The Big Picture

Collider’s Steve Weintaub sits down with Auli’i Cravalho in Hawaii for the world premiere of
Moana 2
.
In the sequel, Moana is now a master navigator for her people, and after an unexpected call from her ancestors, she sets out on an epic adventure of exploration.
In this interview, Cravalho discusses her personal growth as she reprises the voice of Moana, the changes the sequel underwent from an animated series to full-length feature, and which songs from the movie (and unreleased) she’s excited for fans to hear.

For the global premiere of Disney’s Moana 2, Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the honor of visiting Hawaii to talk with the artists behind the magic of this highly-anticipated sequel. In particular, he had the opportunity to sit down with Auli’i Cravalho, the unforgettable voice behind the titular heroine and wayfinder, to find out what it’s really like to be a Disney princess, as well as making Disney history with this follow-up to the first film.

In the movie, “It’s been three years since we last saw her, and she’s now become a master navigator.” Cravalho also points out that not only do we see Moana take on the responsibilities of exploring and expanding from Motonui, but that this is the first time in history a “Disney princess has been allowed to age.” The sequel is all about growth as Moana heeds an unexpected call from her ancestors to venture to the faraway seas of Oceania. To do so, she’ll enlist the help of all new friends, including a familiar face with the mighty demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson)!

In this interview, Cravalho discusses her personal voyage along with Moana, exploring the reaches of her talents. She talks about representing strength and courage, her favorite Disneyland rides and foods, the songs she’s most looking forward to audiences singing along with in theaters, and how the sequel changed from a Disney+ series to a full feature.

Auli’i Cravalho Shares What She’s Learned Voicing Moana

COLLIDER: I really appreciate the matte painting that Disney put up. It’s fantastic, and honestly, it looks real.

AULI’I CRAVALHO: Pretty realistic. Yeah, we couldn’t afford the real thing. It would be way too expensive to fly you out to Hawaii.

100%. Or do the premiere in Hawaii. So, what the hell is it like being a Disney princess?

CRAVALHO: It’s hard to put into words because I don’t look like this normally, right? I’m just Auli’i when I go home. My mom and my family members will be the first to tell you that I am not a Disney princess when I am home. But I love this character so much. I love what she represents, and I’m glad that I have been able to gain my strength, my fearlessness, my love for community and family and that it’s portrayed through her in such a beautiful way.

When you are a Disney princess, does that come with a Disneyland Passport for life?

CRAVALHO: You’d think so, eh? No?

[Laughs] Just throwing that out there. So, I am a big fan of Disneyland.

CRAVALHO: Same.

Related ‘Moana 2’ Filmmakers Tease a Bigger, More Epic Journey for the Wayfinder and Her Crew The creative team for the ‘Moana’ sequel promises that, this time around, Pua will go along for the ride.

I’m assuming you’ve been many times. Do you have a favorite ride? What’s the one you have to go to when you first get to the park?

CRAVALHO: Well, I’ve got to get a pickle. First of all, I have to eat a pickle.

Does that mean that at eight in the morning, you’re starting the day off with a pickle?

CRAVALHO: Yeah.

Really?

CRAVALHO: Yeah!

That’s very ambitious.

CRAVALHO: My favorite pickles come from Disneyland. I always get a hot chocolate. I’m a big foodie person, so I hit the Dole Whip — obvi. But the rides… Hyperspace Mountain! You have to ride it with your eyes closed.

Oh, no, 100%. By the way, there’s no wrong answer. I might go with Haunted Mansion, though. I really do love haunted.

CRAVALHO: Oh, that’s fair. That’s really good.

So there are a bunch of new songs in the movie. Which is the one that you’re most excited for fans of Moana to hear?

CRAVALHO: Ooh, I’m really excited for people to hear “Beyond.” I think it’s a huge power ballad written by Barlow & Bear. I asked them for a challenge, and boy, did they deliver. I also really like “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” because I was not expecting that fire conch. That was pretty cool.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

One of the things that’s fascinating about animated movies is how they can change along the way. When you first started recording to what people are going to see, is it dramatic changes? Do you remember what it was originally and now what it is?

CRAVALHO: Dramatic changes. I mean, we started off as an animated series, so think of multiple episodes being able to tell Moana’s growth, being also able to know a little bit more about the crew, Maui didn’t quite didn’t come in until some of the later episodes, figuring out the songs, and we cut whole songs that we had finished recording. So, there were a lot of changes along the way, but I think it got really tight, and I’m super pleased that we get to have a theatrical release and share it with the world.

I know you must have recorded other songs. Do you think those are possible Moana 3 songs, or do you think those are an unreleased Moana album that they could do?

CRAVALHO: I think that it’ll be added to an album, I believe, because who knows where she’s going to go in the future? I think we’d want all new music for the next.

Totally. You probably can’t reuse stuff, but if you guys recorded them, I would imagine you should release them.

CRAVALHO: I hope so! I worked really hard on that. [Laughs]

I want to hear them and I’m sure fans do as well.

‘Moana 2’ Celebrates a First in “Disney History”

What are you actually most excited for fans of Moana to get an experience with the sequel?

CRAVALHO: I hope fans of Moana are able to see her grow. I love that, for the first time in Disney history, a Disney princess has been allowed to age. It’s been three years since we last saw her, and she’s now become a master navigator. She’s searching across the entirety of the Pacific for more people, and I think that that’s absolutely beautiful. I love that I’ve grown up, so my voice is also a little bit lower. You’ll hear my growth through her. You’ll also see it through our script and through our music, and I really like that growth is a central theme. She might think that her path ahead is pretty straight and not too difficult — wrong! Life takes you on loops and twists and turns, and that’s also growth.

Moana 2 is now playing in theaters.

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.Director David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller Cast Auli’i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda Runtime 100 Minutes Writers Dana Ledoux Miller , Jared Bush , Jason Hand , Ron Clements , John Musker Studio(s) Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios Franchise(s) Disney Expand

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