Moana 2

The second installment in the Moana franchise and the sequel to Moana (2016), the film was written and directed by David G. Derrick Jr. (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Osnat Shurer. Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson will reprise their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively.

Moana 2
Official logo
Directed by	David G. Derrick Jr.
Written by	David G. Derrick Jr.
Produced by	Osnat Shurer
Starring	Auliʻi Cravalho Dwayne Johnson
Music by	Mark Mancina Opetaia Foaʻi
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Animation Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date	November 27, 2024 (2024-11-27)
Country	United States
Language	English

Development on Moana 2 originally began in 2020 as a television series for Disney+ before being reworked into a theatrical sequel by February 2024. Shurer was confirmed to return as producer, alongside story artist Derrick as director and writer. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i, the composers and co-songwriters of the first film, return to score and write the songs, while Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear replace Lin-Manuel Miranda as additional songwriters.

Moana 2 is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 27, 2024.

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced.

• Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana
• Dwayne Johnson as Maui

Development

In December 2020, during a Disney Investor Day meeting, Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee announced that a musical series titled Moana, based on the 2016 film of the same name, was in development at the studio for Disney+. By August 2021, it was reported that Osnat Shurer would once again serve as producer. In January 2022, it was announced that David G. Derrick Jr. would serve as the writer and director (his feature film directorial debut), after filling the role of storyboard artist of the first film. The series entered development simultaneously with the live action remake of Moana according to Jared Bush, a writer of the film and screenplay writer of the 2016 animated film.

In February 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the series had been reworked into a theatrical sequel, with Derrick and Shurer remaining attached to the project.

Casting

Shortly after the announcement that the series was being repurposed into a theatrical feature film, Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson were confirmed to reprise their respective roles as Moana and Maui. Johnson later confirmed that he had been involved with the project since its conception, including its development, stating: "I can't wait for fans to see the film, the technology, the effects, cutting edge. We all really went for it. We thought if we're gonna make a sequel to something so beloved, let's really go for it."

Animation

Animation was handled at Walt Disney Animation Studios' Vancouver studio beginning when it was being developed as a series, while pre-production and storyboarding took place at the Burbank studio. It is the first feature film to be made at the Vancouver studio, but not the first project released, with Iwájú being released earlier that year.

Music

Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi will return to compose the film score while Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear will be credited as the songwriters, replacing Lin-Manuel Miranda from the first film.

Moana 2 is scheduled to be released in theaters on November 27, 2024.