Auli’i Cravalho & Dwayne Johnson Talk Returning For Moana 2, Tease Their Character Arcs

Auli’i Cravalho & Dwayne Johnson are back in Moana 2 as Moana and Maui, and the two talked about their character arcs and more in the film. EW spoke with the actors about the upcoming film, which releases on November 27th, and you can see the highlights below:

Cravalho on growing alongside the role: “It being my first ever acting gig, there was no degree of separation between the two of us. I have also gone on such a journey beyond the reef. She started my career, and I’m now in New York. So, I’ve grown right along with her.”

Cravalho on their respective journeys: “Moana and I have gone on similar journeys. In that first film, I was so excited to go beyond the reef and be flown to Burbank, Calif. I’d never been to Burbank, and that was the coolest thing ever. Moana was also taking her first tentative steps onto the canoe and feeling what it was like to leave her home. She and I have both felt the growing pains of leaving home and the big celebration of coming back and seeing how our families have changed. I still see so much of myself in her strength and vulnerability.”

Johnson on Cravalho’s importance to the franchise: “She is such an anchor of our film and represents the embodiment of so many elements of our movie.”

Cravalho on the supporting cast: “This is not only her journey anymore. She must share in those responsibilities if she wants to not only get to her end destination but also make it back home. This has become an even larger quest of basic survival… Moana has this sense of, ‘No one’s going to run this canoe like I am,’ and yet there is an absolute need to realize that we are all pieces in a much larger puzzle.”

Johnson on Maui’s arc in the film: “It starts off with Maui getting himself in trouble as he typically does… The idea of asking for help is actually a superpower. Masculinity, to me, is not being tough. It’s not being a badass. Powerful masculinity is having the confidence to look inside and say, ‘This is what I’m feeling, and it’s okay. Here’s my chest. I’ll gladly rip it open to someone who can help me.'”

Johnson on connecting with Maui as a character: “When I got to Maui, I was like, ‘Okay, I know who this is.’ This guy who is very presentational, who puts on a show, who loves to hold court, sing and dance, and make people feel good. But there’s a lot that’s brewing deep down that, eventually, he is going to have to contend with because it’s like a ball that you’re holding underwater. Eventually, you’ve got to let the ball go, and it’s going to explode.”

Johnson on representing those issues through Maui: “It’s an important moment for people to see that you can be strong, you can be big, you can be independent, but it’s okay to ask for help,” he adds. “When you do finally ask for help, the universe and your loved ones have a way of meeting you halfway. Even the strongest of people need help.”

Cravalho on the Moana and Maui dynamic in the sequel: “They’re much more comrades. There isn’t as much of a hierarchy and power between demi-god and human. He trusts her to make large decisions, and she trusts Maui to listen to her.”