This New 'Moana' Poster Is Absolutely Gorgeous

I can't be the only person who feels joy bubbling up from the depths of my toes upon witnessing the new poster for Disney's Moana. The water on the poster looks so beautiful, I want to dive right into the image Blue's Clues-style and hang out with Moana, Maui, and their farm animal friends. One of the most exciting things about Disney movies is the fascinating worlds they take us to — the fictional sultanate of Agrabah, or a pre-colonial United States, or even under the sea —pretty much anywhere you can imagine. It's even more exciting when those worlds are gorgeous, which is pretty much what every image we've seen from Moana has been.

So let's dive a little into what the story of Moana is about and who she's hanging out with in this poster. According to Slash Film, at the D23 expo, we learn that the film tells the story of a young girl named Moana who sets sail after the death of her grandmother (classic, Disney, amiright?), with the aid of a demi-god named Maui, "to find the long lost island she’s heard about in stories in order to connect with her heritage. On this journey she’ll have to battle bad monsters of the deep and confront a vengeful land spirit." Maui, voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is according to Kumukahi, Maui is one of the Kupua, a "a dual-formed person" who has powers basically like a superhero.

The paddle is Moana's tool of choice, as she's a navigator (navigatoress?), while the giant fish hook is Maui's. In the first teaser he does some pretty heavy bragging about using his fish hook to slow down the sun and create islands, which is all stuff Maui did in various myths from different cultures in the Polynesian islands. Slash Film reports that the creators at the D23 panel said that Moana has a deep connection to the ocean, so we can assume that will be displayed in the most aesthetically pleasing way in the film.

Meanwhile, the pig and the rooster pictured play the most important part of any Disney movie — the animal best friends. According to Oh My Disney Pua, the pig, is a loyal gal with "puppy energy and an innocent playful spirit." The rooster, Heihei, accidentally stowed on the back of Moana's canoe and has a pretty goofy look about him — perfect for the comic relief required from a Disney animal best friend.

This look at the characters and the beautiful world they reside in is making me so excited for Moana. November 23 can't come quickly enough!

Images: Walt Disney Pictures (3)