The all new Polynesian themed Disney musical, 'Moana', directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (Aladdin, Treasure Planet), has had its Italian title changed to 'Oceania'. The popular reasoning for the change in title in the country is due to Moana also being the name of an Italian porn actress and politician, Moana Pozzi. While no outright confirmation has come from the studio, American or Italian branch, a source over in California acknowledges that the studio changes Film titles in foreign territories for 'a wide variety of reasons.'
Why does Pozzi upset Disney?
Actress and activist Moana Pozzi was born Genoa, Liguria in 1961, to a nuclear engineer father and homemaker mother.
Around 1980, Pozzi began working as a model and studied acting, sometimes appearing in television adverts, and hosted the children's series, 'Tip Tap Club'. In 1981, she appeared in her first porno, 'Valentina, ragazza in calore' (Valentina, Girl in Heat), which lead to her sacking from Tip Tap. In 1986, after meeting Riccardo Schicchi, manager of porn star agency Diva Futura, she appeared in 'Fantastica Moana', where she used her real name for the first time, and 'Curve Deliziose' (Delicious Curves), which helped launch her to stardom. After entering politics in 1992, creating the Love Party of Italy and supporting the legalization of brothels, she died in 1994 from what is believed to be liver cancer, though her husband, Antonio Di Ciesco, claims he euthanized her.
Not the first Disney rebrand
In Europe, as an example, 'Frozen' was renamed 'La reine des neiges' in France , 'Il regno di ghiaccio' in Italy, 'El reino del hielo' in Spain, and 'O Reino del Gelo' in Portugal (all meaning The Snow Kingdom). In Nordic countries, it was even more simply named 'Frost'. Italy was not the only place to rename 'Moana', as the film has the title 'Vaiana' (water cave) in Spain and several other European countries. Disney Spain confirmed this was the result of Moana being a registered brand over there. In addition, 'Moana' is also the title of an Italian miniseries from 2009, based on the life of Pozzi.
