When you look at some of the numbers, it含羞草研究社檚 hard to believe was ever going to be anything but a movie.
When the dropped in May, it was watched 178 million times in 24 hours. That含羞草研究社檚 more than 含羞草研究社淚nside Out 2,含羞草研究社� more than 含羞草研究社淔rozen 2,含羞草研究社� more than any animated Disney movie before.
A veritable ocean含羞草研究社檚 worth of anticipation is awaiting the sequel to 2016含羞草研究社檚 含羞草研究社淢oana,含羞草研究社� all proof that one of the more dramatic pivots in recent Walt Disney Co. history is paying off, big time. 含羞草研究社淢oana 2含羞草研究社� was originally intended to be a streaming series. Now, it含羞草研究社檚 steering toward being . What can you say except you含羞草研究社檙e welcome?
When Bob Iger returned as chief executive of Disney in late 2022, one of his top priorities was shifting away from putting the studio含羞草研究社檚 most prized assets onto streaming. He wanted to put the focus back on the big screen 含羞草研究社� and all the ancillary benefits (including merchandizing and streaming) that follow after.
The series that directors David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand had worked on for more than a year would become 含羞草研究社淢oana 2.含羞草研究社� The movie, which also added Dana Ledoux Miller as a director and co-writer, . It含羞草研究社檚 opening Nov. 27.
含羞草研究社淚t became all hands on board,含羞草研究社� Derrick says. 含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 a saying in Samoa: 含羞草研究社楢ll together or not at all.含羞草研究社櫤卟菅芯可鐫
Derrick and Hand, both veteran storyboard artists at Disney, had effectively done their job too well. Their work convinced Disney executives to put the studio含羞草研究社檚 full weight behind a theatrical film, even though a live-action 含羞草研究社淢oana含羞草研究社� remained in development. (That movie, directed by Thomas Kail, is set to open in July 2026.)
含羞草研究社淲e developed the world, we developed the over-arching story that we含羞草研究社檙e still telling,含羞草研究社� says Derrick. 含羞草研究社淲e would screen it in our big theater the way we watch all of us our projects here. There was a groundswelling, unanimous concert of everyone saying this needs to be on the big screen.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t was always going to be big,含羞草研究社� adds Hand. 含羞草研究社淚t just kept on getting bigger.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淢oana 2含羞草研究社� was at the nexus of a major shift for Disney and for Hollywood in calculating how to weigh theatrical and streaming. Different studios have different strategies and those are still evolving. But after rushing to throw as much content as possible on streaming services, companies like Disney began to rethink their approach.
This year, Disney has regained its box-office swagger, led by a pair of $1 billion films in and 含羞草研究社淢oana 2含羞草研究社� could make it three. But however well 含羞草研究社淢oana 2含羞草研究社� does, it含羞草研究社檚 not likely to hurt its appeal once it begins streaming. The most popular film on Disney+ last year? 含羞草研究社淢oana.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淲e always felt that it deserved to be on the big screen含羞草研究社� says Hand. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 the best way to tell a story.含羞草研究社�
But the shift for 含羞草研究社淢oana 2,含羞草研究社� which returns Auli含羞草研究社檌 Cravalho as the voice of Moana and Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui, wasn含羞草研究社檛 easy. First of all, that meant living up to the standard of the first film 含羞草研究社� one that Miller, who is of Samoan heritage, considers groundbreaking for its Pacific Islander representation.
含羞草研究社淚 knew as a writer that movie was going to change what was possible,含羞草研究社� says Miller. 含羞草研究社淚t was going to change the way when I walk into a room I was going to be able to pitch a story because people had a new understanding of what it meant to be of the Pacific.含羞草研究社�
Miller, who founded the organization PEAK (Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti) as a way for Pasifika people to find community in Hollywood, is also a writer on the live-action 含羞草研究社淢oana.含羞草研究社� 含羞草研究社淢y world has become all Moana all the time,含羞草研究社� she says, laughing.
Both films, the directors say, developed alongside each other, with many connections and shared cultural consultants.
Set three years after the original film, 含羞草研究社淢oana 2含羞草研究社� finds Moana again forced to head across the Pacific on an ocean adventure. But this time, she含羞草研究社檚 traveling with a crew, in a new canoe, and carrying new responsibilities. That includes her younger sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda).
含羞草研究社淭he way the first film connected her to her past, she含羞草研究社檚 now connecting everyone to the future,含羞草研究社� says Derrick. 含羞草研究社淪o we added and created all these new characters when it was in series and we got to know them in a deep way.含羞草研究社�
Hand compares the series development to a workshop for the new characters.
含羞草研究社淵es, it was a massive undertaking 含羞草研究社� probably more so than what we initially imagined,含羞草研究社� Hand says. 含羞草研究社淏ut ultimately we were telling that same story. A lot of stuff that went by the wayside just naturally helped the story be its proper fighting weight.含羞草研究社�
Now, Moana is joined by a wayfinding crew that includes the characters Loto (Rose Matafeo), an engineer; Kele (David Fane), a grumpy farmer; and Moni (Hual膩lai Chung), a historian and storyteller.
含羞草研究社淲hat people don含羞草研究社檛 realize is that the people in the Pacific found the last discoverable land on Earth,含羞草研究社� says Derrick, who also has ancestral ties to Samoa. 含羞草研究社淭hey created the largest cultural ethnosphere in the world prior to westward expansion 含羞草研究社� one third of the Earth, all through the art and spirituality and science of wayfinding. So for me, it含羞草研究社檚 very important that each one of these crew members display that Indigenous genius that it took.含羞草研究社�
Honoring such things tends to resonate much differently in a movie theater than it does on a television. The makers of 含羞草研究社淢oana 2含羞草研究社� are still rushing to get their film ready for cinemas, with all the spectacle and music they can fit into it. But they know their young Polynesian protagonist will be seen big.
含羞草研究社淲hen I watched the first film, I was pregnant with my first child,含羞草研究社� Miller says. 含羞草研究社淚 thought to myself as I was watching it: The world will be forever different because of this movie. My child will never not know a world where they are not seen on the biggest stage.含羞草研究社�
