Disney Changes Moana Title in Italy for Hilarious Reason

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Disney Changes Moana Title in Italy for Hilarious Reason

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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. Moana [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/disney][/i] 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 John Musker [http://www.ilpost.it/2015/12/03/moana-oceania-vaiana-disney/], 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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hangover_(film_series)] 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 [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-changes-moana-title-italy-avoid-porn-star-confusion-948679]

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[Neurotic Void Melody]

That's certainly more hilarious than the reason behind Zootopia changing to Zootropilis in the UK. They even changed the film content to account for that. Part of me wonders; who was the person to bring this to Disney's attention, and how did they learn of this? Hmmm.

 

[Bedinsis]

How famous are porn stars in Italy for this to be an issue?

I mean, I only know the name of one porn star, and that was due to 9gag repeating the name occasionally. I thought porn film was a niche, not something mainstream audiences knew the names of its actors.

...well if you include celebrities that are porn stars by the technicality that their sex-tapes were leaked I suppose I know of some names that might be porn stars.

 

[enginieri]

Well... at least it's not named Cicciolina

 

[Saelune]

I mean...its got moan literally in the name. If anything, it was for the sake of people who were looking for porn not getting disappointed.

 

[K.ur]

How famous are porn stars in Italy for this to be an issue?

I mean, I only know the name of one porn star, and that was due to 9gag repeating the name occasionally. I thought porn film was a niche, not something mainstream audiences knew the names of its actors.

...well if you include celebrities that are porn stars by the technicality that their sex-tapes were leaked I suppose I know of some names that might be porn stars.

She was politiclly active and founded a few (political) parties.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moana_Pozzi
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilona_Staller

 

[Clankenbeard]

How famous are porn stars in Italy for this to be an issue?

I imagine that the fear here is to avoid the short period of time where kids are going to Google pictures of Disney's Moana and see pornographic images of someone else. Once Disney's movie releases, their animated images will take over the Google images results for pages and pages. So, then it wouldn't be an issue. But apparently, someone has to think of the children.

I tried to reserve my daughter's name as a .com about 8 years ago and found that it was already a website for a porn star. I feel you pain, Disney... but on a much, much smaller scale.

 

[Darth Rosenberg]

That's certainly more hilarious than the reason behind Zootopia changing to Zootropilis in the UK. They even changed the film content to account for that. Part of me wonders; who was the person to bring this to Disney's attention, and how did they learn of this? Hmmm.

What was the reason? Name changes for films really can be odd. Americans are apparently disinterested or afraid of Philosophers but dig Sorcerers, and over here they entertained the notion that a global Marvel phenomena could've been confused with Emma Peel and Steed's hijinks.

I mean, I only know the name of one porn star, and that was due to 9gag repeating the name occasionally. I thought porn film was a niche, not something mainstream audiences knew the names of its actors.

If you don't view it then you're not going to know any names, sure, but I don't think anyone could say porn's really niche anymore. Younger generations have no stigma attached to it, so one assumes it'll continue to become more mainstream (for better and worse).

 

[Igor-Rowan]

I thought that Spain changing Moana to Vaiana because of a Moana(tm) brand was silly, but this takes the cake and eats it.

 

[Casual Shinji]

That's certainly more hilarious than the reason behind Zootopia changing to Zootropilis in the UK. They even changed the film content to account for that.

Yeah that bugged the crap out of me the first time I watched it on blu-ray. Especially since the characters' mouths still form that '-opia'.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

But she died 20+ years ago! That's like changing 'Hancock' to 'Will Smith is a jackass' to avoid any confusion with people who think its a Historical Epic about the Founding Fathers.

I mean damn, she must have been a really good porn star to the point that name is 10000000% permanently associated with her.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

What was the reason? Name changes for films really can be odd. Americans are apparently disinterested or afraid of Philosophers but dig Sorcerers, and over here they entertained the notion that a global Marvel phenomena could've been confused with Emma Peel and Steed's hijinks.

If I remember correctly, some zoo within the EU that isn't opening till 2017 has the trademark to "Zootopia" and they intend to sell merchandise in the UK. No porn star Google searching accidents there unfortunately.

Yeah that bugged the crap out of me the first time I watched it on blu-ray. Especially since the characters' mouths still form that '-opia'.

I never noticed that, will have to look closer next time.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

But, then... Why not just call it Vaiana like all those other European countries?

Unless there's also a pornstar with that name, it seems really redundant to add yet another alternative title to the list.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

In South America they're calling it Moana: Un mar de aventuras (A Sea of Adventures). We usually keep the original title but throw a clarifying subtitle of sorts for good measure.

 

[TelosSupreme]

That's certainly more hilarious than the reason behind Zootopia changing to Zootropilis in the UK. They even changed the film content to account for that. Part of me wonders; who was the person to bring this to Disney's attention, and how did they learn of this? Hmmm.

Yeah, that one was weird. More proof of trademark law being completely idiotic no matter where you go. As for Moana, I'd like to image someone at Disney having a job entirely built around looking for any coincidences in titling in every country they release. You can't take any risks anymore.

 

[WindKnight]

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.

There's Ghibli's Laputa, which got renamed in the west 'Castle In The Sky' because La Puta is 'the prostitute' in spanish.

Miyazaki took the name from Gulliver's Travels, and had no idea that this was a deliberate choice by the author who was VERY much aware of what it meant, and Miyazaki was more than a little mortified when someone told him.

 

[Hawki]

Does it matter? There'll be porn of this Moana within a year anyway, given that Rule 34 is a thing.

 

[Shadowsetzer]

Does it matter? There'll be porn of this Moana within a year anyway, given that Rule 34 is a thing.

Why in the world would you think it'll take a year? I give it a week from the release day, tops. (And that's assuming someone hasn't made it already.)

 

[Hawki]

Does it matter? There'll be porn of this Moana within a year anyway, given that Rule 34 is a thing.

Why in the world would you think it'll take a year? I give it a week from the release day, tops. (And that's assuming someone hasn't made it already.)

Hence why I said "within" a year - I'm covering my arse in the slight chance that Rule 34 takes longer to be applied.

 

[cathou]

in other parts of Europe, for instance. The Hangover [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hangover_(film_series)] movies were called the Very Bad Trip franchise.

the hangover title change is... well it's french. i dont know why, France have the habbit of changing names of movies pretty stupidly. In Quebec, we change movie titles, but we mostly translate them. hangover was lendemain de veille, wich is the french equivalent for hangover. but in france, while always mocking us for translating the names, they tend to change an english name of a movie for another title in english, for the french market... if you want to keep the english name, fine, if you want to change the totle for a french one, fine too, but why changing it for another english name...