Disney has announced a surprise sequel to its hit animated musical film Moana, which will be released in November.
During an earnings call on Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that Moana 2 was originally being developed as a TV series.
“We were impressed by what we saw and knew it deserved to be released in theaters,” he said, adding that “Moana” will have more than 1 billion minutes played on Disney+ in 2023 alone, underscoring its potential. Continued popularity.
Set in Polynesia, Moana follows the titular teenage heroine as she embarks on a journey across the ocean with the demigod Maui to save her people. The film was a huge success, grossing $643 million at the global box office and receiving two Academy Award nominations.
Dave Derrick Jr., who served as the storyboard artist on the original film, will direct “Moana 2,” while Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, O. Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina are writing the song. Foy and Mancina wrote the first film’s songs with “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Moana 2, which will be released on November 27, will be an “expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and an all-new crew of unlikely sailors,” Disney said.
The film’s description reads: “After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestor, Moana must travel to the far reaches of Oceania, into dangerous, long-lost waters, and embark on an adventure unlike anything she’s ever experienced. “
It’s unusual for a movie that’s considered a blockbuster to be announced so close to its release, especially since the live-action remake of “Moana” is set to be released in 2025. The live-action film will, like the animated original, star Dwayne Johnson as the demigod Maui. The role of Moana in the live-action film has yet to be confirmed, but original voice actress Auli’i Cravalho has confirmed that she will not be playing the role.
Iger also announced during the earnings call that Disney+ has obtained the streaming rights to “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and that the album will be available on the platform on March 15. The Disney+ version will include five songs not included in the theatrical or video-on-demand versions.
Disney also plans to invest $1.5 billion in Epic Games, the studio behind the popular video game Fortnite, as part of a partnership to create a new “game and entertainment universe” that will include Characters from Disney’s vast array of intellectual properties – spanning the Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Avatar franchises – are included in Fortress Heroes and other Epic Games projects.
