Disney’s been busy with last-minute preparations ahead of the release of Moana, its 56th animated film and the first to feature a Polynesian Princess (we upstyled the “p” to denote Moana’s status as a Disney Princess™). There’s been all the usual red-carpet anticipation, of course, as well as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson dishing on his performance anxiety. The media conglomerate’s mindful of the international reception, too. Take Italy, where Disney’s local branch renamed the film Oceania in an effort to prevent confusion among porn aficionados at the box office.
According to Cartoon Brew, Disney Italy executives didn’t shy away from the punny, porny possibilities of the title. They’re European, after all. It just so happens that there’s already a prominent Moana in the country, one who’s recognized for her sensuality, not her navigation skills (that’s not a women drivers joke—Disney’s boasted about Moana’s cartography abilities). The late porn star Moana Pozzi, who was occasionally mononymous, appeared in over 100 adult films; her estate was estimated to be worth 26 million euros. She’s also known for founding a political party (the Love Party, naturally) and running for mayor of Rome at one point. Federico Fellini reportedly wanted to work with Pozzi, who was as intellectually stimulating for Italians as she was sexually. Pozzi even appeared in Moanaland, a raunchy animated short that saw her exposing political corruption, among other things.
Despite being presented with a résumé that puts its princesses to shame, Disney decided it would be better to rename the film instead of potentially confusing movie fans. So Italian families can look forward to seeing Oceania later this year, while a different demographic cues up Moanaland on their laptops. But, if any of Disney’s other filmmaking arms are looking for new projects, a Moana Pozzi film does sound pretty cool, too.