Disney has always been known for its stunning animated feature films, especially the musicals. In additions to classics from the '90s an early aughts, a number of wildly successful new movies have arrived in recent years such as Frozen, Encanto, and Moana. The latter movie (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription) is getting new life with both an upcoming live-action adaptation and an animated sequel. The latter will be here in November, and the composers recently compared the title character's new song with her iconic track "How Far I'll Go.", which is definitely one of the top 5 Moana songs (so far).
What we know about Moana 2 is fairly limited, but all of our questions will be answered when it arrived in theaters this November. One big change coming for the sequel is that Lin-Manuel Miranda isn't writing the music, with that task instead going to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. During a conversation with EW, Bear spoke about the title character's new song, and key differences with "How Far I'll Go." As she put it:
We also wanted her to be more vulnerable. ‘Beyond' is a little bit darker than 'How Far I'll Go' because the stakes are suddenly so much higher. She's about to make a big decision that will affect the rest of her life. She knows more of the world and what's out there, so she knows what to expect – and that could be scary.
Well, I'm definitely intrigued. Moana should be a very different person in her sequel, given how she developed through her first adventure outside of the island of Motunui. And that should be reflected on her new track in the highly anticipated sequel. Give me the soundtrack, ASAP!
The specific narrative details about "Beyond" remain to be seen for the time being, but it sounds like it'l have a very different feel than "How Far I'll Go", which is more hopeful in tone. And I can't wait to see what twists and turns might befall the the title character (and Dwayne Johnson's Maui) in the sequel.
The pressure will be on for Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear to deliver with their new songs for Moana 2. They have some very big shoes to fill thanks to the music written by for the last movie by the great Lin-Manuel Miranda. It's unclear why he didn't return for the sequel, but the Hamilton mastermind has a wildly busy career, both in front and behind of the camera. So it should be interesting to see how different the music feels.
All will be revealed when Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27th. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates.
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Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor
Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.
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