The ocean accepts Moana’s decision and brings Te Fiti’s heart back to the sea. As Moana bursts into tears, she is visited by Grandma Tala’s spiritual ghost, who comforts and apologizes to her granddaughter for putting such much pressure on her. Tala encourages Moana to return home if she wishes, promising to stay by her side on the journey.
Moana 2 World Premiere Recap
As they move forward, Moana observes as Maui is revealed to be a master scout. She asks him to teach her, and after he initially refuses, the ocean uses one of the Kakamora’s darts to paralyze the stubborn demigod, leaving him unable to navigate. After much mentoring, Moana falls asleep and has a nightmare in which she looks at her home island and her parents destroyed by Te Kā’s curse. When she wakes up, she finds that Maui has taken over the boat and successfully led them to Lalotai Island. Believing that she failed as a sailor, Moana deems herself as unfit for the sea and wishes to place her stone on the mountain. She tells this to Tala, who responds by showing Moana a hidden cave created by their ancestors long ago.
Featurette: Moana 2 Moana is Back!
Moana of Motunui is the title character of the 2016 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Moana. Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker, Moana is voiced by Hawaiian actress and singer Auliʻi Cravalho. Moana returns in the sequel film Moana 2, which premiered in November 2024, again voiced by Cravalho, as well as a live-action remake film, in 2026, in which she will be portrayed by Catherine Laga’aia. One day, when Moana attempted to sail beyond the reef after an argument with her father, she got her foot injured when it was stuck on some coral. Moana attempted to hide her injured foot from her grandmother, but Tala was smart enough to see what happened and promised to not tell her father.
The second film in the Moana franchise, it was directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller and written by Miller and Jared Bush. Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprise their roles from the first film. Set three years later, it follows Moana reuniting with the demigod Maui and assembling a wayfinding crew to find the lost island of Motufetu, break its curse, and reconnect the people of the ocean. After returning the Heart of Te Fiti to the mother goddess, saving Motunui and every other island from dying, Moana returns home where she happily reunites with her mother. Later, when Moana becomes chief, she and her mother lead their people in voyaging across the seas where Moana teaches her mother how to tie ropes to the mast of a boat.
Moana 2 – Big Golden Book
- The franchise consists of two animated films, Moana (2016) and its sequel Moana 2 (2024), as well as a live-action remake adaptation of the 2016 film, scheduled to be released on July 10, 2026.
- Moana reluctantly accepts her grandmother’s dying wish, packs supplies, and takes one of her ancestor’s boats.
- She distracts Tamatoa long enough for Maui to take back his hook, but the demigod finds that his shapeshifting abilities are out of whack.
- Maui informs them to stay away from Matangi, but as he was about to leave, he sees Heihei and realizes that Moana is in danger.
- Moana, also known as Vaiana in some dubs, is the titular main protagonist of the Disney animated franchise of the same name.
- Moana and her crew are captured by the Kakamora, a tribe of savage coconut-like pirates that Moana previously encountered, who reveal that Nalo’s actions against Motufetu had caused them to be disconnected from their home island.
- The film was directed by Dave Derrick Jr., with music by Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina.
Believing that the ocean has wrongly chosen Moana as the savior of the world, Maui refuses to return to Te Kā, suggesting instead that they separate because all hope is lost with his hook in such a critical state, leaving Moana depressed and upset. The Kakamora are thirsty for Te Fiti’s power core, but Moana holds her ground and fights against them. Although Maui congratulates her for surviving, he adamantly refuses to help return the heart. Moana persuades him to comply when she claims that such an act will help Maui regain a positive reputation among mortals and be a hero again. Maui agrees to help, but not without his hook, which is said to be in the clutches of Tamatoa, a giant crab living in the monster realm.
Story
Upon approaching Tala’s deathbed, Moana was saddened to watch her grandmother die before her eyes and did not want to leave her side. However, after Tala urged her to leave Motunui, find Maui, and restore the Heart of Te Fiti, Moana decided to fulfill her grandmother’s dying wish and as she left to begin her journey, she saw Tala being reincarnated into a giant manta ray. Moana blows her conch shell from atop Motufetu, and soon, her call is answered as other rafts begin to arrive from various directions. Maui compliments Moana’s tattoos by saying “my tattoos are still cooler than yours”.
- It features the voice talents of Auli’i Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, as well as Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Jemaine Clement, Nicole Scherzinger, and Alan Tudyk.
- His chant is answered by Tautai Vasa, Grandma Tala, and the rest of Moana’s ancestors.
- First, Moana and Maui must retrieve Maui’s fishhook in Lalotai, the Realm of Monsters, from Tamatoa, a giant coconut crab.
- Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi, the composers and co-songwriters of the first film, returned to score and write the songs, while Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear provided additional songs.
- As her noble action has restored the safety of the sea, Moana becomes chief, and the villagers take the boats out of their ancestors hidden harbor.
- Moana agrees to go through a ceremony with her father to be named a legendary wayfinder like her ancestor Tautai Vasa.
During her journeys, she would come across a demigod named Maui, who later becomes her voyaging partner. She is also Chief Tui and Sina’s elder daughter, Grandma Tala’s elder granddaughter, Simea’s elder sister, and Pua and Heihei’s owner. It continues the story of Moana and Maui, who embark on a new quest to explore the uncharted regions of Oceania and encounter new cultures and creatures.
Maui admits that he feels worthless without his hook, but Moana sees a true hero in the demigod, regardless of his magical attributes. This resonates with Maui and gives him the courage to train in order to recover his power, under the guidance of Moana and Mini Maui (Maui’s sentient tattoo). Maui continues Moana’s mentoring in wayfinding, eventually turning her into a master navigator on par with her ancestors, though Maui contends that she may have surpassed them. Her friends repair the damaged raft using materials salvaged from Tautai Vasa’s raft that they found on the island, and they soon ride to face Nalo.
As a result, a lava demon known as Te Kā was born, and the world was plunged into slow-burning darkness. The only hope for humanity lies in the hands of a fearless hero, who must travel to find Maui and put her Moana heart back in its rightful place. Chief Tui says there is no such darkness that consumes the world and points out the law that prohibits anyone on the island from walking past the reef. Moana disregards her father’s words and advances towards the shores of the ocean in bliss. There, she helps a struggling newborn sea turtle head out into the ocean from predators.
Theatrical Short Film: Inner Workings Without Filmmaker Intro
Maui then takes the heart and flies to Te Fiti, but he is immediately attacked by Te Kā and quickly defeated. Landing back on the boat, Maui urges Moana to turn back for their own safety, but Moana refuses, unwilling to back away after coming so close to accomplishing their goal. The lava monster strikes down to kill Moana, but Maui intervenes and uses his fishhook to block Te Kā’s blow. The wave created by the powerful impact drives Moana and Maui far from Te Fiti’s shores. After they recover, Maui confronts Moana on her recklessness, which severely damaged his fishhook. Maui refuses to return to Te Kā, instead suggesting they part ways, as all hope is lost with his fishhook in such critical condition.
After he is saved, he is allowed a chance to meet and befriend the girls, with Elsa assuring him that “any friend of Vanellope is a friend of ours”, with Moana adding on “You’re Welcome”. Moana 2 premiered at the Lanikuhonua Cultural Institute in Kapolei, Hawaii, on November 21, 2024, and was released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in the United States on November 27. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $1.059 billion worldwide, outgrossing its predecessor and becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2024. It was nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards. A follow-up to Moana was originally developed as a miniseries for Disney+, but by February 2024 it had been reworked into a theatrical sequel.