Credit: DisneyMove over Marvel Studios, because Disney is bringing a whole new meaning to “MCU” as it looks to expand its Moana franchise into a full-blown cinematic universe.
Related: Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Gets Surprising Update
Last night’s 30th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards saw the best and brightest of Hollywood stars coming together to celebrate their accomplishments in film and TV. Some of the industry’s biggest names, including Pedro Pascal, Ayo Edebiri, Lily Gladstone, Robert Downey Jr., and Cillian Murphy, all took home awards in their respective categories, among others.
Winners aside, last night’s SAG Awards also marked Moana (2016) and Mean Girls (2024) star Auliʻi Cravalho’s first time attending the ceremony, which she took as an opportunity to tease November’s Moana 2 (2024), as well as Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of the animated classic.
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Speaking with Variety on the SAG Awards red carpet, Cravalho opened up about Moana becoming a full-blown Disney franchise, adding that the universe is “expanding” and will see “more and more generations” being able to relate to the character with each installment:
It feels like the ‘Moana’ universe is expanding and I love that. I love that Moana is a hero to all. It changed what it meant to be a Disney princess. You can be strong and brave and stand up against a demigod. It feels really good that more and more generations are going to be able to relate to this character.
Inside the Magic has previously covered Disney’s live-action Moana reboot, which Maui star Dwayne Johnson announced during the Disney 2023 Annual Meeting of Shareholders Webcast last April, in addition to Moana 2 (2024), which caught fans off-guard when CEO Bob Iger confirmed the animated sequel would arrive in November of this year — far earlier than expected.
During a recent Disney earnings call, Iger explained how scrapped plans for a Moana Disney+ show eventually became the foundation of the animated sequel, saying, “We were impressed with what we saw, and we knew it deserved a theatrical release.”
According to Disney, Moana 2 will take 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.”
Given the success of 2016’s Moana, it’s no wonder that Iger and Co. ultimately decided to shift Moana 2 away from Disney’s streamer in favor of returning to the big screen. Cravalho will reprise her role as the titular heroine for the sequel, with Dwayne Johnson expected to follow suit.
Meanwhile, Cravalho plans to pass the torch to a new actress of AAPI descent for the live-action remake. The original voice of Moana told TheWrap last month, “It feels really important to me to pass the baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, and I say that with my whole chest.” However, Cravalho will still be involved in the project, this time as an executive producer.
Cravalho was pretty tight-lipped when discussing Moana 2 and the live-action reboot, joking that she could “feel Mickey Mouse breathing down [her] neck.” Still, we do know that Dave Derrick Jr. has been tapped to direct Moana 2, with music from songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, who will be taking the reins from Hamilton scribe Lin-Manuel Miranda.
For now, it’ll be interesting to see what Auliʻi Cravalho means when she says future Moana projects will appeal to “more and more generations.” Her remarks could suggest a drastic redirection for the beloved IP, perhaps with more mature, adult-centric storylines that might be fleshed-out in a potential Disney+ series. Either way, Moana fans certainly have a lot to look forward to.
Moana 2 arrives in theaters on November 27, 2024.
Are you a fan of Moana? What upcoming project are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!