What can we say except thank you, because Walt Disney Animation has officially revealed that Moana 2 is on the way for a shocking announcement.

One of the best projects by Disney in recent years, 2016's Moana was widely praised as a breathtaking animated adventure. Complete with stunning animation, lovable characters, and catchy songs, it's no wonder why the film received two Academy Award nominations. Audiences everywhere instantly fell in love with the Polynesian-inspired world of Moana, with Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) herself seamlessly entering the lexicon of iconic Disney Princesses (even though she's not entirely fond of being called a princess).

Raking in nearly $700 million at the box office, it didn't take long for plans of expansion within the world of Moana to begin. In 2020, Disney announced that a new television series was in development based on Moana, though news on that project has been pretty mild since. In 2023, Dwayne Johnson and Disney surprised everyone by announcing that a live-action reimagining of Moana was in the works, despite the original film not even being a decade old. A live-action version of the beautiful oceanic world of Moana sounds excellent and all, but there were surely some fans out there who would prefer a continuation of the original movie rather than a remake. Thankfully, as if they were wishing upon a star, their wish has come true.

Earlier in February 2024, Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed that the previously announced Moana series was being turned into a feature film with Moana 2. Usually, when Disney announces new animated movies, their development takes several years. For example, we probably won't see the already announced Frozen 3 or Toy Story 5 until late 2025 at the earliest. However, with the announcement of Moana 2, we learned that we'll be reuniting with Moana and her friends and family much sooner than you might think. To learn more about Disney's anticipated sequel and its cast, trailer, release date, and more, here is everything we know so far about Moana 2.

When is 'Moana 2' Coming Out?

As we said, you will not have to wait long for the highly anticipated sequel. Moana 2 is currently set to hit screens everywhere by the end of 2024, with an official release date on Wednesday, November 27th, right before Thanksgiving.

Where Can You Watch 'Moana 2'?

While the initially planned series was set to premiere on Disney+, the reworked project of Moana 2 will be releasing exclusively in theaters this holiday season. Once the film's theatrical run concludes, Moana 2 will almost undoubtedly become available to stream on Disney+ (or whatever streaming service takes its place following the upcoming Disney+ and Hulu merge).

Does 'Moana 2' Have a Trailer?

Following the film's surprise announcement, Disney also dropped a brief sixteen-second teaser trailer for Moana 2. All the trailer shows is a beautiful island in front of a gorgeous sunset. The iconic character of Moana steps on the island's sandy beach and blows into a conch shell, all while some beautiful music plays in the background. The teaser ends with a title card, the November release date, and an excited yell that almost undoubtedly belongs to Moana's demigod companion, Maui (Dwayne Johnson).

Disney also released an early still from the film. It shows Moana, Maui, her animal companions Pua and Heihei, and some other characters riding their boat alongside a massive whale shark.

Who Stars in 'Moana 2'?

One of the most prominent bright spots of the first Moana was its two lead stars. The first film functioned as the breakout debut of Auli'i Cravalho as the seafaring explorer Moana. Cravalho recently starred in the musical remake of Mean Girls. It's also impossible to forget WWE superstar and prominent member of the Fast and the Furious franchise Dwayne Johnson as the cocky demigod Maui, which showed the world that Johnson's musical chops aren't half bad.

Johnson touched on reprising his role as Maui:

Playing the character of Maui has been one of the most life-changing experiences - one of the most life-changing roles … It’s part of my culture.

The rest of Moana 2's cast is bound to include both returning voices and all new ones. Potential candidates to return for the sequel include Thor: Ragnarok star Rachel House as Moana's spiritual grandmother, Tala, Star Wars franchise star Temuera Morrison as Moana's father Chief Tui, singer-songwriter Nicole Scherzinger as Moana's mother Sina, and What We Do in the Shadows star and co-creator Jemaine Clement as the villainous greedy crab Tamatoa. Moana's animal companions, Pua and Heihei, and it's all but assured that prolific character actor and Firefly star Alan Tudyk will voice the latter chicken. It's become a Disney animation tradition for Tudyk to appear in some capacity in every Walt Disney Animation project since he starred as King Candy in Wreck-It Ralph.

What is 'Moana 2' About?

The official plot synopsis for Moana 2 reads as follows:

"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."

Who is Making 'Moana 2'?

Moana 2 will be the directorial debut of David G. Derrick Jr. The sequel to a wildly successful and beloved film like Moana being one's directorial debut is certainly a high-pressure task. That pressure is also increased by Derrick Jr. filling the shoes of Disney legends Ron Clements and John Musker, who co-directed the first film. Prior to working on Moana 2, Derrick Jr. was a story artist for the original Moana and was also in the art department for other hit animated projects like How to Train Your Dragon, Megamind, Encanto, and more. Executive producing, as always, is Walt Disney Animation Studios CCO Jennifer Lee.

Many likely remember that the songs for the original Moana were created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was still riding the wave, so to speak, of the astronomic success of Hamilton. Miranda reportedly is not returning to make new songs for Moana 2. Instead, the film has amassed a quartet of Grammy-nominated artists to bring the musical world of Moana 2 to life. This list includes Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa'i, and original Moana composer Mark Mancina.

What is the 'Moana' Story So Far?

The original Moana film began with the beautiful oceanic world of Moana slowly crumbling into chaos, all because the shapeshifting demigod Maui stole an ancient artifact known as the Heart of Te Fiti. This is all unknown to Moana's peaceful and remote island, as her village has chosen to stay away from the outside world. Though Moana is being prepared to become the new leader of her village, she discovers that she has a unique bond with the sentient ocean, learns that her ancestors were voyagers and explorers, and sees that something is wrong with their peaceful island. After her supportive grandmother dies, Moana ventures into the ocean, tries to find Maui, and restore the Heart of Te Fiti.

Moana eventually finds Maui but sees that he is not the infallible demigod that he is supposed to be. He comes across as vain, selfish, and deathly afraid of what the Heart of Te Fiti attracts. Regardless, Maui reluctantly agrees to help Moana, and the two's journey sees them encounter sentient coconut pirates, a giant greed-obsessed crab, and more. Eventually, they come face to face with the fierce volcanic witch Te Kā, who appears to be the source of the dwindling oceanic resources. However, Moana soon learns that Te Kā is a corrupted version of the nature god Te Fiti. Once she restores the Heart to her, Te Fiti is restored, and the world is saved, leaving Moana to continue her passion for charting its oceans.