Moana 2 Directors Reveal Inspiration for Villain Sequel and Moana's Crisis of Confidence

Disney’s streak of sequels continues with Moana 2which marks the return of the island of Motunui and its beloved heroine Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho). Since the events of the 2016 blockbuster, Moana has become a certified Tautai, or master navigator, and hopes to reconnect populations of her people from other islands that haven’t been seen for generations. A call from the ancestors illuminates a new path to follow, and she sets out with a crew to find the island of Montufetu, once an ancient meeting place for all navigators.

Moana is more reluctant than usual to leave because her three-year-old sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda), will be left behind – an emotional family bond that serves a similar purpose to Grandma Tala’s in the first film. Moana 2 also raises the stakes by introducing Nalo, the storm god, whose curse prevented humans from finding each other across the ocean for many years. With the help of her demigod friend Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and her traveling companions, Moana is prepared to face the monstrous storm he sends.

TelaRant interviewed Derrick, Hand and Miller about their research and inspiration for Moana 2. As co-writer, Miller shared how conversations with trailblazer Nainoa Thompson helped illuminate Moana’s central arc in the sequel, while Hand revealed Nalo’s evolving importance in the story and Derrick discussed the reversal of Moana and Maui’s dynamic.

Moana 2 Was Inspired by a Real-Life Polynesian Wayfinder

“In the middle of a storm, you have to let go of everything you think is true.”

Moana showing the ocean to her sister Simea in Moana 2

Screen Rant: Dana, you co-wrote this film. Could you share some of the specific stories from Pacific Island communities that inspired the screenplay? Moana 2?

Dana Ledoux Miller: Absolutely. We were very lucky to work with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Nainoa Thompson, who is a master path finder, and they often came to talk to us.

When we decided that we were going to put Moana in a monster storm, I realized that I knew nothing about what it would be like to be in the ocean during a monster storm. We were all very lucky to talk to them about what it’s really like. Nainoa told us a lot of things, but one of the things he said that was so significant and that ended up inspiring a lot of the Moana story is this idea that when you’re in the middle of a storm, you have to let go of everything you think about. true. You really have no control over the situation.

Nainoa told us that she found this feeling really freeing and freeing because it forces you to think differently and learn something new. That was a really big turning point for us in crafting the story, because we realized that we were going to put someone who always knows what to do, always moving forward and moving through life and who is leading the way, in a situation where she won’t. knowing what to do or how to move forward. And that will be a big challenge for her. That was very exciting.

Screen Rant: David, the Moana community is thriving, but it still needs to grow in the sequel. What challenges does Moana face in driving this growth?

David Derrick Jr.: Moana and her people have been isolated for a long time. She reconnected her people with who they were supposed to be in the first film, and we see that the village has grown. She now has a younger sister, so things have changed for Moana, but her goal remains the same. She is looking for connection.

The people of the Pacific and Moana see the ocean not as something that divides, but as something that connects. So, she knows there are others out there and hopes to find them. She wants to give the entire ocean to her younger sister, Simea.

Screen Rant: Jason, the Ocean is his own character in this film. Can you talk about how the role of the ocean in Moana 2 Does it differ from the first film?

Jason Hand: One of our favorite scenes at the beginning of the film is Moana introducing her little sister to the ocean. It’s a really powerful thing to share something that you love or that you experienced when you were a kid and to actually be able to share that. I felt like we were exploring something like that in that moment and in that connection.

Moana tells her, “No matter how far I go, the ocean will always connect us.” Even when she is traveling, she texts him and receives a message from Simea. I think this kind of thing is a way for us to really expand on the idea of the ocean connecting us; using Moana and the ocean together. I love this part.

How Nalo, the God of Storms, became the villain of Moana 2

“It serves as something that keeps everyone disconnected, and we really love that.”

Maui with his hook in front of a purple bubble in Moana 2

Screen Rant: Dana, how did the concept of the old navigator hangout influence the plot and character development of Moana 2?

Dana Ledoux Miller: We talk a lot about how the ocean is what connects everyone in the Pacific, not what divides us. There are places across the Pacific that were meeting points for real ancient navigators, and as we thought about how we would get Moana to reconnect with other people, we started to think a lot about the opposite of that disconnection.

We love the idea that there was this place, long before Moana existed, where all the ocean explorers gathered. We thought about what it would mean if this were lost or taken away from them. The idea that Moana is pursuing this felt like a big challenge for her in this film.

Screen Rant: I love the relationship between Moana and Maui in this film. Can you talk about how this evolves in the sequel?

David Derrick Jr.: Maui has never cared about people before, and he cares about Moana, and that gives Maui a vulnerability. What I love is the growth of their relationship. There’s a moment where Maui has to give Moana an encouraging speech, and it’s an amazing song. “Can I get a Chee Hoo?” And it’s really Maui returning the favor that Moana gave him in the first film.

Screen Rant: Nalo is the god of storms. Can you talk about how this god was developed and his significance in Moana’s journey?

Jason Hand: We’ve always been inspired by the idea that these gods are the embodiment of nature. Obviously, in the first film we had Te Kā with this incredible lava and we wanted something that was like that. There are so many incredible stories that we read and learned from our advisors, and it seemed like if you were a navigator, an incredibly large storm would be a pretty good obstacle.

Plus, it serves as something that keeps everyone disconnected, and we really love that. It really happened in a way that, I think for all of us, was surprising. It’s amazing for filmmakers to work with an incredible team that is capable of creating something. You’ve never seen anything like this on screen and we loved doing it. But the idea was that we needed a very powerful god who could do that, and this storm god does that.

Moana 2 started as a Disney+ series – but the directors won’t go back

“I think we learned that Moana works really well on the big screen.”

Screen Rant: Moana discovers a lot about herself in this film. Can you talk about what you discovered about yourselves while making this film?

Dana Ledoux Miller: I would say that I discovered that I am capable of much more than I realized. This is my first time directing and working in animation, so there was a very steep learning curve. I am so grateful to have a community that has been so supportive.

But also when you’re in a difficult situation, you don’t always know how you’re going to react, and I think I learned a lot. I learned that I am capable of much more than I thought. And that’s what Moana goes through in this film too, so it kind of mirrors her in that way.

Jason Hand: You never know exactly what journey you’re embarking on. It started as a series on Disney+ and evolved into what it is now, and I’m so glad it did. But you never really know what life will throw at you. I think Moana is really experiencing that, and I know I felt that working on it.

I’m very proud of the work we’ve done, but if you asked me four years ago what I thought, the story would be very different.

David Derrick Jr.: In this continuation of Moana’s story, she goes further because she goes along not only with Maui, but with the crew. And for me, I know that without Jason and Dana and our entire team, I would never have gotten this far. I know that together and when we are connected, we can always go further than if we are apart.

Screen Rant: If there are more adventures for Moana, would you see them continuing as a Disney+ series or in Moana 3?

David Derrick Jr.: I think it always begs for the big screen.

Jason Hand: I think we’ve learned that Moana works really well on the big screen.