Moana 2 Directors Break Down The Inspiration For Sequel Villain & Moana's Crisis Of Confidence

Disney’s sequel streak continues with Moana 2, which sees the return of the island of Motunui and its beloved heroine Moana (voiced by Auli’i Cravalho). Since the events of the 2016 box office hit, Moana has become a certified Tautai, or master navigator, and hopes to reconnect her people populations from other islands that haven’t been seen in generations. A call from the ancestors illuminates a new path forward, and she sets out with a crew to find the island of Montufetu, which was once an ancient meeting point 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 tie that serves a similar purpose to Gramma Tala in the first movie. Moana 2 also ups the stakes by introducing Nalo, the god of storms, whose curse has prevented humans from finding each other across the ocean for many years. With the help of her demigod friend Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and her fellow travelers, though, Moana is prepared to take on the monster storm he sends.

Why Moana 2 Was Originally Going To Be A Disney+ Show & Why Disney Changed It To A Movie

The feature-length Disney animated movie sequel Moana 2 was originally developed as a Disney+ series before changing course, for a variety of reasons.

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

Moana 2 Took Inspiration From A Real-Life Polynesian Wayfinder

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

Moana showing her sister Simea the ocean 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 from Moana 2?

Dana Ledoux Miller: Absolutely. We were so fortunate to work with the Polynesian Voyaging Society and Nainoa Thompson, who’s a master wayfinder, and there were so many times that they came and talked with us.

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

Nainoa told us that he found that feeling really liberating and freeing because it forces you to think differently and to learn something new. That was really a major turning point for us in crafting the story because we realized we’re going to put someone who always knows what to do, always pushing forward and charging through life and is leading the way, in a situation where she’s not going to know what to do or how to move forward. And that’s going to be a really big challenge for her. That was pretty exciting.

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

David Derrick Jr.: Moana and her people have been isolated for a long time. She reconnected her people to who they’re meant to be in the first film, and we see that the village has grown. She has a little sister now, so things have changed for Moana, but her goal is still the same. She’s 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 that there are others out there, and she’s hoping to find them. She wants to give her little sister Simea the whole ocean.

Screen Rant: Jason, the Ocean is its own character in this film. Can you talk about how the ocean’s role in Moana 2 differs from the first film?

Jason Hand: One of our favorite scenes early on in the film is Moana actually introducing her little sister to the ocean. It’s such a 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 tapping into something like that in that moment and that connection.

Moana says to her, “No matter how far I’ll go, the ocean will always connect us.” Even when she’s out on her journey, she actually sends her a message and gets a message back from Simea. I think that kind of stuff is a way that we actually expand on that idea of the ocean connecting us; using Moana and the ocean together. I love that part.

How Nalo, The God Of Storms, Became Moana 2’s Villain

“It serves as this thing that’s keeping everybody 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 ancient meeting point for the navigators influence the storyline and characters character development of Moana 2?

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

We love the idea that there was once this place, long before Moana existed, where all the wayfinders of the ocean came together. We thought about what it would mean if that was lost or taken from them. The idea that Moana is chasing after that felt like a really great challenge for her in this film.

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

David Derrick Jr.: Maui’s never really cared about people before, and he cares about Moana, and that gives Maui a vulnerability. The thing I love is the growth in their relationship. There’s a moment where Maui needs to give Moana a pep talk, and it’s in an incredible song. “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” And it’s really Maui returning the favor that Moana gave him in the first movie.

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

Jason Hand: We were always inspired by the idea that these gods are an embodiment of nature. Obviously, in the first film, we had Te Kā with that incredible lava, and we wanted something that was like that. There are so many amazing stories that we read about and learned about from our consultants, and it felt like if you’re going to be out as a navigator, an incredibly huge storm was going to be a really good obstacle.

Also, it serves as this thing that’s keeping everybody disconnected, and we really love that. It really came together in a way that, I think for all of us, it was surprising. It’s so amazing as filmmakers to be working with an incredible team that is able to create something. You’ve never seen anything like that up on screen, and we loved making that. But the idea was that we needed a very powerful god that could do that, and this god of storms does it.

Moana 2 Started Out As A Disney+ Series – But The Directors Aren’t Going Back

“I think we did learn 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 guys discovered about yourselves through making this film?

Dana Ledoux Miller: I would say I discovered that I’m capable of a lot more than I realized. This is my first time directing and first time working in animation, so there was a really steep learning curve. I’m really thankful that I had a community that was so supportive.

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

Jason Hand: You never quite know what the journey you’re starting is. It started out as a series on Disney+, and it evolved into what it is now, and I’m so happy it did. But you never really quite know what life is going to throw at you. I think Moana is actually experiencing that, and I know I felt that working on this.

I’m so proud of the work we did, but if you were to ask me four years ago what I thought, it would be a much different story.

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