Disney’s D23 Expo was electrified on Friday night with the preview of ‘Moana 2,’ featuring appearances by Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho.
As reported by Deadline, the event, held at the Honda Centre, saw an unprecedented turnout of 15,000 fans, who welcomed the stars with a standing ovation.
Dwayne Johnson, known for his role as Maui, captivated the crowd with his presence and enthusiasm.
“This is the largest crowd that D23 has ever had in the history of Disney,” Johnson declared, leading the audience in a spirited Hawaiian chant, “Tay-ho!,” according to Deadline.
The excitement was palpable when Auli’i Cravalho took the stage before Johnson, launching D23’s session with a live performance of the new ‘Moana 2’ song, ‘Who We’re Meant to Be,’ accompanied by traditional Hawaiian dancers.
Cravalho shared with host Nicole Yvette Brown that in the sequel, Moana embarks on a journey to explore nearby islands in search of new people.
Johnson expressed his enthusiasm for the sequel, saying, “Maui is singing again in keys that don’t exist, and my hair looks fantastic.”
As per Deadline, he highlighted the film’s theme of empowerment, stating, “What I love about the sequel is that it’s about a young girl who is empowered that there’s more in life than what’s in front of her.”
The trailer released on Disney’s official social media handles depicts Moana and Maui battling a colossal typhoon storm as Moana ventures into the lost islands of the Pacific to discover more about her people.
Johnson teased, “Wait till you see the villains we have in this one, it’s the storm of all storms.”
In addition to the ‘Moana 2’ excitement, Johnson introduced a new live-action sports documentary project he is overseeing, titled ‘Monster Jam.’
According to Deadline, Johnson expressed his enthusiasm for the film, explaining that he pitched the idea to Disney for a live-action monster truck movie, describing it as featuring “eccentric and crazy drivers.”
Meanwhile, ‘Moana 2’ is scheduled to hit theatres on November 27, just before Thanksgiving.