Moana star Auli’i Cravalho CONFIRMS she will return for hotly-anticipated sequel as she shares fun video: ‘The feeling when you’re returning to Motunui!’
Moana star Auli’i Cravalho has confirmed that she will return for the film’s highly anticipated sequel later this year.
Cravalho, 23, who voiced the titular character in the critically acclaimed 2016 Disney animated film, posted to Instagram on Tuesday a clip of himself posing in front of Disney’s Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California.
The star captioned the video: “The feeling when you officially return to Motunui,” adding: “We’re sailing WAY past the reef in November… #Moana2.”
Moana 2 will hit theaters on November 27, 2024, with Dwayne āThe Rockā Johnson, 52, in talks to reprise his role as Maui.
The actress revealed in May that she would not be playing Moana in the live-action project for Disney Plus, which was initially set to be a TV series.
Moana star Auli’i Cravalho has confirmed that she will return for the film’s highly anticipated sequel later this year
Cravalho, 23, who voiced the titular character in the critically acclaimed 2016 Disney animated film, posted to Instagram on Tuesday a clip of himself posing in front of Disney’s Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California.
āI am truly honored to pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, to honor the incredible cultures and communities of Pacific people who help inspire her story,ā she said in a statement in May.
‘And I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific performances that are yet to come. Mahalo,ā she concluded.
The live-action project was eventually turned into a feature-length film, although Disney CEO Bob Iger said this week that they were so impressed with the project that they decided to make a movie sequel.
“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise, and we can’t wait to show you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 hits theaters in November,” Iger said before an earnings call this week.
The sequel will reportedly follow Moana and Maui on a new adventure with “a brand new crew of unlikely seafarers.”
“After receiving an unexpected call from her agile ancestors, Moana must travel to the distant seas of Oceania and dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure she has never experienced before,” the description read.
Dave Derrick Jr. directs Moana 2, featuring music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.
As for the live-action Moana, Johnson is attached to star as Maui while also producing under his Seven Bucks Productions banner.
The star captioned the video: “The feeling when you officially return to Motunui,” adding: “We’re sailing WAY past the reef in November… #Moana2”
Dwayne Johnson is in talks to return as Maui in the film (pictured with Cravalho in 2016)
Moana 2 will be released in theaters on November 27, 2024
However, it’s unclear who will be playing Moana at this point, and the report adds that production hasn’t started yet, so the June 27, 2025 date is unlikely to be kept.
The original Moana was directed by Ron Clements, John Musker and Don Hall, from a script by Clements, Musker and Jared Bush.
The film grossed $687 million worldwide during its theatrical run and continues to develop a fan base thanks to its availability on Disney Plus.