‘Moana 2’ premieres in London

The stars of “Moana 2” sailed into a rainy and windy London Sunday for the world premiere of the soon-to-be smash hit animated sequel.
In “Moana 2,” Auli’i Cravalho returns as the voice of Moana and Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui.
“Mona, is absolutely a character that I’ve been intertwined with for such a long time. You’re right that I was 14 when I was cast, and that was definitely an integral part of my childhood. And now, 24, to be coming back to this character, I feel so much more present,” said Cravalho. “I feel really aware of Moana’s has impact as well. So, I feel like I brought some of that childlike, you know, Disney like fanatic with me also. So I think it’s the best of both worlds.”
The first film was considered groundbreaking for its Pacific Islander representation, and the premiere of the second honored that heritage.
Set three years after the original film, “Moana 2” finds Moana again forced to head across the Pacific on an ocean adventure. But this time, she’s traveling with a crew, in a new canoe, and carrying new responsibilities. That includes her younger sister, Simea (Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda).
Moana is joined by a wayfinding crew that includes the characters Loto (Rose Matafeo), an engineer; Kele (David Fane), a grumpy farmer; and Moni (Hualālai Chung), a historian and storyteller.
When the teaser trailer dropped in May, it was watched 178 million times in 24 hours. That’s more than “Inside Out 2,” more than “Frozen 2,” more than any animated Disney movie before. Now, it’s steering toward being one of the fall’s biggest blockbusters. What can you say except you’re welcome?
“Moana 2”, directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, sails into theaters worldwide from November 27.