Moana is getting a shock sequel, as Disney CEO Bob Iger introduced that Moana 2, Walt Disney Animation’s all-new feature-length sequel to 2016’s Oscar-nominated movie, will probably be launched in theaters in 2024. This put up shares the announcement, why that is popping out of left discipline, and what it may imply for Walt Disney World and past.
“Moana stays an extremely common franchise,” mentioned Iger. “And we will’t wait to offer you extra of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 involves theaters this November.” Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic, all-new animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an sudden name from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana should journey to the far seas of Oceania and into harmful, long-lost waters for an journey in contrast to something she’s ever confronted.
Moana 2 is being directed by Dave Derrick Jr., with music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina. Moana 2 opens in theaters this Thanksgiving Eve, on November 27, 2024.
Along with the shock announcement of Moana 2, Bob Iger additionally shared on the earnings name that Zootopia 2 will probably be launched in 2025. Frozen 3 and the Toy Story 5 will probably be launched in 2026.
Turning to commentary, this comes as a shock as a result of Disney by no means introduced Moana 2. I do know it is likely to be robust to maintain monitor of all of the sequels as a result of there are such a lot of, however there was initially going to be a Disney+ sequence based mostly on Moana. You may’ve forgotten, nevertheless it was among the many Like 937 Issues Introduced Throughout Disney’s Investor Day in 2020.
Initially titled “Moana: The Sequence,” it was produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios in Vancouver, Canada. That department of the studio can also be chargeable for animation for a Disney+ sequence based mostly on The Princess and the Frog. This may increase some purple flags, as longtime followers are in all probability nicely conscious that Disney has used these non-Burbank outposts to create direct-to-video sequels or subpar animation.
However earlier than you begin worrying about that or that Disney is pushing this to theaters attributable to a weaker slate, it’s price noting that there have been rumors for a few months now that “Moana: The Sequence” was far exceeding expectations each in story and animation high quality. Between this and a dearth of different launch choices, this induced Disney to think about changing the sequence right into a full-length function movie.
In case you may swear that Disney truly already introduced a sequel to Moana coming to theaters, you’re in all probability pondering of the reside motion Moana, which is (at present) slated for launch on June 27, 2025. That was the massive shock announcement throughout final 12 months’s Annual Shareholder’s assembly, when Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson broke the information.
The brand new live-action Moana movie is produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia through their Seven Bucks Productions and Beau Flynn through Flynn Image Co. Govt producers embrace Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana, and Scott Sheldon of Flynn Image Co. Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller can even participate within the manufacturing. Bush, who was a director and co-writer of Disney’s Oscar-winning movie Encanto and a author and co-director on Disney’s Oscar-winning Zootopia, wrote the screenplay for the unique Moana film.
In accordance with Disney, the live-action reimagining of Moana will have a good time the islands, communities, and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen by the eyes of a younger girl wanting to pave her personal path. Moana’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on the lives of her ancestors received hearts worldwide, as did her newfound friendship with an exiled demigod named Maui.
Whereas it may appear loopy to launch Moana 2 after which flip round 6 months later to drop a reside motion remake–which usually have been of decades-old animated movies–I sort of get it right here. It’s a stars-aligned kind of state of affairs, the place the Disney+ sequence regarded actually good and deserving of a theatrical launch.
Not solely that, however The Rock isn’t getting any youthful. Though it looks as if he’s an ageless marvel, now might be the time to do a live-action remake if he’s going to play Maui. Whilst somebody who has been an enormous critic of those live-action remakes as creatively-bankrupt and superfluous, I’m truly sympathetic to this one.
I don’t assume it’ll be higher than the unique, the live-action Moana must be a enjoyable film in a shocking setting. Whereas his monitor report has grow to be spottier in recent times, The Rock is aware of what he’s doing right here. I’d be keen to guess this would be the largest live-action remake since Aladdin. (By way of field workplace, not high quality.)
This additionally is smart given the endurance of Moana. The unique film was directed by Disney legends Ron Clements and John Musker and co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Corridor. It was launched for Thanksgiving 2016, the place it made $682.6 million on the field workplace. That’s implausible as in comparison with present bombs, nevertheless it was truly far overshadowed by different Disney and Pixar animated releases of that ‘period’ (sure, it’s a distinct period than post-pandemic).
Within the years because the launch of Moana, its reputation has solely grown. In accordance with Nielsen, Moana topped all different motion pictures in 2023 with an all-time excessive of 11.6 billion viewing minutes after touchdown within the prime 4 spots over the previous 4 years. Since Nielsen started measuring streaming, audiences have watched practically 80 billion minutes of Moana, which interprets to watching the total film 775 million occasions.
And as you’re in all probability conscious, Moana’s Journey of Water Impressed opened late final 12 months at EPCOT. That is the primary standalone attraction based mostly on Moana in any of the Disney Parks, however in all probability not the final. Which brings us to our last level…
Extra Moana can also be in all probability on the best way at Walt Disney World, Disneyland and past. That may in all probability find yourself being true with out regard for “Moana: The Sequence” being transformed into Moana 2. Between the early reside motion remake (nearly assuredly successful given the recognition of the unique plus The Rock) and the expansion within the minutes-streamed stat, it looks as if a foregone conclusion that Moana may have a stronger parks presence.
For a ‘blueprint’ of Moana’s future theme park presence, I’d look no additional than World of Frozen, which simply opened at Hong Kong Disneyland and is coming in 2025 to Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris. I haven’t the slightest thought the place it’ll go or what it’ll entail, but when Moana 2 and the live-action remake are smash successes on the field workplace, one other single IP land is a definite chance.
One other chance is a brand new twist on Fantasy Springs, the port-of-call at Tokyo DisneySea that’ll merge Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan right into a single land. That addition has devoted areas–slightly than a whole land or simply single sights–for every of these motion pictures.
Fantasy Springs may very nicely be the following ‘evolution’ theme park design, as Disney strikes away from the one IP land and in direction of ideas that mix collectively quite a lot of properties. Even should you by no means expertise Fantasy Springs, you may acknowledge this main growth as…how theme park lands was once! Form of like how streaming was the evolution of the cable bundle…however has itself basically reinvented the bundle. (Joking apart, Fantasy Springs is definitely a brand new twist, because it’s extra like 3 self-contained minilands.)
We even have a reasonably good concept that that is the plan for the longer term, since all of Imagineering’s blue sky daydreaming teases for Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom have introduced collectively quite a lot of IP (Moana + Zootopia; Indiana Jones + Encanto; Coco + Encanto, and so on.) into these expansions. Who is aware of what is going to find yourself occurring with all of that, however I think the percentages have simply gone up on a brand new “Moana + one thing” land at Walt Disney World.
No matter what occurs, I’d anticipate Walt Disney World to begin steering away from Star Wars and Marvel, with the potential exception of a thrill trip rethemed to Wakanda and retooling of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Apart from that, I believe we’ve entered the period of stuff based mostly on basic and new-classic Walt Disney Animation Studios movies, together with a splash of (underutilized) Pixar motion pictures.
With regards to potential choices right here, there are a number of common choices which have even much less of a park presence than Moana, together with however not restricted to Zootopia, Coco, Inside Out, Encanto, and just about every thing from the Disney Renaissance within the Nineties. There are literally many common motion pictures that don’t have any significant presence in sights at Walt Disney World, so not as a lot “want” to double dip on Moana…nevertheless it’ll occur anyway!
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What are your ideas on extra Moana being added to Walt Disney World or Disneyland within the fashion of World of Frozen or Fantasy Springs? Suppose the Walt Disney Firm will comply with by on its purported plans to “turbocharge” funding and double CapEx to $60 billion on Park & Resorts within the subsequent decade with important funding in a land that options Moana? Which IPs would you prefer to see higher represented at WDW and DLR? Something you’re hoping does not find yourself coming to fruition? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
