Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer, Jared Bush, Previews ‘Moana 2’
When Moana 2 opens in theaters in just two days, audiences will reunite with Moana, Pua, and Hei Hei.
The highly anticipated sequel to 2016’s Moana is set three years after the events of the first film. It finds an older and wiser Moana setting out to reconnect with the people of Oceania.
Photo: Billboard
“Before Maui stole Te Fitit’s heart, our ancestors wanted to connect our island to all the people of the entire ocean. It’s my job as a Wayfinder to finish what they started,” Moana explains in the film’s first trailer.
Jared Bush Talks ‘Moana 2’
To bring the next great Moana story to life, Disney turned to Jared Bush, the newly appointed Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, who wrote the screenplay for the first film.
Photo: D23
In a recent interview with Disney, Bush explained his inspiration for the story of Moana 2.
“With any story, you try to think of the characters as someone you know — and that means building someone’s psychology and understanding what they’re going through emotionally. While the first film is not directly set up for a sequel, Moana has just found out who she is. She’s just become a wayfinder at the end of the first film,” Bush explained.
“What does that mean for her moving into this next part of her life? What is she going to go out in search of? From a character perspective, it makes so much sense for her to want to go out there to explore and seek out new islands and perhaps even connect with new communities.”
An Older and Wiser Moana
According to the screenwriter, Moana isn’t the only one who has done some growing up in the last three years.
“We join up with Moana, three years after the end of the first film, and it’s at this moment that she is called by her ancestors to go on an impossible mission to save her people and reconnect the people of the Pacific. And she’ll have to do so, now, as a leader of a crew on her canoe. It’s a new chapter for her and everyone,” he continued.
Photo: Disney
“Even Maui went through a massive character arc in the first film. He was this guy who was pretty full of himself, and he found redemption through Moana and started to work on himself. How does a demigod work on himself? We find that out in this next story. It’s always character first; they will lead you on that journey.”
The Journey Behind ‘Moana 2’
The development of Moana 2 was unique in the Disney canon. The film initially began development as a series for Disney+. Eventually, the Moana 2 team decided that the show’s story was strong enough to warrant a theatrical release.
Photo: Disney
According to Bush, it was a team effort to get the story right.
“Well, it takes hundreds of brilliant minds — that’s the real way to do it. We have so many people who were deeply invested in this story and what it could be, and so everyone set the bar incredibly high. Everyone wanted this movie to be something really special. We wanted this story to be worthy of Moana, of the other characters, of this world, and — of course — of the many communities of the Pacific,” he explained.
Photo: Disney
“It’s only made possible because of everyone’s deep love of all of that and wanting to bring audiences on a journey with their best friend and into places they’ve never seen.”
“There’s So Much More in Store For Her Future”
Comparing the first Moana film with its sequel, Bush believes both stories can stand independently. According to the scribe, Moana’s growth in the upcoming film may even surprise fans.
“I like to think this is just the beginning of her story. There’s so much more in store for her in the future. Every one of us goes through these moments where you define yourself, but that’s never the end of the story; there’s always more to you. And in this movie, Moana redefines herself yet again — maybe even bigger than in the first film,” he said.
What Bush Hopes Audiences Get From ‘Moana 2’
Looking ahead to next week’s release, Bush is excited to share Moana 2 with fans worldwide. When asked what he was most looking forward to, the Disney executive admitted that it was the quieter moments in the film.
Photo: EW
“It’d be easy to say it’s the finale, because the finale is pretty spectacular. But as a storyteller, it’s all the tiny human moments. Specifically, I love Moana’s relationship with her kid sister Simea,” he explained.
“For those of us who are parents or caregivers, who’ve had to have difficult conversations with a 3-year-old who may not understand the imperfect choices you have to make as an adult, that was [a dynamic] that we all felt really connected to. Moana’s love for her little sister, her care for her, and the specialness of that relationship is something I think many people are going to relate to and fall in love with.”
Photo: Disney
Moana 2 will hit theaters on November 27.
