Dwayne Johnson — the voice of Maui, the tattooed demigod with the big personality in Disney Animation‘s “Moana” films — took the stage to a standing ovation at Disney’s D23 to introduce “Moana and Maui’s most exciting adventure yet” and the new “Moana 2” trailer as part of the legendary animation studio’s lineup.
Set three years after the events in the 2016 Oscar-nominated original movie, “Moana 2” finds Moana and her crew in search of the lost island of Motufetu, which once connected the ocean, now hidden by a jealous God of Storms.
Johnson emphasized the idea of “believing that there is more, and having the guts to go for more … I know what it means for me, being a man of Polynesian culture, I’m half Black and half Samoan, and I know what this means for Auli’I (Cravalho, the voice of Moana) too.”
The trailer sees Moana stepping into her big sister role, guiding her 3-year-old sister Simea. Earlier in the presentation, Cravalho said Simea is Moana’s “whole world.”
As leader of the land and sea, she searches nearby islands for evidence of other people and faces a new, unknown enemy shrouded in purple light and surrounded by bats in the trailer. “You will be destroyed, and your way finder too,” the villain tells Moana and Maui.
The Kakamora coconut tribe also makes an appearance in the trailer, shooting blow darts at Moana.
The “Moana 2” presentation began with Cravalho singing “We’re Back,” a new original song for “Moana 2,” which opens Nov. 27, while joined on stage by dancers and drummers from Nonosina Polynesia under the direction of Tiana Liufau, who contributed animation reference choreography to “Moana” and the new film. Grammy-winning songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, as well as Pacific legend Opeatia Foa‘i and composer Mark Mancina, who both are returning, are the songwriting team on the film.
In this film, directors David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller (who also shares writing credit alongside Jared Bush) take the reins from “Moana” helmers John Musker and Ron Clements.
Rounding out the voice cast are Temuera Morrison as Tui, Nicole Scherzinger as his Sina, Rose Matafeo as Loto, David Fane as Kele, Hualālai Chung as Moni, and Alan Tudyk as Heihei.
“Moana” became a success for Disney, generating more than $680 million at the box office. The animated musical found renewed life on Disney+ with 1 billion hours streamed last year. The film also garnered two Oscar nominations for animated feature and original song for “How Far I’ll Go.”
“Moana 2” is separate from the studio’s live-action remake, which is currently in the works with Dwayne Johnson back as Maui.