New Moana 2 Story Reveal Fixes A Disney Movie Problem That Still Bothers Me After 8 Years

New details about the plot of Moana 2 have been revealed, including a story timeline, and it is great news for one of the frustrating problems of the original 2016 movie. The surprise announcement that Disney was making a sequel to Moana was certainly an exciting one, especially since there will be hardly any wait before the movie releases in November 2024. Of course, this reveal was met with many questions about what Moana 2 would be about and how its timeline connects to that of Moana. Now, we have an answer, and it has the potential to make the Disney story even better.

Disney had initially developed what is now Moana 2 as a Disney+ series, but early in 2024, it was announced that the plan had changed. CEO Bob Iger noted that the episodes that had already been developed were too good not to get a theatrical release, so the hero of Motunui’s story will continue in movie format with a release date of November 27, 2024. It has now also been revealed that Moana 2 will see Moana set out in search of more people beyond her island home. Though it’s still unclear how this will play out, Disney has answered the “when” of it all.

Moana 2 Is Set 3 Years After The 2016 Movie

Along with the general premise of Moana 2, Disney has said that the sequel will pick up three years after the 2016 animated musical’s ending. This means that a great deal will have changed for our characters. Motunui will have been voyaging for quite a while now, potentially expanding to other islands and regions. Additionally, Moana herself will be older and more mature. She was about 16 in Moana, so the upcoming sequel will instead feature a 19-year-old. As head wayfinder (and maybe even chief), Moana should be far more confident, and this fixes a problem from the original movie.

A Time Gap Before The Sequel Makes Moana’s Wayfinding Ability More Believable

Moana Was A Wayfinding Newbie in The 2016 Disney Movie, But She Should Be More Confident In Moana 2

Though full of passion and eager to learn, Moana had no experience sailing when she set out from Motunui. This meant that her first attempts were pretty catastrophic, with the only reason that she wasn’t killed by the sea being the Ocean’s interference. Of course, once she and Maui got acquainted, Moana featured the obligatory montage that saw the hero of Motunui rapidly become more proficient. By the 2016 Moana movie’s end, Maui had deemed Moana a “master wayfinder,” which was sweet but slightly unrealistic.

Of course, Disney movies are under no obligation to make their characters learn new skills in a realistic amount of time. Hollywood, in general, has been utilizing montages to quickly make a character better at something for decades (looking at The Karate Kid). Still, the idea that Moana was suddenly a “master” was still a little much. However, after three years of learning through experience with her people, Moana should be far more believably confident in her ability in Moana 2. It will be exciting to see this older, more assured wayfinder in the sequel, where Moana is sure to demonstrate some new and exciting tricks.