The 2016 Disney animated musical set on the Polynesian island of Motunui is Moana.
The film follows Moana Waialiki, the daughter of a village chief, as she crosses the ocean to restore the heart of the goddess Te Fiti. Motunui is presented as a fictional Polynesian island, and the story draws inspiration from several Pacific cultures rather than depicting one specific historical community.
Moana’s voyage is connected to the real history of Polynesian wayfinding. After centuries of ocean exploration, many Polynesian societies experienced a period known as the Long Pause before long-distance voyaging resumed. The film also features the demigod Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, and songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina. Readers sometimes confuse Moana with Lilo & Stitch because both involve Pacific settings, but Lilo & Stitch takes place primarily in Hawaii and is not a musical built around an ocean quest.