In order to avoid confusion with the late Moana Pozzi, Disney has changed the title of Moana to Oceania.
Well, here’s something you don’t hear every day. Disney was almost tangentially associated with the name of a pornographic actress. Yes, in Italy, Disney feared that its upcoming Moana would lead Italian families who searched for the film to find results about Moana Pozzi, a porn star.
The name change has been a subject of some speculation for a while now, as even back in December of last year there were articles about it. But it’s now making the headlines again, and a new source is claiming that the directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, have acknowledged that Pozzi was, at least in part, behind the name change. This is news because Disney Italia has avoided talking about the topic.
Foreign movies change their names all the time. Moana is called Vaiana in other parts of Europe, for instance. The Hangover movies were called the Very Bad Trip franchise. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a movie – especially one coming from as family-friendly a company as Disney – having to rebrand due to sharing a name with a pornographic actress.
Moana will be released in America on November 23, 2016, and in Italy as Oceania on December 22, 2016.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
