The Rock, Auli‘i Cravalho come home to Hawaii for ‘Moana 2’ global premiere

Hei-hei and Pua fans: the wait is over. The highly anticipated release of the feature length animated film “Moana 2,” by Walt Disney Animation Studios, is just a few days away, on Nov. 27. Both Dwayne Johnson and Auli‘i Cravalho (reprising the voices of Maui and Moana respectively in the sequel) announced their arrival home to the islands for the global premiere and press junket via Instagram. 

“Oh, we’re SO back …” wrote Cravalho, 24, on an Instagram post where she is photographed in a bold, commanding floral pantsuit.

“To be able to bring this character Maui, back home, is really special,” said Johnson, 52, in his Instagram post (where he’s seen driving to the West Side of Oahu).

The premiere took place at Kapolei’s Lanikūhonua Cultural Institute where a special performance was led by Tiana Nonosina Liufau, Kayla Fa‘amaligi, and Polynesian creatives honoring the Pacific peoples, cultures, and traditions that gave voice to the heart of the Moana story.

“Moana 2” reunites the beloved characters of Moana and Maui three years later. An unexpected call from Moana’s wayfaring ancestors leads the duo on a sweeping voyage into the long-lost and perilous seas of Oceania alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. 

The voice cast also includes Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Hualālai Chung, David Fane, Rose Matafeo, Awhimai Fraser, Gerald Ramsey, and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, who voices Moana’s little sister Simea. The sequel features music by Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

PERILS ABOUND – In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ all-new epic animated musical, “Moana 2,” three years since her first voyage, Moana is on an expansive journey in search of people beyond the shores of Motunui. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tickets for “Moana 2” are available for purchase now at https://fandango.com/Moana2.

Nuy Cho is the executive producer of Spectrum News Hawaii. Read more of her stories here.