & Wolverine starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman. RELATED: The Top-Grossing Movies At The Box Office Every Year Since 1977 More from Deadline European Box Office Clocks Slight Increase As Overall Admissions Drop - Report AI Barbie? Mattel & OpenAI Team Up For Smart Toys & Games 'Deadpool & Wolverine', 'Thunderbolts*', 'The Last Of Us' Lead Nominees For Critics Choice Super Awards The 2023 summer smash Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, propelled Greta Gerwig into the rankings as the second female director to break global and US Box Office Records. Director Jennifer Lee achieved this milestone for Disney's Frozen II (2019,) co-directing alongside Chris Buck. RELATED: The Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office Among the elite list of 57 billion-dollar grossing films are sequels, Disney remakes, and iconic franchises such as Star Wars, Avatar, James Bond, The Lord of the Rings, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Harry Potter, The Fast & The Furious, Jurassic Park, The Dark Knight, Transformers and Disney and Pixar toons. Here's a look at the 57 films that have achieved this remarkable box office milestone. Best of Deadline 'The Gilded Age' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds
ABC News
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Fatal shooting of Samoan fashion designer Afa Ah Loo at the anti-Trump rally has left community in shock
Arthur Folasa Ah Loo — known as Afa Ah Loo — was a self-taught artist who loved to reach deep into his Samoan heritage for the designs that earned him his growing reputation. It even inspired his foray into Hollywood, when he dressed Moana 2 star Auli'i Cravalho in a custom draped shell top and black high waisted pants at the movie's world premiere last year. But friends also remember the 39-year-old Samoan man and Utah resident, who was fatally shot an anti-Trump "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, for the other qualities that made him so loved in his community. "Besides all of his other accolades of being a designer, I would say, for me, first and foremost he was a very good father," Susi Malohifo'ou, a Tongan woman living in Salt Lake City, said. Mr Ah Loo, a husband and father to two young children, died a day before Father's Day, which was celebrated on Sunday in the US. Mr Ah Loo participated at one of the hundreds of anti-Trump marches held across United States that day, events which drew crowds in the tens of thousands. The Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) said he was hit by gunfire on Saturday night local time despite being an "innocent bystander". It happened as a "peacekeeper" fired their gun at a man who witnesses say was running towards the crowd with a rifle, police said. Police in Utah are investigating the fatal shooting. Mr Ah Loo later died in hospital — and a community is in mourning. Utah's Pacific Islander community is in shock, and is remembering him as a "family person", an "advocate" for Samoans, and "a very kind person". Ms Malohifo'ou said the fashion designer had "gone places where few Polynesians have been" in the industry. "He went places where, you know, other designers had never gone," she said. He founded Creative Pacific, an event celebrating the diversity of the Pacific Islands, with workshops, artists and a fashion runway. And in a sign of his growing fame, Mr Ah Loo was also on Season 17 of the fashion design reality TV show "Project Runway". A GoFundMe page set up for his family after the shooting described Mr Ah Loo as "a proud Samoan, deeply connected to his culture and community". "Through his work with the non-profit [group] Creative Pacific and his incredible talent as a fashion designer, he shared his heritage with passion and creativity," it says. "But more than anything, Afa was proud of the life he built with his wife and their two beautiful children." He was also a mentor at the Nafanua Foundation, a non-profit based in Salt Lake City empowering Samoan women and youth through cultural programs "He really just wanted to be an artist," Ms Malohifo'ou said. But those who knew him weren't surprised he joined protesters marching in protest against Trump on Saturday. "He loved his community, he loved his people and I'm not surprised that he was there at the protest and standing up for what he believed in," Vitoria Tanuvasa Misivila, a Samoan living in Salt Lake City who knew Mr Ah Loo, said. She was at the demonstration when she heard gunshots towards the end of the event. Ms Misivila later learnt that Mr Ah Loo had been shot. She described him as a giant of the Samoan community. "Not just in Utah, but worldwide. A great friend, a great advocate for our Samoan community," she said. "It's heartbreaking." The marches, staged to coincide with US President Donald Trump's birthday and a military parade in Washington DC, took place after the culmination of a week of demonstrations in Los Angeles. The protests were initially triggered by raids on local businesses by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. People marching in the US on Saturday said they were motivated by a range of causes, including what they saw as Mr Trump's use of power beyond his constitutional authority through his deployment of troops to manage the protests in LA. Ms Misivila, who was at the same protest as Mr Ah Loo, said that up until she heard the gunshots, the march had been peaceful. "I'm at a loss for words," she said. The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the official cause and manner of Mr Ah Loo's death. "The preliminary investigation shows Ah Loo was participating in the demonstration and appears to have been an innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire," the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a written statement on Sunday. They said the incident started when "peacekeepers" at the march saw a man wearing black, who police identified as 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, pull out an AR-15-style rifle from a backpack. Police said he ran from the "peacekeepers" when they confronted him. Salt Lake City police chief Brian Redd told a press conference that Mr Gamboa did not fire his weapon. But they have charged Mr Gamboa with murder, because they believed Mr Gamboa "knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member". "Our detectives are now working to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident," Mr Redd said. "We will not allow this individual act to create fear in our community." ABC/AP
Arab News
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Cynthia Erivo wears Ashi Studio at Tony Awards
DUBAI: British singer-songwriter and actor Cynthia Erivo picked Saudi-helmed Parisian label Ashi Studio for two of her electrifying looks as she hosted the 2025 Tony Awards, the annual ceremony celebrating the best in Broadway theater, held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York. For the latest updates, follow us on Instagram @ Erivo's first Ashi Studio look featured an oversized black coat dress dotted with bedazzled details, which she wore over black pants and a tube top. Her second look was a black and gold snakeskin-print tailored trench coat with voluminous sleeves and an oversized collar, cinched by a fitted corset from the SS25 Ashi Studio collection. She wore the look to welcome Auli'i Cravalho to the stage. A post shared by The Tony Awards (@thetonyawards) 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Purpose,' 'Sunset Blvd.' and 'Eureka Day' took the top prizes at the awards, winning best musical, best play, best musical revival, and best play revival, respectively. The ceremony also saw Sarah Snook ('The Picture of Dorian Gray'), Cole Escola ('Oh, Mary!'), Darren Criss ('Maybe Happy Ending'), and Nicole Scherzinger ('Sunset Blvd.') win the lead acting awards for plays (Snook and Escola) and musicals (Criss and Scherzinger). 'Maybe Happy Ending' won a total of six awards after going into the night tied with 'Buena Vista Social Club' and 'Death Becomes Her' for the most nominations, with 10 apiece. 'Buena Vista Social Club' won four awards, while 'Death Becomes Her' only took home one trophy, for Paul Tazewell's costume design, which was presented in the 'Tony Awards: Act One' pre-show. Also in attendance at the event as British Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, along with actor-husband George Clooney. The couple's arrival at the Tonys came hours after George closed his record-breaking Broadway show, 'Good Night, and Good Luck.' Amal wore an off-the-shoulder white gown with strands of pearls draped across the fabric, which she accessorized with a matching clutch. A major highlight of the show saw the cast of the hit musical 'Hamilton' reunited for a special performance in honor of its 10th anniversary. A post shared by CBS (@cbstv) Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of the Tony-winning show, was joined by more than two dozen members of the original cast, including Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Anthony Ramos, Christopher Jackson, Jonathan Groff, and Ariana DeBose. The performance began with Miranda and Odom Jr. performing a snippet from the song 'Non-Stop.' The show continued with a medley of tracks from the 'Hamilton' score, including 'My Shot,' 'The Schuyler Sisters,' 'You'll Be Back,' 'The Room Where it Happens' and 'History Has Its Eyes on You.'
Buzz Feed
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Drew Afualo Interview — Voices Of The Pacific
BuzzFeed: You've taken down hundreds of misogynistic men on TikTok, all with your signature laugh that we know and love. In your book, you said your mom named you Drew, a gender-neutral name, so you couldn't be discriminated against during job applications — it almost feels like you were born to defy the patriarchy! What brings you the most joy when you stand up to those men? If you could pick one thing for people to take away from your videos, what would it be? Have you ever faced challenges in your career as a Pacific Islander? If so, how did you overcome them? On your podcast, The Comment Section, you've had so many incredible guests, from Auli'i Cravalho to Karamo Brown to Chappell Roan. Have you remained friends with any of your guests? If you could work with any Pacific Islander, who would it be and why? Your book has helped thousands of readers to realize their self-worth and find their confidence. How does it feel to be the first Samoan woman to make the New York Times Best Seller list? There was so much I loved about your book, but one part that really struck me, as a fellow childfree woman, was your journey to realizing you don't want kids. Samoan culture places so much significance on family, and while that's beautiful and keeps us a close-knit community, it can make it difficult for Islander women to come to terms with their decision to not have children. What would you say to any women struggling with this? For Pacific Islanders, there are so many aspects of our cultures that we hold close to our hearts, from our foods to our dances to our tattoos. What's your favorite part of your culture? Do you have a favorite Samoan food? I'll never forget the gorgeous tapa dress look from the Black Adam premiere, complete with glam from Samoan makeup artist Adam Simmons. Why was it so important to rep your culture on the red carpet that day? What advice do you have for young Pacific Islander creatives? What do you want your legacy to be, and how do you hope future generations will remember your contributions to Pacific Islander history? You took a break from TikTok for a little while and posted a really emotional video to announce it. How are you feeling now? I know professionally, you're absolutely killing it, but I mean emotionally. You also host the Two Idiot Girls podcast with your sister, Deison. You toured across the country together to over 20 cities. What's next for you? What's the dream? Finally, what does being Pacific Islander mean to you? Thank you for chatting with us, Drew! Be sure to keep up with Drew on Instagram and TikTok.
