In 2016, Disney introduced audiences to its newest — and first Polynesian — princess, Moana of Motunui. Moana told the story of a young princess who dreamed of seeing what lay beyond the boundaries of her small island. Her dream is heightened even more when she discovers that her ancestors were seafarers who traveled far and wide. Moana then goes against her father’s wishes and leaves the island to restore the heart of Te Fiti when she learns that her island is dying.

Related: Disney Reveals Casting for ‘Moana’; New Disney Princess Announced
On her journey, Moana meets the demigod Maui, who has been banished to an island for stealing the heart of Te Fiti that Moana seeks to return. And, even though he starts off with selfish motives (retrieving his lost fish hook), he soon learns that Moana needs his help, and he is the only one who can give it. Together, they conquer The Kakamora (coconut-like pirates) and a giant crab who is obsessed with anything shiny. But it is only Moana who can truly save her island and her people.

It has been eight years since Moana premiered in theaters, but it is still one of Disney’s most popular movies. In fact, it was the most streamed movie on Disney+ in 2023! Despite new releases like Haunted Mansion, Elemental, and The Little Mermaid, audiences wanted to see more of the seafaring princess.
Back in February, Disney shocked fans when it announced that Moana 2 would be released THIS YEAR! Not only did fans not know that a sequel film was in the works, but they did not know it was so close to being completed! According to Disney, the sequel film was originally supposed to be a Disney+ series, but Bob Iger was so impressed with the footage that they turned it into a feature-length movie.

Related: Disney announces THREE New ‘Moana’ Projects
With five months to go before the movie, Disney has not shared too much information. We do know that Auli’i Cravalho will return as the voice of Moana, and Dwayne Johnson will return as Maui. We also know that the new story will take place three years after the events of the first movie. And here is what Disney has shared about the storyline:
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, we now have some NEW information to share with you about what to expect from Moana 2!
New Characters and a New Sibling!
Moana 2 directors David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand recently attended the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, where they shared some footage of the new movie with an excited audience.
TheWrap attended the screening and shared what they saw, which included and new musical number and the introduction of Moana’s little sister!
The first footage that was shown was a musical sequence called “We’re Back,” which has Moana returning from her latest seafaring voyage. Obviously, the song, by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, has another meaning since Moana – the character and the franchise – is also returning. But there’s a lot of story that is relayed through the song, as we see various villagers who (spoiler alert!) later become part of Moana’s team, reveling in her accomplishments. They recount her exploits with Maui, talk about how she’s opened the island and has generally gone beyond her position as the daughter of the village chief. She is so much more.

According to TheWrap, even though Disney said it had only been three years since the events of the first film, the characters seemed to have aged a little more than that. This includes Moana’s little sister, Simea, who is a brand-new character!
The next bit of footage introduced Simea, Moana’s little sister. The sequel, Derrick and Hand announced, takes place three years after the first movie but Simea seems to be older than that and the other characters have aged more prominently (Moana’s dad has streaks of grey, Moana herself has been subtly redesigned). Moana and Simea are the closest siblings imaginable, they refer to each other as “Big Sis” and “Little Sis” and Moana’s mission – to make a connection with another island — takes on an even greater importance as she is trying to forge a better future for her little sister.

When Disney announced Moana 2, they said that she would be going on an adventure “unlike anything she’s ever faced.” And now we know what caused her to leave her island once again.
At a ceremony where her father, the village chief, is going to pronounce Moana “Tautai” – the master of man and sea – lighting strikes the hut. It sends Moana a vision from the distant past and has her commune with the last Tautai, who warns her of a terrible threat. There is a mysterious island called Motufetu that connects all of the Polynesian islands together but it is guarded by a jealous God of Storms. In order for her to defeat the god and open this important island up again, she’s going to have to go on another go-for-broke mission, this time recruiting members of her tribe – including a young woman who designs and maintains the ship named Loto, an elder statesman of the community responsible for the vegetables named Kele and a young storyteller (and Maui fanboy) named Moni.

If you were wondering where Hei-Hei and Pua are, have no fear! They are still on the island and will be joining Moana on her journey! Pua is even getting a little older and sporting a very adorable tusk.
While they didn’t show much footage, there was some of Maui’s recent storyline revealed during the festival as well. Maui is seen standing next to a large pearl. He is speaking to an unseen presence, who says that Moana being made a “master of man and sea” is a threat to their plan. Maui acts unbothered and says that he only used Moana to get his fish hook back.

That leaves us wondering, is Maui the selfish demigod we first thought him to be? Or does he have a secret plan to protect Moana and keep her family safe?
Moana 2 will his theaters on November 27, 2024, the day before Thanksgiving. It is expected to be Disney’s biggest hit of the year, possibly surpassing Inside Out 2. Inside Out 2 premiered on June 14 and blew past all expectations, amassing nearly $300 million during its opening weekend.
Are you excited about Moana 2? Let us know in the comments!
This post originally appeared on Disney Dining.