'Moana 2' Finally Coming to Disney+ 105 Days After Theatrical Release
Disney's animated sequel "Moana 2" will finally make its streaming debut on Disney+, more than 100 days after it was released in theaters worldwide.
The movie, which hit theaters on Nov. 27, 2024, is set to become available for streaming on the Disney+ platform on March 12. That is exactly 105 days after its theatrical release. The movie has been a massive box office success, grossing more than $1 billion globally. It also became the third highest-grossing movie of last year, behind only Disney's "Inside Out 2" and "Deadpool & Wolverine."
It is important to note that the movie was initially developed as a TV series for Disney+. Still, it was later revamped into a film for theatrical release to allow the studio to maximize revenue and profits, according to Variety.
The sequel will continue the story of the beloved Polynesian heroine, Moana, now set three years after the events of the first film. It will follow her as she reunites with the demigod Maui and assembles a crew to find the lost island of Motufetu. Their mission is to break a curse and reconnect the people of the ocean, facing off against the malicious storm god Nalo, who seeks power over mortals.
The film features the return of Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui, as well as new additions, including Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Moana's little sister, Simea.
"Moana 2" received mixed reviews from critics, with a current Rotten Tomatoes score of 61% from 232 reviews. Many critics noted that while the sequel continued to display great chemistry between Moana and Maui, some note that it did not quite capture the magic of the original film, particularly in its musical numbers. It was rumored that Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote songs for the first film, was absent from the sequel as he was already working on "Mufasa: The Lion King." However, the "Hamilton" producer noted that "Moana 2" already had Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow on the team to process the TV series. They were still on the team when the sequel was turned into a movie.
