Filmmakers Share the Music of ‘Moana 2’

Moviefone speaks with songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, and directors Dana Ledoux Miller and David Derrick Jr. about the music of 'Moana 2'.

(L to R) Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow. Photo: Walt Disney Animation.

Walt Disney Animation’s upcoming sequel ‘Moana 2’ will see the journey of Moana and her newfound crew of seafarers as they venture into uncharted waters after receiving an unexpected message from her ancestors.

During the long lead day presentation at the Walt Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. Moviefone, along with a group of journalists, got a closer look at what it takes to create the sights and sounds of ‘Moana 2’, including presentations on character animation, foley, music, recording booth sessions, and more.

New Songs of ‘Moana 2’

Auli‘i Cravalho as Moana in 'Moana 2'. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Following the popularity of songs like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome”, the filmmakers knew it was vital to find the right songwriters and composers for the sequel. They enlisted the help of Grammy Award-winning songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear (known as Barlow & Bear) to tell the story of Moana through music. Composers Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina also returns for the sequel.

Director David Derrick Jr. talks about meeting with the duo for the first time:

David Derrick Jr: “We actually had a piano in our story room, and they came in, and they would play “We’re Back,” the opening song for us, that was the first song that they wrote for the film. To hear that song and to actually be transported back into the world of Moana in a musical way was so exciting.”

Director Dana Ledeoux Miller talks about how the songwriters’ own life experience mirrors what Moana experiences in the movie:

Dana Ledeoux Miller: “Moana is growing up and she’s learning that there are consequences to her actions and that the choices she makes actually affect other people. (Barlow and Bear) were like, “Yeah, we’re living that right now, we got it. So you know, there’s a shorthand that just comes from their experience in it, but they’re also huge musical fans, and they understood what this needed.”

(L to R) Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Photo: Walt Disney Animation.

The duo performed a song from the new film before sharing their own sentiment on how close and connected they felt to Moana’s growth and journey:

Emily Bear: “She’s a young woman trying to find her way in the world, and we were weirdly going through a lot of similar struggles ourselves, so it was easy to imagine ourselves in her shoes. I mean, we’re not fighting lava monsters, but it’s the core of the issues we felt so connected to.”

In terms of Barlow and Bear’s approach and process for writing new songs for 'Moana 2', the pair talk about the motivation and reason why a song would start in the movie and how it should feel intentional. That when words alone are no longer enough, the music takes over to carry the message through.

Emily Bear: “Our last nightmare is a “Stop, drop, and sing”. There has to be a reason why you’re singing. It needs to be a moment when words are no longer enough, and music needs to carry the message through. We worked really closely with the filmmakers and they prioritized that - which is amazing because sometimes that’s not the case. We all worked together to make sure the musical moments felt really earned, and there was a reason and intent behind every song.”

The pair speaks about the fun they had with creating new songs for ‘Moana 2’, where each song they wrote was a different storytelling process, “I felt like I grew as a songwriter just by sheer nature of the process,” said Barlow.

The Oceanic Cultural Trust also helped the duo with the songwriting process and research, as well as working closely with composers Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina.

Abigail Barlow: “We wanted to keep it rooted in the Moana world while also bringing our songwriting style to it. We also worked with Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina, and they lived in this world for so long. They’re just magical.”

The song list for ‘Moana 2’ includes:

“Tulou Tagaloa (Sei e Va’ai Mai)” Performd by Olivia Fao’i, Te Vaka
“We’re Back” Performed by Auli’i Cravalho and cast
“Tuputupu (The Feast)” Performed by Te Vaka
“Beyond” Performed by Auli’i Cravalho
“My Wish For You (Innocent Warrior)” Performed by Olivia Fao’i, Sulata Foa’i-Amiatu, Matatia Foa’i, Matthew Ineleo, Opetaia Foa’i
“Finding the Way” Performed by Olivia Foa‘i, Te Vaka
“What Could Be Better Than This?” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane
“Get Lost” Performed by Awhimai Fraser
“Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” Performed by Dwayne Johnson
“Mana Vavau” Performed by Dwayne Johnson, Opetaia Foa‘i, Rachel House
“Beyond (Reprise)” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho
“Nuku O Kaiga” Performed by Te Vaka
“Finding The Way (Reprise)” Performed by Te Vaka
“We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, Olivia Foa‘i, Opetaia Foa‘i, Te Vaka
“Beyond (End Credit Version)” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho
“We’re Back (Te Vaka Version)” Performed by Olivia Foa‘i, Te Vaka

The Voices of ‘Moana 2’

Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) in 'Moana 2'. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return to reprise their roles as Moana and Maui, returning alongside them are Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui, Nichole Scherzinger as Sina, Rachel House as Grandma Tala, and Alan Tudyk as Heihei.

New cast members includes Hualālai Chung as Moni, David Fane as Kele, and Rose Matafeo as Loto - the trio will be a part of Moana’s crew of seafarers. Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda voices Moana’s little sister Simea, and Awhimai Fraser will voice the film’s mysterious villain Matangi.

During the long lead day at the Walt Disney Animation Building, journalists were invited to various presentations involved in the making of the movie - from character animation, to foley, to voice recording and ADR. Typically, when an actor first steps into the booth at the beginning of the recording process, there is no animation for them to watch and follow. The actors solely rely on the script and the directions of the filmmakers. Once the voice recording is complete, the animators begin their work based off the recorded audio and performance of the actors. Once animation is finished, there will be an ADR (automated dialogue replacement) session which often deals with small changes to the script or leaning further into a certain emotion for the scene.

(L to R) Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho), Kele (voice of David Fane), Moni (voice of Hualālai Chung) and Loto (voice of Rose Matafeo) in 'Moana 2'. © 2024 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Star Hualālai Chung (voice of Moni) steped back into the recording booth to help coach the journalists through the technicalities of ADR and breakdown the emotions of scene. The scene used for this particular presentation is when Moana and her crew encounters the Kakamori - a group of small but ruthless pirates with coconut armors.

During ADR, there are a series of beeps that play along with the scene to cue the actors in on when they can start their lines. The actors then try to match the animated scene as much as possible. The sound engineers will go through various takes to find the one that best fits the intension and emotion for the scene. However, ADR isn’t just for re-recording a line in a scene. Actors will also record “efforts”, which is acting out certain actions like running and jumping with grunts and sounds. Inside the booth is a “efforts bar” that is used to help specifically with this portion of ADR.

Moana 2

"The ocean is calling them back."

PG1 hr 40 minNov 27th, 2024

Showtimes & Tickets

After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost... Read the Plot

What Is the Plot of ‘Moana 2’?

Following the 2016 movie, ‘Moana 2’ will reunite audiences worldwide with Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) as she embarks on an all-new adventure with a new crew of seafarers. After Moana receives an unexpected call from her ancestors, she sets out on an expansive journey to the far seas of Oceania - exploring dangerous and uncharted waters.