Moana 2’s Filmmakers Clarify Her New Demi-God Standing

With Moana 2 coming to 4k and Blu-ray March 18, and hitting Disney + March 12, the filmmakers behind the epic sequel sat down to confirm our favorite voyager’s new title.

io9 spent a day at Walt Disney Animation Studios to get a behind-the-scenes take a look at the making of Moana 2, participating in a walk-through of the particular options that might be included within the dwelling launch of the hit theatrical sequel. From VFX work to the administrators taking us by way of the storyboards of the ultimate act of the film, we acquired to be taught extra about what the film is setting up for Moana’s (Auli’i Cravalho) future—and the work it took to get there when the movie shifted from a Disney+ sequence to a full-on theatrical function.

Administrators David G. Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand talked to io9 about how the sequence arc ended up coming collectively for the movie.

Hand defined, “The following chapter of Moana’s story, finally [what] we had been planning [for the] sequence was the story we instructed in [the] function. However we had been simply capable of inform it within the greatest simplest approach, on the massive display screen.”

Much more Moana is one thing followers at the moment are hoping for, and due to the movie’s success it could possibly be within the playing cards. There are story concepts already, Derrick shared: “Once we began the story for this, we knew that there have been so many extra tales that could possibly be instructed. And so clearly, we needed to have the ability to hold the door open if we so desired to wish to make extra, if the viewers’s need was there.”

The presentation included a take a look at how Moana’s sacrifice was painstakingly put collectively, creating a giant second that actually pays off when the ancestors let her come again totally different in a giant approach. In our interview, we requested if it was meant to encourage extra adventures with Moana and Maui on a extra equal aircraft. “We purposely arrange that,” Derrick mentioned, that means as a end result for the movie with doable paths to comply with. “However we actually needed to inform a narrative that in itself nonetheless felt full and felt like we’d seen a journey. We’d seen Moana [and] Maui change inside [the film], so it’s meant to do each.”

Hand emphasised that Moana 2 was meant to be a brand new, full story for its heroine. “In the end our theme is that you just by no means cease selecting who you might be, discovering who you might be. So it felt additionally simply very applicable [for] the second movie to finish on that open query. We all know that she has turn into a demigod. However what does that imply precisely?”

Moana being a wayfinding demi-god has us so excited to see her use her magical oar to unite extra folks. Whereas the filmmakers are hush a couple of third movie, we geeked out about seeing Moana in her demi-god glory on the theme parks, and  requested whether or not or not they’d consulted on future attraction plans primarily based on the occasions of Moana 2.

“We had been simply working so onerous to complete the movie and to get it to the place it’s, the truth that there’s going to be a need for that inside the parks was unbelievable,” Derrick shared. “We did see the walk-around character stuff, which was so thrilling for us to see.”

Hand interjected, “Oh my gosh! She’s going to be strolling round within the parks [in] flesh and blood. That was actually thrilling. So any extra factor that comes from that was simply that will be unbelievable.”

One other game-changing reveal in Moana 2 comes within the post-credits scene, the place the not too long ago defeated storm god Nalo (Tofiga Fepulea’i) calls a gathering between the angered gods who’ve handled Moana and Maui’s heroic ambitions. Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), the Bat Goddess, exhibits up now free however nonetheless one way or the other having to reply to Nalo, and we get a shock when Tamatoa makes his presence recognized.

The “shiny” crab god, a fan-fave from the primary movie, is again, voiced as soon as once more by Jemaine Clement, and this unhealthy man team-up has the fandom intrigued about what it would imply. Clement’s cameo was all the time in Moana 2‘s plans however because the story modified it acquired shifted round.

“We had been all the time planning for a Jemaine cameo inside the story. , at one level [it] was the start,” Hand shared, explaining how that developed because the villains is perhaps getting primed to proceed to problem Moana and Maui. “On the finish, we all the time needed to see Nalo and to type of actually see the face of this antagonist. So yeah, it type of all got here collectively but it surely’s one thing that we had been taking part in round with for a very long time.”

Derrick defined why they determined to maintain the villain tease after the movie’s conclusion. “At one level we ended earlier than the top credit with that—after which we felt like, ‘Oh no, let’s finish on that simply unbelievable excessive of understanding what Moana has turn into. That she’s occurring this new journey, [and] let a couple of credit roll.”

“Yeah, after which carry it as much as type of set the stage. Allow us to see these characters and snicker somewhat bit,” Hand added, noting it was good to carry again Tamatoa in the long run so as to add levity. “However the Tamatoa Jemaine model of that’s so humorous. Identical to, ‘Yeah, she mainly screwed us over’ to commiserate with Nalo. It’s so humorous.”

Moana 2 will drop on Disney+ March 12; you may also purchase it on 4k or Blu-ray March 18.

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