Disney's Moana Sequel Will Be Different In This 1 Major Way
Moana is back for a second outing in 2024Disney has teased more new details about what we should expect from the upcoming Moana sequel.
On Wednesday, the company announced that Moana 2 would be hitting cinemas later this year, with a first-look photo and teaser clip also being shared online.
A synopsis for the film released on Thursday reads: “Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers.
“After receiving 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.”
However, it’s been confirmed that one key figure who helped make the original film a success will not be returning.
While Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda penned the first movie’s signature hits, including You’re Welcome, Shiny and the Oscar-nominated How Far I’ll Go, he won’t be back for the sequel.
Lin-Manuel Miranda at a screening of Moana in 2016Instead, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear will helm the film’s music, alongside Opetaia Foa’i who worked on songs from the original like We Know The Way.
Abigail and Emily are best known for their Grammy-winning album The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, and previously provided songs for Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza: The Musical.
Emily also toured with Beyoncé as the pianist on her Renaissance world tour.
Meanwhile, Moana directors John Musker and Ron Clements are also not returning for the sequel, with Disney staple Dave Derrick Jr taking over.
Interestingly, it’s not actually been confirmed yet whether Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be returning to voice Moana and Maui in the sequel, although Deadline reported the pair are both “in talks”.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho in 2016Bob Iger previously revealed the new Moana movie started life as a TV series, before it was decided to adapt it for the big screen instead.
Moana 2 joins a growing list of Disney sequels currently in the pipeline, including Toy Story 5, Zooptopia 2 and two sequels to the hit movie Frozen.
A sequel to Pixar’s Inside Out is also hitting cinemas later this year.
Last year, Bob Iger told Disney employees the company would be “leaning into our unrivalled brands and franchises” more in the near future.
Disney’s latest animated offering, Wish, debuted towards the end of last year, to middling reviews and box office performance.
