Disney's live-action Moana has already generated plenty of excitement thanks to Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui and newcomer Catherine Laga'aia stepping into the title role. But one of the coolest creative decisions behind the remake involves the original voice of Moana, Auli'i Cravalho. The idea to involve her in the new movie apparently came from Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the story of how he incorporated her is pretty great.

In a behind-the-scenes clip shared on Disney Studios' Instagram, Miranda explained how the creative team found a way to include both Moana actresses in the movie's musical storytelling. He shared:

Honestly, that feels like a pretty elegant solution. For years, fans wondered whether Cravalho would appear in Disney's live-action remake after she announced she would not reprise the lead role. Instead, Disney cast newcomer Catherine Laga'aia as Moana while keeping Cravalho involved behind the scenes as an executive producer. At the time, the original voice actress said she wanted to help open the door for another young Pacific Islander performer to experience what she had experienced nearly a decade earlier.

Now, it sounds like she still found a way to leave her mark on the movie. Rather than giving the Mean Girls actress a quick cameo in the 2026 release, the filmmakers came up with something more meaningful. According to Miranda, the idea became a musical exchange between the Moana audiences first fell in love with in 2016 and the new version making her theatrical debut in the live-action adaptation.

That idea feels particularly fitting given how important legacy and identity have become to Disney's recent remakes. Instead of replacing one performer with another, Moana appears to be acknowledging both. I think that’s an idea most fans can get behind.

The animated Moana became one of Disney's most enduring modern hits, and Cravalho's performance played a huge part in that success. Songs like "How Far I'll Go" helped turn the film into a phenomenon, while the movie itself remained one of the most-streamed titles in the world years after its release (you can watch it with a Disney+ subscription).

The behind-the-scenes video shared by Disney also gives fans a brief taste of the new song, "Along the Way." While only a snippet is heard, it offers an early preview of how the two Moanas will connect musically. Check it out below.

Miranda has been closely tied to Moana since the original film, having co-written its songs, including "How Far I'll Go." Though he did not return for Moana 2, his involvement in the live-action adaptation has allowed him to revisit the world he helped create while also finding new ways to honor the legacy of the animated movie.

Bringing Cravalho back alongside Laga'aia appears to be one of those ideas, giving longtime fans a connection between the original film and its new incarnation. There is always pressure attached to remaking beloved animated classics, especially one as cherished as Moana. But finding a way to honor Cravalho while also introducing Laga'aia feels like exactly the kind of bridge longtime fans hope to see.

After all, Moana has always been about understanding where you come from while finding your own path forward. Apparently, the live-action version took that lesson to heart.

Moana sails into theaters July 10.

Dwayne Johnson has always made it clear that Maui is more than just another role in an upcoming Disney film. The character is tied directly to his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, and he brought that connection back into focus while promoting the 2026 calendar release of the Moana live-action remake in Hawaii.

In a recent Instagram post, Johnson shared a tribute video dedicated to Maivia, talking about his grandfather alongside throwback clips of the wrestling legend in the ring. The post, see below, explained that the timing was deeply personal, because Maivia died in Hawaii 43 years ago this past weekend.

The video and caption gave fans a rare look at just how much of Maivia still lives on in the Smashing Machine star’s work. They also served as a reminder that, for The Rock, Maui has never been just a Disney character but a way to honor someone who helped shape his life.

Johnson Says Maui Keeps His Grandfather Close

In the caption, the veteran WWE superstar wrote that the inspiration behind Maui was “my grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia.” He then reflected on the day Maivia died, writing that his grandfather began “his walk in the clouds” from Hawaii 43 years ago.

The actor described Maivia as an unforgettable presence, praising his charisma, hair, tattoos, strength, toughness and singing voice. The Fast & Furious alum wrote that the High Chief was “built like a tank,” “moved like a cheetah,” and “sang like an angel.”

That is a very specific kind of tribute, and it explains a lot about why Maui feels so personal to the third-generation wrestling star. He added:

Johnson ended the post by writing, “Love you grandpa,” before signing off with a long “Aloha,” echoing the energy and larger-than-life style he clearly associates with Maivia.

Maui’s Look Has Always Had A Family Connection

This is not the first time Johnson has connected Maui to his grandfather. The Rock revealed years ago that the animated demigod was partly based on High Chief Peter Maivia.

It is easy to see why. Maivia was a Samoan high chief, a professional wrestler and a major figure in the actor's family history. Maui’s size, tattoos, hair and huge presence all feel connected to that legacy. The eyebrow may be pure Rock, but much of the rest feels like a love letter to Maivia.

That family legacy runs even deeper in wrestling. The former wrestling champion originally debuted in WWE as Rocky Maivia, a name that honored both his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather. Later, when the Disney star called his grandmother, Lia Maivia, “the real Final Boss” before her WWE Hall of Fame induction, he again pointed to how much his family shaped not only his career but also his sense of identity.

Lia Maivia’s story also connects directly to Peter Maivia’s legacy. After his death, she became one of professional wrestling’s early female promoters and helped bring wrestling to Hawaii in a way few had seen before.

The Live-Action Moana Makes That Connection Even More Personal

The live-action Moana puts the Jumanji actor in a different position than the animated original. He is no longer only voicing Maui. He is physically stepping into the role, bringing the character to life on the big screen.

That makes this press tour feel less like standard Disney promotion and more like a family circle moment. The longtime action movie star is promoting a character inspired by his grandfather in the same place where his grandfather died more than four decades earlier.

The live-action Moana is set to hit theaters July 10th. Fans have seen him talk about the character plenty over the years, from what Maui says about real masculinity to the Moana-related request Johnson says he gets from fans on a daily basis, but this felt like an especially revealing and heartwarming look at what brought the popular character to life both in animation and in live action.

Throughout the last few years, Disney has been producing live-action remakes of their animated blockbusters, to varying levels of success. Joining the ranks of those movies (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is the live-action adaptation Moana, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his voice role as Maui. Although the hulking actor recently admitted he was having some marriage issues while playing the fan-favorite demigod.

There's a ton of hype surrounding the upcoming Disney movie, mostly because the animated Moana was such a huge hit. During a profile for Esquire, Dwayne Johnson admitted he and his wife Lauren were having some marriage issues while filming. Nothing catastrophic, but the type of bumps in the road that happen in most long-term relationships. He spoke about being so far from home during that time and having to bring Maui's positivity to life in the midst of it all. In his words:

That does seem challenging. Working any job while going through personal issues is difficult, but having to perform is uniquely hard, especially when actors need to push their feelings down in order to portray positivity and happiness. And I've got to give DJ credit; the Moana trailer shows no indication that he was having such a hard time.

While Dwayne Johnson got some flak for his Moana wig, folks do seem hyped to see the movie's story told in a live-action format. He and his wife have gotten through whatever their issues were, as was obvious in that same interview. Many relationships have ups and downs, and I appreciate that The Smashing Machine actor was so honest about his own; sometimes, celebrities really are just like us.

Johnson is definitely a family man, constantly sharing cute parenting anecdotes on social media. So one can only imagine how much he was distracted by his relationship issues while filming Moana. But the Fast and Furious actor is a consummate professional, and was able to bring Maui to life in live-action. Luckily, audiences will get to see the fruits of that labor shortly.

The new Moana movie is set to arrive in theaters on July 10th as part of the 2026 movie release list. If you prefer the story animated, that's streamable over on Disney+, both of which feature the talents of Dwayne Johnson.

The remake of Moana is set to hit the 2026 movie calendar this summer, marking the latest entry in Disney’s quest to create live-action remakes for its animated catalog. There’s been quite a bit of criticism surrounding the film, especially about Dwayne Johnson’s wig, ever since the first trailer dropped. But now, his Moana co-star is speaking up with a totally different viewpoint.

In a recent chat with Entertainment Tonight, a video of which was posted to their X account, Catherine Laga'aia, who stars as the titular warrior, talked about how she sees Dwayne Johnson's hair—or the lack of it, really. While everyone else is buzzing about his wavy Maui hair, she said she mostly knew him in his character's costume. For her, it was his bald look that took some getting used to. She explained:

In the movie, Dwayne Johnson is back as Maui, decked out in 40 pounds of prosthetics and that headline-making wig. He’s pumped about getting another shot at the character in a new way, seeing it as a chance to represent Polynesian culture. The former WWE star also knows how beloved the original is and wants to make sure it’s treated with reverence. However, not everyone is on board with the movie's look, including the characters' costumes, and there have been quite a few critics have voiced their opinions.

The 19-year-old Moana actress says that as soon as she saw the actor in costume, she knew the movie would work. As she expounded on:

The animated movie Moana was released in 2016 and was a big hit, grossing over $600 million at the box office. But what really took off was its popularity on streaming. People with a Disney+ subscription practically had it on repeat, making it one of the most-watched films in the early 2020s. Because of this success, they released a sequel in 2024 and began work on the live-action version, likely thanks to its strong performance on streaming.

Whoever took on the job of turning the animated film into a live-action movie had a tough road ahead. The director, Thomas Kail, who directed Hamilton on stage and for Disney+, admitted he knew the original animated film was "in people’s molecules" and incredibly special to many audiences. Still, he was excited to give it a shot and see what he could do with the material.

The trailer definitely made waves, racking up almost 7 million views. But it’s tough to ignore the mixed reactions that came after. Even Weird Al couldn’t resist poking fun at The Rock’s wig. Just like when the first footage of the live-action Moana dropped, fans are asking, “Why do we really need this?” Some have even said it feels like a Saturday Night Live skit. Still, the stars of the film have their own takes on the whole situation, just as the responses to the wig do. So maybe we’re being a bit too harsh; let's give both the movie and the wig a fair shot.

Moana hits theaters on July 10, 2026.

Somehow it’s already been a decade since the original Moana movie came out, and Disney fans can now look forward to the story being retold as a live-action film on the 2026 movie schedule. This week, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the new Moana actress, Catherine Laga'aia, presented the film at Las Vegas’s CinemaCon, and the Maui actor brought up a golden point about the demigod and “real masculinity”.

The original Moana is already a special movie to a lot of people, so what will the new movie bring to audiences who’ve likely already seen the original many times? One thing that Dwayne Johnson said during the Walt Disney Studios panel (via Variety) definitely sticks out. In his words:

There’s always a lot of upcoming The Rock movies on the way for the superstar, so naturally, I’ve been wondering why the actor/producer would feel so passionately about remaking a movie that is already considered one of Walt Disney Animation’s best. It sounds like he’s very interested in spreading the message of the film further, and underlining one point about masculinity Maui stands for.

When we meet Maui in Moana, he thinks he’s the greatest hero, but he ultimately steps aside and needs Moana to save the day rather than earning all the glory. As he mentioned at CinemaCon, “all men” should give women the chance to feel the way that Moana does in her tale, and perhaps that’s one big reason the movie bears repeating in live action. Maui is definitely a rare character in media, and he’s got a great point here. The Rock also said this:

Along with Moana getting The Rock to play Maui again, it's also helping show his vulnerability and break stereotypes about big, strong men having to be tough all the time. The new movie will give more of a microphone to the Polynesian people and their culture, as a wide audience will get to see Polynesian actors front a major studio film – and that definitely doesn’t happen every day! You can check out the trailer for Moana:

I like that Dwayne Johnson has talked about being “protective” over Moana before, whilst doing the remake. I also appreciate that the director said “the opportunity to have flesh and blood” tell Moana’s hero’s journey made the movie worth his time. You can see the live-action Moana in theaters on July 10.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has plenty of movies under his belt and, as such, he’s known for playing a variety of roles. From The Fast & Furious’ Luke Hobbs to Jumanji’s Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone, the wrestler-turned-actor has quite a few big-screen alter egos. However, someone could argue that the character Johnson’s become most synonymous with in recent years has been the demi god Maui from the Moana franchise. To that point, Johnson apparently receives a “daily” fan request linked to the animated character.

While Disney’s Moana has been incredibly successful and Johnson has benefited from it, the A-lister has long been vocal about the deeper reason he’s so pleased with the franchise. It’s the depiction of Polynesian culture in the animated movies that truly warms Johnson’s heart. The Black Adam star spoke about that cultural connection during a recent interview with the Mirror, and the sentiments he shared were truly heartwarming:

Maui is particularly meaningful to The Rock, considering that the character is inspired by his late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, who was an actor, stuntman and wrestler, who created the “Flyin’ Hawaiian” move. Johnson’s portrayal of his character has been well received, and it feels as though his popularity has only grown since his debut in 2016. With that, Johnson says admirers ask him to do something that’s become an iconic part of Maui’s lore, so to speak:

“You’re Welcome” is the song Maui notably sings in 2016’s Moana, through which he essentially introduces himself to the titular protagonist. It’s a serious earworm, and I can completely understand just why fans would be eager for Johnson to sing it if they run into him. However, it’s wild to think that the request has apparently become a “daily” occurrence for the star. Still, it sounds like he doesn’t mind, especially considering how much the franchise means to people, including his children:

Seriously, there was indeed a time at which one of The Rock’s daughters staunchly refused to believe her dad was the voice of Maui. But that humorous irony aside, it’s sweet to hear just how much the character and the franchise as whole means to Johnson, and I love that he appreciates fans’ affection as well. And, now, that passion will manifest once more through the live-action Moana movie, in which Johnson is reprising Maui.

While some people have been roasting The Rock’s live-action Maui look (including those pounds of hair), that doesn’t seem to have extinguished any enthusiasm the actor has. He’s also been incredibly mindful of how the film will portray his culture, which is very sweet. Of course, fans will also surely see him perform “You’re Welcome,” and I can surely imagine that bumping up song requests. Check out the film when it opens on July 10 as part of the 2026 movie schedule, and stream the OG film and its sequel with a Disney+ subscription.

Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest stars on the planet, and while there are many different reasons for that fact, one significant contributor is his work for Disney. Two of his earliest roles when he was still working on fully establishing himself as an actor were in 2007's The Game Plan and 2009's Race To Witch Mountain, and his relationship with the studio has only gotten stronger in recent years thanks to the Moana movies: which includes two animated films and the upcoming live-action remake. This in mind, it's really no surprise that he has been named as one of the latest recipients of the Disney Legends Award, and he accepted the prize with both grace and a funny Maui nod.

Johnson is part of the Disney Legends Class of 2026, a list that includes a number of other notable names including both artists and executives, and he expressed his gratitude for the honor in an Instagram post this weekend. Alongside an edited video showcasing clips of his history with Disney, the wrestler-cum-actor wrote a long caption that begins with his emotional response to the news:

The collaboration between Dwayne Johnson and the filmmakers/executives at Disney has certainly been fruitful. While neither The Game Plan nor Race To Witch Mountain were massive blockbusters, they did individually earn nine-figures at the worldwide box office. Moana, meanwhile, was indeed a massive blockbuster, earning over $640 million globally, and Moana 2 was even bigger, making over $1 billion. It should go without saying that anticipation is quite high for the live-action remake, which will be in theaters on July 10.

The Disney Legends Class of 2026 actually seems to be very inspired by the success of Moana: in addition to including Dwayne Johnson, other recipients with links to the hits films include Lin-Manuel Miranda (who wrote the music), Alan Tudyk (who voices the silly rooster Heihei), and Bob Iger, who was CEO amid the development of all three titles in the franchise).

Continuing in his post, Dwayne Johnson threw out some first-name thank yous to everyone who brought him to Disney Legend status, and he concluded with his Maui catchphrase:

(If you need to go listen to the song now, you're excused)

The full Disney Legends Class of 2026 includes Dwayne Johnson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alan Tudyk, Bob Iger, Anne Hathaway, the Jonas Brothers, ESPN legend Chris Berman, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Beauty And The Beast star Susan Egan, animator Eric Goldberg, and Kim Irvine from Imagineering. Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, the ceremony will be broadcast on Disney+ when its held on August 16.

Disney’s live-action Moana remake is on the way, and fans were treated to the first official trailer this past week. While some viewers seemed impressed with what they saw, there were those who had some strong thoughts about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s look as Maui. The biggest point of contention there seems to be the wig Johnson is wearing while playing the character, and fans have been roasting it. Johnson has also shared comments on wearing the faux locks, and his description of that doesn’t sound that pleasant.

What Have Fans Been Saying About The Rock’s Maui Hair?

It’s long been known that Johnson would reprise his role as the tattooed demigod in Disney’s upcoming live-action remake. However, aside from a few stray set photos, fans didn’t have a good look at the wrestler-turned-actor in costume until just recently. Following the trailer drop, many took to social media, and they didn’t hold back their thoughts. Many seem to believe the wig seems a bit clunky or awkward. Check out what just a handful of fans on X had to say about the hair:

• The Rock could’ve paid his own money to get a better wig. Who sent the PA, at Disney, to the beauty store to get that pack of yaki? - @AshleyShyMiller
• I know the Wicked wig techs saw that Moana trailer and giggled - @paulswhtn
• Disney got too much money to have Dwayne in that Freetress shake-and-go synthetic wig in the live action Moana trailer. - @GeauxGabrielle
• Idk how to explain it but even with a wig it still gives The Rock - @tinaturttle
• I think people don’t know what they’re upset about. My issue isn’t The Rock playing him. My issue is they should have done better with the character design. It’s just the same Rock with the tattoos and a lazy badly done wig. - @Kevin_Omega_97

Anyone who wants to better understand just how far-reaching this wig situation has become should know that even “Weird Al” Yankovic weighed in on it. This past week, the comedian and singer shared a still of The Rock as his Moana character and mused that the “Weird Al biopic sequel is currently on hold” but that actors “keep sending in headshots.” All in all, it feels as though the Internet is having a lot of fun with all of this, but that’s apparently not the feeling Johnson had while filming.

Why Was It Uncomfortable For Dwayne Johnson To Film As Maui?

It goes without saying that The Rock had a lot of fake hair on his head, and such wigs can be quite heavy. The director of the film, Thomas Kail previously said the hair weighed 7 pounds wet. Johnson himself spoke about that during a recent interview with EW and revealed just how much the wig – along with his prosthetics and a body suit – weighed. (And I’m shaking at the mere thought of having to wear all of that):

Having an extra 40 pounds of weight on me under any circumstances seems tiring, so I can’t even imagine having to act and be physical while keeping all of that on. I suppose that’s why Johnson is a professional, though, as this movie was far from his first rodeo. On that note, before he began production on Moana, he also had to gain muscle for The Smashing Machine and hold onto that body mass to film as Maui. (I feel like I need a nap due to just explaining that.)

Moving away from The Rock’s hair brouhaha and his time filming, though, it seems there are those who are still curious regarding the need for a live-action Moana movie in the first place. Despite that, Thomas Kail admitted that the OG film is “in people’s molecules,” but he still felt there was an opportunity to tell a great story in live-action. Also, Dwayne Johnson discussed his desire to further showcase Polynesian culture through the movie. Hopefully, that all shines through beyond the much-discussed wig.

The live-action Moana film is set to hit theaters on July 10 amid the 2026 movie schedule. In the meantime, fans can grab a Disney+ subscription and stream the 2016 animated flick on which the remake is based as well as its 2024 sequel.

A remake of Moana is on the 2026 movie schedule for this summer, marking the newest of Disney Animated movies to get the live-action treatment yet. Now, the new movie’s director has shared his thoughts on why he thinks the 2016 movie deserves to be retold already.

Thomas Kail, who famously helmed Hamilton (on-stage and the version on Disney+), is the filmmaker behind the live-action Moana movie. While he said he knows the original film “is in people’s molecules”, he explained why he took on the live-action challenge with these words:

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Kail communicated that he was excited by the idea of human actors retelling the story of the movie despite the comparisons between the beloved animated original being inevitable. The movie sees Dwayne Johnson reprising his role of Maui in 40 pounds of prosthetics and newcomer Catherine Lagaʻaia (who is currently 19) as Moana.

Dwayne Johnson has said that he was personally excited to play the character again for a different medium as a chance to “showcase our Polynesian culture” while also communicating that he’s aware how “good” the original is and wanting to be “protective” of that. The Rock has also said that the live-action film was representing Polynesian culture “in every department,” including “some department heads, story, development,” and so forth.

Earlier this week, the biggest look at the new Moana movie was released, showing off a peek at a ton of the modern classic’s greatest moments. You can check out the latest trailer below:

The trailer has clearly made a big splash, given it already has 5 million views, but there’s been a lot of negative reactions over it – Weird Al even took a shot at The Rock’s wig! Much like the commentary that came out when the first footage for the live-action Moana dropped, with fans asking “why did we need this?” and even likening it to “an SNL skit”.

It’s the job of Thomas Kail (and the other filmmakers) to prove audiences wrong and show people that the movie is worth the price of admission. So far, most live-action Disney remakes have been huge commercial wins for the House of Mouse, with remakes for Lilo & Stitch, The Lion King, The Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin and Alice in Wonderland making over $1 billion each at the worldwide box office. It’s hard to argue with those numbers!

You can see Moana only in theaters on July 10.

Though the 2026 movie schedule has already had its share of blockbusters, audiences are going to be able to watch a wealth of big-budget spectacles this summer. One such probable hit is the live-action Moana, starring newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia, with Dwayne Johnson reprising his popular role as Maui. When he agreed to take his part from the animated classic to live action, however, I doubt he thought there’d be as much talk about his Maui wig as there has been, and now Weird Al just made the very unexpected move of trolling him over it.

What Weird Al Said About Dwayne Johnson’s Live Action Moana Maui Wig

There is no shortage of upcoming Disney movies on the docket, and one that’s had people talking is the live action remake of the 2016 hit, Moana. Many fans were impressed with the first teaser, which dropped in November, but there were also a lot of viewers who threw a side eye at the wig Dwayne Johnson (who recently wrapped Jumanji 4) is sporting to play Maui. I’m guessing that one of those people was musical parody king "Weird Al" Yankovic, as he recently took a rather random shot at the star’s look in the new film, after the full trailer debuted. Observe:

OK, Al! Talk about brutal! Look, he’s not wrong that the wig is somewhat Weird Al-adjacent. We all know that if a Weird Al biopic sequel is on tap, the only person who should play him would be a returning Daniel Radcliffe. However, I now can’t get over the idea of Johnson in his Moana Maui wig as maybe a version of Al in, say, a dream sequence being had by Radcliffe’s version of the five-time Grammy winner. What’s that you say? You think that idea is confusing? Guys, it doesn’t have to make sense to be funny!

At any rate, while the singer is known for his curls, as is the animated demigod, Johnson, uh… isn’t. And, this is likely one thing that has really thrown fans off when it comes to him portraying Maui in the flesh. We just aren’t used to seeing him with a mane of free-flowing locks, folks. But, you can rest assured that the team behind Moana did take care when creating Maui’s follicular fortitude in the upcoming film.

What’s The Deal With Dwayne Johnson’s Live Action Moana Maui Wig?

Obviously, Moana has real importance when it comes to showcasing Polynesian culture in a fun way, and while I don’t think the hair will take away from that, it certainly has been a topic of conversation since we got the teaser. We’ve now gotten an even better look at it with the release of the first full trailer, and director Thomas Kail spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how important the wig was, because part of Maui’s “spiritual energy” is about his looks, which includes that gorgeous head of hair. As Kail said of the wig:

Johnson revealed in the same article that, all told, he had “an additional 40 pounds” of prosthetics and hair to deal with while performing, which is wild. Honestly, I think all we need to do is just watch that trailer a few more times, and we’ll get used to seeing the wrestler-turned-actor in his new, relatively hirsute, form. Weird Al’s thoughts on the wig, though, will never cease to be funny.

It’s only been a decade since the original animated Moana debuted and became one of Disney Animation’s biggest modern hits. And yet, those ten years are long enough, as the movie will be the most recent release to receive the live-action remake treatment. It will also see the return of one of the film’s original voice actors when Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as Maui. Johnson understands that this movie has some big shoes to fill, and it sounds like he put a lot of time and care into one specific aspect of it.

The recency and quality of the original Moana were absolutely on the actor’s mind while making the new live-action Moana. In a new video posted to Instagram, Johnson said he was very protective of Moana because that first movie was so good. He explained…

One of the major problems that people have with Disney live-action remakes is that, in most cases, the movie being remade is a literal classic. So their feeling is that there’s little to be gained from a remake. Johnson seems to understand this very clearly. He knows that a remake of Moana that doesn’t match the quality of the original is going to be a disappointment for fans.

As part of that, today, we got a new trailer for the live-action Moana, one that gives us our first look at Dwayne Johnson’s live-action Maui. It’s hard to imagine that The Rock could look small in any movie, though compared to his animated counterpart, he certainly does. Also, while perhaps accurate, I’m going to have to get used to that hair.

The incredible success of Moana 2 at the global box office ensures that the audience for this newest iteration of Moana is certainly there. It feels like the live-action reamke is all but assured a massive opening weekend.

Now, the only question is whether it will have the long-term box office success it will need to be the sort of billion-dollar blockbuster that the top Disney live-action remakes have been. That will be determined by whether those fans think the movie did live up to the original, so Dwayne Johnson’s protection of that film makes perfect sense. He, and all of Disney, surely want this movie to look more like Lilo & Stitch than Snow White in when it comes to its financial results.

And success with the remake likely means even more Moana in the future. The animated sequel hinted at a future for that franchise, and the more animated Moana movies they make, the more opportunity there will be for live-action sequels if this first movie is a success.

Disney has unleashed the first trailer for its live-action Moana, and within minutes, the internet made one thing extremely clear: fans are not holding back. What could have been a celebratory moment for Disney’s newest live-action remake instead turned into a tidal wave of skepticism, confusion, and full-blown roast sessions. The 2026 movie schedule release, starring Catherine Laga‘aia as the titular hero and Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui, is already facing an uphill battle, and the initial fan reaction proves it.

The trailer, posted on Disney’s official YouTube channel, racked up views fast—but the comments section became a battleground even faster. After scrolling through thousands of comments, three major themes emerged. Here’s how viewers are reacting in the comments.

Why Are We Remaking A Movie That Isn’t Even 10 Years Old?

This sentiment is everywhere. Scroll one inch and you’ll find someone stunned that a 2016 film is already getting the remake treatment. Here are what fans in this camp are feeling:

• “There’s Treasure Planet, there’s Atlantis, there’s Princess and the Frog and we got a movie that isn’t 10 years yet?” – @oyinariv2739
• “Now we’re remaking movies that aren’t even ten years old.” – @hoodartificial5920
• “IT'S ONLY BEEN NINE YEARS!!!!! WE DO NOT NEED A REMAKE!!!!!” – @cyclops8238
• “This movie won’t even be 10 years old when the remake comes out!” – @Ninjagofan360
• “New rule: a film needs to be at least old enough to drink before it can be remade.” – @imjuil4108
• “Ah yes cause Moana 2016 is such an outdated film that definitely needed a remake.” – @SelfDescribedNerd

One commenter summed up the group in this camp: “Disney feels officially creatively bankrupt at this point.” But not everyone felt this way.

Why Moana Before Tangled, Princess and the Frog, or Atlantis?

Personally, if Disney insists on remaking their classics, I’ve always felt the smartest move is to revisit a film that isn’t already a modern classic; something with a great premise that never quite got its due. Based on the YouTube comments, a whole lot of fans feel the same way. Many are questioning why this movie is getting the live-action spotlight instead of titles fans have been begging for. Some of the standout reactions include:

• “A Moana remake before Tangled and Princess and the Frog is crazy.” – @kevin_jaimes35694
• “Moana getting a live action “remake” before Frozen is just hilarious.” – @CoreZeroPH
• “We could have gotten an Atlantis or Treasure Planet remake, but we got this.” @ItsHamberg3r
• “... I am surprised Disney hasn’t thought of remaking Treasure Planet or Atlantis, as those two films have so much potential in live action!”@snowsugardashietheaircatgi932
• “A prequel about Maui would've made way more sense.” – @richardhill6949

Notably, the live-action Tangled is reportedly back on track and will be hitting theaters before you know it. And then there were the viewers who took a playful jab at what they believe might be the real motivation behind the project:

• “Did they just make this because The Rock needed to show up personally?” – @voidedabsolution
• “I bet Dwayne Johnson was the one to push this movie to be made.” – @krysgg7600

Honestly? The idea of The Rock championing a project isn’t exactly far-fetched. He famously drove the creative push behind Black Adam and the attempt to recenter the DCEU around his character. But as sharp as these comments are, they lead directly into another, even more blunt camp of fan frustration.

Enough With The Live Action Remakes, Already

The third major wave of frustration centers on a familiar question: Why are we still doing these live-action remakes—especially when the footage looks more AI-generated than “live action”? A lot of viewers say the remake doesn’t look live-action at all, just heavily processed CGI with actors dropped in. Some of the standout comments include:

• “The term ‘Live Action’ is doing some real heavy lifting here.” – @jonnyboy1925
• “So basically it’s still animated, just with live humans inserted into it.” – @Aweschumm
• “This somehow looks more digital than the original movie did.” – @FoundFootage100
• “So much CG even the real footage looks animated.” – @LILGHETTI
• “This looks like those live-action concept trailers people would make in 2012.” – @autisticsonicfan
• “If you titled it ‘AI Fan-Made Moana Movie Teaser,’ I’d totally believe it.” – @jd38

One user, @spicychikn3336, dropped the line that might haunt Disney’s marketing team: “Disney… this looks fan-made… we have a problem here.”

It might sound like we’re cherry-picking negativity, but genuinely, the overwhelming majority of the comments fall into this exact tone. The reaction isn’t just mixed, but almost universally skeptical.

Whether the remake will ultimately win audiences over remains to be seen, but for now, the trailer’s reception suggests Disney might be facing its stormiest waters yet. Moana’s live-action remake hits theaters on July 10, 2026.

The first Moana was a massive hit for Walt Disney Animation Studios, the sort that we knew would launch a franchise. We've already seen a sequel, and considering Disney's success with live-action remakes, seeing one for Moana down the road seemed quite likely, but fans were shocked when we learned we'd be getting one so soon, as it's now only months away.

Now we have our first look at the live-action Moana, as a teaser has dropped. It's a brief one (less than a minute long), but it makes it clear that we see when the movie comes out next year will likely be exactly what fans of the original are hoping for, as the new movie truly looks like the animated hit brought to life. You can check out the full teaser above.

Potentially the most interesting thing about the new Moana teaser is what we don't see. There's no good look at Dwayne Johnson, who will be playing Maui, reprising the role he originated in the animated movie. We get a few shots of Maui in his various animal forms, and a couple of looks at his body, but we never see his face.

I suppose there's something the marketing needs to keep secret, in order to keep people excited, and since everybody knows the plot, Maui is going to be kept back, for at least a little while.

The teaser gives us several key scenes that fans of the original will recognize. We see young Moana meeting the ocean for the first time. We get our first look at the kakamora coconut warriors. The most successful Disney remakes have been the ones that have been the most faithful to the source material, and Moana looks to be going that route.

Another thing the remake looks to have in common with the original is being visually stunning. Moana was some of the most beautiful animation we've seen out of Walt Disney Animation Studios. The remake was filmed on location in Hawai'i, and so there's some truly great scenery here.

It's certainly possible there's more to this new story. The teaser is clearly showing memorable moments, even the coconut going on the head of a screaming Hei Hei, as a way to excite fans, but it's possible we could get some changes to parts of the story we don't see here.

The teaser certainly picked the right music. The "I Am Moana" sequence never fails to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and this version is certainly no different. I've had my issues with Disney remakes in the past, but if the new Moana can truly recreate the experience of watching the original, it will all be worth it.

The summer movie season is here, and as usual Walt Disney Studios has some heavy-hitters to bring audiences to the movies during the warm months – and to infinity and beyond! The company just came off a huge box office slay with the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2 and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 has been breaking box office records. So, what’s next for the House of Mouse? You can take a look below and find out!

Before you continue, we should note that The Walt Disney Company also has a bunch more than you’ll see here: there’s upcoming Marvel movies like Avengers: Doomsday on the way this holiday season and more Star Wars movies after The Mandalorian & Grogu such as Starfighter coming next summer. Here’s a look at everything Disney has announced for the rest of this year and all the years to come.

Moana (Live-Action)

Release Date: July 10, 2026

Knowing how successful live-action remakes of Disney movies are, we probably could have guessed that a live-action Moana would happen someday, but few might have expected it to happen so fast. Just about a decade after the animated hit was released, the live-action version is set to debut from Walt Disney Studios. Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role in the flesh as Maui. Catherine Lagaʻaia will debut as the new Moana.

Super Troopers 3

Release Date: August 7, 2026

The Broken Lizard team is back with what is sure to be another incredible comedy with Super Troopers 3. Exactly what this movie will be about is unclear, but I can't imagine that anybody excited for it is going to care.

The Dog Stars

Release Date: August 28, 2026

When Ridley Scott makes a new movie, everybody should take notice. The Dog Stars is one of the upcoming book-to-screen adaptations on the way, as it is based on a bestseller from Peter Heller. The Dog Stars is a post-apocalyptic story that follows characters played by Josh Brolin and Jacob Elordi in the aftermath of a pandemic that has wiped out most life on the planet. The movie comes from Disney’s 20th Century Studios.

Whalefall

Release date: October 16, 2026

Another 20th Century Studios film, Whalefall is based on a novel by Daniel Kraus. It’s about a man scuba diving in search of his fathers remains, who is accidentally swallowed by a whale, and must find a way to escape. It stars Austin Abrams, Josh Brolin, and Elisabeth Shue and is written and helmed by Brian Duffield.

Wild Horse Nine

Release Date: November 6, 2026

Searchlight Pictures has a black comedy starring the likes of John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey coming out just in time for awards season. It’s about two longtime CIA officers living in 1973 who get stationed in Easter Island. The movie is written and directed by In Bruges and The Banshees of Inisherin filmmaker Martin McDonagh

Hexed

Release Date: November 25, 2026

Announced during Disney’s Destination D23 event in August 2025, Hexed is an original story from Walt Disney Animation Studios that follows a teenager named Billie and his “Type-A” mother who discover she has magical abilities. This discovery leads them to a world where magic can run free. Hailee Steinfeld plays Billie and Rashida Jones voices her mom, Alice.

Ice Age: Boiling Point

Release Date: February 5, 2027

After Blue Sky Studios shut down in 2021, there was a time when more Ice Age movies seemed out of the realm of possibility. However, when it was acquired by The Walt Disney Company as part of its acquisition of 20th Century Fox that soon changed. The new movie brings back all our favorite characters from the series: Ray Romano’s Manny, John Leguizamo’s Sid, Denis Leary’s Diego, Queen Latifah’s Ellie and Simon Pegg’s “Buck” Wild.

Gatto

Release Date: March 5, 2027

The upcoming original Pixar title is set in Venice and focuses on a cat named Nero who needs to pay back a debt to a feline mob boss. This leads Nero into an unlikely partnership with a street musician. It comes from the filmmaker of Luca, Enrico Casarosa, and stars Mark Ruffalo as the leading kitty.

Bluey

Release Date: August 6, 2027

Bluey, the Australian animated kids show, has proven to be a hit for all ages and is regularly among the most-watched shows on Disney+. Disney will also distribute a feature-length Bluey movie in 2027 directed by the show’s creator Joe Brumm and giving the show’s beloved characters a big-screen debut.

The Simpsons Movie 2

Release Date: September 3, 2027

20 years after their last big screen endeavor The Simpsons will once again hit the big screen thanks to Disney’s 20th Century Studios. We don’t have many details about the plot of this one yet.

Frozen III

Release Date: November 24, 2027

Frozen is too big of a phenomenon to not receive another sequel, and it’s on the way for next fall. We know the third movie will feature Anna and Kristoff having a royal wedding and a mysterious adventure will once again have Elsa using her magical abilities to save her family and kingdom. The Frozen 3 release date for November 2027. Jennifer Lee previously confirmed that the story is so big it will require two movies, though when we’ll see the second one has yet to be officially announced.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: February 18, 2028

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Lilo & Stitch 2

Release Date: May 26, 2028

The sequel to the live action Lilo & Stitch was announced quickly after the first film's success, and the release date has already been set, indicating this movie is on the fast track. We expect to see Maia Kealoha’s Lilo, Sydney Agudong’s Nani and the voice of Stitch, Chris Sanders back, but details about the sequel are currently under wraps.

Incredibles 3

Release Date: June 16, 2028

Officially announced as being in development at D23 2024, Incredibles 3 has a summer release date which places its release at exactly a decade since the last one came out. Life moves as fast as Dash does!

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: November 10, 2028

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: February 16, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: March 9, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: May 25, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Disney Animation

Release Date: June 15, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed animated movie.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: August 3, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: October 5, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Disney Movie

Release Date: November 9, 2029

Disney is holding this date on the release calendar for an as yet unnamed movie.

Untitled Pixar Movie

Release Date: November 21, 2029

As of now, the movie set for this date is officially untitled, but since we know Coco 2 is in development, and the original film was also a November release, it's a safe bet that the movie is at least planned to go here.

Avatar 4

Release Date: December 21, 2029

James Cameron has said that parts of Avatar 4 were filmed alongside Avatar: The Way of Water and Avatar: Fire and Ash, but another massive production will need to get underway to finish out the five-movie cycle. Cameron had hinted the last two films may not actually happen, but thus far, we still expect them.

Avatar 5

Release Date: December 19, 2031

The final Avatar movie will finally arrive in 2031, assuming there are not more delays, or plans change for James Cameron.

Recent Releases

Are you looking for a recently released Walt Disney Company movie that already came out that you may have missed? Check out how you can watch the latest movies that came out within the past year below:

Now In Theaters

Toy Story 5

Now Streaming On Disney+

Avatar: Fire And Ash
Hoppers
Zootopia 2
Tron: Ares

Now Streaming On Hulu

Psycho Killer
Send Help
Is This Thing On?
Rental Family
Predator Badlands

Available To Buy Only

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Coming To Digital June 30, Disney+/Hulu on July 29)
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

They say every role leaves a mark—but in the case of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one role may have physically shaped another. Long before production on the live-action Moana reboot began, Johnson underwent a radical transformation for A24’s biopic The Smashing Machine. And, as it turns out, a lot of that work stuck, impacting his return as Maui in a way I hadn’t realized.

While he may be heading back to the beach for the upcoming Disney live-action movie, Johnson brought more than charm and demigod tattoos this time around. In a new interview with Variety, the Fast and Furious alum opened up about the toll Benny Safdie’s acclaimed 2025 movie release took on him—emotionally and physically. After bulking up to portray real-life fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson said he had just two weeks before rolling straight into Moana. He explained:

For The Rock, the transformation wasn’t just about size, but speed and authenticity to the character. For The Smashing Machine, he trained like a wrestler, not a bodybuilder, to mirror Kerr’s explosive power. However, that aesthetic overlaps with Maui’s larger-than-life persona, yet the intention behind it was completely different. Smashing Machine demanded physical brutality and emotional vulnerability. On the other hand, Moana demanded a Disney-level combination of charisma and presence. Somehow, the Mummy Returns veteran had to carry both.

Johnson looks a bit different now, though. Fans who’ve followed the Black Adam star’s recent red carpet appearances may have noticed another transformation—he’s significantly leaner now, dropping weight for a very different kind of role. Per People's reporting from TIFF, Johnson is reuniting with Safdie after The Smashing Machine, but this time for something entirely unexpected. He explained to a crowd at TIFF:

From The Smashing Machine to Moana, and now back again with Safdie for another bold transformation, Dwayne Johnson’s movie career feels more exciting—and more dynamic—than ever. He’s really turning a corner as a film star, and it's clear how much he’s poured into these recent roles.

The behind-the-scenes physical transformation offers a glimpse of what to expect from the live-action Moana as it approaches its release amid the 2026 movie schedule. Maui won’t just be a CGI-enhanced spectacle but a physically grounded presence, thanks in large part to the minimal turnaround time between roles. In a way, The Rock is bringing some of The Smashing Machine’s emotional and physical weight to the shores of Motunui, and that’s a version of Maui I didn’t see coming (but can’t wait to watch).

If you’re looking forward to upcoming Dwayne Johnson movies, you’re gonna want to mark your calendars as The Smashing Machine hits theaters on October 3. Also, the live-action version of Moana will be released on July 10, 2026.

When people visit Disneyland, one of the things they love to do is visit their favorite Disney characters. From Minnie and Mickey to Iron Man and Kylo Ren, Disney’s most popular characters can be spoken to, hugged (maybe not Kylo Ren), and photos can be taken to remember the experience. For some, no ride is as important as hugging their favorite Disney Princess.

But Disneyland guests got an even better experience recently when the actual Disney Princesses appeared and performed a live concert. As part of Disney’s World Princess Week, The Little Mermaid’s Jodi Benson, Beauty and the Beast’s Paige O’Hara, Moana’s Auliʻi Cravalho, and The Princess and the Frog’s Anika Noni Rose all performed together live in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, captured on Twitter, and this is the Disney magic I live for:

Moments like this make the world feel just that little bit less like a dumpster fire. Something like this almost certainly won’t happen again, which makes the fact that it happened all quite special.

Two other members of Disney royalty, Hercules' Susan Egan and Ginnifer Goodwin, of both Once Upon a Time and Zootopia, hosted the event, making the entire experience quite special for those lucky enough to be in the park to see it. The full concert will be broadcast on YouTube starting August 29 and will be available with a Disney+ subscription at some point soon.

Being able to see any one of these great stars in person would be special. Being able to see all of them perform together, and in front of the iconic Disneyland castle, would be the most amazing thing I can think of. The only thing about this that isn’t perfect is that I wasn’t in the park to see it.

Seeing Paige O’Hara on stage to sing Belle's songs of from in Beauty and the Beast is an especially big deal. O’Hara hasn’t been the “official” voice of Belle since 2011. While she voiced the character for the Disney Princess appearances in Ralph Breaks the Internet and the recent Once Upon a Studio animated short, this is, as far as I know, the first time she has publicly performed Beauty and the Beast songs in a very long time.

On the flip side, this might be the second time this year that some fans may have seen Susan Egan at Disneyland. The voice of Meg from Hercules made an unannounced appearance during Disneyland’s ‘90s Nite After Hours event and even sang “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” during the karaoke at the Golden Horseshoe.

All-in-all, this was a truly royal experience, and honestly, seeing all these princesses together made my week.

A.I. is now a major topic of conversation in every major industry, it seems, and Hollywood is certainly no different. It’s being adopted to varying degrees to handle a variety of responsibilities, but one place we apparently won’t see it is in the upcoming live-action Moana remake. At least, not as it pertains to Dwayne Johnson’s performance as Maui.

A new piece in the Wall Street Journal takes a look at how the House of Mouse is walking something of a tightrope when it comes to using A.I. Disney, along with Universal, have filed a major lawsuit for copyright infringement against one A.I. company, but has also been exploring how it might be possible to use A.I. technology in movie production, as it nearly did just that.

The Live-Action Moana Could Have Included An A.I. Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson is set to reprise his role from the original Moana and play Maui in next year's live-action remake. According to the journal, Disney spent some amount of time working on an idea that would have seen The Rock’s stand-in, Johnson’s cousin Tanoai Reed, have A.I. deepfake technology applied to his performance to make him look like Dwayne Johnson, allowing The Rock to be seen in two places at once.

According to the report, Disney has since moved away from this plan, and the A.I. Maui won’t be seen the live-action Moana. However, the reason for this seems to have less to do with the ability to make the technology work, and more to do with logistical details and legal complications regarding deployment and security concerns.

It’s also said that there was a worry that if A.I. generated part of the film, Disney might not be able to claim complete ownership of the movie. It’s perhaps an understandable reason to walk away considering copyright is a major issue in Disney’s other major A.I. endeavor.

Disney Is Involved In A Major AI Lawsuit

In June, Disney and Universal filed suit together against A.I. company Midjourney for alleged copying of copyrighted material. Clearly, while the company sees AI has a potential tool that it can use, the possibility for other to use it against them is also being considered.

While A.I. wasn’t used in the case of Moana, it seems quite likely it will be used by Disney in the future. A new Netflix series recently used A.I. in a visual effect. James Cameron, the creator of The Terminator, has recently suggested A.I. might be necessary as a way to bring down the costs of big budget films.

Red tape may have ultimately stopped an A.I. Maui from appearing in Moana, but if the questions and problems that companies like Disney have today can be addressed, it seems all but certain that major studios will use A.I. We just don't know when or how quite yet.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet some pretty famous people in this job, but one star I would love to meet that I haven’t yet had the pleasure of crossing paths with is Lin-Manuel Miranda. I’m a big fan of basically everything he’s ever done, and it would be wonderful to be able to tell him that in person.

One person who I now know feels the same way is Disney Dan. The man who is best known for his in-depth videos on theme park costumed characters recently had the opportunity to meet the Hamilton and Moana songwriter. So, of course, he did not throw away his shot. In pure Disney Dan fashion, he met Miranda while dressed in a giant chicken costume, and the only thing better is the look on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s face when he spies Hei Hei from across the room. Check it out.

That's priceless, no notes. First, you can see Lin-Manuel Miranda's reaction looking like he can’t believe what he’s seeing, then he walks over to meet “Hei Hei.” It’s just the most cordial exchange in the world, like he’s not shaking hands with a giant chicken. [Insert Animaniacs joke here.]

While Dan’s trademark laugh is on full display here, you can still tell he’s truly honored to meet Lin-Manuel Miranda in person. Miranda seems to understand that he's talking to a true fan and treats the experience that way.

If you're in the theme park sphere, then you likely know Disney Dan. His YouTube channel covers a variety of theme park-related topics, but is primarily focused on the history and evolution of character costumes in theme parks.

Dan’s passion for the massive costumes that are worn in theme parks has led to a love of costumes in general for him. He’s previously visited Epic Universe dressed as Toothless and ridden Universal’s Cat in the Hat ride as the Cat in the Hat.

This is far from the first time that Disney Dan has gotten a strong reaction from a costume. This is the same guy who showed up at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the last day of Muppet*Vision 3D in a Monsters Inc. mask and trolled guests watching the show one last time, with the IP that is set to replace the attraction. To my knowledge, he didn’t show up at the closure of the Rivers of America in a Cars-themed costume, but he did threaten to do so.

Honestly, this whole exchange just makes me want to hang out with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Disney Dan together. They both seem like people who would have a good time together and are more than willing to have a little fun at their own expense.

Need a few ideas for what new movies to see this weekend and beyond? Our 2026 release schedule below has. you covered!

All hail the great Steven Spielberg, who returns to the sci-fi genre for Disclosure Day, which critics think will be a big talking point for audiences. (It also ties into another one of his genre classics, so keep an eye out.) Beyond that, the upcoming weekend has several smaller debuts to look forward to, and the upcoming horror movie Find Your Friends is hitting streaming for those who want to stay in. (But I'm guessing a ton of people will be going to see Kane Parson's acclaimed Backrooms after its record-breaking debut weekend.)

Check out what you can find in theaters and streaming this weekend, as well as everything on the way for the rest of 2026.

June 2026 Movie Releases

Disclosure Day definitely isn't the last big-budget blockbuster hitting theaters in June, with the upcoming DC movie Supergirl set to slosh along later in the month, as well as cinema's most beloved gang of discarded playthings returning in Jackass: Best and Last. No wait, I meant Toy Story 5!

July 2026 Movie Releases

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey end up being one of the biggest box office wins of the year, but it'll be in fast competition with the likes of Disney’s live-action adaptation of Moana, Tom Holland’s latest MCU romp Spider-Man: Brand New Day and the latest Minions movie.

August 2026 Movie Releases

Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway star in David Robert Mitchell’s mysterious thriller The End of the Street, and the previously shelved Looney Tunes movie, Coyote vs. Acme will finally see the light of day (this better not be a painting on the side of a rock) when August 2026 comes around. And the newest Insidious movie is also creeping just around the corner, as is Ridley Scott's post-apocalyptic survivor thriller The Dog Stars.

September 2026 Movie Releases

Ahead of the spookiest season of the year, look forward to a new horror from "Too Many Cooks" creator Casper Kelly (Buddy), and before Reacher Season 4, watch Alan Ritchson's newest action movie Runner.

October 2026 Movie Releases

October 2026 will likely be a big one for horror fans, but at the moment, it's shaping up to be a solid array of movies for fans of all kinds, from Alejandro G. Iñárritu and Tom Cruise's Digger to the DCU's first horror attempt in Clayface to the latest stop-motion epic from Laika, Wildwood.

November 2026 Movie Releases

This November, YA fans can give thanks for the return of Panem with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, with Johnny Depp also returning to the big screen with horror director Ti West for a new take on Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol. Perhaps the biggest (literal) return comes from a certain fire-breathing monster, though...

December 2026 Movie Releases

The most wintery wonderland-y part of 2026 will indeed feature a visit from Santa Claus, or at least the version played by David Harbour. One of the most star-studded movies of any given year will also arrive on Christmas Day itself, with Anthony and Joe Russo's return to the MCU for Avengers: Doomsday. although some fans have taken to calling it Dunesday, given the shared release date with Denis Villeneuve's third sci-fi epic.

Be sure to bookmark our upcoming 2026 movie schedule, as release dates for these films are subject to change.

‘Ohana clearly means a lot to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in terms of his relationship with Disney. Not only has he embraced the role of Maui in Moana and its sequel (both streamable with a Disney+ subscription), but he’ll be reprising the iconic demigod in the upcoming live-action Disney remake. Ahead of that film's release, though the former wrestler congratulated the Lilo & Stitch remake on its box office success.

Disney’s live-action remakes have had varied performances as of late. Mufasa surpassed Sonic the Hedgehog 3 during its box office run, though it received mixed reviews. Snow White also received middling reactions and struggled hard at the box office. However, Lilo & Stitch has crushed at the box office during Memorial Day weekend, nabbing over $145 million domestically.

Even before those final figures came in, tracking numbers looked good, which is what likely prompted The Rock to share the following message on Instagram:

I’m sure it means a whole lot for Dwayne Johnson to see another Disney movie that embraces Polynesian culture achieve box office success. Lilo & Stitch, which marks the return of one of the best pets in Hollywood history, seems to be striking a chord with a new generation of viewers and possibly even those who grew up on the 2002 film on which it's based. The 2025 movie release's run is only just beginning, but it's off to a stellar start!

The Rock's connection to Polynesian culture comes from his mother, who is of Samoan heritage. His maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, was known as the “High Chief” in Samoan wrestling. All in all, Johnson seems to have embraced his roots. He’s even got a Samoan Pe’a tattoo on his left side that tells the story of his ancestry and he and wife Lauren Hasian had a secret wedding in Hawaii in 2019.

Hawaii also seems to play a role in Dwayne Johnson’s work. The actor previously said getting to film Jumanji in Hawaii was important to him, as it gave him a chance to connect further with his Polynesian culture.

Johnson's role as Maui has been impactful for him as well. While discussing the role, he's talked about providing authentic Polynesian representation, touching families around the world in the process. If the Moana remake can channel the culture as well, it could possibly reinforce the importance of telling diverse stories that will inspire audiences across the globe. See Johnson’s full Instagram post below:

Maui may be used to saying “You’re welcome,” but Lilo & Stitch’s box office success just got “a grateful congrats” from Dwayne Johnson. I love seeing the A-lister give props to the newly released film, which you can see in theaters now. Also, check out The Rock as a live-action Maui when the live-action Moana remake hits theaters on July 10, 2026.

One of the most exciting things about being a Disney fan is seeing how the imagination that comes out of Disney movies translates into new Disney World attractions. Imagineers are always transforming the House of Mouse’s theme parks to reflect the most popular and beloved films. And now that Moana 2 has become the highest-grossing Walt Disney Animated movie behind the Frozen movies (and has been dominating on Disney+), I asked two of the musical’s voice actors about how they’d like to see their characters enter Disney Parks.

Moana currently has a presence in EPCOT in Orlando, Florida with a water trail attraction called the Journey of Water. The garden depicts the Earth’s water cycle and includes Te Fiti, Hei Hei, Pua and Moana. But as I told Matangi voice actress Awhimai Fraser, when watching her character’s “Get Lost” sequence, I could imagine Moana 2 getting a ride. Here’s how she replied:

How cool would it be to feel like you're riding the waves with Moana and her crew? I can totally imagine an indoor ride that takes guests through both the first and second film, and I know the “Get Lost” sequence would be a favorite moment. Despite Barlow and Bear dealing with criticism over the soundtrack, I think Matangi’s song is a total banger!

During CinemaBlend’s recent visit to Walt Disney Animation in Burbank, California, Hualālai Chung, aka Moana 2’s Moni, was beside Fraser while we talked about Disney Parks ideas. Here’s what he had to say about his character being part of an attraction:

Now this is just perfect. While we love a good ride, thrills are not for everyone. I know when I go to Disney’s California Adventure, I always love dropping by the Animation Academy where there’s rotating lessons where you can learn to draw various Disney characters. How fun would it be for a Disney character to teach you the ways of Moni? It sounds so interactive and fun.

We hope imagineers are reading this! While these are just brainstorming ideas, Moana 2 did have a limited presence in the Disney Parks when the movie was released in fall. As Disney Parks Blog detailed at the time, Moana got a new look for appearances at DCA and the Journey of Water at EPCOT, five characters were added to draw at The Animation Experience at Animal Kingdom and Moana was added to World of Color.

While you’re checking out all things Moana 2, check out what the filmmakers told us about Disney easter eggs and recording the emotional ending scene with The Rock.

SPOILERS are ahead for Moana 2, now streaming on Disney+ and available to buy on digital and Blu-ray.

Did you stay after the credits of Moana 2? Yes, end credit scenes are typically saved for MCU movies, but the Walt Disney Animation sequel included one to show off its big bad, Nalo, in the flesh and give Tamotoa a hilarious little cameo. When CinemaBlend sat down with two out of three of the movie's directors, Jason Hand and David Derrick Jr., to talk about Moana 2 spoilers like Moana’s death scene and what Disney easter eggs to look for, I asked them all about the decision and what it means for a possible third film.

Why Moana 2 Has An End Credit Scene, According to The Directors

While end credit scenes have typically been found in films to tease more movies, that’s not the impression I got from filmmakers Hand and Derrick when they discussed their decision to have one in Moana 2. First, here’s what Hand had to say:

After the gargantuan coconut crab known as Tamotoa became a favorite in the first Moana for singing the goofy song “Shiny” and being voiced by the hilarious Jemaine Clement, the directors had to bring the character back for the sequel, but they had a difficult time finding where he would organically fit. They ultimately opted to add him in an epilogue moment alongside Nalo.

It’s a clever scene since Tamotoa is such a different villain than the storm god, Nalo. As Derrick Jr. added:

As he shared, the scene with Nalo, Matangi and Tamotoa was long in Moana 2, but initially as the movie’s end. However, they ultimately decided they wanted the film to officially end on Moana finishing her adventure, and leave the scene as a bit of an afterthought after the credits start to roll.

What Does The End Credit Scene Mean For Moana 3?

Moana 2 made $1.059 billion at the worldwide box office, becoming one of the third highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation movies of all time (behind the Frozen films). So, I imagined the filmmakers were already thinking up ideas for Moana 3 and the end credit scene was one avenue in.

However, as Jason Hand reminded me with his answer, Disney movies take years and years of development, and it’s perhaps too soon for them to look at what could be next. Here’s what he said when I asked him if Moana 3 was on the brain when they made the end credits scene:

Considering Moana 2 is also dominating on Disney+ big time and Moana is such a beloved Disney Princess, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if Moana 3 got greenlit tomorrow. However, the movie (which was originally crafted as a Disney+ series), took the filmmakers four years to develop, and I imagine they’d like some time away from the world before coming back.

Should they do so, Moana 2’s end credits have definitely set up that Nalo is still alive and well, and could continue to be the main villain moving forward.

SPOILERS ahead for Moana 2, now on Disney+!

Now that Moana 2 has been a record-breaking box office hit and dominated on Disney+ with the biggest numbers on the streaming service since Encanto, we can say this openly: Moana is a demigod! At the end of the 2024 sequel, Moana risks her life to save her people by diving into the ocean, but rather than dying forever, her ancestors give her the gift of being given the divine status Maui has. When CinemaBlend spoke to the Moana 2 directors about the movie’s ending when we were at Walt Disney Animation earlier this month, they expressed the cultural reason why the ending was so important to The Rock.

Prior to Moana becoming a demigod, you can feel the fear from Maui’s end at first that he’s just lost a friend. When CinemaBlend spoke to directors Jason Hand and David Derrick Jr about what it was like to record the emotional scene with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, they spoke about their insights into the filmmaking process for that scene. As director Jason Hand shared:

In the key Moana 2 scene, Maui, Moana and her crew are attempting to raise back up the island of Motufetu from beneath a storm of waves caused by the storm god, Nalo. As Moana dives into the ocean to touch Motufetu, they both get struck by Nalo’s lightning.

While the bolt strips Maui of his powers, it’s a deadly blow for Moana. When Maui rushes to find Moana dead, he calls on the spirits of Tautai Vasa for help in the song “Manu Vavau”. Director David Derrick Jr then said this of the scene:

While much of the audience who watches may not know the exact words Maui says to the spirits during the song, it's clear he’s using them to ask for help. It’s beautiful to get to hear Dwayne Johnson speak in Samoan for the song, which was written by Samoan songwriter Opetaia Foa’i for the film. (Plus, did you know that The Rock’s character of Maui was influenced by his grandfather?) It sounds like it was an especially emotional scene for The Rock, given he had the chance to sing in the native language of his ancestors for a Disney movie.

In addition to Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow writing the soundtrack (following Lin-Manuel Miranda doing the first movie), Opetaia Foa’i wrote a series of original songs Samoan singers perform throughout said soundtrack to make the movie true to Moana’s origins. How incredible is it that Moana 2 can expose audiences all around the world to Samoan language, culture and mythology?

New to streaming this past week was Moana 2 with its Disney+ premiere on March 12th. This is a huge benefit to those who didn’t get a chance to see our favorite tough-as-nails female Disney character reunite with Maui in theaters. You better believe that the sequel is surging with big numbers from those with a Disney+ subscription, with The Rock celebrating with a big “Chee Hoo.”

The original Moana previously broke records left and right. The Disney flick achieved a box office record by bringing in $2.6 million from Tuesday-paid previews, which is the highest ever for a Walt Disney Studios Animation film and a non-Pixar Disney film. Then the animated musical film became a box office success, achieving $687 million and scoring two Oscar nominations for Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature. Fortunately, the sequel ended up reaching numbers just as outstanding not only in theaters but in its Disney+ debut. Following that success, The Rock made sure to provide his own original way to celebrate his movie’s achievement.

Moana 2 is Making Killer Numbers on Disney+

Moana 2 was already serving up a box office feast this past Thanksgiving bringing in $1.05 billion worldwide in theaters. That would make the sequel the third highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios release of all time.

Just when you thought Moana 2’s Thanksgiving numbers were impressive, its streaming debut on Disney+ was just as amazing. Disney’s press release revealed the Moana follow-up made waves with 27.3 million views globally within its first five days on the streamer. This is the biggest premiere on the Disney streaming service since 2021's Encanto. Not to mention, it’s the third-largest animated theatrical release to premiere on Disney+.

The large number of Moana 2 views has also benefited the first Moana movie which now has 1.4 billion hours streamed on the service. It proves that the journey of the animated Polynesian teenager continues to strike the hearts of moviegoers and streamers combined.

The Rock Made Sure to Celebrate With a Big ‘Chee Hoo!’

The success of Moana 2 not only meant a great deal to Walt Disney Animation Studios but also to its voice actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. After the Disney sequel reached its historic box office milestone, Johnson gave a big thank you “for the global embrace of our Polynesian culture” and all those who came to theaters to see it. Now that the American actor is aware of his film’s surging Disney+ numbers, he took to Instagram with a big “Maui chee hooo!” to celebrate with his fans:

In the joyful Instagram video, you can see Dwayne Johnson with the Moana 2 team celebrating its success and thanking those who contributed to it. He continued to express what a big deal the Disney animated movie was to him in inspiring youth and adults to “see beyond what’s in front of them.” And, of course, his speech couldn’t end without letting out his character’s popular “Chee hoo!” catchphrase with the whole room triumphantly joining in. The Polynesian exclamation of excitement was perfectly fitting for such a momentous occasion.

Dwayne Johnson’s character, Maui, may be known for singing “You’re Welcome,” but its voice actor made sure to give a big “Chee Hoo!” for his movie’s big streaming numbers. With Moana 2’s Disney+ views making the sequel the third most-watched animated theatrical release to premiere on the streamer, that means the love for the animated Polynesian characters and their oceanic adventures is stronger than ever.

Feel free to add the Moana movies to your streaming schedule with both movies available to watch on your Disney+ subscription. Make sure to add Disney’s live-action Moana remake to your watchlist in theaters on July 10th, 2026.

Now that Moana 2 is officially available to stream with a Disney+ subscription, fans of all ages can officially put the movie on repeat as they have with the first Moana movie in the comfort of their homes. It was a huge success at the box office, earning the biggest global opening of all time for an animated movie, but a popular complaint among critics had to do with Barlow and Bear’s music in the shadow of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Moana original songs. So when I sat down with the composers of Moana 2, I had to ask the songwriting duo how they’ve handled themselves in the face of criticism.

I must say, Barlow and Bear had a solid take on the whole thing. Here’s what Abigail Barlow had to say when we talked at Walt Disney Animation for the Disney+ release press day:

Haters are going to hate, and the internet is going to the internet, but all the while the Moana 2 songwriters are focusing on what’s important to them. Abigail Barlow called writing the six tracks for the Moana 2 soundtrack a “labor of love” that she and Emily Bear put a lot of work into in between Bear being on the road with Beyoncé for the Renaissance tour (where she played the keys). Here’s what Bear added:

Given "Can I Get A Chee-Hoo" on its own has been streamed on Spotify over 19 million times as of this article's publication, I think they have touched a lot more than a hundred people, don't you think?

By being part of the Moana 2 soundtrack, they became the first women and youngest composer duo in Disney history to write the music for an animated film for the studio. While there can be a lot of noise when you are in a movie that makes $1 billion dollars worldwide, the duo keeps themselves on solid ground by focusing on the people in front of them and the people who did connect with their work.

While there are a lot of people who have called the sequel “not as good as” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first movie, including in our own Moana 2 review, there’s also so many people who absolutely loved the movie and the work Barlow and Bear put into the songs. I know the soundtrack very much had a presence on my Spotify Wrapped for last year, between my deep love for “Beyond” and “Get Lost.” Check out their performance of the latter on YouTube:

In our previous interview with Barlow and Bear, the duo said they wrote three or four “full extra songs” for the movie in addition to what made it into the soundtrack, and “hundreds of different versions” before landing on what we see in the movie. It’s great to hear their responses to the criticism is so centered months after the initial release.

SPOILERS are ahead for Moana 2, now streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Be aware of this (if you somehow haven’t seen the box office hit) before jumping in your canoe and venturing forward.

Moana 2 is the latest of big movies to be new to streaming following its massive theatrical run. And, in celebration of the film's Disney+ debut, CinemaBlend had the chance to talk to two of the directors about a few aspects of it that might have missed the first time you watched it. So, get your remotes ready and follow along with us on some exciting easter eggs and fun tidbits.

There's An Easter Egg That Foreshadows Moana 2's Ending

I thought the most interesting piece of information that David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand shared with me was in regard Moana’s eventual rebirth as a demigod. I don’t think most fans noticed that the tattoos she receives at the end of the movie after risking her life for her people were foreshadowed earlier in the movie. As Derrick shared in our interview:

How cool is that? Given Maui is connected with the ancestors as a demigod, perhaps he had some sort of inkling of Moana becoming a demigod? No matter, check out images below that point out what the filmmakers are speaking to:

Now, that’s a fun detail and speaks to just how meticulous and clever these animators are. Needless to say, It will have me looking at Dwayne Johnson’s song differently whenever I watch the film moving forward. And there are other excellent nods within the film that major Disney lovers are sure to appreciate.

The Moana 2 Directors Also Pointed Out A Big Moana 2 Easter Egg Deep Cut

Walt Disney Animation is known for sneaking in easter Eggs from other Disney movies, so I additionally asked the directors about that. Here’s the one David Derrick Jr. shared:

When I looked back at the movie, it took me a while to find the aforementioned easter egg. It happens around 1 hour and 15 minutes into the movie while Moana and her crew are in the storm. Derrick is referring to a fork or “dinglehopper” from The Little Mermaid, but this one is squinter. You can see it briefly as the items leave the canoe. I applaud anyone who was actually able to spot this during their first viewing.

Yes, There's A Zootopia 2 Easter Egg, But Disney+ Will Probably Skip It

Lastly, it’s tradition for the House of Mouse's animation studio to sneak in a cameo for an upcoming Disney movies in the one preceding it. In this case, that is the upcoming Zootopia 2, which its theaters this fall. When I hunted around, I found it at the very end of the credits for Moana 2 in the form of one of Moni’s drawings. Check it out:

Now, unless you are really up on Disney you’re not going to clock this, and when I was looking on Disney+, I noticed the app actually skipped the credits for me and started trying to play another title. But that snake is a new character named Gary, who's set to be voiced by Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Ke Huy Quan in Zootopia 2. All we know about Gary so far is he’ll be pursued by Nick and Judy in their latest case.

As a fan myself, I really hope that the knowledge of these fun Moana 2 details enriches your viewing experience on Disney+. What makes Walt Disney Animation so special is how much work its filmmakers put into every frame, and this entry in the Moana franchise is no exception.

Since we have to wait almost a year before the next of upcoming Disney movies from Walt Disney Animation, it’s worth looking back on the latest movie from the studio, Moana 2. The movie recently became available to rent and buy on digital platforms, and while I was going through the bonus features, I learned something new about the character of Maui that has made me look at Dwayne Johnson’s character in a different light.

I Just Found Out Dwayne Johnson’s Maui Was Inspired By His Grandfather

While watching the “A New Voyage” featurette on Moana 2’s special features, I learned The Rock has a personal connection to Maui. Yes, I'm talking aside from both characters being Polynesian icons. Check out what he said:

Who is The Rock’s grandpa? His name is High Chief Peter Maivia and wrestling fans should already know him thanks to The Rock bringing him up throughout his professional career. He was a wrestler known as the “Flyin’ Hawaiian," as well as an actor and stunt coordinator. You may have seen him in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice as a driver who transports 007 and who ends up fighting Sean Connery’s version of the character. In 1981, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died about a year later at the young age of 45.

Years later, he's returned to the pop culture sphere thanks to his grandson, and honestly, how cool is it The Rock gets to play tribute through a Disney character? It definitely makes me appreciate Maui more knowing that The Rock has a deeper reason and inspiration to him, and that he’s actually used his late family member’s traits to embody a beloved character that a whole generation loves, including his daughters, who see themselves in Moana.

While this may not be new information for everyone, (as he apparently talked about it in 2022) and shared some photos of High Chief Peter Maivia on his Instagram when the movie opened big late last year, I somehow missed the boat the first time around. However, I’m happy I know this movie fact now, as well as other facts the filmmakers delved into in Moana 2.

I Also Love How Maui’s Character Was Deepened For Moana 2

While watching the Moana 2 bonus features, I also really liked what the filmmakers and The Rock had to say about building upon the character of Maui after the original Moana movie. Writer/director Dana Ledoux Miller said this:

It’s so excellent to have a character like Maui challenge toxic masculinity with his role, as he does when he has to forgo his pride and ask for Moana’s help rather than doing a heroic task on his own. The Rock also said this:

Maui is such a great character, and offers much-needed Polynesian representation into the mainstream. Now, I’m so curious how Maui will play when he’s in the live-action Moana, which is set to release next summer.

Moana 2 may not have wowed critics quite as much as the original film did, but it’s unlikely that Walt Disney Animation is that concerned with critical reception right now. At the end of the day, box office success trumps all other considerations, and the sequel to Moana has significantly outperformed the original film, becoming the 56th movie in cinema history to top the $1 billion mark. The film is now one of Dwayne Johnson's highest grossing movies ever and he's thanking the fans.

Box office estimates from this past weekend helped put Moana 2 over the top and Dwayne Johnson took to Instagram to thank fans of his film for making it such a big success. Johnson sees Moana 2’s box office as the embrace of Polynesian culture by a global audience. It’s hard to argue based on the numbers. Johnson wrote…

Considering fewer than 100 movies have achieved a $1 billion gross at the box office, it’s still a pretty elite club. But it's the third Disney movie in the last 12 months to achieve the feat following Deadpool & Wolverine and Inside Out 2. The first Moana movie was still a box office success, but it never came close to crossing that milestone, ending its box office run with a global take of less than $650 million.

If nothing else this is a vindication of those that made the decision to make a major change to the project that became Moana 2. Originally fans were going to get a Moana series on Disney+, but earlier this year Bob Iger announced that the planned series had been transformed into a feature film. While the economics of streaming are still something of a black box, it’s difficult to imagine Moana the series grossing $1 billion on Disney+.

This is likely good news for any fans who are hoping for more Moana going forward. Moana 2 had a post-credits scene that teased additional sequels, and it’s difficult to imagine Disney not taking a serious look at that following this sort of response. Moana 3 almost feels like a foregone conclusion.

The big question for Disney is if the success of Moana 2 will be reflected in the studio’s other upcoming sequels. This year Walt Disney Animation is releasing Zootopia 2, the sequel to a movie that made $1 billion at the box office the first time around. Down the road, we have not only the upcoming Frozen 3 but also Frozen 4, sequels to the movies that were, at their time the highest-grossing animated films ever made.

Lin-Mauel Miranda is an incredible talent, that much goes without saying. Following his success on Broadway with Hamilton, he has become one of the most in-demand composers in Hollywood, but according to actor Andrew Rannells, Miranda’s greatest talents may be in things we never hear on screen.

Rannells is best known for co-starring with Josh Gad in the original Broadway run of The Book of Mormon. However, he also briefly took on the role of King George from Jonathan Groff back in 2015 when Groff had other commitments. Ranells shared his dressing room with Miranda at the time, and he revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that while playing the lead in one musical Miranda was writing another while listening to a third. He explained…

Speaking as somebody who can’t write while also trying to watch TV at the same time, I am in awe of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ability here. To be writing original music for Moana while also listening to the music of Les Mis and, you know, performing the lead in an entirely separate stage musical shows an incredible amount of focus.

Also, how cool is it to be able to get a live audio feed of Les Mis every single night? Did other theaters get the audio feed for Hamilton every night? That only seems fair. Hilariously, Lin-Manuel Miranda responded to the Instagram post of Andrew Rannells' comments saying…

The secret is out. Of course, now everybody working on Broadway is going to try and get a special audio feed of their favorite show piped into their dressing room, and it's all thanks to Andrew Rannells spilling the beans. Check out his full comments below.

Of course, it has to be said that playing Alexander Hamilton and listening to Les Mis every night must be worth something, because the music Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote for Moana was incredible. The music has made the movie one of the most streamed films on any platform for years. It earned Oscar nominations and got itself a sequel. In fact, the biggest criticism of Moana 2 was that the music, not written by Miranda this time around, simply didn’t live up to the original film.

Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't work on the Moana sequel, but he did take his Moana success into other Disney projects, writing songs for Encanto and the live-action version of The Little Mermaid. His newest music can be heard in Mufasa: The Lion King.

When it comes to upcoming Disney movies to look forward to, there are a lot more live-action Disney remakes on the way, including the live-action Moana release date setting sail in less than two years. CinemaBlend recently had the chance to speak to the original movie’s screenwriter, Jared Bush, and he shared the moment from the 2016 classic he can’t wait to see come to life.

In the time since Jared Bush penned the screenplay for Moana, the movie has become a massive favorite among Disney fans, and it recently received a sequel, which is now in theaters. In the summer of 2026, audiences will get to see Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as a live-action version of Maui, and a new actress as Moana. During my interview with Bush, he said this about which scene he’s most excited to see in the new medium:

The emotional core of the first movie is arguably between Moana and her grandmother. She’s the one who inspires Moana to learn about her roots, and then save her people before becoming gravely ill and dying right after she sets sail on her epic hero’s journey. In one memorable moment in the film, Tala says “There is nowhere that you can go that I won’t be with you” before her spirit becomes an illuminated manta ray that often visits and guides Moana.

While it will certainly be exciting to see the Polynesian legend be told through the actions of real people rather than animation, and see Dwayne Johnson belt out “You’re Welcome” as well, Jared Bush’s answer is totally spot on! As a massive fan of the movie, knowing that I’ll be experiencing the scenes between Moana and her grandma all over again in live action has me ready to bawl, too!

The big scene for me has to be the “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors”) moment between Moana and Grandma Tala’s spirit at a pivotal moment in the movie, when the young princess needs some encouragement. Also, imagine seeing Te Fiti rise over the ocean after Moana parts the seas? I really hope the new Moana delivers, because there’s so many great scenes I’m excited to relive again.

Along with interviewing Jared Bush about the new Moana, I also spoke to the original film’s voice actress, Auli’i Cravalho, who shared she’s happy to “pass the baton” to the new Moana, Catherine Laga'aia and executive produce the movie with The Rock. You can look forward to the live-action Moana coming to theaters on July 10, 2026.

When it comes to making a Disney Animation musical, there’s always going to be high pressure for the songwriters in particular, simply because of the sheer number of bangers that presumably made the first movie so popular. For songwriter duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Moana 2 marked their first time writing for a feature film ever, but from where I stand, they most definitely delivered on a memorable new Disney soundtrack packed with emotional callbacks and new melodies. But it's more work to do this phenomenally than you might guess.

In fact, while I spoke with them about one of the biggest 2024 movies for CinemaBlend, they shared more information about their writing process, and it sounds like a whole lot of work! When I sat down with the duo best known for The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, I asked them how many songs they wrote for Moana 2 in total. Here’s what Bear had to say:

These two definitely spent a lot of time together trying to get the latest Disney movie right. While there’s been some criticism about the sequel losing Lin-Manuel Miranda (which Barlow and Bear recently had a great response to), I know I haven’t been able to get the soundtrack out of my head (or my playback) since the movie came out. While six songs of theirs made the final version, Bear threw out a wild number when discussing how many drafts it took for them to get each song right. In other words, these songs did not just flow out in one go, they really pushed themselves to do multiple versions before landing on the songs we hear.

In addition to the main six that are part of Moana 2, Bear also shared there were either three or four full extra songs that they made for the movie that didn’t make it past the cutting room floor. Makes you wonder what part of the story they were about! As Bear thought back to the songwriting process, the composer and songwriter thought back to Dwayne Johnson’s big song “Can I Get A Chee-Hoo?” which they apparently had multiple versions of before finding the right one.

Elsewhere in CinemaBlend’s interview, Barlow and Bear shared the funny story of what happened when they shared their song with The Rock the first time. They knew the other filmmakers were going to play Johnson the song one day, but hours passed without the pair hearing back, so they were convinced “he hates it.” However, once The Rock did listen in on it, he FaceTimed them (without warning), and they were so excited.

Our Moana 2 review kind of says what I feel about the current theatrical release, but it's even cooler when I hear these great BTS stories straight from the people involved. Hopefully, it'll enhance your theatrical experience, too.

As Moana 2 continues to break big at the box office during the holiday season, the Disney Princess is set to be central to another one of the upcoming Disney movies when the live-action Moana hits theaters in 2026. When CinemaBlend spoke to Moana voice actress Auli’i Cravalho about passing the torch to another person, she shared her excitement over the next Moana.

In the new Moana movie, Auli’i Cravalho spoke with us about the sequel being the “first time in Disney history” a Disney Princess is allowed to age, and she found it refreshing. But when it comes to going back and telling the story of a 16-year-old Moana sailing the seas with Maui, the actress is looking forward to seeing the new iteration. In her words:

17-year-old Catherine Laga'aia was officially cast as the live-action Moana over the summer just prior to the movie filming in Atlanta and Hawaii. (In the latter location, the movie got caught by paparazzi on boats!) She is a newcomer actress native to Sydney, Australia with familial roots in Samoa.

Upon the announcement, Laga'aia said she was “honored” to have the opportunity to “celebrate Samoa and all Pacific Island peoples, and to represent young girls who look like me”. Laga'aia will star in the movie with Dwayne Johnson as Maui, John Tui as Moana’s father Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as her mother, Sina and Rena Owens as Gramma Tala.

The movie is being directed by Thomas Kail, who has helmed a host of Broadway and off-Broadway musicals like In The Heights and Hamilton with Lin-Manuel Miranda. The live-action Moana is also being written by the original screenwriter, Jared Bush, and Moana 2 writer/director Dana Ledoux Miller.

Auli’i Cravalho may not be Moana in live action, but she is an executive producer on the film alongside Dwayne Johnson, which has allowed her to work more closely with the actor on the behind-the-scenes details. As she shared:

It's pretty cool to have Dwayne Johnson on your side when it comes to making a movie after Auli’i Cravalho was previously cast purely as the voice in a Disney musical. It’s sweet to hear Cravalho talk about her evolution in the Moana role, and how she has a friend in the new Moana actress along with the animated and live-action Maui, Dwayne Johnson.

You can catch Auli’i Cravalho in Moana 2, now playing in theaters.

Moana 2 crossed the $600 million mark at the global box office, meaning it’s well on its way to outperforming the original film’s $643 million worldwide take. Additionally, M2 teased yet another sequel via a mid-credits scene, so it’s a strong bet that threequel is on the way. Still, before we even get there, we’ll receive the live-action Moana remake of the original 2016 animated hit. And we know more about the new film starring Dwayne Johnson than we should, thanks to the paparazzi, who've apparently found a wild workaround to snap photos.

Filming movies seems to be a continuous battle between filmmakers trying to preserve the magic of filmmaking and paparazzi photographers trying to “get the shot” and be the first to get an image of an actor in costume. Recently, images of the Moana set went viral and included Dwayne Johnson’s Maui body suit.Johnson tells Variety that the movie had done a good job blocking the photogs by land using walls. But, with that, the paparazzi came at them by sea. He explained…

It all shows the lengths paparazzi are willing to go to to get the pictures they can sell. It seems the production officials felt they were safe if they blocked off the views from the land, and there’s a good chance the movie needed the water to be open for at least some of the shots. This meant there was no opening for any photographer enterprising enough to hire a boat. Assuming they sold the pictures for more than the boat rental cost, I guess that makes it a win.

Dwayne Johnson certainly looked even bigger than usual in the images that circulated online, leading some to believe that he may have been wearing a body suit in the set images, though the clarity made things questionable. Johnson confirmed that he is wearing a body suit in the images, which bulk up his already impressive muscles. Yet, more importantly, the suit takes care of Maui’s full body tattoos, which would take a lot longer to apply if they were done artistically.

Unwanted photographers are just something that movies filming on lactation have to deal with. For instance, lots of pictures of James Gunn's Superman were leaked, leading to several revelations about the film. To some extent, such things can't be avoided, something James Gunn admitted later.

When movies film on soundstages they can much more easily control access but, considering that Moana really needs that beach environment, a lot of it is going to need to be filmed outdoors. On the plus side, since everybody knows what Moana is about, the movie probably doesn’t have any major spoilers that it desperately needs to keep hidden.

Stream the original Moana movie now using a Disney+ subscription, and check out the recently released sequel in theaters now. Also, the live-action remake opens in theaters on July 10, 2026.

I want to love Moana so badly, and over the years I’ve tried to because I adore the titular character. However, after Moana 2 was released on the 2024 movie schedule, and I saw it in theaters, I finally accepted my opinion: Moana is one of my all-time favorite Disney characters, however, I really don’t like the movies.

Now, I know what you might be thinking: “Riley, how can you like a character but not the movie named after her?” Well, that answer is complex, and to explain my reasoning behind this admittedly confusing take, I have to tell this story chronologically.

So, without further ado, here’s the history and reasoning behind my extremely complicated relationship with Moana and her movies.

I Was Introduced To Moana Through The Music First

When Moana came out in 2016, I was a senior in high school and deeply obsessed with the musical Hamilton. So, my friends and I were intrigued by this Disney movie mostly because we loved the fact that Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music for it.

Back then, I didn’t have quick access to a movie theater, and I only went a few times a year. So, I didn’t catch Moana in theaters. However, I did have access to the soundtrack, and I fell head over heels in love with songs like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome.”

They became regulars on my playlist, and I specifically adored the lyrics of “How Far I’ll Go.” As someone who was about to leave their hometown for college, the words about going beyond and finding something new really hit home. To this day, I still think it’s one of the best Disney princess songs ever.

Plus, anytime "You're Welcome" comes on, the volume goes up and I'm singing along loudly -- especially the rap.

So, before even seeing the movie, I felt a deep connection to Moana and her motivations, because of the film's music.

Moana Was Way Too Overhyped, And I Saw It Way Too Late

Finally, after months and months of listening to the music from Moana, I saw the movie.

It’s important to note that I distinctly recall so many around me thinking it was not only one of the best Disney movies of its decade but one of the best Disney films ever. And I had months to live with that common opinion.

So, I set my bar very high. I knew I cherished the film’s music, and I was thrilled about how excited people were about the movie. Then I saw it…

And I was – it pains me to say this – underwhelmed. In hindsight, my experience watching Moana was a crash course in what happens when something is overhyped and I go into a movie with expectations that are far too high. So, in some ways, this is not the movie's issue, it's on me too.

Therefore, I can see why folks treasure Moana. However, when you go into a film thinking it will be the best thing ever, and it turns out to be just fine, it makes it really hard to love.

I’ve Come To The Conclusion That The Story Is Too Clunky

Every time I’ve watched Moana (which is a grand total of three times, I think), my biggest complaint surrounds how segmented the story is. It feels like a bunch of mini-quests squished together into one big mission, and I never felt like I had time to sit with and get to know the characters or their circumstances.

If you look at critiques for Moana 2, this was a common opinion, because the film was supposed to be a TV show first. However, I always felt this way about the first movie too.

Between getting to know Moana’s home, the introduction of Maui and the quests that include the coconut guys fighting them and that abysmal shiny crab, I think there was just too much going on. Obviously, it didn’t make the story confusing, I got the point just fine. However, I simply found that I was way too overwhelmed by everything they stuffed into the film, and the same goes for its sequel.

I Also Only Care About Moana, I Wasn’t Really Here For Maui And The Other Characters

The above point is emphasized by the fact that the only character I’m drawn to, especially in the first movie, is Moana.

Honestly, I'm not a fan of Maui. I think he’s funny at times, but overall, his cocky demi-god schtick got old fast. Also, it’s not really something he evolved out of either, as you can see in the second film. While he’s a bit more cognizant of those around him, overall, he still thinks he’s the man and that act is not something I’m particularly entertained by.

Plus, while Moana’s family is very sweet, we don’t get to know them that well. And even though I love Pua and Hei Hei, they are peripheral characters used mostly for jokes.

So, outside of our leading lady, I have a very hard time connecting with anyone else.

However, Despite My Dislike Of The Movies, I See Their Value And Adore The Character Moana

Now, even though I have my qualms with the Moana movies, I still absolutely adore the character Moana. I think Auliʻi Cravalho’s vocal performance is outstanding, her songs are wonderful, and overall, she’s one of the most empowering Disney characters out there.

Her fearless pursuit of her dream is awe-inspiring (and something I’ve tried to do in my own life). Her willingness to learn and fail is admirable. Her love and appreciation for her family, friends and culture is also incredibly moving. Plus, I love her sense of adventure and her sense of humor, and when those two things mix, it's magical.

All this together makes her a well-rounded and wonderful woman. And overall, she’s the best role model, and I wish I had her to look up to when I was a kid. Obviously, she’s made an impact on me as a teenager and adult. However, I can’t even begin to fathom how obsessed and inspired my younger self would be by her.

Knowing little kids have Moana to look up to makes me immensely happy, and despite my issues with her movies, I’m thrilled they exist. I know how beloved they are, and I truly wish I liked them more. However, if I’ve learned anything from this, it’s that you can love a character and not their movie, and that’s totally OK.

Now, if you are looking to go and draw your own conclusions about these films, you can steam Moana with a Disney+ subscription and catch Moana 2 in theaters.

Moana 2 is already a massive box office hit, which is great news for a lot of people. It’s certainly big for the stars like Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, but it’s probably also great news for Jack Black, who, according to his Jumanji co-star is a big fan of the first movie.

Speaking with MTV, Dwayne Johnson was asked which of his co-stars was the biggest “Moana-be,” referring to the young girls seen at the end of Moana 2 who were basically the Moana fan club (and voiced by Johnson’s own daughters). It seems that Jack Black saw Moana while the pair were filming Jumanji and Black simply raved after he saw it over opening weekend. Johnson explained…

Johnson was happy to hear Jack Black sing the praises of Moana. He was especially a fan of Maui’s song in the movie “You’re Welcome.” However, when it comes to the song, Black thought that his praise belonged elsewhere, and this wasn't about the songwriting talents of Lin-Manuel Miranda. Apparently Black assumed Johnson didn’t do his own singing in the movie, which The Rock did not appreciate. Johnson continued…

It’s not entirely crazy for Jack Black to think that somebody else might have sung “You’re Welcome.” Dwayne Johnson isn’t exactly known as a singer, though The Rock can carry a tune.

There have been numerous cases in Disney's history where a different voice actor did the singing compared to the regular dialogue. Jasmine in Aladdin has different voice actors for speaking and singing. Demi Moore didn’t do her own singing in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Even in the original Moana, Boba Fett himself Temuera Morrison is the voice of the title character’s father, but Hamilton's Christopher Jackson provided the singing.

It seems that Johnson was ultimately able to convince Black that yes, the singing voice of Maui was him. As compared to Johnson’s own daughter who spent years not believing that her dad was Maui.

It’s safe to say tons of fans (such as myself) were waiting impatiently on the edge of the sea for the sequel to Moana, given it just became one of the biggest 2024 movies over the Thanksgiving holiday with its record-breaking box office achievements. But something that I wasn’t expecting to appreciate so much about Moana 2 is getting the chance to see the animated character grow and mature. (As simple as it sounds, it's never really happened before!) When CinemaBlend spoke to the princess’s voice actress, Auli’i Cravalho, she talked with us about how meaningful it was to her to make Disney history.

When 2016’s Moana came out, it was clear the character stands out among Disney Princesses for many reasons, but now that she has returned, I told the actress how grateful I am to witness the heroine grow older. Here’s how she responded:

Being Moana has been a decade-long adventure for Auli’i Cravalho, who was chosen out of hundreds of other hopefuls for the role. She, of course, recalls the entire journey thus far (including a flirty comment her mom made when she met The Rock), but her voice has definitely changed since voicing the role the first time, as it is naturally to do so from ones teens to twenties. As she continued:

Auli’i Cravalho hasn’t stopped voicing the role of Moana since she made the movie, lending her voice to all sorts of tie-ins with Disney, but as she explained, over the years she often brings up her vocal register to sound like she did as a teenager. However, for Moana 2, which has the character as 19 rather than 16, she was awarded the opportunity to stay true to her changed vocal range and use her voice. She pointed out in our interview that this is the first time we’ve seen a female Disney age between films, and it means a lot to her.

As I shared with the actress, I watched the original movie after seeing the sequel, and it was rather emotional to hear the differences between her Moana now and her Moana then, because I could tell the actress’ voice has matured and grown. As a Disney fan who grew up loving Disney Princesses, they always seemed to stay at their teen ages even if there was some form of followup. It’s just so refreshing for fans of the movies to get to grow up alongside the iconic character, isn’t it? And hopefully we'll get to further as Auli'i and Moana continue to naturally and beautifully age.

With Moana 2 in theaters you can check out what Auli’i Cravalho and the filmmakers said from our interviews about what the movie’s ending means for the future of the heroine and the big callback to the original that gave one director “goosebumps.”

The following contains spoilers for Moana 2.

In the modern media landscape where streaming has become a major part of every movie studio’s production, it's becoming increasingly difficult to tell the difference between what qualifies as a television show and what's a movie. Streaming platforms provide both in equal measure. Some streaming movies may get released in theaters, while others do not. Often a brand new television show feels like little more than an extended movie that's been chopped up into smaller segments. With that being the case it's probably not that surprising that Disney+’s new Moana 2 actually began life as a television series before being repurposed and added to the list of upcoming Disney movies.

When Moana 2 was announced, it was promoted under the idea that the series was turning out so good that it needed a full theatrical experience. As somebody who has seen the film, I certainly can't disagree that much. If nothing else Moana 2 is visually stunning. The animation is some of the most beautiful that we've seen from Disney or any other animation house. Seeing it on that giant screen is certainly more impressive than it would have been watching it at home. Having said that, I sort of wish we could go back in time and watch the Moana Disney Plus series because I think it might have turned out better.

Moana 2 Is Good, But It Never Reaches The Heights Of The Original

To be clear up front, Moana 2 is a good movie. It's actually a really good movie. Critics are right that the Moana 2 music doesn't reach the heights of the original film, but most of the movie still works. While Disney, a studio previously averse to making theatrical sequels to its feature animation, has been doing a lot more sequels of late, none of them have shown a character truly age and mature in the way that Moana does here.

Moana 2 has real heart, there are some strong emotions packed into the story. And yet, the movie feels incomplete. It's hard not to feel like pieces are missing in Moana 2 that we would have gotten had it been a six, eight, or 10-episode Disney Plus series that obviously had to be trimmed to fit into a feature-length run time.

It Feels Like There’s An Interesting Story In Between The Edits

While we don't really know exactly what the plan was for Moana the Disney Plus animated series, we can guess that the show would have been somewhere between six to 10 episodes with run times of approximately half an hour, if not more, per episode. Even at a conservative estimate, that gives us a full run time that's about double the length of the 100-minute movie that was just released

Obviously, if this had been a Disney Plus series there would have been more in the story. At whatever point the transition was made to turn Moana the Disney Plus series into Moana 2 the movie, sacrifices had to be made and those sacrifices feel pretty obvious.

While Moana’s story feels pretty complete, Maui’s story does not. When we first meet him in the film he's already off chasing Matangi, the film’s apparent big bad. The reason that Maui is chasing after her isn't made clear, and later, when we learn Matangi's true motives, it all becomes less clear. The film indicates that Matangi and Maui have a past, Dwayne Johnson said as much in interviews, but we never learn what that past entails or how it relates to the current conflict. Clearly this is cutting room floor material.

Mantanagi is teased as the major antagonist of the film. That turns out not to be the case, but because of that, she's actually barely in the movie and seems to exist strictly as a device to move the characters from one place to the other. It's not hard to imagine that in a longer version of the story we would have spent more time with her and we would have understood her motivations better. She would have been a character, not a tool.

Moana 2’s New Characters Get The Short End Of The Stick

Matangi is far from the only character who gets short-changed in this way. Moana has a crew working with her this time around. She brings three fellow villagers with her on her quest, Loto, an engineer, Kele, a farmer, and Moni, an emergency holographic Maui, who is strong, and knowledgeable when it comes to the stories of Moana’s people.

These are three fun and interesting characters and they have absolutely nothing to do in this movie. It's difficult to find a single way the story would unfold differently if they were simply not there.

With the exception of the fact that Moana's boat eventually needs to be repaired, none of the specialties of these crewmen come into play over the course of the story. They have no character arcs of their own. They just seem to be there for comic relief, but then, that's what the pig and the rooster are for.

If I was staring at multiple scripts for a television series and was told that I needed to trim it down so that it would fit into the length of a feature film cutting out the back stories and the subplots involving side characters is exactly where I would start. It feels like that was what happened with Moana 2.

And I want these characters’ backstories. I want to know their conflicts I want to see them change and grow over the course of the story. They were fun and interesting. I was curious about them. The movie was not.

Maybe We’ll Get A Moana Series After All?

I'm still hopeful that maybe someday we'll get the Moana series that Moana 2 was originally going to be. The movie does have a mid-credit sequence that teases a follow-up. Had this been the Moana Disney Plus series, then this clearly would have been a setup for a follow-up season of the show. With it occurring in a theatrical film, this could potentially set up an actual Moana Disney Plus series or possibly a third Moana theatrical release.

I'm good either way, I love the original Moana and I like Moana 2. If we get more with these characters, then maybe we'll finally get the depth that Moana 2 was ultimately missing.

Many of us probably know what it’s like to be embarrassed by our parents – whether they do so unintentionally or intentionally, just to have some fun with us. However, very few people have probably ever experienced that on a Hollywood level. Moana star Auliʻi Cravalho knows that feeling quite well, based on a funny anecdote she recently shared. The actress recalled the first time she met co-star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It was at that point that Cravalho’s mom threw a flirty comment Johnson’s way.

As of late the 24-year-old actress has been doing press for the recently released Moana 2 and, as a result, she’s been opening up about her time working on the franchise as a whole. She recently caught up with People to discuss the 2024 movie schedule release and eventually recounted her first meeting with The Rock. As the Rise alum recalled, the wrestler-turned-actor “brought [her] flowers and he enveloped [her] in the largest hug.” The Jumanji alum then “hugged” his co-star’s mom, leading her to drop the following quip:

I have to say, Auliʻi Cravalho’s mom certainly gets points from me for having such sharp wit. However, I can certainly understand why the starlet herself would be somewhat taken aback by the comment. Let’s face it, that’s a very direct comment to share upon your first time meeting someone – regardless of whether they’re a Hollywood heavy-hitter. Nevertheless, Cravalho doesn’t seem truly upset and, if you ask me, this is certainly a funny bit that she can tell at parties or of course, during interviews for years to come.

Dwayne Johnson would know better than most what it’s likely to have a very animated mother. His mom, Mataniufeagaimaleata "Ata" Fitisemanu, has quite the personality, based on Johnson’s stories about her and some of the moments he shares to the interwebs. One of the sweetest moments shared between the two is when Johnson bought a house for his mama and surprised her in 2018. The matriarch also doesn’t mind knocking her son down a peg or two, even gently chastising him for swearing on social media.

Of course, a shared closeness with their mothers is only one commonality between Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson. They’re also a part of the sweet legacy spawned by the Moana movies, Not only do Cravalho and Rock take great pride in voicing the titular protagonist and the demigod Maui, respectively, they also relish being able to shine a light on Polynesian culture. That feeling certainly seemed to shine through at the Moana 2 in Hawaii, where Johnson was accompanied by his daughters.

Given the event, Auliʻi Cravalho and her colleagues were more than able to make more memories. But I’m truly wondering if her mom was also present and had another run-in with The Rock. If she was there, I’d assume that she probably wouldn’t make another comment about “Rock climbing.” However, I could certainly be wrong.

Moana 2 is now playing in theaters, so go check it out now! Also, stream its 2016 predecessor using a Disney+ subscription.

2016’s Moana is absolutely one of the best Walt Disney Animation movies – which is impressive considering it came out years after the Renaissance Era. When I heard there was going to be a sequel, I had some concerns. However, now that Moana 2 is in theaters and hitting the massive box office numbers prophesied ahead of Thanksgiving, I need to talk about one moment that calls back to the original movie. And, as CinemaBlend learned, said moment left one of the directors with goosebumps.

I recently had the chance to speak to Moana 2’s directors David Derrick Jr, Dana Ledoux Miller and Jason Hand in Oahu, Hawaii for the movie’s press junket. Amid our chat, I asked them about their favorite callbacks from the original film. I especially loved Hand’s answer, as she told me:

You can check out all of their answers in the video above, but Jason Hand’s answer is special because of how right he is about the moment's importance to the movie. Ledoux Miller added this to his answer:

Yeah, I don’t blame her. I’m in the exact same boat… er, voyaging canoe. When Moana declared she is Moana at the top of the hill in Motunui early in Moana 2, I think I had goosebumps, too. The sequel is set three years after the events of the first movie, and the Polynesian wayfinder has clearly grown and matured since her first major adventure, which is fitting since there are higher stakes for her and the people of her island.

The young woman is asked to sail further than she has ever before, and even further than her ancestors in order to save her people. Throughout the song, she asks “what lies beyond” and while she doesn’t know what's in store, she has to trust in herself. As Hand also said:

When Moana last declared her name, it was at a pivotal moment late in the movie, at which point the protagonist needs some encouragement, and her Gramma Tala arrives (from the afterlife) to remind her how amazing and worthy she is. While watching the sequel, I wanted to cry when, early on, Moana recited a line from a song from the end of the first movie because it shows that those lessons have stuck with her.

It should also be mentioned that Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't compose the music for this film as he did with the original Moana movie. This time, Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow of the Unofficial Bridgerton musical wrote the songs. Personally, I can’t stop listening to their tracks! Kudos to them for managing to give me and Dana Ledoux Miller goosebumps.

After you see this latest Disney film for yourself, check out what the directors told us about the Moana 2 ending. Those who want more information on the film's music can also see what the songwriters said about working with Dwayne Johnson on his song, “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?”

Now that Moana 2 has been released on the 2024 movie schedule, I’m feeling all the nostalgia for the Disney princesses I grew up loving. With that comes thoughts akin to those I had as a child about what it’d be like if my favorite princesses met. Thankfully, Auliʻi Cravalho, the actress who voices Moana, has addressed that idea by revealing which Disney princess she thinks her character would be besties with, and the fans and I couldn’t agree more with her answer.

Auliʻi Cravalho Explained Why Moana Would Be Besties With Brave's Merida

One of the points Auliʻi Cravalho made here is that Moana would get along with just about anyone, and I agree. However, she did drop some names, and that’s where I really was nodding along with what she was saying. Noting during an interview with Fandango that her princess and Ariel would rule the ocean (obviously), she also revealed that Moana would be besties with Merida from Brave, explaining:

I think she’s onto something here. I’ve always thought Moana and Merida were two of the best Disney princesses, because of their craving for adventure, drive and self-confidence. So, the idea of them being BFFs brings me an immense amount of joy, and it would appear that a lot of fans have the same feelings.

Fans Couldn’t Agree More, And Love The Idea Of Moana And Merida Being Friends

While I don’t re-watch Moana often, I am a massive fan of the princess and her music. So, I’ve developed a deep love for her and her drive to see what’s beyond and protect her home. I feel the exact same way about Merida. They’re both so inspirational, and I agree with the Mean Girls actress, they’d be fast friends. Fans also agree with that too. To quote Marijayne from the TikTok video’s comments:

Along with them, others couldn’t get enough of this pairing Cravalho presented. Truly, they do seem like twin flames, and I think they’d get along instantly. Their passion for adventure, spunky personalities and love for their people is infectious, plus these two gals going on quests together would simply be wonderful.

Fans were in agreement as more comments said:

• The way she said merida. Love it -Dee S Gibson
• Yes. Moana and Merida!!!!! They’ve got a similar sense of defiance against their family. They are like this 🤞 -Art Heart
• Bro I was just saying this -Cassandra
• Yes!! Moana and Merida is the combo I see -daniedaveyastrid
• What of Moana and Elsa?!☺...it would be epic🤲😭❤ -lovel

Meanwhile, Enigma took this duo up a notch, and made a whole new friend group out of a handful of princesses, writing:

Wouldn’t that be epic? I certainly think it would be!

Plus, on top of this just being a fun little fantasy, it also shows all the amazing, strong women who are Disney princesses. There are so many great role models among the ladies, and strong, independent, powerful and confident women like Moana, Merida and more are always wonderful to see on the big screen.

Maybe someday they can all be friends in some sort of project (other than Wreck it Ralph) too.

While Moana and Merida haven’t had their own adventure (yet), you can catch up with them easily! Both Moana and Brave are available to stream with a Dsiney+ subscription. Plus, while Moana 2 has gotten OK reviews, it is delightful to have her back on the big screen, and you can see her newest adventure in theaters now.

SPOILERS are ahead for Moana 2, now playing exclusively in theaters.

I don’t know about you, but I was not expecting Marvel’s famous post-credits scene trend to carry over into a Walt Disney Animation movie, but that very much goes down at the end of the sequel. Now that Moana’s return is no longer one of the upcoming Disney movies and expected to have a huge debut at the box office, we can talk about how her second wayfinding voyage shakes out and how it could be setting up Moana 3. CinemaBlend spoke to Auli’i Cravalho and the filmmakers about their take on the Moana 2 ending and the character’s future.

What Auli'i Cravalho And The Directors Say About The Moana 2 Ending

At the end of Moana 2, Moana, Maui and her crew successfully find the island of Motufetu, thus connecting their people once more. But it’s not without a ton of peril and danger. While they are trying to raise the island back up, Moana rushes into the ocean to break the curse it has on it, but basically drowns in the process. However, Maui has her back, and with the help of her ancestors, they revive her. After the act of magic, Moana earns her first tattoos as a wayfinder and from my reading of it, is turned into a demigod herself. Since the movie doesn’t explicitly state this, I asked voice actress Auli’i Cravalho. Here was her response:

Cravalho wouldn’t come out and clarify the ending herself, turning the question to me, but based on her response and the movie itself, I have a feeling I am correct. Moana is now a demigod, too! When I asked one of the writer/director Dana Ledoux-Miller, she was hush-hush too, but she did say this:

One has to really read between the lines here, but I think she may be alluding to how Moana is placed in so much danger this time around that her literal life almost ends. She is saved by her ancestors, but now that she is a hero who was revived by the gods, her journey could only get more complicated from here.

Could There Be A Moana 3?

That brings us to the mid-credits scene in Moana 2, where it's revealed that Moana’s troubles are not over. The scene reveals the evil storm god Nalo, who has been keeping Matangi captive. While Matangi asks to be let go, he suggests that his evil plans are only beginning. Oh, and Tamatoa also shows up, perhaps as a sidekick to the coming threat. When I asked Auli’i Cravalho about her future as Moana, she said this:

It sounds to me that Moana’s journey may very much continue! I also spoke to chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation about the mid-credit scene, and he shared these words about more Moana:

We’ll have to see! It’ll certainly depend on how Moana 2 does commercially, I imagine. So far, the movie has been received pretty well from critics (with some complaints about Lin-Manuel Miranda not returning to do the music). You can check out CinemaBlend’s Moana 2 review which gives the movie a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Everybody makes mistakes but that fact does not make it any less frustrating when a character in a movie makes a blunder. Sometimes, the person we are supposed to be rooting for does something that makes us more furious than anything the bad guy is responsible for. See what we mean by reliving these moments that made heroes the accidental villains of their own stories.

Superman II (Clark Gives Up His Powers)

In 1980's Superman II, Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) believes he can only have a normal life with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder) by becoming human, which he achieves by entering a device at the fortress of solitude. Soon after, he realizes the error of this decision when General Zod (Terrence Stamp) and his allies take over the White House.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack Of The Clones (The Jedi Council Hires Anakin To Protect Padme)

In the second Star Wars movie (in chronological order), when Padmé Amidala's (Natalie Portman) life is threatened, the Jedi Council chooses none other than trainee Anakin Skywalker to be her bodyguard. They should have known better, given his obvious emotional connection to her, which would eventually lead to a forbidden affair and marriage. Silver lining: the birth of Luke and Leia in the next movie.

Inglourious Basterds (Lt. Hicox Flashes The American Three)

One of the most intense moments from one of Quentin Tarantino's best movies, 2009's Inglourious Basterds, sees a disguised Lt. Archie Hicox (Michael Fassbender) accidentally reveal to Major Hellstrom (August Diehl) that he is not German by merely holding up the wrong fingers when asking the bar for three drinks. Perhaps this one is really on the British Army for not teaching him that the German Three is made up of the thumb, index, and middle finger but who could have known when that would come in handy?

Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Tony Stark Creates Ultron)

Wanting to create a "suit of armor for the entire world," Tony "Iron Man" Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) teams with Bruce "Hulk" Banner (Mark Ruffalo) to develop a powerful computer program that could do their work for them. Little did he know that this creation would become the eponymous villain of 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron (voiced by James Spader), providing another cautionary lesson against relying on AI.

Scream (Sydney Runs Upstairs Away From Ghostface)

Minutes after condemning the slasher movie trope of women running upstairs from the killer instead of out the front door, Sydney Prescott (Neve Campbell) does the same exact thing after Ghostface first attacks her. The star of the Scream movies is still one of our favorite horror final girls but it almost makes you wonder how she manages to survive as long as she would with a blemish like that on her track record.

Prometheus (Meredith Vickers Runs From A Rolling Spacecraft In A Straight Line)

Ridley Scott's 2012 Alien prequel, Prometheus, is one of the most divisive sci-fi movies ever made but even its strongest supporters cannot argue against one character's uproarious miscalculation. Why Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) does not choose to easily run out of the way of the alien spaceship rolling toward her and, instead, keep running straight until it crushes her is a mystery that may remain unsolved.

Guardians Of The Galaxy (Drax Summons Ronan)

In 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, a few drinks make Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) confident enough to fight Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) himself, so he sends the tyrant to his current location. As a result, he gets his butt handed to him and Ronan gets away with The Power Stone.

Shrek Forever After (Shrek Makes A Deal With Rumpelstiltskin)

If there is one downside to Shrek (Mike Myers) finding love with Fiona (Cameron Diaz), she may have made him more willing to let his guard down a bit, potentially leading to his disastrous decision in 2010's Shrek Forever After. His nostalgia for his swamp-dwelling days clouds the ogre's judgment when speaking with Rumpelstiltskin (Walt Dohrn), who convinces him to wish himself into an alternate reality where the trickster rules Far Far Away.

Bee Movie (Barry Sues Humanity)

Writer Jerry Seinfeld's Bee Movie stars the comedian as an insect named Barry B. Benson, who becomes angry at humans profiting off of their honey and seeks legal action. He succeeds and bees no longer work in favor of the human race but it ends up causing an environmental disaster.

Avengers: Infinity War (Star-Lord Punches Thanos)

By putting Thanos (Josh Brolin) under Mantis' (Pom Klementieef's) trance, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Peter Parker (Tom Holland), and the remaining Guardians come super close to removing the Infinity Gauntlet from his hand. However, Peter "Star-Lord" Quill (Chris Pratt) learns that the Titan killed Gamora and punches Thanos in anger, breaking the trance and allowing him to get away. This is one moment from 2018's Avengers: Infinity War that understandably prevents some fans from calling it one of the best Marvel movies.

The Descent (Juno Chooses An Unmapped Cave To Explore)

We are not sure if we can count Juno (Natalie Mendoza) as a hero of 2005's The Descent, due to the idiotic stunt she pulls in the otherwise great horror movie. Her friends learn that she chose an unexplored cavern for their spelunking trip only after they get trapped inside with man-eating, nocturnal mutants.

Hancock (Hancock Fights Mary)

It is revealed in Hancock that Will Smith's eponymous superhuman gets weaker the longer he stays in contact with Mary Embrey (Charlize Theron), who turns out to be part of his kind, too. That does not stop him from engaging in a cataclysmic fight with her near the end of the superhero movie not based on a comic book from 2008.

The Blair Witch Project (Mike Throws The Map In The River)

It is not unusual for horror movie characters to make questionable decisions but when Mike (Michael C. Williams) tosses the map to the Black Hills Forest in The Blair Witch Project is simply unforgivable. He argues in the 1999 found footage thriller that the map was ultimately useless, and he may have been right, but discarding the one chance you may have of reaching safety is never the right move.

Skyfall (Q Connects Silva's Computer To MI6's Mainframe)

There is a reason they say you should go through IT before you investigate a suspicious piece of equipment at the office yourself and Q (Ben Whishaw) demonstrates why in 2012's Skyfall. Perhaps the older version of the tech wizard from previous James Bond movies would have been smarter about hooking up Silva's (Javier Bardem) laptop to MI6's main system, which causes the organization to lose control of their tech to the villain.

Army Of Darkness (Ash Speaks The Wrong Incantation)

Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams becomes increasingly dumber in each of the Evil Dead movies, leading up to his absolute worst mistake while trapped in the Middle Ages in 1992's Army of Darkness. He does not even bother to properly memorize a set of words that will take him back to modern times when he finds the Necronomicon and, in attempting to fake his way through it, ends up unleashing more evil forces.

The Big Lebowski (Walter Destroys A Stranger’s Car)

Suspecting that teenage Larry Sellers used stolen ransom money to purchase a hot Corvette, Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) smashes it repeatedly with a crowbar, only to discover it belongs to Larry's angry neighbor. It is easily one of the funniest moments from one of the best movies of the 1990s, The Big Lebowski, but also makes us sad for The Dude (Jeff Bridges) that he is best friends with such an impulse-driven dolt.

Jeepers Creepers (Darry Tries To See Into The Creeper's Pipe)

In Jeepers Creepers, witnessing the Creeper (Jonathan Breck) shoving dead bodies down a large pipe sticking out of the ground, Darry (Justin Long) tries to investigate by looking down the pipe himself but ends up sliding right into the killer's lair. If only he had listened to his sister, Trish's (Gina Philips), meta warning: "You know the part in scary movies when somebody does something really stupid, and everybody hates them for it? This is it."

The Flash (Batman Sacrifices Himself To Destroy Zod's Ship)

While Michael Keaton's return as Batman in 2023's The Flash was awesome, one not-so-stellar moment sees him attempting to save the day by crashing the Batwing into Zod's ship. Unfortunately, the otherwise valiant effort caused very little damage to the craft and only the Dark Knight fatally succumbed to the crash.

Moana (Maui Steals The Heart Of Te Fiti)

The opening scene of the modern Disney animated movie classic, 2016's Moana, explains how Maui (Dwayne Johnson) stole and misplaced the heart of Te Fiti, which he insists was for humanity's benefit. It is not until he meets the title character (voiced by Auliʻi Cravalho) that he realizes that the artifact's absence caused damage to the Hawaiian Islands and their locals.

Jumanji (Peter Tries To Cheat The Game)

In the original 1995 adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, Jumanji, Peter (Bradley Pierce) tries to end the wild board game's reign of terror by dropping the dice at the right number to finish. Unfortunately, the game knows better and punishes him for trying to beat it by reverting the evolutionary process, turning him into a monkey.

Iron Man 3 (Tony Stark Gives The Mandarin His Address)

One of the major issues fans have with Iron Man 3 is Tony Stark's (Robert Downey Jr.) rash decision to challenge The Mandarin to a one-on-one duel, going as far as revealing where he lives on a video recorded by a press member. Well, the fearsome terrorist clearly got the message, based on the violent attack on Stark's home, which forced him to jump ship and get stuck in Tennessee.

Paranormal Activity (Micah Breaks Out A Ouija Board)

If we were to make a list of the worst significant others in horror movie history, there would definitely be a place for Micah (Micah Sloat) from the first Paranormal Activity movie, released in 2009. Exhibit A: after a medium warns against using a Ouija board, as that would make his and Katie's (Katie Featherston) haunting situation much worse, Micah decides to bring one into the house and makes their haunting situation much worse.

Sleeping Beauty (Flora And Merryweather Fight Over Aurora's Dress Color)

In 1959's Sleeping Beauty, Aurora's fairy guardians want to make a dress just for her but Flora wants it to be pink and Merryweather is dead set on making it blue. Despite being advised not to, they use magic to change the dress' color over and over, which ends up alerting Maleficient of their location and putting Aurora in danger.

Evil Dead (Eric Reads From The Necronomicon)

Fede Alvarez's Evil Dead is considered one of the best horror movie remakes of its time but is certainly not without its flaws. In fact, the demonic carnage is caused when Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), for no reason at all, reads aloud from the Necronomicon, ignoring blatant warnings written into the flesh-bound, blood-inked book to leave it alone.

Deadpool (Wade Leaves His Ammo Bag Behind)

Twice in the 2016's Deadpool does the Merc with the Mouth (Ryan Reynolds) leave behind a huge duffle bag full of weaponry that certainly would have really come in handy against his foes. Instead, he is forced to rely on "maximum effort"... and his immortality, of course.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Peter Gives Mysterio E.D.I.T.H.)

In 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home, feeling that he has found a trusted friend in Quentin "Mysterio" Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal), Peter Parker (Tom Holland) decides to give him full control of E.D.I.T.H. – an augmented reality security, defense, and artificial tactical intelligence system designed by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). Unfortunately, that is exactly what the disgruntled former Stark Industries employee wanted him to do, planning to use it to launch an attack on London.

Annabelle Comes Home (Daniela Explores The Warrens' Artifact Room Alone)

Whether or not you believe in the stories behind the Conjuring Universe movies, we imagine no one wants to be caught dead where Ed and Lorraine Warren keep their collection of haunted heirlooms. However, Daniela (Katie Sarife) braves the forbidden room in hopes of making contact with her late father but ends up unleashing the demon that possesses the eponymous doll in Annabelle Comes Home.

Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (Clark Fails To Properly Explain His Situation To Bruce)

In the moments leading to the climactic battle of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) takes way too long to explain to Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) that Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is holding his mother (Diane Lane) captive and, instead, resorts to doing exactly what the evil billionaire wants him to do and fight the Dark Knight. When he finally gives an explanation, with Batman seconds away from killing him with a Kryptonite spear, he says, "Save Martha," instead of the more matter-of-fact, "Lex is going to kill my mom."

The Marvels (Carol Destroys The Supreme Intelligence)

In The Marvels, Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) is forced to work with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) after their powers become linked but the hero otherwise known as Captain Marvel is reluctant to rope her friends into the battle against Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton). This is because she is personally responsible for their enemy's vengeful motivation, having created a Civil War among the Kree after destroying their A.I. leader.

Fantastic Four (Reed And Others Test Their Teleportation Device While Inebriated)

The 2015 Fantastic Four adaptation was widely disliked for a multitude of reasons, including the dumb decision that leads to the four main characters gaining their superpowers. After a few too many drinks, the designers of a groundbreaking teleportation device decide to test it out themselves, changing their lives forever.

Thor: Ragnarok (Loki Summons The Bifrost To Escape Hela)

In 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, when he and the God of Thunder (Chris Hemsworth) are confronted by their sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett), Loki (Tom Hiddleston) tries to make a quick getaway with the Bifrost. It may have seemed like a good idea at the time but Hela ends up chasing after them, ultimately leading her right to Asgard while the half-brothers get stranded on Sakaar.

Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery (Austin Keeps The Receipt For His Special Pump)

In the spy movie parody, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, when the titular agent (Mike Myers) is collecting the belongings he left behind before being cryogenically frozen, he claims that a certain special, Swedish-made pump does not belong to him. However, a credit card receipt for the item, a warranty slip with his name on it, and a book about his experiences using the product found with his stuff prove otherwise.

For those who love a good musical and don’t mind when a character breaks into song, it’s hard to not belt out the songs you know and love. And, in the comfort of one’s own home, that isn’t much of a problem. Recently, though, there have been some debates and disagreements about whether or not that's appropriate in the theater. As viral videos ask that people not sing during the highly anticipated Wicked, Moana 2 and more, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is sharing his own opinion on the matter.

The discussion was sparked by the fact that Wicked fans have been singing alongside the movie while seeing it in theaters. At this point, the Internet seems to be split on the matter. One half argues that it's OK and that if you love the music, you should show it. Meanwhile, the other half asserts that the practice is disruptive and that people should wait for the sing-along release of a film. Some of videos of moviegoers reminding others that this isn't a sing-along have gone viral. Check out one from Instagram:

It's evident that the public has strong opinions on this matter. So what does The Rock -- who's one of the co-leads in one of the 2024 movie schedule's biggest releases -- think? Well, during the UK premiere of Disney’s Moana 2, Dwayne Johnson who voices Maui in the film, told The BBC that he's all for the singing. During the interview, the former wrestler also explained why he holds that position:

While Dwayne Johnson is of the opinion that you should belt it out to your heart's content, there are moviegoers who do want their fellow audience members to be respectful. It's fair to say that unless a film is specifically a sing-along, the theaters do ask for no talking, and I personally think that should also include no singing. You may have paid your hard-earned money for a ticket but so did the people next to you. And, when music is such a big part of a movie, it's a shame when you can't hear it.

Still, given how great some of these musicals have been, I can, at the very least, understand why fans would feel inclined to sing. Ahead of Moana 2's release, fans were discussing the music, as there were concerns since Lin Manuel Miranda did not return for the sequel. With this in mind, the Moana sequel's reviews have been mixed, though critics can’t stop talking about the music. The same has been true when it comes to Wicked reactions.

It's possible that this singing debate could continue for some time, and people across the Internet are sure to hold on to their specific viewpoints. Regardless of whatever side of the aisle you're on, you can check out both Moana 2 and Wicked in theaters now.

Disney is known for its beloved animated blockbuster movies, including golden era titles like Beauty and The Beast and The Lion King. But there's also been some great modern classics in recent years, including Frozen, Encanto, and Moana (all of which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). The latter's sequel just arrived in theaters, and while I enjoyed Moana 2, losing Lin-Manuel Miranda's music really hurt the blockbuster.

What we know about Moana 2 was limited ahead of its release, but now it's finally arrived, and expected to make a ton of money over Thanksgiving weekend. I got to see an early screening of the movie (see CinemaBlend's Moana 2 review here) and had a good time. Unfortunately, the original music ended up being one of the weaker parts of the animated sequel.

The 2018 original Moana movie featured music written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who also worked on the music for Encanto). In addition to the movie's anthem "How Far I'll Go" there were also a number of other bangers in the soundtrack like "Where You Are" and Maui's song "You're Welcome." Unfortunately, the music for the sequel is far weaker.

While Auli'i Cravalho's gets to belt out her new song "Beyond", that's really the only song of quality in Moana 2. The songwriters of the new movie were worried Dwayne Johnson hated his new song, and I ultimately have to agree with that assessment. “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?" simply doesn't have as catchy of a melody as "You're Welcome". The latter was a song that really had staying power since the OG Moana hit theaters back in 2018, so the pressure was on for the sequel to deliver. Unfortunately it failed to do that in my opinion.

Obviously Lin-Manuel Miranda is a very busy person, and Disney has been keeping him busy over the years by writing the music to Moana, Encanto, and adding new material to for the live-action The Little Mermaid. He can't be expected to be everywhere at once, but Miranda's musical sensibilities were a big reason why audiences connected so much with the OG Moana film. Unfortunately, he was too busy writing music for the Mufasa prequel movie to return to the animated franchise.

Overall I enjoyed Moana 2 and was glad to see it on the big screen, where the aquatic action sequences could have their full power. But I think a big reason why fans might be disappointed when compared to the original is the lack of bangers on the soundtrack. Indeed, I left my screening humming songs from the original movie, mostly because there was a distinct lack of earworms in the sequel.

Moana 2 is in theaters now. Check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

With the Moana 2 release date just about here, critics already have a lot to say about the sequel’s music from The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical’s Barlow & Bear (including through our Moana 2 review). Considering the songwriting duo are following Lin-Manuel Miranda, there had to be a lot of pressure to write music the team at Disney approved of. As they shared with CinemaBlend, when it came to presenting Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson with his follow-up to “You’re Welcome,” it was an emotional rollercoaster for the pair.

When I had the chance to speak to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear at the Hawaii press junket for Moana 2, they shared a hilarious (but very scary) story about what happened when they wrote “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” for The Rock. In Barlow’s words:

In the interview, Barlow shared that Johnson added “everything” they could have “possibly asked for” into Maui’s new song, but when they first got the track to him, they were stressed. As Bear shared:

It’s got to be incredibly nerve-wracking to write a song for none-other-than The Rock, but clearly, they sold the superstar with their vision of “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” The song is based on the popular Hawaiian expression “Chee hoo” which is a phrase that signifies excitement and joy, and it's sung to Moana when she really needs some words of encouragement from Maui.

Barlow & Bear have been writing songs for much of their lives, but Moana 2 was their first chance to write music for Disney following their Grammy-winning viral musical phenomenon about Bridgerton. CinemaBlend also spoke to Disney’s new chief creative officer Jared Bush (who also wrote the screenplay for the first Moana) while in Oahu about the film's songwriters, and he added his own thoughts about Maui’s new song. As Bush said:

Returning to Moana 2 was important to Dwayne Johnson given his own daughters “see themselves” in the Disney princess. (His daughters even have a cameo in the new movie). Moana 2 allows Johnson to represent his own Polynesian heritage by voicing a beloved Disney character and great hero from Polynesian mythology. The actor has also spoken before about how the sequel allowed him to challenge ideas of masculinity with Maui’s latest adventure.

So, all around, this project on the 2024 movie schedule and its music mean a lot to The Rock and those who made the film.

Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27. You can check out what other upcoming Disney movies are on the way here on CinemaBlend.

Disney has always been known for its animated blockbusters, especially those that were released during the Renaissance era, like Beauty and The Beast, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. But we've also seen a number of wildly popular hits in recent years like Frozen, Encanto and Moana. The studio has started giving these projects big screen sequels, and the latest of these releases is the aptly-titled Moana 2. Of course, that follow-up had some very big shoes to fill.

A number of years have passed between Moana and its sequel, allowing audiences to miss the title character, Maui and the rest of the group (although now fans can visit an attraction at Disney Parks). And while Moana 2 is a delightful and thrilling adventure made for the big screen, it's not a perfect film. Although to be clear: Auli'i Cravalho is stunning from start to finish.

Moana 2 has thrilling action that kept me on the edge of my seat

Moana 2 picks up years after the events of the first film. The beloved title character is older and wiser, and remains dedicated to the island of Motunui and its people. Things have changed during the time jump, including Moana getting a little sister Simea (who is a certified scene stealer every time she shows up on screen). Having someone younger than her helps to show just how much more adult the Disney process is this time around, and offers important stakes to her next big adventure.

Moana's Wayfinding ancestors contact her early in the film and offer a cautionary prophecy: she must break the god Nalo's curse on the hidden island of Motufetu, which previously served as the connecting point of the entire sea. Without more of a community, Motunui is destined to be wiped out.

Moana departs her island with a crew of new characters in hopes of succeeding in this mission. During this time, there are some truly thrilling sequences on the ocean, where it feels like a mix of Disney and The Perfect Storm. These scenes looked especially great on the big screen, showing why this isn't a project fans should wait to watch streaming from their homes. These thrills also succeeded in the film's runtime absolutely flying by.

Auliʻi Cravalho is just as incredible as Moana the second time around.

Actress Auliʻi Cravalho burst onto the scene when voicing Moana in the 2016 original film. In the years that have passed, she's continued working quite a bit, including roles in Mean Girls and reprising her role as the water-based Disney character in a number of projects like Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Despite how much she's grown up IRL, Cravalho was able to easily jump back into character for Moana 2. She's able to make the animated character feel very real, despite the magical circumstances of the sequel's plot.

And of course, it's impossible to talk about Cravalho's performance without getting into her singing. Her voice absolutely sours during Moana's new song "Beyond", which ends up being the main melody of the sequel as a whole. While fans adored "How Far I'll Go", Cravalho brought that same heart and buttery vocals to the new track and helped to bring audiences back to the world of the burgeoning franchise as a result.

Of course, Moana isn't alone in her new adventure on the big screen. She's joined by her adorable sidekicks Pua and Heihei, and obviously Dwayne Johnson's Maui gets involved in the action.

But we're also introduced to a ton of new characters, three of whom are Motunui residents who join her on her long journey to find Motufetu. Unfortunately, the characters of Loto, Kele and Moni aren't all that developed. This is presumably because Moana 2 was originally going to be a TV series, which would have allowed for more time to flesh these newcomers out.

The same problem can also be said for the new antagonist Matangi. Because while she's introduced early on and gets her own big musical number, the character is noticeably missing throughout the majority of the film's runtime. Luckily, Cravalho's performance is able to buoy Moana 2, even if there are parts of the animated sequel which might give moviegoers reason to pause.

The music suffers without Lin-Manuel Miranda

Both Moana and its sequel are animated musicals, featuring a number of songs to help show the characters' heart. While there are a few bangers in the sequel like "Beyond", unfortunately, most of the songs failed to have the same staying power of its predecessor.

Hamilton's visionary Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music for the original Moana (as well as a number of other Disney movies like Encanto). Sadly, he didn't return for the sequel, with the new songs instead being written by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. While they're talented musicians who have credits like The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, unfortunately some of the songs failed to make a real impact in Moana 2.

"Beyond" is catchy, but the rest of the songs aren't ear worms like the fist movie's songs were. In particular, Maui's new track "Can I Get a Chee Hoo?" particularly pales in comparison to "You're Welcome". I ended up leaving my screening of Moana 2 humming songs from the original movie instead of its sequel.

Overall, I had a great time watching my screening Moana 2, and think it's a project that's meant to be seen on the big screen in order to have biggest emotional impact possible. But if you're expecting a no-skips soundtrack like the 2018 original, then you might end up being a bit disappointed. The spectacle of the sequel is arguably the star this time around, although that's not to say anything negative about what Auli'i Cravalho brought to her signature character.

Moana 2 is set to open next week and when it does we’ll see that the main character’s family is a little bigger, as Moana now has a sister. It turns out that the film was also a family affair for Maui, as Dwayne Johnson included two of his daughters in cameo roles in the film.

Dwayne Johnson dropped a clip to Instagram which shows two of his kids Jazzy and Tia recording some dialogue for Moana 2. It appears that the girls are part of a group known as the Moana-Be’s, a little fan club of kids who adore Moana. Watch the kids record their lines and watch the proud dad enjoy the show too.

It looks like it was a fun day in the recording studio for Dwayne Johnson’s family. They even have a massive Maui fishhook, maybe even the same one they’re using for the Moana live-action movie which is currently in production. In the clips, we see the kids throw some sass and Maui, which was probably quite fun for the kids.

As a dad of young girls, I’m finding a great deal of joy in this video. Watching the kids have such fun, and seeing Dwayne Johnson watch them is a true pleasure. It’s so great they were all able to share this experience together and become part of the Moana family.

Honestly, everything I’m seeing about Moana 2 has got me excited for the upcoming Disney movie. While I was excited for a new Moana series on Disney+ the project was seen as so strong that it was transformed into a sequel movie instead. Based on the early word, Moana 2 is looking really good. The original Moana has remained one of the most streamed movies on any platform for years, showing just how popular it is. The sequel has a lot to live up to, but it looks like it might actually succeed.

The original Moana was a solid box office hit, but it never entered the realm of Frozen or its sequel, the latter of which was the highest-grossing animated movie ever made until Inside Out 2 came out earlier this year. Still, the buzz for Moana 2 seems quite strong, so it will be interesting to see how many people turn out over the Thanksgiving holiday, as well as the rest of the holiday season, to check out the new film.

One can only hope that this experience will help Johnson with his youngest daughter, who as far as we know has still never accepted that her dad is Maui no matter how much he has tried to convince her. Now most of her family is in Moana 2 and who knows if she’ll ever believe it.

Fans of Disney’s Moana are rightly excited by the fact that Moana 2 is hitting theaters next week. But there’s even more to be excited about if you’re a fan because there’s a live-action Moana also on the schedule for upcoming Disney movies, and the film is now shooting in Hawaii.

While we won’t see the live-action Moana until 2026, Disney Studios co-chief Alan Bergman did share one exciting sneak peek. He posted an image to Instagram of himself with Maui’s iconic fish hook. The prop looks perfect. The version from the animated movie has been made real and it’s incredible.

As awesome as this looks, I’m really curious how it’s going to look in the hands of Dwayne Johnson. He’ll be reprising his voice role in live-action playing the demigod Maui. As big as Dwayne Johnson is, this thing looks even bigger compared to Johnson’s size than the animated version was compared to the exaggerated proportions of Maui. Still, I can’t wait to see The Rock holding it.

The most successful Disney live-action remakes have been the ones that remained as faithful to the source material as possible. A look at the fish hook makes it clear the new film is going to be visually very reminiscent of the original. It seems all but certain the new movie will be as close to the animated one as possible. They're not even designing new versions of the props.

With the success that Disney’s live-action remakes have had, the idea of seeing a remake of Moana seemed obvious and very likely to happen. Still, it’s a bit surprising that it’s happening so soon. Moana is less than a decade old, and all the other movies that have received the remake treatment so far are much older, and widely seen as classics.

Still, Moana is one of Disney’s most popular modern franchises, it's getting a stage show on Disney's newest cruise ship and it got a recent Disney World attraction, so it would seem they could not wait. We can likely expect the Frozen live-action remake to be along shortly, even though the animated franchise is far from over, with two Frozen movies currently in development, and Frozen 3 set for release in 2027.

On the plus side, doing the remake so soon after the original allows the movie to cast one of the original stars, something that hasn’t otherwise been possible outside of James Earl Jones' return to voice Mufasa in the Lion King remake. Most of Moana's cast is made up of fresh faces, but it’s difficult to imagine anybody other than Dwayne Johnson holding Maui’s magic fish hook. We’ll finally get to see it when the movie debuts in 2026.

So Moana 2 is coming out soon, and in anticipation, I decided to rewatch the first again for the first time in a few years – and I’m starting to realize just how unique and extraordinary Moana truly is among Disney princesses.

Okay, maybe that’s a bad choice of words, but let me explain. The last time I saw Moana was in December 2022, and before that, it was in November 2016 in the theater. I have always loved the movie, and while I haven’t watched it nearly as much as others, I can appreciate every single aspect of it.

But with the arrival of Moana 2, and with a new live-action version in the coming years, I knew that it was time to revisit this Disney gem before we dived into the next film – and Moana truly does stand out among every other Disney princess. I’m about to tell you why.

First Off, The Movie Is Still Just As Amazing As I Remembered

Before I get into Moana in general, let’s talk about the movie – it’s truly unique. I think Moana is one of Disney’s best films and one of their best original movies in years. Strange World was not good. Encanto was fun but nowhere near the levels of Moana, even if I enjoyed it thoroughly, and Wish was… something. It was a movie. That’s all I’ll say.

Moana, however, delivers in every aspect. From the voice-acting to the scenery to the story – you seriously cannot get better than what was given. It astounds me that Moana didn’t nearly reach the same box office as Frozen because, if anything, the film was made even more beautiful.

And I genuinely hope Moana 2 is the same. But let’s get into the actual character we are talking about, Moana.

But Let’s Be Honest, Moana Is Truly One Of The Best Disney Heroines – NOT A Princess

Moana is one of the best Disney heroines – not a princess.

The reason I put the princess in the headline is that Disney has basically classified her as that at all the parks, but even Moana herself said she is the daughter of the chief. She’s not a princess, even if Maui made fun of her for it. Either way, she stands out among the most.

She’s still just a teenager – as most Disney princesses tend to be in any Disney Renaissance film or CGI movie or whatever – but what makes Moana different is that she’s so headstrong. She stands by what she believes in and doesn’t care what others say. And I know what you’ll say – other Disney princesses have done that, too. And you’re right, they have.

But Moana feels like she has this sense of responsibility that I think a lot of other Disney princesses lack. I think the only two that really come close to her are either Mulan or Belle, both of whom are very responsible and take on enormous burdens for the sake of their fathers – but for Moana, it’s for the sake of her whole island.

She’s strong, she’s braver than most, and she will tear you to pieces with both her paddle and her mouth. She’s feisty, and that’s the kind of Disney heroine I love.

As A Teenager Who Loved Disney, It Was So Refreshing To See Someone That Looked Relatively Like Me

I do not claim to be Polynesian, nor even Hawaiian. I have gone on record saying that I grew up Puerto Rican, and I am so ungodly proud of my culture and my heritage – it’s why I love Coco, one of the best Pixar films.

But I also grew up loving Disney princesses, and it truly felt there was never anyone who looked like me—someone with wavy hair who embraced their features and big brown eyes and who didn’t change for anyone. And then Moana came along, her wavy, curly hair and all, her normal, strong body that made mine feel beautiful too, and that kind smile that felt like one a sister would give you.

I was a teenager when Moana was first released, and I felt all of these feelings for a character who wasn’t even from the same culture as me but had similar features. I could only imagine what it was like for little girls everywhere who felt that for the first time or for the Polynesian girls who watched this movie and thought that she looked like them. That’s a beautiful feeling.

She Does Everything For Her People And Is Willing To Give Up Her Dream For A Time For Them

Something else about Moana that makes me realize that she stands above most other Disney princesses or heroines is that she genuinely is willing to give up everything she loves for the sake of others. Plenty of different Disney characters have done that. We could talk about Tiana, who is one of the best role models ever, who gave up time to spend with her friends in order to work in The Princess and the Frog. Or we could talk about Mulan giving up her freedom to fight for her father in the war in Mulan.

All of the ways they show they care are valid, but there is just something about Moana that makes me care for her even more. Her whole life has been the ocean. She has been called to the ocean since she was a literal baby. But when her father tells her that this is her place, this is her home; she is willing to push that to the side to lead her people—especially after she scares herself trying to sail beforehand.

But as she takes over that role and begins to help, and the island starts to die, she faces her fear of going back on the waves after she was nearly drowned and took off to save her people. That takes a tremendous amount of bravery and perseverance, something that very few have.

And Even Then, She Brings Everyone All Together To Sail Again

One of the biggest things Moana does is that she faces an entire generation’s trauma. The whole reason her island didn’t sail anymore is because of what happened to its members. But Moana comes back after restoring the heart and proudly guides her family and her tribe into a new age that their ancestors would be proud of.

Like, what? Moana was sixteen during this – sixteen. What were you doing at sixteen? Definitely not saving an entire tribe.

She was able to bring an entire trade back into their lives, to explore new oceans and more, and that’s something that really can’t be beat.

That Being Said, I Can't Wait For Moana 2

I really can’t wait for Moana 2. I am cautiously optimistic about it, considering the movie was supposed to be a show before they decided to release it in theaters. However, I still think it’s going to be amazing.

Judging from the trailers and more that I’ve seen – including Moana’s cute new baby sister – I think Moana 2 will be amazing. I don’t know if it’ll be just as good as the first – as sequels are always hard to nail – but I do think it’ll be fun.

We’ll be seeing a heck of a lot more of Moana as one of the best Disney heroines and inspiring young women for years to come.

Now, all I need is a Pua plushie, and I think I’ll be ready for the sequel.

The Moana 2 release date is just two weeks away, but once the animated sequel comes out, it won’t be long before Disney fans see the Polynesian heroine again among another one of the upcoming Disney movies on the way. A live-action Moana movie is currently in the works, and CinemaBlend spoke to its co-writer about working on it alongside Moana 2.

What Moana 2's Co-Director Told Us About Working On Live-Action Moana

Dana Ledoux Miller has been living and breathing Moana the past few years considering she is the co-writer and co-director of Moana 2, as well as the co-writer of the live-action Moana. When I attended a Moana 2 press event at Walt Disney Animation Studios, I spoke to Miller about working on the two projects at once. Here’s what she said:

As Miller shared, she was first attached to bringing more Moana into the world when she was hired to co-write the upcoming live-action remake with Jared Bush. The movie was announced last summer, with The Rock set to play Maui in live action (along with executive producing with Moana voice actress Auli’i Cravalho) and Thomas Kail directing. When she boarded Moana 2, she felt like having been on the live action movie helped because it helped her want to build on the story rather than retread the same waters. It also helped the creative in terms of really knowing and understanding the heroine for Moana 2.

What's Happening With The Live-Action Moana Movie?

The live-action Moana movie began filming this summer with Dwayne Johnson as Maui and a host of new cast members. Newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia has been announced to be playing Moana in live action, along with John Tui playing Chief Tui, Frankie Adams as Moana’s mother Sina, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala. The live-action Moana release date is set for July 10, 2026, about a year and a half from now. We expect the upcoming movie to tell Moana’s story once again, but with the palpable details of the Polynesian culture and Hawai’i.

The remake’s release will come just about a decade after the original movie came out. In the meantime, there’s a lot to get excited about regarding Moana 2. In the sequel hitting theaters on November 27, Moana has a cute little sister to meet, and Pua has a lot more screentime during the heroine’s latest adventure - both of which I learned during CinemaBlend's conversation with the Moana 2 directors.