‘Moana 2’ Trailer: Dwayne Johnson & Auli’i Cravalho Return To Voice Disney’s Animated Sequel On November 27 [D23]

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If it’s not evident from announcements made earlier this winter, Disney really tried to dazzle Wall Street and its investors on its fiscal first-quarter earnings call for 2024 (the stock spiked, so the gambit seemed to work). Disney CEO Bob Iger announced “Toy Story 5,” “Frozen 3,” and, of course, the surprise declaration of “Moana 2,” which is ready and coming out in the fall. At D23, Disney‘s biennial Expo showcase, Iger revealed a new trailer for “Moana 2” and revealed some new details, including the fact that Moana has a new sister in the movie.

Dwayne Johnson returns as the voice of Maui, and Auli’i Cravalho will return as the voice of Moana (though Cravalho revealed in May on social media that she won’t be returning for the live-action feature). And Puck news revealed earlier this year that Johnson landed a $15 million payday for the movie because going from a series to suddenly a movie, his deal had to be redone.

New cast details were also unveiled. The ensemble also features returning stars Rachel House (Moana’s Grandma, Tala), Temuera Morrison (Moana’s father, Chief Tui), and Nicole Scherzinger (Moana’s mother, Sina), as well as the voices of Hualālai Chung, David Fane and Rose Matafeo as Moana’s new crew members Moni, Kele and Loto, respectively. Awhimai Fraser voices the mysterious new character Matangi; Gerald Ramsey plays Moana’s ancestor, Tautai Vasa; and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda lends her voice to Moana’s adoring and adorable little sister, Simea.

Disney veterans and the original “Moana” directors John Musker and Ron Clements  have passed the baton of filmmaking duties to first-time director Dave Derrick Jr., whose animation credits include “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Encanto.” Additional directors on the project include Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller.

READ MORE: ‘Moana 2’ Announcement Teaser: Surprise! Disney’s Animated Sequel Arrives In November

How did Disney turn around “Moana 2” so fast without announcing an existing movie being put into production? Easy, Disney already had a “Moana” series in development, which was revealed during the company’s big 2020 Investor’s Day blitz. During the earnings call, Iger shared that the existing series was modified into a movie after execs were wowed by the footage they saw. “We were impressed with what we saw and knew it deserved a theatrical release,” he said.

What’s interesting is that a live-action version of “Moana” starring Dwayne Johnson was originally slated to land in theaters on June 27, 2025. However, to avoid oversaturating the market and audiences with Polynesian sea adventures, this “Moana” was eventually moved back to July 10, 2026.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote all of the earworms of the original, isn’t returning, unfortunately. Instead, the music was composed by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.” They’ll be writing new songs with Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who penned songs on the first movie (though Johnson confirmed that Miranda would be composing new music for the live-action version).

Here’s the new official “Moana 2” synopsis:

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” reunites Moana (voice of Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, “Moana 2” features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. Jared Bush and Miller are writing the film, which is executive produced by Jennifer Lee, Bush and Johnson.

“Moana 2” opens in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024. Watch the first trailer, unveiled at Disney’s D23 Expo, below.