Last night, Native Hawaiian actor Auliʻi Cravalho had quite the special evening: Not only did she attend the Hawaiian premiere of Moana 2, releasing November 27 (in which she voices the titular Disney character), but she also rang in her 24th birthday. “Returning for Moana 2 truly feels like coming home,” says Cravalho. “I was cast as Moana at 14 years old, and 1732294696 I celebrated my 24th birthday at midnight. Knowing that Moana had also grown up since we last saw her—three years have passed in Motunui between our films—was incredibly exciting to me, as Moana is the first Disney princess to age. That growth is pivotal to this sequel, as Moana is going even further beyond the reef to connect all of the people across the Pacific.”
Stepping right back into character was a natural experience for Cravalho, who spent many weeks in the recording booth voicing the new tale. “Being in the recording booth is my happy place—I love getting into character in any and every wacky way I can,” says Cravalho. This time around, the star says the film follows Moana as she journeys to the far seas of Oceania, after receiving an unexpected call from her ancestors. “We meet Tautai Moana, our master way finder, at her bravest and boldest at the start of our film,” says Cravalho. “She is searching far and wide, sailing to distant islands in search of new communities of people. This quest to connect the Pacific peoples will take her even further than before, introducing a quirky crew who each embody ancient Polynesian knowledge: canoe building, Kele, and storytelling. Moana’s new team battles new villains, meets new demigods, sings all new songs, and Pua and Hei Hei are coming too!”
Photo: Lauren Trujillo
