Disney had nothing more to say to theater owners except “you’re welcome.” Ultimately, the film studio is returning to the island of Montunui, the setting for “Moana,” far sooner than theatergoers had anticipated.
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The studio said earlier in the year that a surprise follow-up to the 2016 animated film would be out on November 27. Executives were allegedly impressed by the footage, leading to a reworking of the follow-up into a feature film. Originally commissioned as a television series for Disney+.
Disney gave the Magic Kingdom creatives a sneak peek at the moments that impressed them during its CinemaCon presentation on Thursday in Las Vegas. When Moana returns to her native island of Montunui in the musically-heavy clip, she is welcomed like a hero. A preview of a new song was provided by the footage, and it seems to be about the wandering locals who are longing to get “back to who we’re meant to be.” The music in the sequel will be completely new, but the islanders’ humming of “The village believes in her, the village believes” is reminiscent of the first movie.
The composer of “How Far I’ll Go,” “You’re Welcome,” and other hit songs from “Moana,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, will also not be returning. The writers of “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical,” Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, are collaborating on new music alongside Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who contributed to the first movie.
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As evidenced by a character’s question, “Do we have to sing?” during Thursday’s first peek, “Moana 2” must feature several musical moments. “Yes, we have to sing,” is the prompt response from everyone.
Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho will be back in their animated “Moana 2” voice parts. Disney stalwarts John Musker and Ron Clements are giving way to first-time filmmaker Dave Derrick Jr., whose animation accomplishments include “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Encanto.”
Johnson shocked everyone at CinemaCon by introducing the “Moana 2” footage and doing a Polynesian dance. “It’s a much deeper movie in my opinion, and Disney feels the same way,” he remarked. “We can’t wait to embark on a brand-new journey with audiences from all over the world.”
Disney saw success with the 2016 movie, which brought in over $680 million at the box office worldwide. After skyrocketing in popularity on Disney+ last year, it’s now striking a chord with younger audiences. With 11.6 billion minutes viewed, the musical tale was the most streamed film in the United States in 2023, according to Nielson. The live-action “Moana” that the studio is producing was formerly scheduled to premiere in 2025 but was recently rescheduled for 2026.
Disney’s presentation to theater owners at CinemaCon lasted for hours, during which they showed off “Moana 2.” The studio also provided in-depth views at Mufasa: The Lion King, Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2.”
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