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Moana 2: Is Auli’i Cravalho Reprising Her Role As Lead in the Sequel? Here's What The Actress Says
Disney CEO Bob Iger announced Moana 2, opening on November 27, marking a significant milestone for Disney's Moana Disney+ series, with Auli’i Cravalho reprising Moana's voice and Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui.
Auli’i Cravalho is set to reprise the voice of Moana in Moana 2, with Dwayne Johnson returning as demigod Maui. Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that Moana 2 will open on November 27, during the Thanksgiving stretch, marking a significant milestone for Disney's Moana Disney+ series, which turned into a big-screen movie.
Auli’i Cravalho is returning to lend her video in the Moana sequel
Auli’i Cravalho will lend her voice to the titular character of Moana 2, the sequel to the 2016 animated film. This has ended the speculation about her involvement in the film. The casting also means that Cravalho will team up again with Dwayne Johnson, who will reprise the demigod Maui in the film. The sequel, directed by Dave Derrick Jr., features music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow, Emily Bear, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina.
Cravalho told fans on May 2023 that she wasn’t planning to reprise the role of Moana in the live-action version of the movie. "When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career,” she said in a video posted on Instagram back then. “In this live-action retelling, I will not be reprising the role. I believe it is absolutely vital the casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell.”
Sr continued, “So, as an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit and emotional strength. I’m truly honored to pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, to honor our incredible Pacific peoples cultures and communities that help inspire her story. And I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific representations to come. Mahalo.”
Moana, released in 2016, grossed over $687 million globally and received Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature and Lin-Manuel Miranda's original song How Far I'll Go.
Exploring the career of Auliʻi Cravalho
Auliʻi Cravalho is an American actress known for her roles in Disney's Moana, Rise, All Together Now, Darby and the Dead, The Power, and Mean Girls. Born in Kohala, Hawaii, she is of Native Hawaiian, Puerto Rican, Portuguese, Chinese, and Irish descent. At the time of her breakthrough, she was singing soprano in the glee club at Kamehameha Schools' Kapālama campus. She made her acting debut in the Disney animated musical film Moana in 2016.
Cravalho, who starred as the title character in the 2016 animated movie Moana, initially didn't audition due to numerous submissions. However, a talent agent in Oahu discovered her through a charity video contest and brought her to Los Angeles to audition. Casting director Rachel Sutton stated that Cravalho was the last person to audition out of hundreds of actresses.
In 2017, she was cast in the pilot for the NBC drama Rise, which premiered in March 2018. However, it was cancelled due to low ratings. In May 2017, she sang the national anthem at the National Memorial Day Concert. In November 2017, she announced her return to the role of Moana in the first Hawaiian-dubbed Disney film, Moana, which premiered on June 10, 2018.
In 2019, Cravalho starred as Ariel in ABC's The Little Mermaid Live! and starred in Netflix's All Together Now in 2020. She also performed as a guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional in 2018 and 2021.
In 2020, Cravalho participated in Acting for a Cause, a live reading series featuring classic plays and screenplays. She played Gwendolen Fairfax in The Importance of Being Earnest, Laertes in Hamlet, Lady Catherine in Pride and Prejudice, and Jeannie Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, raising funds for non-profit charities.
Cravalho starred as Hailey in the animated comedy-adventure series Hailey's On It!, played Jos Cleary-Lopez in the sci-fi drama series The Power, and played Janis 'Imi'ike in the 2024 film adaptation of Mean Girls. She also appeared in the stage musical Mean Girls.
ALSO READ: Moana 2 Release Window Revealed: Everything We Know So Far
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