Moana 2 is setting sail, and Auli’i Cravalho is set to take the helm once again.
Deadline reported on Thursday, February 27, that Cravalho, 23, will return to voice Moana in the upcoming animated sequel. She later confirmed the news via Instagram, writing, “We’re sailing WAY beyond the reef this November…”
The sequel is expected to drop on November 27, with Dwayne Johnson also set to reprise his role as the god Maui.
Moana 2 was announced earlier this month when Disney surprised fans with a first look at the sequel.
“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a statement shared to CNBC at the time. “We can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 comes to theaters this November.”
Per Disney, Moana 2 will bring audiences on an “expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. 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.”
Moana 2 was originally planned to be developed as a TV show, but after being impressed by early clips of the footage, Iger upgraded the project to a feature film.
The sequel is directed by Dave Derrick Jr., with music from the Unofficial Bridgerton Musical writers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, along with Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who also worked on the first Moana film.
Along with the animated sequel, a live-action version of Moana is also in the works at Disney and is currently set at a 2025 release date. While Cravalho will not be reprising her character in the adaptation, she will serve as an executive producer on the project.
“I believe it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell,” she wrote via Instagram in May 2023 of the live-action adaptation. “I can’t wait to find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit and emotional strength.”
Unlike Cravalho, Johnson will be reprising his character of Maui in the live-action film.
“Humbled to say we’re bringing Moana’s beautiful story to the live-action big screen! Maui changed my life (miss you grandpa) and I’m honored to partner with Disney to tell our story through the realm of music and dance, which at the core is who we are as Polynesian people,” he tweeted at the time.
