Moana 2: Auli’i Cravalho will return for highly-anticipated sequel

“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise and we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 comes to cinemas this November."

Moana’s Auli’i Cravalho is officially returning to Motunui at the end of the year.

Auli’i Cravalho, the voice behind the titular character of the Disney film Moana, has confirmed she will return for the movie’s sequel, a highly anticipated release that is set to hit screens later this year.

Cravalho, 23, shared a video on Instagram jumping in front of Disney’s Roy E. Disney Animation Building in California on Tuesday.

In the caption, she wrote: “The feeling when you’re officially returning to Motunui,” and then continued with “we’re sailing WAY beyond the reef this November … #Moana2”.

Moana 2 is set to be released on November 27, 2024.

What’s more, not the only voice reprising their role in the Disney flick, it is said that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is in talks to return as Maui, reports Daily Mail.

In May, Cravalho confessed that she would not be portraying Moana in the live-action film for Disney Plus.

“I’m truly honoured to pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, to honour our incredible Pacific people’s cultures and communities that help inspire her story,” she revealed in a statement in May. “I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific representations to come. Mahalo.”

The live-action project — which was initially planned to be a series — was ultimately made into a full-length feature film. Disney’s chief executive Bob Iger shared this week that he was so impressed with the project that he made the decision to transform it into a film sequel.

“Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise, and we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui when Moana 2 comes to theaters this November,” Iger revealed.

The second instalment of the epic animated musical will take fans on an exciting new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers.

After Moana’s wayfinding ancestors reach out to her out of the blue, the princess embarks on an exciting journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, uncharted waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced before.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with his daughters, Jasmine, 7, and Tiana, 4, make a special announcement. Photo / Disney

The upcoming film will be directed by Dave Derrick Jr and will feature music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Mark Mancina, and Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa’i.

As for the live-action project, the Rock is set to star as Maui and will also be producing the film under his Seven Bucks Productions label.

However, it has not been revealed who will play titular character Moana in the live-action and production hasn’t begun yet, so it is doubtful the film will be released on its proposed due date, June 27, 2025.

Moana 2 is due to hit New Zealand screens on November 27, 2024.