From the cast to plot details and beyond, here’s what to know about Disney Animation’s Moana 2.
The line where the sky meets the sea is calling Moana once more.
It’s a call that Motunui chief and wayfinder Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) answers in the first trailer for Moana 2. Along with the shape-shifting demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson), clucking companion Heihei (Alan Tudyk), pet pig Pua, and a crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana and Maui set out on an expansive new voyage taking them beyond the reef in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ theatrical sequel to the 2016 animated movie that grossed a splashy $687 million at the global box office. (A live-action Moana remake starring Johnson is also in the works at Disney.)
Before the animated Moana and Maui embark on their next sea-faring saga this Thanksgiving, ComicBook has rounded up everything we know so far about Moana 2. What can we say except… you’re welcome?
What is Moana 2 about?
Moana 2 reunites Moana and Maui three years after the original movie. After she receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.
The trailer shows Moana — who became the new chief of her island village after she sailed treacherous waters to restore the stolen heart of Te Fiti, the mother island — as an experienced wayfinder who must make another journey across the ocean, far from the safety of home and her people. “This is a call from the ancestors to sail to new skies and reconnect our people across the entire ocean,” Moana says in the trailer.
Who’s in the Moana 2 cast?
So far, the only confirmed cast members are Auli’i Cravalho, reprising her role as Moana, and Dwayne Johnson back as Maui, a shapeshifter, demigod of the wind and sea, hero of men.
“I’m very excited for Moana’s future,” Cravalho told ComicBook in a 2022 interview, before it was announced that she would reprise her role in a theatrical sequel. “It was such a blessing to play that character. She really changed my life, my first job, my way into this industry. And she keeps giving back. People keep finding the film, and I think it resonates with young women and young audiences even today. Even though it’s six years later, it’s still very timely.”
Who’s directing Moana 2?
Dave Derrick Jr. — who worked as a story artist on the original Moana, a storyboard artist on Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto, and served as head of story on Disney’s Strange World — makes his directorial debut on the animated movie. In 2022, Derrick said that working on Moana deepened his connection with his family’s Samoan roots. Moana “caught and shared the spirit of Polynesia with the world,” the animation veteran said. “I am honored to continue her story and to celebrate the rich and beautiful cultures of the Pacific Islands.” The co-director is Big Hero 6 and Zootopia story artist Jason Hand, who served as head of story for Encanto.
The producers are Oscar-winning Encanto producer Yvett Merino and Christina Chen (Disney’s Us Again animated short and the Disney+ animated series Iwájú).
What is the Moana 2 release date?
The Moana sequel sails into theaters over Thanksgiving on November 27, 2024.
Who’s doing the Moana 2 music?
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who worked on the Moana soundtrack with Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, is not returning (instead, Miranda is doing the music for the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King). Moana 2 features music by Foa’i and Mancina and Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear (The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical).
What happened to Moana, the Series?
During Disney Investor Day 2020, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee (of Frozen fame) announced that an animated musical television series — titled Moana, the Series — was in the works for Disney+ alongside new animated series inspired by Disney Animation movies Big Hero 6, The Princess and the Frog, and Zootopia. However, Disney CEO Bob Iger made waves when he revealed a surprise earlier this year: The studio was so impressed by the planned Moana TV series that the project was reworked into a full-length theatrical feature. Following last year’s Wish, Moana 2 will be the 63rd animated movie in the Walt Disney Animation Studios canon when it sets sail on Nov. 27.
What about the live-action Moana remake?
Along with the animated Moana 2, a live-action reimagining of Moana has been dated for July 10, 2026. Johnson will reprise his role as Maui and will produce with Dany Garcia (Disney’s Jungle Cruise) and Hiram Garcia (Jumanji: The Next Level) for their Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn (Red Notice) for Flynn Picture Co. Cravalho, 23, won’t be starring as the live-action Moana, but the actress is also on board the project as a producer with Scott Sheldon of Flynn Picture Co.
Moana directing duo John Musker and Ron Clements are not involved with the live-action adaptation of their 2016 animated movie. Thomas Kail, who directed the Lin-Manuel Miranda musicals In the Heights and Hamilton, will make his feature directorial debut on the project that the studio said will “celebrate the islands, communities, and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen through the eyes of a young woman eager to pave her own path.”
