Mean Girls star Auli'i Cravalho was on hand for last night's SAG Awards - you can read the full results here - and was quizzed on the red carpet about Disney's plans for the Moana franchise.
The actress got her big break alongside Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the 2016 Disney Animation movie and was tapped as an executive producer for the planned live-action adaptation. Of course, we've since learned that the upcoming Disney+ animated series will be transformed into a movie hitting theatres over Thanksgiving.
Variety asked Cravalho for her thoughts on that and she responded, "It feels like the 'Moana' universe is expanding and I love that. I love that Moana is a hero to all. It changed what it meant to be a Disney princess."
"You can be strong and brave and stand up against a demigod," the actress continued. "It feels really good that more and more generations are going to be able to relate to this character."
Pushed for details on both the sequel and live-action movie, said she "could feel Mickey Mouse breathing down my neck" and declined to offer any specifics about either project.
Cravalho will lend her voice to the title character in the Moana sequel but is helping find a new, younger actress to play the live-action version. Talking about that last May, she said, "I believe it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell. I can’t wait to find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit and emotional strength."
Walt Disney Animation Studios' epic animated musical Moana 2 takes audiences on an expansive new voyage with Moana, Maui and a brand-new crew of unlikely seafarers. 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.
Directed by Dave Derrick Jr. with music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa'i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina (Lin-Manuel Miranda won't be returning), Moana 2 opens in theaters on November. 27, 2024.
Like its animated predecessor, the live-action Moana will celebrate the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen through the eyes of a young woman eager to pave her own path. Moana’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on the lives of her ancestors won hearts worldwide, as did her newfound friendship with an exiled demigod named Maui. Johnson is expected to reprise that role in both movies.
Thomas Kail (Hamilton) is set to direct the movie which is currently set to arrive in theaters on June 27, 2025. However, we expect that release date to change.