Moana 2 Teases Bringing Back 1 Creepy Element From Disney’s Original 2016 Movie

Disney has released an image for the upcoming Moana 2, and it hints that a fantastically creepy element of the first movie will be brought back for the sequel. The still shows the titular hero of Motunui holding an ore upon her boat, just as she frequently was in Disney’s original movie. Therefore, Moana herself reveals very little regarding what can be expected from Moana 2. Instead, it’s the image’s background that says the most about the upcoming project, hinting at further exploration of one of the best features of the first Moana.

Disney surprised the world when it announced that the Moana Disney+ series that had been in development would instead be turned into a full-feature film, with a planned theatrical release date of November 27, 2024. According to company CEO Bob Iger, the episodes he and the other execs reviewed just looked too good not to be seen on the big screen, and the newly released image (via Twitter) proves that Disney is going all out for Moana 2. The detail put into the character is unparalleled, and the single shot teases a little of what audiences can expect come November 2024.

Moana 2’s New Image Teases More Monsters For Disney’s Sequel

The Background Of Moana 2’s Teaser Image Shows A Monster-Island Hybrid

Moana has a brand new look in the Moana 2 image, with a fresh outfit and a level of detail that has never been seen on a Disney character (they went as far as to give Moana baby hairs). We can see in the shot that Moana will still be using the ore that Maui signed with a heart and hook in the first Moana movie, and the fact that she is on a boat indicates that there are more wayfinding adventures to come. Still, one of the more exciting reveals of the Moana 2 image is the creeping-looking monster looming in the background.

Moana is backdropped by an island in Disney’s teaser image, and a cavern in the cliffside seems to be lined with a blue and purple creature covered in villi. The monster has giant blue eyes, and it appears that the cave is something like a giant mouth. This may indicate that the island is a living creature, which is exciting considering what was learned about Te-Fiti in the first Moana movie. What’s more, the supernatural and creepy monsters were among the more unique and exciting elements of the original Disney movie, so continuing this in Moana 2 is a great sign.

The First Moana Movie Only Briefly Explored The Realm Of Monsters

Tamatoa Was A Fan Favorite Character Of The 2016 Moana Movie

Moana setting out on her adventure became even more exciting when it became clear that this version of the Pacific was full of monsters and mythological creatures. A highlight of Moana was when she and Maui dived into Lalotai—the Realm of Monsters. This was when audiences met Tamatoa, who was the kind of deliciously evil character that Disney movies of late have been sadly lacking. Of course, this shiny crab wasn’t the only monster in Lalotai, but Moana only had time to scratch the surface regarding the beasts that plagued the ocean.

Since Moana and Maui had to rush off to restore the heart of Te-Fiti in Moana, there wasn’t much time to really explore the Realm of Monsters and meet other wonderfully creepy characters. However, the image for Moana 2 indicates that there will be more creatures like this featured in the sequel. To make this even better, the monster seen in the background appears to be an opening to the inside of the island, which indicates that Moana could be traveling to more exciting supernatural realms.

More Supernatural Realms Is Great News For Moana 2

Moana left off with the people of Motunui setting sail together, assumedly to discover more islands like their ancestors had. The ending scene was a nice, full-circle moment, demonstrating how Moana could finally satisfy that need to voyage and explore. However, simply traveling from a regular island to a regular island isn’t a particularly thrilling premise for a sequel. The initially planned Moana Disney+ series might have gotten away with this, but a theatrical follow-up to the 2016 movie needs a little more pizzazz.

The idea of Moana, and, of course, Maui, traveling to different realms is far more intriguing. It would be great to see a return to the Realm of Monsters (and another visit to Tamatoa) or the discovery of other locations where monsters and mythical creatures dwell. Since the Moana 2 image seems to tease a living, monstrous island, it seems we will get something to this effect in the upcoming movie. Since the creepy monsters and living islands were what made Moana unique, this would be the perfect next step for the hero of Motunui’s story.