“Stay tuned, we’re just getting started.”
These were the prophetic words of Vaiana – The wonderful world of love Franchise star Auli’i Cravalho today at D23 talking about the upcoming sequel Moana 2.
Although there was no special chatter today, Vaiana – The wonderful world of love Panels about an animated threequel itself, it would not be a surprise if Vaiana 3 – The Great Adventure happened.
Original animated films are hard to convince audiences, and when Iger took over the reins from former CEO Bob Chapek, the company’s mission was to restore Disney’s previous box office success. This is no longer the case with animated sequels: The Incredibles 3 was announced yesterday at D23, and this summer Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out 2 became the highest-grossing animated film of all time with $1.56 billion.
Vaiana – The wonderful world of love Screenwriter Jared Bush briefly touched on his and Dana Ledoux Miller’s involvement in the live-action adaptation of the 2016 blockbuster, which grossed over $643 million worldwide and received two Oscar nominations, at D23 today. While Bush mentioned that musical sequels are hard to crack, they found a way into Moana.
Last night, Cravalho caused a stir with Vaiana 2 – The Great Adventure‘s Maui himself, Dwayne Johnson, at the Disney D23 film presentation at the Honda Center with another trailer. Earlier today, the actress and filmmakers took to the Anaheim Convention Center’s sales floor to prepare fans for the next chapter about the strong-willed Polynesian daughter.
Disney
In Vaiana 2 – The Great AdventureMoana believes that more of her people still live on the sea’s horizon as she follows the call of her pioneering ancestors and embarks on another journey to Oceania, with the demigod Maui by her side, of course.
In the sequel, Moana is older and wiser, and that was a trait that resonated with Cravalho.
“The film is so reflective of its current time, where we are in a moment of true femininity and strength and moving forward on your own,” said the actress, who reprised her voice from Moana, immediately after Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the Disney+ series would be made into a sequel.
“I feel like this film helped me explore parts of myself,” Cravalho said.
The actress told D23 attendees that at 15, she didn’t really know how the production process of a large-scale animated film works. Going into the studio now and experiencing the home stretch “fills me with humility,” she said.
Given her Hawaiian roots, the film has always been a source of pride for Cravalho; a Disney princess movie where “a woman wasn’t afraid to go beyond the reef,” not to mention that “we don’t need a prince to save us.”
Cravalho told the crowd that the first film will be used in the state’s school curriculum to teach people the native Hawaiian language.
Before Cravalho’s chat today, Vaiana 2 – The Great Adventure Filmmakers David G. Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand, along with co-writer and director Ledoux Miller, sat down with Bush, the film’s director, and producer Christina Chen to learn more about the sequel.
Bush said of trying to make a second installment of the musical: “There aren’t many sequels to musicals. And the reason for that is because in a musical, the main character has a dream, sings about that dream, and achieves something. We had to figure out what’s next for Moana for this film. She was trying to figure herself out. There was something inside her that she couldn’t fulfill. There was this life out there that she wanted to continue, but she really loved her island. How does she put those things together? So finding herself was really important. There’s still a lot she has to figure out about herself.”
None of today’s meetings addressed how the sequel will evolve from its origins as a Disney+ series. As seen in the trailer, the film’s CGI has already been optimized for natural elements like ocean waves.
Bush was asked by a fan about the live-action version of Moana, in which Dwayne Johnson also plays Maui. This production was postponed because Vaiana 2 – The Great Adventure was prioritized by Iger. Originally dated July 2, 2025, Vaiana – The wonderful world of love has been postponed in the cinema release calendar to July 10, 2026. In the live-action film, Cravalho will not reprise the title role; instead, young star Catherine Laga’aia will step in for the role of Moana.
Bush told fans that he and Ledoux Miller are involved in both the live-action and animated versions, hinting that the live-action version “sometimes has to make changes” from the original animated film.
“It is an exciting experience to watch both,” the author added, but remained silent.
Vaiana 2 – The Great Adventure opens on Wednesday, November 27th.
