She’s a girl who loves her island, she’s a girl who loves the sea, and she is back in “Moana 2,” eight years after the original film hit theaters.
This time around, Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) is a little bit older and a lot more experienced, and once again is on a mission to save her people. With the help of her old friend Maui (Dwayne Johnson), plus an all new crew, Motonui’s greatest wayfinder must answer a call from her ancestors in the sequel.
Here’s everything you need to know about Disney’s latest.
When does “Moana 2” come out?
“Moana 2” arrives just in time for families looking for a Thanksgiving watch, releasing on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
Is it streaming?
Not just yet. For now, you can only see “Moana 2” in theaters. But, when it comes time for streaming, the film will release on Disney+. We’ll keep you posted on exactly when that is, but if it follows the trajectory of previous Disney releases it won’t be streaming for at least 45 days. Look for it on Disney+ sometime in early 2025, possibly in February.
Check out tickets and showtimes here.
What is “Moana 2” about?
“Moana 2” picks up three years after the first film, with Moana living her best wayfinder life. She’s got a younger sister now, and her village idolizes her for what she’s done for her people.
When she gets a call from the ancestors to break an ancient curse and find a mysterious island, she must venture further out into the ocean than she ever has before, or risk the extinction of her people altogether.
Does the original cast return?
Yes they do! Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return to voice Moana and Maui respectively, and Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger and Rachel House are all back to voice Moana’s family.
But “Moana 2” also welcomes new characters, and thus, new voice actors. Among them is Rose Matafeo, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Hualalai Chung and Awhimai Fraser are among the newbies in the cast.
Did Lin-Manuel Miranda do the music again?
He did not. This time around, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear — known professionally as Barlow & Bear — wrote the songs for the film. The songs are all new, but definitely contain nods to the music from the first film.
That said, both Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina return as composers and songwriters, having worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda on the first “Moana.”