In a decision that feels like a gigantic surprise, Moana 2 has shifted into a theatrical release. What was once destined to be a Disney+ series is now going to be a big ticket cinematic event following yesterday’s surprise announcement by CEO Bob Iger.
If that wasn’t enough of a spike to the tropical punch, Moana 2 is actually set to be released on the 2024 movie schedule! While I’m excited to see a sequel to one of my favorite modern Disney flicks on the tracks, I’m actually quite worried about this change of venue, and for good reason.
The Original Plan For Moana 2
From what we know about Moana 2’s Disney+ history, the project was announced back in 2020, and had been delayed into a 2024 debut of unknown timing. A series that would have been a streaming exclusive, it was indeed planned to be a sequel to its 2016 predecessor.
Even as recently as September 2023, updates from Disney’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee had the series marked in the books as still in process. Apparently something happened that caused the brass at the Walt Disney Company to turn Moana: The Series in Moana 2.
Trust me, I want to believe that this is good news, but the circumstances around this happening are what really have me concerned. So let’s start to chart the waves standing between myself and truly embracing this last-minute change.
Shifting Moana 2 Into A Theatrical Feature Seems Like An Abrupt Choice
Yes, I know projects being shifted from Disney+ series to feature film projects isn’t a new thing at all. What we know about Armor Wars proved that a while ago, as the Don Cheadle-led project in the MCU’s future was given the same treatment. However, there’s a huge distinction between that project and Moana 2, and it’s all in the medium.
For Armor Wars to shift on the fly wouldn’t be as much of a challenge as punting a Moana sequel to theatrical action, and the big reason for that is it’s a live-action project. To shift tactics for an animated series/movie is a more massive undertaking simply because animated projects take so much longer to produce.
So to announce a choice like this in February 2024, and with a November 2024 release date on the books, suggests that maybe the project is far along enough that Moana 2 can be found in the edit. If that’s the case, another concern rears its head out of that scenario.
We’ve Been Shown Barely Anything From Moana 2, And It’s Due Out This Fall
As Moana 2 is set to be released in late November, the tease we’ve gotten for the film is a severely light affair. I get it, the Super Bowl is coming and Disney has been rumored to be sending a first proper look at either this or the Lilo and Stitch live-action remake to the front. So why would the studio waste the time announcing this project during a Q1 investors call?
Another fact I’ve definitely kept in mind is the span of time Disney seems to employ to promote its later year projects. Seeing as we got the Wish teaser trailer in April 2023, with the film’s Thanksgiving weekend release on the books, it’s roughly a seven-month window between teasing a project and putting it out to the public.
One would think that if we were being teed up for Moana 2, we would have seen more than some vaguely aquatic imagery, with only Dwayne Johnson shouts of excitement to call dialogue. That lack of information feels like an initial announcement tease, not a full-blown welcoming party. With such a surprisingly short timespan in the works for releasing the film, every second counts, and this feels like valuable minutes off the clock.
What Does This Moana 2 Surprise Mean For The Live-Action Remake?
I have one final concern when it comes to the entire Moana ecosystem, and I promise after I talk about this one, I’ll have something positive to share. With that said, we’re now being primed to expect an animated Moana 2 in theaters, just in time for the fall/winter holiday scrum. That’s Disney’s bread and butter, and for the company to not have a movie ready to open at that point would be absolutely weird.
However, there’s a shape shifting demi-god in the room that needs to be addressed, and it’s the fact that what we know about the live-action Moana remake is that it’s slated to be released on June 27, 2025. What’s the timeframe Disney apparently likes to use to tease its projects, based on the example provided earlier? Seven months, which is almost exactly the distance between Moana 2 and live-action Moana’s release dates.
So theoretically, we could see a teaser trailer for the flesh and blood remake as we’re all sitting down to see what the animated crew does next. I’d imagine we might hear some sort of delay in the works for Moana the remake, as the twin writers/actors strikes of 2023 probably delayed things to a certain extent. Yet again, that’s something you’d think would be front and center when putting Moana 2 on everyone’s radar, as there's now a massive potential for brand burnout.
A Disney Precedent That Makes Me Feel A Little Better About Moana 2
I did promise a silver lining when it came to this whole Moana 2 scenario, and I’ll admit it was thanks to talking things over with a colleague that this Disney precedent was even brought to my attention. While this series-to-movie pipeline first had me thinking about the abysmal Atlantis II: Milo’s Return, which is a story that deserves to be told in its own right, another randomly shifting project came into view.
You see, back when Toy Story 2 was being made, it was initially intended to be a direct-to-video sequel, as Disney was all about those sorts of projects in the mid-to-late ‘90s. As the project’s official history on Pixar’s website will tell you, enthusiasm and faith put that movie onto a rocket sled of crunch time, as what some consider to be the best Toy Story movie ever was given the chance to perform theatrically.
While I’m really worried about Moana 2 standing shoulder to shoulder with its impressive predecessor, I have to admit this example reminded me that sometimes Disney magic happens rather quickly. Plus, with original voice actor Auli'i Cravalho’s secret Moana return seemingly confirmed, it becomes even more difficult to totally turn away from catching up with the Disney hero who had heart and knew how to use it.
We’ll see which side of the coin wins out whebn Moana 2 is released on November 27th. So keep your eyes and ears open, as who knows how far this sequel will go in the weeks and months to come!
