‘Moana 2’: Lin-Manuel Miranda out, Barlow & Bear in — the internet doesn’t know how to feel
Surprise! Moana 2 will be sailing into theaters on Nov. 27, 2024.
In an earnings call on Wed. Feb 7, CEO Bob Iger announced that Disney would be turning an in-development television series about the Polynesian teen into a feature film that will serve as an official sequel to the original 2016 hit. They released a short, 15-second teaser to tide us over until more information becomes available.
If a six-month turnaround for a feature film seems a bit tight, that’s because it is. Multiple details about the project suggest it may be a last-minute attempt by Disney to recoup the disappointing financial performance of its latest full-length film Wish.
The most significant is the glaring omission of composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote original hits for Moana like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome,” which each have more than half a million streams on Spotify. Miranda would not only cost the studio a pretty penny to retain but would probably also need more than six months to craft another set of bangers.
Instead, the music will be penned by Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina — both collaborators of Miranda’s on Moana — as well as Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the masterminds behind TikTok’s unofficial Bridgerton musical.
Longtime Disney directors and animators John Musker and Ron Clements, who helmed Moana, will also not be returning for her next adventure. Dave Derrick Jr. will make his feature directorial debut with the sequel. But don’t worry: He was a story artist on the original film.
Moana stars Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson took to social media to celebrate the announcement of Moana 2 — and to take a deep breath, knowing they no longer have to keep this a secret from their friends and family.
Overall, there seems to be a bit of chaos bubbling under the surface over at Disney. Here’s what the internet had to say about the surprise announcement and the potential of Moana 2, out this November.