When chatting to Auli’i Cravalho, who was first cast as the Disney Princess – her first ever acting role! - when she was just 14, that passion is most evident. The last decade of her life, not to mention her acting career, has been shaped by the character, and she sees her journey in tandem with that of Moana.
She told Zavvi: “I love that with this film, we’ve made Disney history by making Moana the first Disney princess to age. Three years have passed in the timeline from our last film to now, so growth has become a really central theme to our storyline.
“I see my journey juxtaposed with hers, and I must credit Moana for taking me far beyond the reach. I never would have started my career in TV and film without this incredible character – she is constantly making waves of impact, and this film really is a source of Pacific Island pride, I’m just so grateful we have more story to tell for her.”
Cravalho does admit that it will be a “hard thing for audiences not to compare one film to the other”, but there is one way in which Moana 2 consciously echoes its predecessor: the original songs. Songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear have taken on the daunting task of replacing Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the even more nerve-wracking challenge of creating “spiritual sequels” to the first film’s most popular numbers, How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome.
“I remember saying to them, I want a challenge”, Cravalho continued. “Barlow and Bear both sing and play piano, they’re savants in their own right, and they’re also young women, which means they understand my vocal range and could challenge that.
“In a song like Beyond, which is such a power ballad and includes the highest note I sang in the first film – from I Am Moana (Song Of The Ancestors) - that line is reprised to tie in with the continuing storyline, of going even further beyond what she knows is out there. It's a song that asks questions of who you will become when you leave home, big questions that I ask myself, but also with a high note that really kicked my butt!”
Barlow and Bear, still in their mid-twenties, first made waves when their “Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” went viral on TikTok in 2021, eventually winning a Grammy despite facing a copyright infringement lawsuit from Netflix (the lawsuit was dropped in 2022). Not only are they amongst the youngest songwriters to work for the House of Mouse, they’re shockingly two of the very few women to have written songs for Disney movies.
They were aware of the challenge set for them when it came to making sure the new songs echoed those of the first movie, whilst escaping from its shadow. Barlow explained: “We didn't want to be derivative of the first film, we wanted to pay homage and allow the music to grow with the characters.
“In the first film, Moana couldn’t get away from her island fast enough, and she’s singing How Far I Go towards the horizon, towards an optimistic future. In the second film, she’s found her dream life, and has the perfect balance of land and sea, which she’s being asked to give up – we were looking to stress that dichotomy in the songs.”
Bear added: “We didn't closely study the first movie – I actually made a point not to watch it too much, as I didn’t want it subconsciously swirling around my head whilst writing. We referenced it at the beginning of the film, as it was really important to make sure that sonic connection is there.
“However, the soundtrack expands beyond as she sets into these new waters and meets new characters. It’s a new sound because we wouldn’t want to make the same movie again!”
Moana 2 was originally announced as a straight-to-streaming series in 2021 – and it wasn’t until February of this year that it was revealed the Disney+ show had been transformed into a feature-length movie during production. Directors Dana Ledoux Miller and Jason Hand, who helmed the film alongside David Derrick Jr, have been on board for the whole process.
Miller told us: “The film is pretty similar to what the series was going to be in terms of story, our plan was always to tell an overarching story across five episodes. What we got a chance to do by making it into a feature was being able to expand the scope and scale of this world, with better effects and more time with the characters; it allowed us to tell a bigger story than we were planning to in that first iteration.”
“At Disney Animation, we’re constantly evolving the story as we make it”, added Hand. “We usually end up making the movie about eight times, learning new things about it with each different edit, and even though this went from a TV show to a film, the process was similar here – the biggest change really was just knowing that this story needed to be on the big screen.”
Moana 2 is Miller’s first experience in animation, but she’s already a trailblazer, having been the first woman of Pacific Island heritage to be hired as a showrunner on a US TV show (for Netflix’s Thai Cave Rescue miniseries). It remains surreal for her to have helped bring back cinema’s most iconic Pacific Island-born character to the big screen.
“When the first film came out, I was in the audience like everybody else, and truly in that moment in the theater I remember feeling like my life had changed because a hero like Moana existed on the screen. It changed the way people saw Pacific Islanders all around the world.
“I couldn't have predicted in that moment that I would get to be sitting here in London talking about Moana 2, having helped craft her continued story. It’s a privilege to get to be a part of this team that takes such care in telling the stories of the Pacific, and to be able to make key creative decisions that push Moana further than she's ever known before.”
This doesn’t mark the end of the co-director's journey with Moana. Not only does the mid-credits scene tease a third movie – which everybody I speak to does a very bad job of pretending they know nothing about – but there’s a live-action remake coming in 2026, which she has co-written the screenplay for.
“What I can say is that the live-action film is another love letter to the original, truly everyone working on it loves the first movie. They’ve just finished filming, and we have a great newcomer (Catherine Lagaʻaia) as Moana, and seeing her go toe to toe with Dwayne Johnson as Maui is really special.
“I’m so proud of Auli’i for being so gracious in passing the torch to Catherine, and the fact she’s come on board as an executive producer in the live action film highlights how the teams behind the Moana movies are a true community. I’m so glad that so many people get to be on the canoe with us, and I’m very excited for the world to see it.”
Cravalho similarly keeps her lips sealed about Moana 3 - “if they’d told me anything, I’d let you know!” - but is embracing her behind-the-scenes producing role on the upcoming remake.
“I remember watching tapes of so many different talented women and having those conversations about costume and cultural authenticity with the team. It’s a different role for me, but one I’m excited about taking on, as I hope to continue working behind the camera and helping to create these stories which I feel need amplification.
“I’ve loved seeing Catherine Lagaʻaia blossom and grow into the role too. There are so few young Pacific Islander women in this industry, that passing baton over to her just felt right.”
Moana 2 is released in UK cinemas on Friday, 29th November. The live-action remake arrives in summer 2026.Shop our Moana merch.
