Overview
When Walt Disney Animation Studios had Dwayne Johnson sing a ridiculously catchy tune that was penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2016's Moana, it gave itself the perfect response to all the love thrown the film's way. Adore the movie? You're welcome. Can't stop crooning its songs? You're also welcome. Excited about the just-confirmed sequel that'll hit cinemas in November 2024? What can the Mouse House say except... yes, "you're welcome" again.
Disney has announced that Moana 2 is on its way to the big screen before the year is out, on November 27 in the US. Down Under, films usually release on Thursdays, which would make it November 28; however, the exact local date is yet to be revealed. It'll be another animated musical, and both Moana and Maui will return — and there's also a first-look announcement video.
Moana
Story-wise, the feature will see its namesake take to the seas of Oceania to answer the call from her ancestors, which is where new characters will come in. Who they'll be and who'll be voicing them hasn't yet been revealed. Neither has whether Johnson (Fast X) will be back as Maui and Auli'i Cravalho (Mean Girls) as Moana.
In the director's chair: Dave Derrick Jr, who was a storyboard artist on the original Moana. And on music duties this time are singer-songwriter Abigail Barlow, composer Emily Bear (Dog Gone), Opetaia Foa'i (returning from the first film) and Mark Mancina (also back from the initial movie). Whether Miranda is involved again also hasn't been mentioned.
Moana 2
"This was originally developed as a series, but we were impressed with what we saw and we knew it deserved a theatrical release," said Disney CEO Bob Iger, announcing the sequel in the company's first-quarter earnings call for 2024. "The original Moana film from 2016 recently crossed one-billion hours streamed on Disney+ and was the most streamed movie of 2023 on any platform in the U.S."
Moana 2 is one of two new Moana movies in the works, with a live-action adaptation of the first Moana also on the way — and with Johnson starring.
"Along with the live-action version of the original film that's currently in development, Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise," continued Iger.
Check out the announcement video for Moana 2 below:
Moana 2 will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas in November 2024 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our interview with Jemaine Clement about Moana.