'Moana' Voice Cast Adds Nicole Scherzinger, Jemaine Clement, Alan Tudyk

By Dave McNary, Variety

Nicole Scherzinger, Jemaine Clement, Alan Tudyk, Rachel House and Temuera Morrison have joined the voice cast of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana.

Disney, which is opening Moana on Nov. 23, 2016, had previously announced that Auli‘i Cravalho is voicing the title character Moana, a teenager who dreams of becoming a master wayfinder, and Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui — half god, half mortal.

Co-directors are Ron Clements and John Musker, who were behind The Little Mermaid and Aladdin.

Related: ‘The Little Mermaid’ Directors Share Secrets of Upcoming ‘Moana’

“Our assembled voice cast for this film is beyond our wildest dreams,” said Musker. “We are so fortunate to have this group of talented actors, many from Oceania, breathing life into their characters.”

Clement, best known for being half of Flight of the Conchords, provides the voice of Tamatoa as a self-absorbed, 50-foot crab who lives in Lalotai, the realm of monsters. Tudyk, who has provided voices for Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph and Big Hero 6, is behind the voice of Heihei, a dumb rooster who stows away on Moana’s canoe by accident.

Scherzinger voices Moana’s mother Sina, who always has her daughter’s back and appreciates Moana’s longing to be on the water, but also wants to protect her from the dangers beyond the reef.

House, who stars in Hunt for the Wilderpeople, lends her voice to Gramma Tala, Moana’s confidante and best friend, who shares her granddaughter’s special connection to the ocean.

Morrison, who appears in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, voices Moana’s father Chief Tui, the gregarious and well-respected leader of the people of Motunui Island. He wants Moana to follow in his footsteps as leader of their people, but fears his daughter’s draw to the ocean and the world that lies beyond their reef.