Take to the waves this November in the visually dazzling Disney sequel, Moana 2. Prepare to be reunited with the eponymous Polynesian princess (voiced once again by Auliʻi Cravalho) as she sets off on another journey to save her island kingdom and her people, accompanied once again by her demi-god sidekick, Maui.
The ambition is greater, the scope is wider and the animation is more vibrant than ever in this eagerly anticipated followup. Complete with songs from Bridgerton stage musical legends Barlow and Bear, the movie promises everything for Disney nostalgics and Moana newbies alike.
The recently released trailer gives us a lot to gawp over and also fills in some of the blanks as to the story. Scroll down to check it out.
Here's our detailed breakdown of the trailer, including character moments, callbacks and motivations.
Moana now has a sister
And a little, three-year-old sister at that. Meet Simea (voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda) who was born in the three-year gap between Moana (2016) and Moana 2.
"Simea is Moana's mini," Lambert-Tsuda told Entertainment Weekly. "She is cute and energetic, so I wanted to be cute and energetic when I was saying my lines."
"When we were developing Simea's personality, a lot of it came from, 'What would it be like to grow up with a big sister as cool and badass as Moana?'" explained animator Kevin Webb.
"Simea is going to be just as scrappy and fiery as Moana was when she was little. So, we tried to come up with a strong enough personality for her that we could match Moana's energy on screen, which is a really fun alchemy to play with when you have this 3-and-a-half-year-old version of a character that is very unique in their own way, but is still connected to Moana."
Moana's motivations for leaving are even more personal this time
For one thing, having a younger sister means Moana is reluctant to leave the island at all. However, she is called by a mysterious island that's said to be ruled over by powerful gods. Paradoxically, however, it's Moana's deep protective love for her sibling that spurs her to seek out and conquer a deadly new threat. Of course, Simea has her own opinions on this.
"[Simea is] a kindred spirit to Moana," says co-director David Derrick Jr. . "She's not okay with [her sister leaving], but then she knows she's Moana and she has to go. So, she still gives her that drive."
Moana assembles her own crew – but one individual turns up uninvited
In a clear sign of emotional growth, Moana now has the confidence to assemble her own ragtag team, which of course includes chicken Heihei (voiced by Alan Tudyk and pig Pua. That said, once she hits the open ocean, it doesn't take long for her old demigod friend Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to make an appearance.
Johnson emphasized the idea of “believing that there is more, and having the guts to go for more … I know what it means for me, being a man of Polynesian culture, I’m half Black and half Samoan, and I know what this means for Auli’I (Cravalho, the voice of Moana) too.”
The Kakamora tribe returns
Remember these coconut-bodied miscreants from the first movie? Turns out they're back and no doubt ready to cause more trouble for Moana and her salty sea dog companions.
Matangi is our new villain
Voiced by Awhimai Fraser, Matangi's motivations remain shrouded in mystery. “Now I kind of miss the lava monster,” Maui says in response to Matangi's appearance. Will she prove even more powerful than said lava monster? We'll find out soon enough.
There's one than one antagonist. Moana must also confront Nalo, the angry storm god whose motivations are outlined by Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee (the creative brain behind Disney blockbusters Frozen and Frozen 2).
“Nalo realizes that there’s nothing more dangerous than the power of humans,” Lee said. “When they’re together, they can do anything. The world becomes theirs.”
Moana's grandma is still there in spirit
There's a brief shot in the trailer showing Moana embracing the ghost of her departed grandmother who was voiced by Rachel House in the first film. No doubt this is one of the many emotional and inspiring moments that will have us reaching for the tissues – after all, this is Disney.
Moana 2 is released on November 29th. If that seems too far away then check out our list of 2024 family movies coming soon.
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