How ‘Moana 2’ Went From the Small Screen to the Big Screen

Moana 2 is set to splash into theaters on Nov. 27, but it wasn’t always destined for the big screen. Disney Animation initially planned a TV spinoff for Moana to air on Disney+. However, as development progressed, studio executives recognized the material’s potential for a feature film.

Executive producer and new chief creative officer Jared Bush said, “The premise is the same. Moana receives this call from her ancestors for something very important that she doesn’t quite understand: being asked to head out beyond the seas farther than anywhere she’s ever been to ensure the future of her people. I’d say the only thing that we did was add way more epic-ness to that story.”

Set three years after the first film, Moana 2 follows Moana as she travels with friends Maui, Hei-Hei and Pua to find Motufetu, an island once connected to the Polynesian islands. Their journey is complicated by Nalo, a resentful Storm God guarding Motufetu. Now the tribe’s leader, Moana must bring the islands together and protect her younger sister, Simea.

Dana Ledoux Miller, originally the showrunner for the series, is directing the film. Miller co-wrote the script with Bush, with whom she is also working on the live-action adaptation.

The film will feature eight new songs, five by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear and three by Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina. The soundtrack combines new material written for the movie with songs initially planned for the series.

Miller emphasized the importance of cultural depth in the sequel, saying, “It was important to us that we showcase that Moana’s community is behind her now. And what better way to do that than to have them all gathered together, chanting, calling out to the ancestors for protection of her as she goes off on this new and epic journey? It just speaks to how she’s led her people in the present as she’s about to embark on an adventure that’s going to shape their future.”

Unlike the first film, Moana 2 will have Moana guiding a diverse crew from various cultures, allowing her to rely on her community rather than embarking on her journey alone.