Disney Makes Waves With New Moana Trailer and “Artistry of Moana” Featurette Ahead of 2026 Release
Walt Disney Animation Studios expanded its animated universe with Moana 2, a sweeping musical sequel that reunited fan-favorite characters while charting a more ambitious journey across the Pacific.
Set three years after the original movie, the narrative followed Moana as a more seasoned wayfinder and leader of her island, Motunui. After receiving a vision from her ancestors, she set out on a dangerous quest to find a long-lost island known as Motufetū, which was believed to have once united the peoples of Oceania before being cursed and submerged by a powerful storm god.
Filmmakers indicated that the sequel shifted its emphasis from Moana’s personal identity—central to the first film—to the larger future of her people. Screenwriter and executive producer Jared Bush characterized the story as a continuation of Moana’s development, highlighting that her journey of self-discovery was ongoing and linked to the progress of her community.
Directors Dana Ledoux Miller, David G. Derrick Jr., and Jason Hand drew inspiration from the navigation traditions and cultural values of the Pacific Islands. A key theme in the narrative was the notion that the ocean acts as a connector rather than a separator among island communities—an ethos that was reflected in both the storyline and the production process.
The film brought back important characters, including Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson, who accompanied Moana on her quest to lift the curse. Filmmakers noted that their relationship evolved into one based on mutual respect and shared responsibility. Returning voice talent also featured Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana.
The sequel expanded its cast with new characters forming Moana’s crew, each contributing unique skills to the voyage. The narrative also introduced new threats, including Nalo, a storm god determined to keep the ocean’s peoples divided.
Music remained a central element of the film, with songs created by Grammy-winning composers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, alongside returning collaborators Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina. Filmmakers said the music was designed to reflect the emotional depth of the story while advancing its narrative.
Production on Moana 2 marked a milestone for Disney Animation, as it was the first project developed simultaneously across studios in Burbank, California, and Vancouver, Canada. The collaboration mirrored the film’s themes of connection and teamwork, according to producers.
In addition to storytelling, the studio emphasized cultural authenticity. Filmmakers worked closely with the Oceanic Cultural Trust, a group of experts in Pacific Island history, language, navigation, and traditions. The advisory group guided decisions across design, story, and animation to ensure respectful and accurate representation.
Visually, the film built upon the original’s acclaimed depiction of the ocean, with enhanced animation techniques used to create expansive seascapes, dynamic storm sequences, and new environments. The journey took audiences beyond familiar settings to uncharted waters, including encounters with massive natural forces and mythical elements.
At its core, Moana 2 explored themes of growth, leadership, and interconnectedness. As Moana ventured farther than any of her ancestors, the story examined the balance between personal ambition and responsibility to family and community.
The film was released in theaters on Nov. 29, 2024.
The Spider’s Last Web: Miles Morales Faces His Darkest Hour in ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’
He’s been bitten by a radioactive spider, swung through dimensions, and lost—then found—himself more times than most heroes do in a lifetime. But for Miles Morales, the ultimate test is just beginning.
Sony Pictures Animation has officially confirmed that the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga will conclude with the upcoming Spider-Man™: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and if the early synopsis is any indication, fans should brace for an emotional, dimension-hopping, heart-pounding finale.
Miles is no stranger to chaos. But this time, the walls aren’t just closing in—they’re shattering.
Hunted by Miguel O’Hara’s relentless Spider Society and cut off from the very friends who once had his back, Miles finds himself stranded in the darkest, strangest corners of the Spider-Verse. His mission? Find a way home. But home isn’t what it used to be. His family isn’t just worried—they’re in danger. And every tick of the clock pulls him further from the people he swore to protect.
“It’s a race against time across the wildest reaches of space and reality,” the official synopsis reads, teasing a journey that promises to push Miles to his physical and emotional limits. Betrayal, fractured loyalties, and the weight of his own calling collide as he fights to reunite everything he holds most dear.
Meanwhile, in Another New York…
But the Spider-Verse isn’t done twisting the knife.
In a parallel thread that feels both heartbreaking and inevitable, Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up four years after the cataclysmic events of No Way Home. Peter Parker, having erased himself from the memories of everyone he loves, lives entirely alone. No MJ. No Happy. No Aunt May. No one who knows his name.
New York still needs a hero. And Peter answers the call—full-time, no days off, no personal life to get in the way. He’s become Spider-Man completely. But the cost is gnawing at him from the inside out.
As the demands of protecting a city that doesn’t remember him intensify, Peter begins to undergo a “surprising physical evolution”—one that threatens not just his identity, but his very existence. Meanwhile, a strange new pattern of crimes is taking shape, giving rise to one of the most powerful enemies he has ever faced.
Behind the Mask
Directors Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson return to helm the finale, working from a script by the powerhouse trio of Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and David Callaham. The producing team reads like a who’s who of modern Spider-Man excellence: Lord, Miller, Amy Pascal, Avi Arad, and Jinko Gotoh, with Aditya Sood and Christina Steinberg serving as executive producers.
Based on the MARVEL COMICS characters that have become global icons, Beyond the Spider-Verse arrives hot on the heels of the record-shattering success of Across the Spider-Verse, promising to deliver the kind of visual invention, emotional depth, and narrative ambition that redefined animated superhero storytelling.
Two Spider-Men. Two impossible journeys. One multiverse on the brink.
The final swing is coming. And it’s going to leave a mark.