Now this Moana 2 finally debuted, the franchise can move forward again with the Moana live-action adaptation, which fortunately will not suffer the same major problem as the animated sequel. In 2016, Moana became a quick hit for Disney, grossing $687 million at the box office and earning an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. It took a few years, but a sequel was finally announced, although it was initially going to be a TV show. Now, in 2024, Moana 2 finally hit theaters with very similar success, leaving all eyes on the live-action adaptation.
The launch plan for Moana franchise has been somewhat interesting. Despite Moana Incredibly successful, it took four years for Disney to officially announce that a sequel was in development. From then on, the project went from a Moana TV show for a full-length feature film. Notably, it was around the same time that Disney began turning its most popular animated films into live-action adaptations, so perhaps the focus was directed elsewhere. Without considering, Moana The path has been unconventional, and that has led to some potential disappointments for viewers that the live-action film can hopefully fix.
Moana 2 took a lot longer to happen than expected
The pros and cons of a hiatus between films
The biggest fight that came with Moana 2 that's how long it took for the movie to happen. At first, audiences expected a TV show, which was a unique but welcome change. Subsequently, the show was discarded for a feature film, which should have reduced the waiting time for the new project. However, it still took eight years to Moana 2 to be released. At that time, audiences could have easily forgotten about the film completely. Moana 2 It has done well, but perhaps it has come at a cost. Some children may have outgrown Moana.
It didn't take six years to Frozen 2 to leave, and almost 10 to Inside out 2.
The long waiting time between Moana and Moana 2 isn't necessarily new for Disney. It took six years to Frozen 2 to leave, and almost 10 to Inside out 2. Disney needs time to develop the right story and create top-notch animation so that the sequel is as good as the original. Some might argue that Huge IPs like Frozen and Moana do not fall out of public consciousnessas they are designed for children and adults. Still, wait times between films can be disheartening, and it's something Disney should fix with its live-action films.
The live-action Moana franchise can't wait 8 years to make a sequel
How Age Affects Live-Action Moana
A perfect example of Disney's live action hiatus problem is Moana itself. Disney is planning to make a live-action film Moana starring Catherine Laga-aia and Dwayne Johnson. At the moment, Laga-aiga is 17 years old, the perfect age to play Moana in the first film. However, if Disney intends to make a live-action version of Moana 2, they can't wait as long as they waited with Moana 2. It took eight years for the sequel to premiere, but only three years have passed in the world of Moana. That's why, Laga-aiga can't look like she's 25 when she's actually only supposed to be 20.
While age may seem like an arbitrary issue, it actually has a huge effect on a film's success. If a movie is supposed to be about high school students but all the actors look like adults, it can take viewers out of the story. Furthermore, it creates a bad scenario for young audiences, who come to believe that they should have a certain appearance that is completely unattainable. 25 may not be too far off from 20, but a live action Moana 2 would benefit if its actors were as close to the intended characters as possible.
The success of Moana 2 ensures that Disney won't wait too long for a live-action Moana sequel
Will Disney make a live-action Moana 2?
Leaving age aside, it also seems beneficial for Disney to release a live-action Moana 2 sooner or later because of the performance of the animated film. Moana 2 It received almost the same box office earnings as its predecessor, which is impressive considering critics weren't as enthusiastic about the sequel. It would make sense for Disney to build on this success by putting the action live Moana on the move immediately. They would be capitalizing on their success and would also keep interest high in this franchise, which could move in many directions based on how Moana 2 it ended.
The only question that remains is whether Disney will actually make a live-action film. Moana 2. So far, Disney has focused on bringing its original animated films to live action, and has yet to make a sequel. Of course, many of Disney's early sequels weren't as celebrated as their originals, so it makes sense that they wouldn't receive live-action adaptations. Still, considering Moana 2 success, It wouldn't be a total surprise if Disney decided to try a live-action sequel. Ultimately, Moana 2 It could be the start of a new trend for Disney.