Disney Announces ‘Moana 2’ After Eight Years With First-Look Teaser
Video screenshot via Walt Disney Animation Studios
Disney has just dropped a wave-making announcement—that Moana 2 is officially on the horizon, with a release date of November 27, 2024.
This revelation, splashed out in a 15-second teaser, shows Moana stepping onto a shore and signaling a new adventure with the sound of a conch.
In the new narrative, Moana, Maui, and a fresh ensemble of characters heed the call of their wayfinding ancestors. This journey will take them beyond the familiar waters of Oceania into realms fraught with peril and mystery.
A visual depicting Moana and Maui venturing into glowing waters has also been unveiled.
Image via The Walt Disney Company
Interestingly, Moana 2 was initially meant to be a television series. However, as the scope got so compelling, Disney decided to give it a full cinematic treatment. “We were impressed with what we saw, and we knew it deserved a theatrical release,” expresses CEO Bob Iger.
Moana has had enduring popularity on Disney+, where it recently surpassed a billion hours streamed and clinched the title of the most streamed movie of 2023 in the US, says Iger.
The directorial helm for this sequel is passed to Dave Derrick Jr, a storyboard artist from the original film, placing the spirit of Moana in familiar hands. The musical voyage will be charted by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, alongside Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who are returning to weave their auditory magic.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose melodies like How Far I’ll Go, You’re Welcome, and Where You Are captivated millions, isn’t believed to continue his work with the sequel.
Moana 2 is charting its own course, distinct from the live-action remake that’s also in development, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Maui. Auli’i Cravalho is set to voice Moana once again in the animated sequel, although she will not reprise her role in the live-action version, where she will instead serve as an executive producer.
