Moana was a huge hit for Disney back in 2016. Led by the voice talents of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and newcomer Auli’i Cravalho, the animated film wowed audiences with its powerful musical numbers, stellar animation and potent storyline. The critically-acclaimed movie went on to gross over $643 million worldwide and secure two Academy Award nominations. Given the flick’s massive success, it’s a bit of a surprise that fans haven’t been treated to a sequel already.
Now, however, nearly four years after the original, the studio is reportedly in the process of developing a follow-up to the beloved classic. Details are scarce as of right now, but sources close to WGTC – the same ones who told us the Mouse House was doing an Aladdin sequel before it was later confirmed – tell us that it’s definitely in the works and it’s presumed that both Cravalho and The Rock will be brought back to reprise their roles.
For those who still haven’t seen it, the original film tells the story of a young girl named Moana. She’s the strong-willed daughter of the stubborn chief of a Polynesian village, who gets specifically chosen by the ocean itself to reunite a magic relic with the goddess Te Fiti. When wildlife starts to die on her island, Moana sets sail in search of Maui in hopes that the legendary demigod can help her return the relic to Te Fiti and thus save her people back home.
While at least four years may seem like a long time to wait for another chapter in this storyline, the long gap between movies in a franchise isn’t uncommon for Disney’s animated properties. After all, it’s taken six years for viewers to get the long-awaited Frozen 2. Then there’s Zootopia, which came out the same year as Moana and is also getting the sequel treatment some time in the future. And lest we forget the Toy Story franchise, an animated series that averages practically a decade between installments.
Hopefully Disney’s looking to put this one together sooner rather than later, as we probably speak for just about everyone when we say that a Moana sequel would be most welcome. As always, though, once we receive any further updates on the studio’s plans, we’ll be sure to let you know.
