During the Los Angeles Animation Festival, held at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, next to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand talked about their story within the Disney animation group and how they met while studying at CalArts University.
Colleagues in films like 'Raya and the Last Dragon,' 'Encanto,' 'Zootopia,' 'Big Hero 6,' and the first movie of 'Moana,' Hand mentioned his pride in sharing his Samoan heritage in this film and recalled his origins before starting to speak with the media. "For me, it has been a real gift to shoot this film because the natives of the Pacific islands were the last civilization conquered, and I belong to them." He also told us that "animation is the most collaborative form of art of all." Citing other talents who contributed to this project, the director included screenwriter and executive producer Jared Bush, writer and director Dana Ledoux Miller, producers Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, composers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, and composers Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i. "It's so exciting what our team has created that we are eager to show the film to the public. It's a mix of emotions because the team has been very close for a long time, and it's sad to finish and stop seeing each other, but it's a wonderful feeling to be able to premiere the film."
The transition of the Disney+ series project to a feature film had the collaboration of Dana Ledoux Miller, who is currently working on the development of a live-action Moana film. Derrick Jr recalled that 'Moana 2' was originally intended to be a Disney+ series. "As we were developing the story, the character's evolution became more interesting. We have the same bones as the original movie, we come from that movie, so it was natural to show the character's progression. When we first showed the movie to Disney executives, they thought it would be great to release it on the big screen. Once they decided it would be a feature film, we were able to make everything bigger. Moana's evolution became our evolution."
The filmmakers did not forget about the voice cast of 'Moana 2' in the English version, which includes Auli'i Carvalho returning as Moana, Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui, Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, and of course, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson as Maui. The role of the Oceanic Cultural Trust was also important for the production. "They set the standard we had to work with. They have been our advisors in both movies and throughout the process," said Hand. The filmmakers also sought advice from the Polynesian Voyaging Society, which emphasizes the culture, science, and spirituality of the islands. "The trust they have in us has driven us. We wanted to bring Maui's tattoos back to life in this project and they were instrumental in the development of this micro-animation. We wanted to stay true to the first movie that we love so much. Having advisors from Polynesian culture was really important to honestly maintain the storytelling. The transition required effort from all of us," Hand pointed out.
Joking about the resemblance of Moana to Indiana Jones while the protagonist tries to find evidence of other human civilizations, the filmmakers revealed their interest in finding a balance between Disney movies of the 'Adventureland' type and the 'Princesses' genre: “The first movie was a coming-of-age tale,” Derrick pointed out. “It taught us that we can keep choosing who we are. I wanted to give that to Moana and challenge her. You'll never stop discovering who Moana is through her adventures.”
Hand explained his vision of a character who has enchanted millions around the world. "I think Moana is an action heroine and her superpower is empathy. Deep down, she cares so much that we like to say she is the best of all of us. We wanted to give her obstacles in her life, in the first movie we made a coming-of-age film, and when we started the next movie, we both consulted with the previous filmmakers, as we are close to all of them, and some said she should continue with her story but for me, personally: I was a different person when I started the first movie and another when I finished. That taught me that even someone well into their 30s can choose who they are. I had this epiphany that we never stop choosing who we are. I wanted to give that to Moana, I wanted to challenge her with this continuous evolution of herself which I think is very important. That gave us the balance between emotions and the action heroine." The duo also paid tribute to John Musker and Ron Clements, the Disney animation directors in charge of the first Moana movie. "We wouldn't be here today if it weren't for them."
'Moana 2' is reaching record numbers based on early box office estimates, which would be a welcome change of pace for Walt Disney Animation after several disappointing years over the long Thanksgiving weekend in the United States. At the beginning of 2024, no one was expecting 'Moana 2', but Disney decided to turn the series into a feature film and now it seems to be one of the most important movies of 2024, suggesting that it could be another 'Inside Out 2' level success for Disney. According to Derrick Jr, "Moana is a Disney princess with attitude, as we like to say and we want to prove it. For us, the first film represents the origin story of a superhero. We are here to show that she has evidence of a lost civilization. In Moana, the ocean is a protagonist because for the people of the Pacific: the ocean does not divide, but connects. Jason, from the beginning, when we were brainstorming, asked: but to whom and where? And that's what Moana is obsessed with.'
In the following clip that was presented to us, Moana's sister, Simea, played by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, runs towards her. "Moana wants to share with her sister why the connection with other human beings is important and that's why she must embark on this journey," Derrick Jr. explained. The third clip was about the ceremony where Moana is honored as the new 'Seeker' of her village, but a lightning interrupts the ceremony and gives her a vision. The rest of the narration continues with her quest to break the curse of the God of Storms, although she first needs to assemble a team.
The filmmakers of 'Moana 2' also introduced the new cast members, including Rose Matafeo as Loto, David Fane as Kele, and Hualalai Chung as Moni. Moana receives an upgrade to her canoe and the whole village sends her off with her crew on the adventure. "The things Moana believes she knows are altered and questioned with each new adventure. One of the important elements in this story of evolution is how the other characters see this adventure from different points of view because there are different types of people and we wanted to reflect that. We will see how each perspective has a very deep meaning in the story. We wanted to show a small coordinated community because we know we can go further together than alone. Lotto is always pushing her as a leader and Moana struggles to strive to be the best. Many of the navigators we spoke to told us that the hardest part is always finding a cohesive group to sail with," Derrick said.
The following clip highlighted a scene in which Kakamora attacks our heroes along with a giant mountain clam. To escape from Kakamora, the crew will be forced to include an unexpected member. "This is the moment when the monumental obstacles that Moana and her team must overcome begin," Derrick said. To me, it seemed like a sea journey reminiscent of Odysseus in the 'Odyssey'.
The final clip shown during the presentation featured Maui as he faces off against another demigod named Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser. "In 'Moana 2,' we will learn that when you face challenges that surpass you, your only option is to go beyond them. Only by getting lost can you truly discover who you are," Hand concluded.
November 28th
It is the release date of Moana 2 in theaters.