Moana 2 is now available on Disney+ and Blu-ray, and that means fans will get to relive the magic again in the comfort of their home as they watch Moana, Maui, and the gang on a new adventure as they try to connect to other Polynesian people and islands.
Moana 2 was directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David Derrick Jr from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. The Moana sequel features songs by Barlow and Bear with Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprising their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively.
Spoiler Warning for Moana 2 Ending
At the end of Moana 2, Moana becomes a demigod after being revived thanks to Maui, Tautai Vasa and Moana’s ancestors. Maui gets his powers back as a demigod and lifts the island of Motufetu above the ocean, reconnecting the people. With Moana now a demigod, what will this mean for Moana 3?
“As filmmakers, we love it when people ask questions after they see our film,” Derrick Jr. tells Nerd Reactor. “It creates conversation and even debate. We set out to make a film that would celebrate the fact that in our lives, we are always growing, evolving and changing. We never stop choosing who we are. And I love that we leave it open, but very clear that Moana has become a demigod. What that means is yet to be discovered.”
“At the end of the first film, there’s a sense of almost infinite possibilities that Moana has that she’s out there on her canoe going out,” Hand added. “What does that mean? We enjoyed the fact that there’s a similar feeling to that. It’s much different because there are more pieces to the puzzle now with her being a demigod. What does that mean when she puts that oar into the water and you see this incredible piece of magic that goes out from that? I love that there’s a possibility for us to tell more stories. What that is we’ll see.”
The sequel introduces new characters including Moni and Matangi. Moni, voiced by Hualālai Chung, is part of Moana’s wayfinding crew and a huge Maui fan. Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser, serves Nalo, a storm god who sunk the island of Motufetu.
“I screamed at my seat and went, ‘Yes! Let’s see what’s going to happen,'” said Fraser. “I think it’s really fascinating to see the relationship between Matangi and Nalo and to explore the ‘deal’ that was going on there. She thought she was free but she’s now she’s not. What’s happening? I would really love to see her explore a world with Moana instead of toying with her so much. I think she could be a little bit more supportive in the next one.”
“I think for me I’m so grateful that everybody wants to see more of the story,” Chung said. “I think what I would love to see more from Moni is to actually see him build a relationship with Maui. He’s been such a fanboy on the outskirts of who Maui is this whole time, and right at the end of the movie, you actually kind of see them getting along and starting to build somewhat of a relationship. So to see how they can go back and forth and see the comedy that it brings and the warmheartedness that it brings, that would be awesome.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda was one of the songwriters for the first Moana film with songs such as “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny,” “You’re Welcome,” and “We Know the Way.” In Moana 2, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear were tasked with the songs, which included “Beyond,” “What Could Be Better Than This?” “Get Lost” and “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?”
“All the writing sessions,” Bear said of the songs where they had to let loose creatively. “I mean, if you get too in your head, then you’re in this vicious cycle where it’s just bad, and then you just end up going nowhere. The song ‘Get Lost’ is all about forgetting the world that you live in, letting yourself feel that uncomfortableness, and letting yourself forge a new path. Because taking all the old paths isn’t going to work, and that’s scary.”
