7 Issues Each Disney Fan Wants To Know

“Moana 2” is heading our method sooner than you belt out “AND NO ONE KNOOOOWS, HOW FAR IT GOOOOES!” and we’ve got some particulars on what you possibly can anticipate in regards to the highly-anticipated animated sequel from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Forward of the movie’s launch, /Movie was invited to the animation studios in Burbank, California for an early have a look at the upcoming movie, together with character designs, discussions with the writers and administrators, an informative have a look at the in depth analysis course of that goes into authenticating the story, and a lot extra. Suppose you caught the trailer for “Moana 2” and are eagerly awaiting much more information in regards to the continuation of one in all Disney’s finest animated movies of their historic canon. In that case, we’ve got every thing you must learn about “Moana 2” proper right here.

Along with all the first-look particulars proven to the journalists invited to the particular occasion, I additionally sat down with Jared Bush (co-writer of this film and chief inventive officer of Walt Disney Animation), David Derrick Jr. (co-director), Jason Hand (co-director), and Dana Ledoux Miller (co-writer, co-director) to listen to extra about how “Moana 2” got here to life, what adjustments have been made between the deliberate collection and the brand new function movie, and the way the primary movie had an enormous affect on the lives of numerous real-life folks, together with one of many administrators.

There are much more surprises to return past this listing, so preserve your eyes on /Movie for extra “Moana 2” goodies forward of the movie’s theatrical debut on November 27, 2024.

Recognized for her work on “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “The Hole,” “Designated Survivor,” and the canceled-too-soon “Kevin Can F*** Himself,” Dana Ledoux Miller has been working in Hollywood for fairly a while. Nonetheless, “Moana 2” is her first foray into animation. As a Samoan-American, seeing “Moana” in theaters had an enormous affect on her and helped her understand that the movie was going to open doorways for extra tales centered on Pacific Islanders. “I did not know in that second that I might be part of telling Moana’s story ever,” she says. “Like, it did not even appear attainable to me.” Miller was writing for TV on the time and was employed to co-write the live-action “Moana” with Jared Bush. Clearly Miller made a fantastic impression, as a result of Bush then invited her to work on the animation aspect for the at-the-time “Moana” collection as a consulting author.

“I’ve at all times dreamed of with the ability to actually symbolize my folks and inform tales that have been significant to us,” she says. “And there is actually nothing greater than ‘Moana’ for us proper now.” Miller additionally credit the movie for altering the course of her profession as a storyteller. “My profession has modified as a result of Moana exists on this planet,” she explains. “It was the primary time I noticed anybody that seemed like my household on the display screen. It adjustments the best way the world sees you.”

“Moana 2” introduces a brand new crop of characters from the island to hitch her on her journey, in addition to somewhat sister named Simea and a gaggle of Moana fangirls often known as the “Moanabes.” In speaking with author Jared Bush, he says the large personalities of the group have been impressed by one other Disney hit. “I had the good thing about simply having completed ‘Encanto,’ the place we had a really large forged and also you needed to instantly perceive who every of these characters have been and listen to that voice instantly and have these all separate,” he says. “And having that very prime of thoughts for me as we headed into this subsequent story, constructing Moana’s crew, we knew everybody needed to have very distinct personalities, and also you wished these to pop instantly.”

There’s Loto the inventor who, as Bush describes her, “adjustments herself each three seconds,” and is “very completely satisfied to destroy something within the pursuit of evolution.” Kele is a grumpy outdated farmer who “lives within the dust and he is completely satisfied within the dust and he is by no means going to vary.” They’re the polar opposites of each other, with Moana balancing within the center. Rounding out the group is Moni, a storyteller who is perhaps Maui’s greatest fan.

However for Moana and her sister Simea, the inspiration got here from director Jason Hand watching his personal kids with an enormous age hole and eager to discover that relationship for Moana. “There was a really troublesome second when [his young son] realized [his eldest daughter] was going to school and never coming again house,” he explains. “That this pillar of pleasure in his life was all of the sudden not at all times gonna be there.” Moana occurring an journey and leaving Simea behind provides a layer of accountability and a relatable expertise for thus many elder siblings.

Hollywood tends to deal with coming-of-age tales completely as highschool movies, however the actuality is that we by no means cease altering. When approaching Moana’s continued story, author Jared Bush wished to emulate the understanding that comes with frequently coming of age. As he tells me:

“I bear in mind distinct moments in my life, actually graduating from highschool and feeling like, ‘Oh, I perceive who I’m,’ and also you get to the faculty and also you go, ‘Whoa, I do not know something anymore and I’ve to redefine myself,’ and then you definitely go away faculty and also you go, ‘Wait, I’ve to redefine myself once more?’ after which I received married after which I had youngsters. I am like, ‘This simply retains altering on a regular basis.'”

Bush says that Moana’s story displays the “common thought that you’re continuously evolving and studying extra about your self and redefining who you might be and what you will be.” However these adjustments do not imply Moana loses the sense of who she is. “She spent the entire first movie turning into a Wayfinder, understanding that was who she was meant to be, however that is not the tip of that story and that is not the tip of her story,” he says. “What else can she presumably be? What different adventures will she go on? I believe it was a extremely enjoyable launching level for that story.”

As co-writer/director Dana Ledoux Miller explains, “This primary movie was about Moana reconnecting to the previous and who her folks have been meant to be. This [new] movie is basically about Moana trying in direction of the long run.” The inventive group determined that one of the best ways to specific that’s via Simea. Miller says, “She seems to be at her sister and she or he thinks, What do I would like the world to be for her?” It additionally what makes the stakes increased for Moana. “The way forward for her folks [is] actually on the road, [and] she has to stroll away from essentially the most significant relationship in her life,” Miller says. “It isn’t straightforward.”

Co-director David Derrick Jr. jokes, “Yeah, strive speaking to a three-year-old about like what it means to go away and why.” Little youngsters have large feelings and primarily function off of them, so Simea is at all times going to be essentially the most brutally sincere particular person in Moana’s life. However when Moana processes what her journey away from the island would possibly entail, she has to consider extra than simply herself. She’s fascinated by her island, her group, the kids, her sister, and what she’ll need to do to keep up the livelihood and the continued legacy of her folks.

Contemplating the specificity of Moana’s tradition and heritage, the Disney group went above and past to make it possible for every thing on display screen was designed with authenticity and backed by in depth analysis. Disney works with organizations just like the Polynesian Voyaging Society, numerous consultants, Pacific Islanders on workers, and the Oceanic Cultural Belief. Throughout my journey to the Walt Disney Animation Studios for the “Moana 2” preview, journalists on web site have been even given the prospect to study from the Oceanic Cultural Belief in regards to the artwork of Celestial Navigation and Wayfinding, to grasp the way it was the Polynesian cultures have been in a position to journey, discover, and uncover new lands with out the help of GPS methods, maps, and even compasses.

“Should you’ve ever even flown from [California] to Hawai’i over that Pacific Ocean, that is not even the longest trek that they took,” explains David Derrick Jr. “They usually have been in a position to do this via this unbelievable artwork and spirituality of wayfinding.” Through the use of the celestial our bodies, the motion of waves, and the route of wind, Wayfinders might journey anyplace. “To listen to the tales from folks that truly do this immediately was unbelievable, and we simply wished to get it proper,” Derrick Jr. says.

“Moana 2” was initially conceived as a collection, however from what everybody at Disney tells me, it was the story that urged the Home of Mouse to contemplate a theatrical pivot. “The transfer from a collection to a function is just not one thing that we have carried out earlier than,” says Jared Bush. Luckily, given how a lot strain testing and reconfiguring goes on in the course of the function manufacturing course of, modifying the story from a collection to a movie wasn’t all that totally different from planning a function from the get-go. Initially, every of the aspect characters have been going to get their very own episode to focus on their particular person journeys, so scaling again these tales into a satisfying arc inside a single film was the biggest shift.

“I believe that was in all probability the biggest shift for us is we retained all these arcs,” says Bush. “We simply had all of them repay on the finish of the film versus all through the story.” Contemplating the relative newness of Disney+, that is the primary time a deliberate collection has switched gears to a function movie. If “Moana 2” performs effectively within the theaters, this might additionally pave the best way for Disney to comply with go well with on totally different initiatives sooner or later.

Should you have been a fan of Pua the pig and Heihei the rooster from the primary movie, the excellent news is that each of those animal sidekicks are returning. In even higher information, Pua is lastly making it onto the water this time! The “Moana” creators heard the complaints from followers loud and clear that the folks wished extra Pua, and that is precisely what we’re getting. “Everybody so badly wished Pua to be on the canoe final time and having the chance to do this, I believe it was actually enjoyable for folks,” says Jared Bush. “Pua is just not nice on the market on that canoe. This isn’t one thing he needs to be doing in any respect, and watching him attempt to discover his bravery, I believe, is a extremely enjoyable story arc for him, too.”

“Moana 2” arrives in theaters on November 27, 2024.