The director of the latest hit film, “Moana 2”, spoke in an interview about the process of creating the film. David G. Derrick Jr. revealed that the initial idea was a television series, launched by Disney+. In the film, the creator’s intention was to convey the strong relationship of affection that Moana has with her family and her people, even when they are separated by distance.
Moana and her sister in “Moana 2” (photo: reproduction/Disney)
From secondary character to protagonist
In the first “Moana” film, released in 2016, David G. Derrick Jr. was invited to collaborate in the production of the script due to his Samoan ancestry, from the Oceania island near Polynesia, where the story takes place. Now, as the main voice within the project, he explains that he intends to maintain the same emotional and visual charge as the first film: “It was a story about connection and personal growth.“.
To fulfill his main objective, the director believes that the change of plans in relation to the way of showing the work became an enhancer of the story itself, which seems to be more explored and profound in the feature film than in a series. : “We channeled all of our new characters’ learning through Moana’s journey. We ended up strengthening Moana as a pillar of plot growth. So for me nothing was left out. We were able to learn things from the series that just drove the movie.“he says.
‘MOANA 2’ is on track to earn between $380 and $420 million in its worldwide opening weekend
The film had a budget of 150 million dollars. pic.twitter.com/KOIVlvvh6J
– The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) November 28, 2024
Post about the income generated by the premiere of “Moana 2” (photo: reproduction/X/@TheHollywoodHandle)
Production details
New characters will also appear in Moana’s new journey, including Nalo, villain and god of storms. Moana’s younger sister also appears, reinforcing the idea of family and ancestral relationships. This relationship was inspired by Derrick Jr.’s own family, when he had to explain to his youngest son that his oldest daughter was leaving home: “My eldest daughter, Simea, and my youngest son, Quentin. She is 21 years old and he is seven. Together they have a bond of love and soulmate that I have never seen in people of such different ages in the same family.“.
In addition to screening in theaters, Disney is simultaneously working on a live-action adaptation of the first film, scheduled for release in 2026.
Cover photo: Moana (reproduction/Disney)
