Much like Toy Story 2 was conceived as a straight-to-video release, Moana 2 was originally going to be a Disney+ series, until cooler heads prevailed. Good thing, too—golly, it looks pretty.
When is Moana 2 being released in Australia?
Moana 2 arrives in Australian cinemas on November 28.
Moana 2
What is Moana 2 about?
Polynesian mythology and songs!
But in more detail, our plucky and titular heroine sets off on a quest to reconnect all the cultures of the Pacific Islands, facing off against a dangerous sea witch in the process (it’s probably not Ursula, but we can dream). That’s a big job for one girl, but luckily she has some supernatural help from ol’ mate Maui, demigod, trickster, folk hero, and the weirdest mythological subject for a Disney flick since Hercules (you should… uh… look up how he died. Or just click here. Wild, right?).
The cast of Moana 2
The band is back together! We’ve got OG cast members Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana; Dwayne Johnson as Maui; Temuera Morrison as Tui, Moana’s chieftain dad; Nicole Scherzinger as mum Sina; and, most importantly, Alan Tudyk as Heihei, the goddamn rooster.
No other cast details have been released as yet, but we can tell you that co-writer Taika Waititi and songwriter Lin Manuel Miranda are so far not returning, and whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is highly subjective at this moment in time. Boy, people will turn on you in a heartbeat, right?
Moana 2 trailer
Why we’re excited about Moana 2
Oh, come on now: the original is a certified banger, the cast is great, and it looks absolutely beautiful—watching the trailers to both films back to back shows how far animation has come in eight short years. We are 100% here for another riff on the the mythology and cultures of Oceania (lord knows Disney have well and truly run out their fairy tale string). But, most importantly, we’re looking forward to arguing over whether this or the impending live action remake will earn more money at the box office.
