'Moana 2' premiere pays cultural tribute

Film to release on November 27

OAHU: The world premiere of Disney's Moana 2 sailed into Oahu, Hawaii on Thursday along with a celebration of Pacific Islander heritage.

In the storyline, three years have passed since Moana's adventures in the first hit film. "At first, she was wondering if she could be a wayfinder," Auli?i Cravalho, who voices the title character, told Reuters. "By the time we see her again she's a ... master navigator."

The film also takes Moana on a journey into the future, so she is travelling "even further beyond," the native Hawaiian actor added.

Moana 2, directed by David Derrick Jr, Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, arrives in theatres on November 27. In it, Moana receives a sudden call from her ancestors to travel the seas and break the god Nalo's curse, which prevents the people of various islands from reconnecting.

She must form her own crew and reunite with her friend, the demigod Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson. "Maui's journey in Moana 2 means to me a few things," Johnson said.

"Number one, legacy, and number two, the character Maui was largely inspired by my grandfather who's buried here (Hawaii), so it's pretty meaningful to me," he added. The premiere opened with performances from Hawaiian dancers wearing leis and waving Hawaiian flags.

The film is highly anticipated after Disney's other 2024 animated sequel Inside Out 2 passed the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office less than three weeks after its release—the fastest that any animated film has reached that level.

The first Moana topped the 2016 Thanksgiving box office rankings, earning a mighty $81.1 million over the five-day holiday period. Reuters