Along with the original film’s directors not returning to the project and the legendary Lin-Manuel Miranda not doing the music, it appears that the Moana sequel might not even be the full-length film fans are expecting. A recent report from What’s On Disney Plus suggests that Moana 2 might just be a repackaged Disney+ series.
Shifting a Disney+ series into a full-length film could go either way in terms of how successful the project could be. If given the right direction and treatment, Moana, Maui, and the people of Motunui could ride the wave into glory. If not, it might simply come off as a theatrical release of an obviously serialized story.
That all being said, there’s still much left to be discovered before the film’s official release date. However, as thrilling as it is to have Moana and the demigod Maui sailing off to another adventure, it’s not going to be without its pitfalls. Can the planned series truly make the transition?
Moana 2: From Series to Cinema
As pointed out in the original article from What’s On Disney Plus, the studio is confident enough in Moana’s future to the point that they need to continue her story. The piece shared that even Disney CEO Bob Iger couldn’t wait to show the continuing adventures of the Polynesian princess.
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Per The Walt Disney Company, Iger stated in an interview,
“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise… “And we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 comes to theaters this November.”
Additionally, Iger also expressed great pride in the original Moana series, recognizing it’s true potential in a lengthier form. According to The Guardian, Iger shared,
“We were impressed by what we saw and knew it deserved a theatrical release,” he said, adding that Moana had been streamed for more than 1 [billion] minutes on Disney+ in 2023 alone, highlighting its continued popularity.
While the upcoming Disney sequel is shaping up to be a film with great interest, one thing that must be kept in mind is that the original’s success is owed a united effort from a group of tremendously talented people. Many of which are currently unattached to the new movie.
Although it appears that Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson will return as Moana and Maui, as seen in the teaser above, the sequel is working with a new set of hands in multiple essential roles. Without the original’s creators, dedicated songsmith Lin-Manuel Miranda, and legendary animators, can the ship really stay afloat.
Moana 2 is essentially going into completely new hands as far as the production team is concerned, which means it will more than likely be an entirely different experience compared to the 2016 original. Then again, that’s always been the nature of sequels.
At this point in development, it’s too early to tell. However, the film’s new director (David Derrick Jr.) and the musical team (barlow & bear) are more than amply prepared to bring a new Disney feature to life. The only question is, where will the adventure take us?
Are you hopeful for Moana 2? Tell Inside the Magic what you think in the comments below!