Moana 2 set at Disney with surprise 2024 release date

Disney fans were thrilled to hear that Moana, the brave and adventurous Polynesian princess, will be back for a sequel this year.

Moana 2, the follow-up to the 2016 animated hit, was announced by Disney CEO Bob Iger on CNBC on Wednesday, February 7, 2024.

According to Iger, Moana 2 will be released in theaters on November 27, 2024, the day before Thanksgiving. The sequel will feature Moana, the demigod Maui, and a new crew of seafarers on an epic voyage across the ocean. Moana will embark on a dangerous mission to explore the long-lost waters of Oceania, following the guidance of her wayfinding ancestors.

The original Moana was a critical and commercial success, earning positive reviews and $629.6 million worldwide. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song. The film’s soundtrack, composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foa’i, featured catchy tunes like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome”.

However, Miranda will not be returning for the sequel, as reported by Variety. Instead, the music for Moana 2 will be composed by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, two young and talented singer-songwriters who rose to fame on social media. They will join Mancina and Foa’i, who worked on the first film, to create the songs for the sequel. The director of Moana 2 will be Dave Derrick Jr., who previously worked as a story artist on several Disney films.

Moana 2 will also have a live-action remake, which is currently in development. The remake will star Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original film, as the titular character. The live-action version of Moana is expected to be released on Disney+ in 2025.

Moana 2 is one of the many upcoming projects from Walt Disney Animation Studios, which also include Raya and the Last Dragon, Encanto, Zootopia 2, and Frozen 3.