Moana 2 promises to bring even more Polynesian and greater AAPI representation to the big screen. Blavity’s Shadow and Act recently spoke to Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho about the new Disney film’s impact.

Johnson, who reprises his role as the demigod Maui, said that he feels Moana 2 continues grounding the story of Moana in Polynesian cultures and traditions.

How the sequel further expands representation

“I think it does a great job, I think, of rooting and grounding [the story] in authenticity and making sure that we approach it with great reverence [and] great respect,” Johnson said. “The customs, traditions, the cultures we show…it’s our culture, it’s our people, it’s our island, it’s our sacred land, it’s the ocean that connects us all. So, I feel really good about what we’re able to do with Moana 2. [With] everybody involved–from our writers, directors, our songwriters [and] Disney– everybody involved really wanted to approach this with great respect to make sure that authenticity was around every corner because representation is really incredibly important.

“When the first Moana came out and in a way it charmed the world, took the world by storm. And I love that, in many ways, we’re able to introduce Polynesian culture to the world,” Johnson continued. “So now what we’re finding with Moana 2, is that the world has great anticipation for this. What I’m most proud of about this franchise is the showcasing of our culture and traditions and nuance. And even if you don’t catch it the first time around, it’s repeat viewing and you go, ‘Oh, that’s interesting. What is that?’ And then maybe you’ll Google it. Maybe a friend will tell you, ‘Oh, this means that particular thing.’ I love that.”

Moana is the first Disney princess to age

Cravalho, who also reprises her role as the title character, said that growing up alongside Moana has allowed her to also go beyond what she thought was possible.

“I was cast as Moana when I was 14. I turn 24 tomorrow [at the time of this interview]. So I truly have had this character in my bones for a decade now and she’s absolutely changed my life,” said Cravalho. “What I also love is that in our sequel, this is the first time a Disney princess has been allowed to age. So three years have passed since we’ve last seen her. And she’s now become a master navigator. She is a tautai and she’s journeying further and further out, looking for more people…more people than just on her island of Motunui. And this journey is about connecting the entirety of the Pacific. [As] I’ve grown up, Moana has thankfully taken me far beyond the reef. I didn’t grow up under a rock, but I definitely grew up on a rock in the middle of the ocean, and the world is so large and so beautiful, and I will always give my flowers back to Moana for starting that for me.”

Languages the film has been translated into

Cravalho also talked about how the film goes the extra mile to get representation right.

“I think representation is so very important. And I am so grateful to be a part of this film [and] this franchise, because I grew up here [in Hawaii],” she said. “I know what it feels like to not really see yourself on screen and, and you’re absolutely right that AAPIs, Asian American Pacific Islanders, are not a monolith and we have such diversity even just across the Pacific and that’s what I love about Moana as well. It’s a real celebration of pan-Pacific culture.”

Cravalho added that the franchise has been translated into several Pacific languages, including Te reo Māori, Ōlelo Hawaiʻi, Samoan and Tahitian.

“I think these extra steps Not just, you know, seeing it, but also hearing it in our native tongue makes all the difference. So the waves of Moana‘s impact continue to stretch out,” she said.

Watch the full interviews with the cast, directors and songwriters of Moana 2 above. Moana 2 is now in theaters.

Auli'i Cravalho

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