Jun 14, 2024

New Information and Characters Revealed for "Moana 2" at Annecy International Film Festival

Walt Disney Animation Studios kicked off the 2024 Annecy Showcase with a quote from its founder: "Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are eternal. The presentation that followed focused largely on "Moana 2," which is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on November 27.

But before that, the event opened with the Annecy Walk of Fame Award, presented by Marcel Jean, artistic director of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, to Mark Henn. An iconic figure of the 1990s, the recently retired Henn supervised the animation of five female lead characters, the most in Disney Studios history.

Henn first visited Annecy to screen his new short, "D.I.Y. Duck," a Donald Duck film. It means a lot to be back here with one of Disney's Sensational Six," an emotional Henn said after receiving a long standing ovation from the enthusiastic Annecy audience."

Henn added, "I've been working for Disney for 43 years now, and throughout my career I've had the privilege of working on so many great characters. With Donald, I wanted a modern yet hand-drawn approach to his own personality. What is it about modern life that makes him snappy ...... So I turned to simple home repairs"

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In D.I.Y. Duck, celebrating the 90th anniversary of Donald's character and his first solo appearance in a short film since 1961, Henn and his team of animators revived the essence of Donald's comedic style. Produced by Dorothy McKim, producer of Meet the Robinsons, the short has an old-school yet dynamic look that reflects the era when Henn was hand-drawn at Disney Animation Studios in Florida." It was a pleasure to come back from retirement to bring back Clarence 'Ducky' Nash's legacy, the all-original Donald Duck, with his signature voice.

Before turning the stage over to the directors of Moana 2, Henn had a few words for the students in the audience: "Keep drawing; every aspect of animation, whether 2D or CG, starts with paper and pencil."

And that is exactly how it began for "Moana 2" directors David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand, who introduced the film on stage. Dana Ledoux Miller, co-director of "Moana 2," is currently working on the film with "Moana" and "Encanto" screenwriter Jared Bush.

"I came to Disney for Moana," an enthusiastic Derrick said on stage. Some of my ancestors were from Samoa, and it's a pleasure to be able to bring these Polynesian voyagers, who were some of the greatest explorers in history, to the screen." Dana also has deep ties to her Samoan roots, and in addition to working once again with the Oceanic Cultural Trust, she has teamed up with the great Nainoa Thompson and the Polynesian Voyaging Society to portray Moana's greatest journey to date."

The film is also the first collaboration between Disney's Burbank and Vancouver studios, with the return of the hand-drawn animation team led by Eric Goldberg, who, along with Mark Henn, is again drawing mini Maui for the film.

"We have a great group of talented people." From returning cast members Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, and Temuera Morrison to newcomers like Khaleesi Lambert Tuda, who voices Moana's baby sister Simea, and Rose Matafeo, who amusingly plays Lotto, a key role in Moana's new friends. Even Talent."

As the village's new boat carpenter, Loto is in charge of building Moana's new yacht and, along with Loto, grumpy old farmer Kele, clumsy buff historian and Maui superfan Moni, and beloved pets Heihei and Pua, the once ocean-bound but now They head to the lost island of Motu Fetu, hidden away by the jealous storm god Nalo.

"Through this film and its production, we are exploring the idea that the ocean, which seems to divide the islands, is actually what unites them. And it is a theme that has been with us throughout our journey."

The film's musical team consists of Grammy Award-winning songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Baer, along with returning composer Mark Mancina and Samoan-born musician Opeatia Foai. The opening track "We're Back," a precursor to Sneak Peek, is both a new catchy song and a tribute to Foa'i and Lin-Manuel Miranda's early "Where You Are."

Other early footage shown at the screening included Moana's encounter with the quirky Kakamora crew, a Godzilla-sized ship-eating clam, and, of course, Maui, played by Dwayne Johnson with his signature charisma and multipurpose fish hook. 'He's Maui,' the directors added. 'He knows who he is and he plays it to the hilt. He brings so much to his character. He was a pleasure to work with.

"'Moana 2' is more than just a movie for all of us," Derrick concluded. 'She reinvigorated people's love of the sea. For us, this is an ocean to cross, and we are grateful to the people who crossed that ocean with us. But more than that, I feel like Moana is a beacon for all of us. A beacon to magic."