BURBANK, Calif. » Nearly five years after starting production, Disney’s new animated film “Moana” is barreling down the home stretch toward its Thanksgiving 2016 release.

Producer Osnat Shurer and the directing team of Ron Clements and John Musker were on hand today to participate in a media preview at Disney’s Burbank, Calif., animation studios along with other members of the production team.

“These are the last steps,” Shurer said. “It’s very, very exciting to be at this stage.

“‘Moana’ was inspired by the true history of the ancient Pacific Islanders, (who) were some of the greatest sailors in the world. They voyaged across the Pacific for thousands and thousands of years.”

Starring Hawaii resident Aulii Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the legendary Polynesian demigod Maui, “Moana” tells the story of a chief’s teenage daughter who discovers the connection between her family and ocean-voyaging relatives of generations past with help from her grandmother.

Guests at today’s preview viewed never-before-seen footage, including the film’s opening sequence and clips showing how Moana learned about her family’s voyaging heritage, the first time Moana meets Maui and a flashback showing Moana’s budding relationship with the ocean that surrounds her fictional home island of Motunui.

“Moana” is the 56th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It opens in theaters on Nov. 23.