Disney reveals Moana 2 with surprise trailer & imminent release date

Disney has announced Moana 2 is in the works and that the animated sequel is set to release before the end of 2024.

While Disney may be busy with the likes of Star Wars and Marvel, they are still focused on continuing to create animated films of their own, a medium that has been rooted in the foundation of Disney since the days of Mickey Mouse.

And while it has been some time since the company has released an animated sequel, it has now been revealed that Moana 2 is in the works and will release on November 27, 2024.

The first Moana film, which hit theatres in 2016, was a massive hit for Disney and was both a commercial and critical success. During the 2017 Academy Awards, Moana was also nominated for best-animated feature film as well as original song.

Moana 2 was confirmed by Disney CEO Bob Iger during an interview on CNBC. Iger revealed that it was originally planned as a TV series but the company eventually decided to instead create a second film. 

“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise, and we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when ‘Moana 2’ comes to theaters this November,” Iger revealed.

While it has previously been confirmed by Disney that they will be making a live-action adaptation of the original film as well, the news that they are making a sequel to the original animated film has come as a surprise to many fans.

The official synopsis for Moana 2 reads as the following.

“Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new 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.”

At the time of writing, it is unclear what the sequel will entail and whether or not the original cast will be returning for the sequel. Though it does appear the characters may be a bit older in this new follow-up.

The original film starred Auli’i Cravalho as the titular character as well as Dwayne Johnson and her demi-god companion Maui.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated as more details regarding Moana 2 are announced in the coming weeks and months.