Now thatMoana 2has arrived as a lackluster disappointment, there’s a lot less pressure onMoana’s live-action remake, because the winning streak has been broken. After missing it in theaters, I finally caught up withMoana 2on Disney+recently, and I agree with all the common criticisms. Retooling theMoanastreaming show as a sequel movie resulted in a very disjointed story.Moana 2’s songs are nowhere near as catchy as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical numbers from the original film.Moanawas an airtight, near-flawless movie;Moana 2is comparable to one of those old direct-to-video Disney sequels.
But being let down byMoana 2has actually made me slightly more optimistic forMoana’s upcoming live-action remake. Set to be released on Jun 05, 2025, less than 10 years after the original film hit theaters, theMoanaremake will retell the original story, with the live-action format bringing the harshness of the open water to life. Catherine Lagaʻaia will make her movie debut as Moana and Dwayne Johnson will reprise his role as Maui. Like a lot of people, I was initially skeptical about theMoanaremake. But the underwhelmingMoanasequel has warmed me to the idea.
I Feel Like There’s Less Pressure On Moana’s Remake After Moana 2
The Moana Franchise Is Officially Hit-And-Miss
Now that theMoanafranchise has delivered a disappointing movie, it’s officially hit-and-miss. When the live-action remake ofMoanawas first announced, it was a perfect movie at risk of having its legacy tarnished. But now,that legacy has already been tarnished by a mediocre sequel, and it wasn’t the end of the world.Moana 2certainly isn’t a bad movie — it’s very entertaining, and it has some moving emotional beats — but it’s nowhere near the masterpiece that its predecessor was. So,there’s less pressure on the live-action remake to maintain quality that’s already taken a nosedive.
Expectations for the live-action Moana remake were already pretty low, given that the original is so recent and Disney’s track record of live-action remakes has been spotty since the beginning.
Expectations for the live-actionMoanaremake were already pretty low, given that the original is so recent and Disney’s track record of live-action remakes has been spotty since the beginning. Butnow, it’s not like the animated side of things is some pristine, untouchable work of art; there lies mediocrity, too. Even if the live-action remake ends up not being very good, it won’t hit as hard, because the disappointment seal has already been broken. If anything,Moana 2’s mixed receptionhas given the live-action movie the freedom to fail.
I Really Hope Moana’s Live-Action Remake Has New Lin-Manuel Miranda Songs
A New Banger From Miranda Would Go A Long Way
After skipping out onMoana 2due to his commitments toMufasa: The Lion King, Lin-Manuel Miranda is returning to work on the songs forMoana’s live-action remake.There’s a decent chance that Miranda will write a new song (or more) for the remake, because it seems unlikely that Disney would bring him back just to remix his earlier work. This would be just what the remake needs to stand out from the original.
Lin-Manuel Miranda was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “How Far I’ll Go.”
A new song from the mind behind “You’re Welcome” and “How Far I’ll Go” would giveMoana’s remake a huge advantage over the sequel.Moana 2’s forgettable songswere the most disappointing part of the sequel, and that can be attributed to Miranda’s absence from the soundtrack. IfMoana’s remake delivers a new Miranda banger, it’ll go a long way.
The Moana Live-Action Remake Can Deliver More Of Maui
Maui’s Role In Moana 2 Was A Let-Down
Maui’s role inMoana 2was a bit of a let-down, because he didn’t play a major role in the story until halfway through it. Since he was a fan-favorite character in the first movie and that story already set up his friendship with Moana, it would make sense to have Maui play a prominent role in the sequel from beginning to end. ButMoana 2wasn’t developed as a typical sequel. It began its life as a TV show, and it’s unlikely that Johnson — one of the biggest movie stars in the world — would’ve committed to a TV show.
Maui’s Backstory, Powers, & Real-Life Inspiration In Moana Explained
Maui’s story, established by 2016’s Moana, continues in Moana 2, building on the character’s existing history, powers, and real-world inspiration.
In the development of the original streaming show, Maui was likely being saved for a role in the later episodes, so his role in the resultant movie was limited. It seems like we’ll be getting a lot more Maui in the live-actionMoanaremake. The Rock is reprising his role, and Disney will surely want to capitalize on that. Plus,it’s following the story of the first movie, which had plenty of Maui. So, the live-action redo ofMoanacould be just what Maui fans are looking for after his reduced role inMoana 2.
