Meet the next Disney princess, Moana!

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Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Auli'i Cravalho, seen left, will be voicing the title character in Disney's "Moana," set to hit theaters November 2016.
Walt Disney Animation Studios

The next Disney princess is here!



Disney Animation announced on Wednesday that 14-year-old Hawaiian newcomer Auli'i Cravalho would voice the title character in Disney's Moana. Auli'i joins Dwayne Johnson in the big-screen adventure about a spirited and fearless teenager named Moana who sets out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder.





Auli'i, who beat out hundreds of talented people for the role, says she never would have thought she'd voice a Disney princess. "I never imagined being in a Disney movie, being Moana -- representing my culture in that way."



The casting directors for the film said that Auli'i had a certain fearlessness in her auditions, a trait she shares with her character Moana.



"She has a playful, mischievous wit," said director John Musker. "She can project vulnerability, she doesn't seem intimidated at all by the challenges ahead, and her Polynesian background has helped shape her connection to family, hard work and music. These are all qualities she shares with Moana."



Moana hits theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.



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