During a press event at Walt Disney Animation Studios in California, Moana 2 filmmakers debuted the first 30 minutes from the sequel and teased the new adventures that take place three years after the first movie. Moana 2 is set to take audiences back to the enchanting world of Motunui with the return of fan favourite characters Moana and Maui.
While discussing how the sequel to the 2016 blockbuster Moana was supposed to initially be a web series, director David Derrick Jr said, “The main core characters and the main themes are the themes that we were setting up to tell with the series. But then we had to rightsize it in a very dramatic way to make sure it was servicing a feature format. So there were some things that didn’t exactly fit from the series to the feature. But for me, one of the things I love is that everything blends through Moana and her personal growth.”
Co-writer Jared Bush who is Disney Animation’s new chief creative officer shared his insights as well, “All of us felt like, it’s this unbelievable opportunity to tell this story on a very epic scale, which, in the world of Moana, is exactly what you want. The series version also had that epic quality, but knowing this version is going to be shown on the biggest screens in the world, it really allowed us to go all in on all of that.”
Co-director Dana Ledoux Miller also explained the development of Moana’s character, “We really thought a lot about what it means to grow as a leader. As you mature, you learn that there are consequences to your actions. The things that you do, the choices you make, affect the people around you, and we really wanted to put Moana through her paces as a leader and have to see who she would have to be on the water when she had people with her.”
The Walt Disney Animation Studios’ musical will premiere in theatres in India from 29 November.