The first trailer for Moana 2 has been released, and it looks pretty slick, but… it doesn’t really tell us much about what’s going on.
It’s been a full eight years since the original Moana hit theaters, and the first trailer for the sequel (simply titled Moana 2) has been released, giving us a sneak peek at the upcoming Disney film. The Rock himself, aka Maui, was generous enough to share the trailer on his YouTube channel (a strange marketing tactic that celebrities like him and Ryan Reynolds seem to have adopted in recent years), and to be honest, it doesn’t really give any indication of what the film is going to be like. Sure, it’s a trailer, but it’s mostly just moody, well-lit shots of Moana in various locations, and there’s not a whole lot to it, so I guess that’s not going to be the whole story.
The official synopsis does tell us a little more, though: “Three years later, Moana and Maui join an unlikely crew of seafarers on a vast new voyage. After receiving an unexpected call from her way-finding ancestors, Moana must travel to a distant Oceania and into dangerous, long-forgotten waters for an adventure unlike any she’s ever experienced.” David G. Derek Jr., who has worked as a storyboard artist on films like Megamind, Rise of the Guardians, and the first Moana, makes his feature directorial debut with this film.
The music this time around is by musical duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bell, with Opetaia Foy and Marc Mancina also returning from the first film. However, it doesn’t look like Lin-Manuel Miranda will be returning, so don’t expect him to have his usual rhythmic presence in the sequel.
Moana 2 wasn’t actually c onfirmed as a series until early February, but apparently that didn’t work out well for Disney’s plans, so now it’s set to be released as a movie on November 27th. Main cast members Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson weren’t even confirmed to be returning until late February, so clearly the whole move was a bit rushed on Disney’s part. Disney has also made the rather odd decision to remake the original 2016 film into a live-action adaptation, which is currently set to be released in 2026, with Johnson set to return as Maui. There’s always money to be made, I guess.