The development of a Moana TV series for Disney+ subscribers may not be happening anymore. However, it doesn’t mean the adventures of the daring Hawaiian teenager are over. The sequel to Moana is happening, but the question lingers on whether or not Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho will reprise their memorable roles.
Moana 2 would not be the same without the actors who brought these voices to life. Disney CEO Bob Iger never said in his Moana sequel announcement if Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho would return for the animated sequel. And yet, here’s some good news for you- Deadline confirmed the Fast & Furious actor is in talks to continue his role as the lovable Maui.
As for Auli’i Cravalho, she’s also in talks to reprise her iconic role. However, her deal is not as set in stone as Johnson’s. Therefore, the jury is still out on whether the Mean Girls actress will be coming back. On the other hand, I’d like to believe she'll portray Moana again or she wouldn’t have posted a funny video of herself ahead of Moana 2’s announcement kidding around about having to keep that sequel project on the DL. Why keep it on the hush if she wasn't part of it?
We know for sure that in terms of Moana’s live-action film, actress Auli’i Cravalho has no plans to reprise her role for that Disney adaptation. Instead, she’d rather be the film’s executive producer and take part in “passing the baton” to the next young actress of Pacific Island descent to be the next Moana. It makes sense as Cravalho was 14 years old playing the voice of the Disney character. With the Hawaiian native being 23 years old now, she’d rather participate in the important process of finding a Pacific Islander willing to tell their story for a mainstream crowd.
While we know Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho might make possible returns in the upcoming Disney release, other things we know about Moana 2 is that it’s expected to have a Thanksgiving release date of November 27th. But one thing that will be different this time around is that Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the fantasy-adventure film’s best songs, will not return for the sequel. Instead, Miranda’s collaborators Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina will write the music as well as Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear who were behind TikTok’s unofficial Bridgerton musical.
The live-action version of Moana is still in the works, but it may take a while before we see it. Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, casting was suspended which means its release date will come later than its original June 2025 slated date. In fact, the studio hasn’t even started production yet for the live-action feature. The Moana sequel may be more of a priority right now and another Disney film will eventually have to replace the June 2025 slot.
It looks like there’s a very good chance that Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role as Maui for Moana 2, but Auli’i Cravalho revisiting her animated Pacific Islander role is still up in the air. Until the Disney sequel premieres this Thanksgiving, you can watch Moana on Disney+ and look at our 2024 movie releases to be up-to-date on the sequel’s casting information.
