Moana 2 gets a new tease from Dwayne Johnson, who shares a series of behind-the-scenes images. Released in 2016, Moana has since become one of the most popular and beloved animated Disney movies of the last decade, enjoying a great deal of success on Disney Plus. The world of the franchise was originally set to continue in the form of a TV show, but Disney CEO Bob Iger announced earlier this year that it would be retooled into a proper feature film sequel, with Johnson reprising his role as Maui and Auliʻi Cravalho returning for the title role.
Ahead of Moana 2’s release date later this year, Johnson takes to Instagram to share some behind-the-scenes images of him recording his voice lines as Maui. Check out the post below:
Accompanying the post is a touching caption, included separately below, which highlights the importance of Polynesian culture to the popular Disney franchise. Johnson also reveals that the character of Maui is actually heavily inspired by his grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia.
Bringing MAUI🪝 back to life for MOANA 2!
So much fun becoming MAUI again – a character that changed my life in many ways – including the character of MAUI being inspired by my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia.
The Polynesian cultural significance of the role and our story has touched families around the world and has easily become one of my truest honors to bring to life and share.
New characters, new journeys, new music.
Excited for you and your families around the world to join us on this journey.
You will feel the mana.
The Future Of The Moana Franchise Explained
There Are Two Major Moana Projects Coming Up
A common sentiment that pops up in comments on Johnson’s social media posts about Moana is some confusion about the future of the franchise. Johnson and Cravalho are both reprising their roles for the direct animated sequel, but this isn’t the only continuation of the franchise that is planned. In addition to the animated sequel, there is also a live-action Moana movie in the works.
Somewhat confusingly, the live-action Moana movie will be a direct remake of the 2016 film. Disney has made many live-action remakes of its animated classics over the past decade (to varying degrees of success), but never has there been such a fast turn around between the animated original and the live-action reimagining. Johnson will be reprising his role as Maui for this live-action Moana movie, but Cravalho, notably, will not be playing the title role. According to Johnson, the remake has already found its new Moana actor, but the news hasn’t yet been made public.
While the live-action film will be a retelling of the same story from the 2016 original, Moana 2 will pick up some time after the Moana ending, following the title character as she receives a call from her ancestors and embarks on a new adventure in the far seas of Oceania. The animated sequel will be hitting theaters later this year, while the live-action film will release next summer. For those who enjoy the franchise, then, there’s certainly a lot to look forward to.
