Credit: DisneyA key part of the original Moana reveals why they didn’t return for the sequel.
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Lin-Manuel Miranda has broken his silence as to why he did not return for Moana 2. The accomplished actor, singer, writer, and performer was a crucial part of Disney’s original Moana film, leading fans to expect to see Miranda’s mark on the sequel.
However, well before Moana 2 hit theaters, it was confirmed that Miranda would not be returning to work on the sequel. This announcement came as quite a surprise, given the success of the music in the original film.
In a new story from The Hollywood Reporter, Lin-Manuel Miranda discusses not returning for Moana 2 and his thoughts on Disney’s big new sequel.
“It didn’t line up that way actually,” he said. “I got the script for Mufasawhen I had just finished Encanto, and so I started working on that at the top of ’22. So, Moana 2 was already in process as a TV series with Emily [Bear] and Abigail [Barlow]. So then, when that decision got made to turn that into a movie, they were already cooking.”
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While not being asked to return for Moana 2, Miranda did get a chance to hear the music from the film.
“They’re so talented,” he said. “More than anything, what’s so thrilling is we hired Auli’i when she was 14 years old, and the stuff she’s singing in this new film is so just technically difficult to see how far she’s come as a performer is really extraordinary.”
Moana 2 is the direct sequel to Disney’s original film from 2016. Miranda wrote the music for the first film, with the song “How Far I’ll Go” being nominated for Best Original Song at the Oscars and Golden Globes. It was also nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media at the Grammys, which it won.
Disney officially unveiled Moana 2 in early 2024, a shock announcement that seemingly came out of nowhere. Fans were already looking forward to Disney’s live-action Moana film, making the announcement of a direct sequel rather unexpected.
Initially, Moana 2 was envisioned as a Disney+ original series. Somewhere along the way, the project was retooled into a feature-length film, a decision that appears to have paid off big time for Disney. However, things continue to get interesting for Disney’s Moana brand, with a live-action film on the way also.
Disney is no stranger to live-action remakes of its classic films, but the company has never rushed to remake a film like Moana so quickly. The upcoming live-action version is expected to hit theaters in 2026, marking roughly 10 years between its release and the rollout of the original Moana.
Not only is this an incredibly quick turnaround time for one of Disney’s films to be remade using live-action, but it will also mark the second Moana film to hit theaters within two years, assuming everything goes to plan.
It’s a bold approach, for sure, one that Disney will have to wait and see how it turns out. Disney’s track record with its live-action remakes has been incredibly strong, with The Lion King (2019) raking in over a billion dollars at the box office.
Last year’s live-action retelling of The Little Mermaid also swam to success, though popular opinion has certainly changed since Disney first experimented with the medium. All eyes and ears are now looking ahead to Disney’s live-action remake of Snow White.
This film has been embroiled in controversy, not just because of the way the story is being told, but the actions of Snow White herself, Rachel Zegler. Zegler has made quite a few controversial statements during press events, prompting some fans to check out the upcoming film’s release cycle entirely.
Snow White is set to release on March 21, 2025.
Have you seen Moana 2 yet? What did you think about it?