Matewa Media is a New Zealand production company that dubs Disney animated films into the Māori language.
| Founded | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Founders | Tweedie Waititi Chelsea Winstanley |
| Website | https://www.matewamedia.nz/ |
Productions edit
Moana Reo Māori (2017) edit
Matewa Media was formed by Tweedie Waititi and Chelsea Winstanley in 2017 after seeing how popular the 2016 film Moana was with Winstanley's children. With the help of Waititi's cousin and Winstanley's husband Taika Waititi, who wrote the initial screenplay of Moana and was at the time working on Thor: Ragnarok, they secured the dubbing rights from Disney.[1][2] They received funding from Disney, Air New Zealand, and Te Māngai Pāho who gave $160,000.[3] It was announced in June 2017, with high school student Jaedyn Randell and Te Kāea newsreader Piripi Taylor cast as the lead roles of Moana and Maui respectively, while Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, and Jemaine Clement reprised their roles from the English version. A total of 250 people auditioned for the role of Moana. House also served as the performance director, while Rob Ruha was the musical director.[4][5][6]
The film premiered on 11 September 2017, during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.[7] It was screened for free in thirty cinemas around the country, with no English subtitles.[8] The soundtrack was released in November 2017,[9] and the film launched on the Disney+ streaming service on 26 June 2020.[10]
The Lion King Reo Māori and Frozen Reo Māori (2022) edit
Māori dubs of the 1994 film The Lion King and the 2013 film Frozen were announced in July 2021,[11] with Matewa Media getting $500,000 in funding from NZ On Air to produce them in December 2021.[12]
The cast of The Lion King Reo Māori was announced in May 2022, with Mataara Stokes as Simba, Arihia Cassidy as Nala, Piripi Taylor as Mufasa, Matu Ngaropo as Scar, and Matai Rae and Justin Rogers as Timon and Pumbaa respectively.[13] Each group of animals speak their own Māori dialect from five different iwi; the lions are Waikato Tainui, the hyenas are Ngāti Kahungunu, Timon and Pumbaa are Te Tai Tokerau Māori, Zazu is Taranaki, and Rafiki is Ngāi Tūhoe.[14] Matewa Media appealed directly to Elton John for permission to dub his version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" in the closing credits, becoming the first foreign version of the film to do so. Stan Walker performed the cover.[15] The film released on 21 June 2022, with the premiere attended by the Māori King Tūheitia Paki.[16]
The cast of Frozen Reo Māori was announced in September 2022, with Jaedyn Randell as Anna, Awhimai Fraser as Elsa, Kawiti Waetford as Kristoff, James Tito as Hans, and Pere Wihongi as Olaf.[17] Due to the colder climate, the film is in the dialect of Ngāi Tahu.[18] The film premiered on 26 October 2022.[19]
Both films launched on Disney+ in November 2022.
Coco Reo Māori (2023) edit
At the premiere of Frozen Reo Māori, Waititi announced that the 2021 film Encanto and the 2017 film Coco were next.[19] Matewa Media secured another $500,000 in funding from NZ On Air to produce them in December 2022,[20] and the release of Coco Reo Māori was set for Matariki 2023.[21] The cast was announced on 9 June 2023, with Mānuera Mānihera as Miguel, Troy Kingi as Héctor, Justin Rogers as Ernesto de la Cruz, Naomi Herewini-Houia as Mamá Imelda, Kuini Moehau-Reedy as Abuelita, and Rachel House as Mamá Coco.[22] The characters speak in the Ngāti Porou dialect due to the iwi having many descendants of Spanish trader Manuel José.[23] Previous dubs had gone through post-production in America, but for Coco Reo Māori this was done at Park Road Post in Wellington.[24]
Future projects edit
The Māori dub of Encanto was formally announced in May 2023. The characters will not be given a specific dialect.[25]
References edit
- ^ Puschmann, Karl (30 June 2020). "Nerves, favours and hope; Chelsea Winstanley on making Moana Reo Māori". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Tweedie Waititi: Bringing Disney classics into te ao Māori". RNZ. 15 December 2021.
- ^ McConnell, Glenn (24 July 2021). "Embracing the mainstream: Filmmaker Chelsea Winstanley on working with Disney". Stuff.
- ^ "There's going to be a Te Reo Maori version of Moana". Stuff. 9 June 2017.
- ^ Tapaleao, Vaimoana (26 June 2017). "Meet the te reo voice of Disney's Moana". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ McConnell, Glenn (26 June 2017). "Moana: Te reo version of Disney film finds its Maori star". Stuff.
- ^ Haunui-Thompson, Shannon (11 September 2017). "Moana in Māori hits the big screen". RNZ.
- ^ Graham, Charlotte (19 September 2017). "In New Zealand, a Translated 'Moana' Bolsters an Indigenous Language". The New York Times.
- ^ Rodger, Kate (8 November 2017). "Te reo Māori version of Moana soundtrack released". Newshub.
- ^ "Moana Reo Māori to launch on Disney+". Te Ao Māori News. 19 June 2020.
- ^ "Disney to produce te reo Māori versions of The Lion King, Frozen". New Zealand Herald. 23 July 2021.
- ^ "December 2021 Funding Decisions". NZ On Air. December 2021.
- ^ "Cast for Lion King Te Reo Māori announced". 1 News. 26 May 2022.
- ^ McConnell, Glenn (28 October 2021). "Tainui royalty and Ngāti Kahungunu jokesters wanted for Māori Lion King". Stuff.
- ^ Kohere, Reweti (23 June 2022). "How The Lion King Reo Māori did what no other version has done before". The Spinoff.
- ^ "Lion King Reo Māori premiere: 'A dream come true'". RNZ. 22 June 2022.
- ^ "Disney's Frozen Te Reo Māori cast revealed". New Zealand Herald. 12 September 2022.
- ^ Dewes, Te Kuru o te Marama (28 October 2022). "A new generation of tamariki will sing 'Waerea' in place of 'Let It Go'". The Spinoff.
- ^ a b West, Arohanui (26 October 2022). "'Another standout performance': Frozen Reo Maori impresses Disney". New Zealand Herald.
- ^ "Clean sweep for comedy in NZ On Air's latest Scripted funding round". NZ On Air. 5 December 2022.
- ^ Bevan, Darren (19 December 2022). "Coco to be next Disney movie reimagined in Te Reo Māori, open auditions begin". Newshub.
- ^ "Cast announced for te reo Māori version of Pixar's Coco". Newshub. 9 June 2023.
- ^ "Ngā Whetū o te Tau: Hiwa-i-te-rangi - Matewa Media". 1 News. 13 July 2023.
- ^ "A Disney first: Post-production for Coco Reo Māori to be done in NZ". YouTube. Te Karere. 9 June 2023.
- ^ "Disney's Encanto to be revoiced in te reo Māori". 1 News. 31 May 2023.