The stars of Moana 2 braved rainy and windy weather in London on Sunday for the world premiere of the highly anticipated animated sequel.
Auli’i Cravalho returns to voice Moana, alongside Dwayne Johnson, who reprises his role as Maui.
“Moana is absolutely a character that I’ve been intertwined with for such a long time,” Cravalho said. “You’re right that I was 14 when I was cast, and that was definitely an integral part of my childhood. And now, at 24, to be coming back to this character, I feel so much more present. I feel really aware of Moana’s impact as well. So, I think I brought some of that childlike, Disney-like fanatic with me. It’s the best of both worlds.”
The original Moana was praised for its groundbreaking Pacific Islander representation, and the sequel continues to honor that heritage.
Set three years after the events of the first film, Moana 2 follows Moana as she embarks on another ocean adventure, this time with a new crew, a new canoe, and new responsibilities. Among them is her younger sister, Simea, voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda.
Moana’s crew includes Loto (Rose Matafeo), an engineer; Kele (David Fane), a grumpy farmer; and Moni (Hualālai Chung), a historian and storyteller.
When the teaser trailer was released in May, it garnered 178 million views within 24 hours, setting a new record for the most-watched animated Disney movie trailer. Now, the film is on track to become one of the season’s biggest blockbusters.
Moana 2, directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, hits theaters worldwide on November 27.
