Movie theater marquee featuring the Disney film "Moana" along with the main characters

Disney Studios are going forward with an animated sequel to the 2016 film Moana that will hit theaters Nov. 27. The sequel is in addition to the live-action remake of Moana starring Dwayne Johnson.

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the news, revealing that the film was initially developed as a TV series, before becoming a movie. “We were impressed by what we saw, and knew it deserved a theatrical release,” said Iger, adding that the film crossed 1 billion minutes of viewing on Disney+ in 2023.

The original Moana was voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho, a young woman who goes on an adventure against the wishes of her father, the chief of the Polynesian island of Motunui. Along the way, she teams up with Maui, a demigod of the wind and sea voiced by Dwayne Johnson. Johnson and Cravalho are expected to reprise their roles in the sequel film. Moana grossed $643.3 million globally, and it received Oscar nominations for best animated feature and best song for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “How Far I’ll Go.”

Dave Derrick Jr., who worked on the original film as a story board artist, will direct the Moana sequel, with Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina writing the film music.

Editorial credit: image_vulture / Shutterstock.com

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