Moana 2 opens in theaters this week just in time for the time-honored Thanksgiving movie tradition. Next up is the Disney+ hit movie with a new adventure featuring Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson).
The first film introduced Moana as the next in line for the Motunui people, which has been interpreted in Western media as a princess of some sort; in turn, his adventures continue as he learns how to be a leader. And yes, that reminds us a lot of royalty in training, if by royalty we mean the next king and path finder in practice. Yes, Moana is officially portrayed as a canon member of the Disney Princess line for that reason but really her status is defined.
Moana voice actress Auli’i Cravalho spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the Disney Princess talk as it relates to her character. “Films always represent their times. Today, we want to see a woman who is a hero in her own story. So, yes, she’s a princess, but she’s also a hero. I like that those two words are now interchangeable. “
It makes more sense that Disney princesses and frozen’The Royal Queens (Anna and Elsa are counted as princesses) are a different category of Disney heroines, a category that, let’s be real, mainly sells toys under different banners.
Thankfully, Moana’s look will always be in keeping with her unique story; according to Cravalho, “You probably won’t see Moana in a ball gown. And that’s okay.”
Moana 2 speaks the same “princess or not?” question in a meta way, with Moana saying she’s not a princess and Maui pointing out that many people think she is. And so she will continue to be the Disney Princess Moana of Motunui, the head of the guard and the wayfinder.
Moana 2 opens in theaters this week as well Moana now streaming on Disney+.
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