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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/5188-1-2000-03c01d90a1d64d2a96d609d48a016c51.jpg "Moana is back and visibly older in new 'Moana 2' photo (1)")
MaureenLeeLenkeris a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight, is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.
Updated on April 4, 2024 12:55PM EDT
How far she's gone!
Disney has released a new image from Moana 2, the recently announced sequel to the hit 2016 animated film starring Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, and the titular heroine is looking noticeably older and ready for further adventures.
A Disney announcement explains that the sequel will take place three years after the events of the first film. "Moana is on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui," the studio says. "Joined by Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced."
Both Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the original movie in her breakout role, and Johnson, who voiced the Hawaiian god Maui, are reprising their roles in Moana 2.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Moana-2-040324-18ce7a42508646799287be5f445dc3fa.jpg "Moana is back and visibly older in new 'Moana 2' photo (2)")
In the first film, Moana is around 16 years old when she sets out on a journey from her island of Motunui to find Maui and force him to restore the heart of Te Fiti. That would make her about 19 or 20 in the new movie.
Back in February, Disney made the surprise announcement that Moana 2 would be coming to theaters in November. The project was originally developed as a TV series, but CEO Bob Iger said the team was so impressed with the work they saw in progress that they decided it should get a theatrical release.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/oscar-nominee-moana-2000-da55f9a122674d75bab75cde75ee1a94.jpg "Moana is back and visibly older in new 'Moana 2' photo (3)")
While it was initially unclear whether Johnson and Cravalho would return to voice their characters, they've both since confirmed their involvement. However, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who worked on music for the first film, will not return. His collaborators, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa, will instead team with Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, whowon a Grammy for theirUnofficial Bridgerton Musical, to write original songs.
Meanwhile, Disney is also developing a separate live-action reimagining of Moana.
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