TRAILER: Moana 2 (2024)
Today, Walt Disney Animation Studios posted a new Moana 2 trailer to their official YouTube channel. Much like previous marketing for the animated sequel, this trailer focuses on Moana’s little sister, Simea, and the tribe heading out on a new voyage. We hear part of a brand new song from the movie as Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) talks about taking her people across the whole ocean, and some sort of weather monster is introduced. And, of course, no Moana story would be complete without Maui (Dwayne Johnson,) Demigod of the wind and sea. Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27th. Check out the latest trailer here:
Disney also released a poster for Moana 2:
I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t like the “big sis, lil sis” exchange. I hope and assume Moana and Simea’s relationship will generally be more wholesome than this. It’s not just that it’s silly; goofy interactions can be endearing and hilarious, strengthening a bond between characters. It feels excessively modern or something. Does this bother anyone else? Let me know. I don’t mean to belabor the point on something so trivial, but they did put it in the trailer, indicating the movie will largely be like this, or they want us to assume as much.
As I mentioned earlier, we hear the refrain, “Finally, we’re back to who we’re meant to be,” throughout the trailer, first by Moana alone, then by a chorus presumably of tribe members. This sounds weirdly forced and artificial until the whole tribe chimes in. That’s strange because Auli’i Cravalho has a beautiful voice and was an absolute highlight in the original Moana. Much like the humor, I hope the music works better in the context of the movie than this little snippet for the trailer. This is probably a byproduct of Lin-Manuel Miranda working on Mufasa instead of Moana 2, a decision that still baffles me both from his perspective and Disney’s. I’m sure Mufasa will make money because there is no justice in the world, but creatively, it’s dead on arrival. I don’t understand why Miranda would want to be attached to that and would abandon a franchise he’s already associated with for it. I also have to wonder if this is the right call for Disney; if the songs in Moana 2 are disappointing, this could be another Wish.
Of course, the animation is gorgeous, especially on the water and landscapes. I wish I liked the music so much, and I really hope the songs are better than this little snippet. I’m thrilled Dwayne Johnson and especially Auli’i Cravalho are returning; without them, Auli’i in particular, there would be no reason to do a sequel. However, my main concern with Moana 2 is that there already is no reason to make a sequel except for money. This started out as an original Disney+ series. At some point, the decision was made to rework it into a cinematic sequel. This was likely because Moana was the last great Disney movie, and the past few Disney animated films have flopped at the box office. Disney and Pixar have been announcing sequels left and right this year, so it’s hard to feel confident in the quality and intentions behind these projects. For what it’s worth, I have higher hopes for Moana 2 than Incredibles 3 or Toy Story 5. However, the Zootopia and Frozen sequels trouble me a lot less because Zootopia could be explored in so many different ways, and I love Frozen II. For Moana 2, all we have to go on is a great first movie and trailers for a sequel with different directors and composers.
But what do you think? Did you enjoy the trailer, and are you looking forward to Moana 2? Sound off in the comments!
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