Moana 2

Disney’s *Moana 2* returns to Motunui three years after the events of *Moana* (2016). Moana is now an experienced wayfinder, but her voyages have not yet led her to another community. A call from her ancestors sends her across dangerous waters to find Motufetu, a legendary island that once connected the peoples of the ocean. The storm god Nalo has sunk it, leaving those peoples isolated from one another.

Auli‘i Cravalho returns as the voice of Moana, and Dwayne Johnson reprises Maui, the shape-shifting demigod whose uneasy friendship with her anchors both films. This time Moana does not sail alone. Her crew includes Loto, an inventive boatbuilder voiced by Rose Matafeo; Moni, a storyteller and devoted admirer of Maui voiced by Hualālai Chung; and Kele, a reluctant farmer voiced by David Fane. Hei Hei the rooster and Pua the pig also join the journey. At home, Moana has a young sister, Simea, making the prospect of leaving Motunui more personal.

The voyage brings Moana into contact with Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser. Though initially threatening, Matangi urges her to find a way beyond the route she knows. Reaching Motufetu requires Moana and Maui to confront Nalo’s storm. The attempt nearly kills Moana; with help from Maui and her ancestors, she survives and raises the island, opening a path for separated communities to meet again. A mid-credits scene shows that Nalo remains a threat.

The sequel had an unusual route to cinemas. Disney originally developed the project as a streaming series, then announced in February 2024 that it would become a theatrical feature. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, *Moana 2* opened in the United States on November 27, 2024, during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Its songs also mark a change from the first film. Lin-Manuel Miranda did not return to write them; Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear wrote new songs, while Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina returned to work on the music. The soundtrack includes Moana’s “Beyond,” Matangi’s “Get Lost,” and Maui’s “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?”

The film became a major box-office success, earning more than $1 billion worldwide. Its story leaves Moana with a larger horizon than the one she set out to explore: rather than simply finding evidence of other voyagers, she restores a place where their descendants can reconnect.