Earlier this month, during the latest Walt Disney Companies quarterly investors call, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that they would be releasing “Moana 2” in cinemas this Thanksgiving.

This news came as a huge surprise since Disney had previously announced at the Disney Investor Day in 2020 that it would be creating a new animated series featuring “Moana” for Disney+. Bob Iger explained that when he previewed the project, he thought it was so good, that it should be reformated to a theatrically released film.

While the series has been in development for years, the shift to making it a theatrically released film has resulted in some changes.

One of them is that the voices behind Moana and Maui look to have changed, as Auli’i Cravalho has taken to social media to confirm she’s been at Walt Disney Animation Studios working on the upcoming animated film.

It’s great to see Auli confirming that she’s back as the voice of Moana, but it does bring into question if she was also going to provide the voice of Moana in the Disney+ series at all or if she’s just picking up some additional or changed lines now its been changed to a movie. With the project shifting from a Disney+ series to a theatrical movie, the actors will have to have their contracts changed.

Auli’i Cravalho confirmed last year that she would not be playing the role of Moana in the live-action version of “Moana”, which is due to begin filming later this year. However, she will be an executive producer on the movie. Since Moana is a teenager, it does make sense as to why Auli’i Cravalho wouldn’t be returning to play the role, since she’s now in her mid-twenties.

With Dwayne Johnson also sharing the announcement of the new “Moana” film on social media, it’s safe to assume he is also returning to play the role of the demi-god, Maui.

Dave Derrick Jr. directs the new film and features music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

What do you think about Auli’i Cravalho returning for “Moana 2”?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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