Everything we know about Moana 2

It’s time to head on a new adventure across the seas, as Disney‘s long-awaited animated sequel Moana 2 swims into cinemas.

Mean Girls star Auli’i Cravalho returns to voice seafaring adventurer Moana, while Jumanji’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reprises his role as gregarious demi-god Maui, eight years after the pair set sail in the original film.

But what else can fans expected from this follow-up? Here’s your guide to Moana 2, including the cast, plot and soundtrack.

Dwayne Johnson is back as the voice of demigod Maui in Moana 2. (Walt Disney Animated Studios)Dwayne Johnson is back as the voice of demigod Maui in Moana 2. (Walt Disney Animated Studios)

Dwayne Johnson is back as the voice of demigod Maui in Moana 2. (Walt Disney Animated Studios)

Moana 2 will be released in UK cinemas on Friday, 29 November, and will later be available to stream on Disney+. The sequel was originally intended to be a TV series, but the project was retooled into a movie after Disney boss Bob Iger was said to be impressed with the footage.

The film has a runtime of 100 minutes, making it seven minutes shorter than the original Moana.

The official trailer for Moana 2 was unveiled at Disney’s D23 event in August. The two-minute clip gives fans a tantalising look at Moana and Maui’s daring return to the high seas. Watch it below.

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Walt Disney Animation Studio has announced it's releasing a sequel to Moana. (Disney)Walt Disney Animation Studio has announced it's releasing a sequel to Moana. (Disney)

Walt Disney Animation Studio has announced it’s releasing a sequel to Moana. (Disney)

Set three years after the original 2016 film, Moana 2 will see Moana and Maui reunite for a new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers.

Disney’s official synopsis reads: “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.”

Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock at the Moana 2 premiereAuli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock at the Moana 2 premiere

Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock at the Moana 2 premiere. (Getty)

Original Moana star Auli’i Cravalho returns to voice the title character in Moana 2. The 24-year-old Native Hawaiian landed the role in the original film when she was 14 after being discovered by an agent at a singing competition.

Speaking at the premiere, she hailed the sequel as a “celebration” of all types of people from the Pacific Islands who have been known for their “voyaging and wayfinding skills for thousands of years”.

She added: “It’s amazing to see just how far Moana’s impact has gone. I love that she is strong and brave and kind, and I think that she’s at the forefront of a conversation where she gets to rebrand the princesses a bit.”

Dwayne Johnson is back as shape-shifting demi-god Maui, a role will he also play in the upcoming live-action remake.

Nicole Scherzinger and Temuera Morrison reprise their roles as Moana’s parents, while Dodgeball star Alan Tudyk voices Moana’s pet rooster Heihei. Newcomers to the cast include stand-up comedian Rose Matafeo and Next Goal Wins actor David Fane.

Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Performed by Auliʻi Cravalho. (Disney)Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Performed by Auliʻi Cravalho. (Disney)

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the songs How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome for Moana, but he is not expected to write songs for the sequel. (Disney)

Lin-Manuel Miranda helped pen the songs How Far I’ll Go and You’re Welcome for the 2016 film, but according to Variety the Hamilton songwriter is not set to come back for the sequel or make new songs. He has worked with Disney on multiple occasions, most recently helping write songs for Encanto like the earworm We Don’t Talk About Bruno.

The film is being directed by Dave Derrick Jr., and the music is being made by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who worked on the first film, are expected to return.

At Disney’s D23 fan event in August, attendees were among the first ever to hear We’re Back, an all-new song written by Grammy-winning songwriters Barlow and Bear—one of several new songs to be featured in the film that reunites Moana and Maui for an expansive new voyage.

Moana 2 will be released in cinemas on 29 November