Broadway’s Lin-Manuel Miranda writing ‘Moana’ for Disney

One tidbit from today’s Pixar panel at D23 thrilled me more than any other: Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose “Hamilton” opened on Broadway to rapturous reviews last week, is writing songs for “Moana.”

The upcoming movie from Disney Animation Studios takes its name from a South Pacific explorer who joins forces with a demigod (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) to battle monsters and explore an ocean underworld. Moana will be Disney’s first Pacific Islander princess.

Miranda’s involvement is thrilling to me because of the energy and texture he gave “Hamilton” — “a story about America then, as told by America now.” “Hamilton” is a thrilling hip-hop retelling of the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the Treasury. Yes, you read that right: the words thrilling, hip-hop and Alexander Hamilton, all in the same sentence. This bodes very, very well for “Moana,” which is due in theaters in time for Thanksgiving 2016.

For “Moana,” Miranda has been collaborating for the past year and a half with composer Mark Mancina, who wrote arrangements for “The Lion King,” among many others; and Opetaia Foa’I, a New Zealand musician who is songwriter and lead vocalist for the world music group Te Vaka.

Watch Miranda rap his own announcement of the news:

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