You may not know the names John Musker and Ron Clements, but you’re certainly familiar with their work. They’re the writer-directors of some of Walt Disney Studios’ most beloved films, including The Little Mermaid, Hercules, and the Robin Williams classic, Aladdin.

Now they’re embarking on an amazing journey that will take viewers to the South Seas with Moana, a comedy-adventure ramping up pre-production for an anticipated 2016 release. It tells the tale of a young 14-year-old female explorer who sets out to reach a mysterious island, taking on wondrous sea creatures alongside a legendary demi-God.

The duo has adapted Hans Christian Andersen, put a comedic spin on 1001 Arabian Nights, and they even brought us a Great Mouse Detective, but now they turn their attention to the South Pacific. In an interview with The Huffington Post, John Musker and Ron Clements described what sparked their inspiration.

“I grew up reading the novels of Melville and Conrad. And the South Seas, the exotic world that a lot of their stories are set in, was extremely intriguing to me,” explained Musker. Just looking at the art which comes out that corner of the globe — the carvings, the statuary, the sculpture — I thought that it all begged for this bigger-than-life treatment that you can only get with animation…So to expand on that idea, I then began reading up on the mythology of this area. Which is when I came across these incredible tales about Maui, who’s one of the great cultural heroes of the South Pacific.”

The story brings comedy, epic adventure, and the sort of plucky heroine that audiences have come to expect from Disney. There are sea monsters, vast oceanic landscapes, and mythical beasts as the title character navigates the waters to her destination. It’s the first all-CGI film for Musker and Clements, so they recruited producer Osnat Shurer, formerly of Pixar, to help them with the making of the film.

“I particularly resonated with Moana for a number of reasons: Ron and John are awesome. This film deals with a surprising, exciting, and lesser known culture, which is right up my alley,” said Shurer, VP of Development for Walt Disney Animation Studios. “It’s a fantastic story. And Moana has this kick-ass, feisty, interesting female protagonist.”

With pre-production just getting started, the filmmakers have a lot of work ahead of them and audiences will soon hear more about the film as the release date gets nearer. “We’re a long way from the finish line. But we’re already heavy, heavy into storyboarding and scripting and screenings. And as these processes go along, I know that there’ll be more announcements coming down the line in regards to various other aspects of this movie,” confided Clements.