Curious how far Disney will go to expand on the popularity of a relatively new character in their arsenal? Consider the fact that this sequel was initially set to be a musical series on Disney+, but Bob Iger had so much faith in it, he decided to shift it into a theatrical sequel at the same time as they were prepping a live action remake of the first film. While the original “Moana” was helmed by Disney mainstays Ron Clements and John Musker, the sequel will be guided by first-time director David Derrick Jr., who was a storyboard artist on the first film as well as “The Lion King” (2019), “Raya and the Last Dragon,” and “Encanto.”
In addition to Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprising their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively, new cast members include Rose Matafeo of “Starstruck” fame and David Fain of “Our Flag Means Death,” both of whom play new members of Moana’s wayfinding crew. Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa’i also return to compose the film score, with Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear stepping in for Lin-Manuel Miranda to write songs. A teaser trailer for the film was released back in May following its debut at CinemaCon earlier in the year, but you can watch the new trailer below.
“Moana 2” is set to take sail in theaters on November 27.
