SPOILERS are ahead for Moana 2, now streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Be aware of this (if you somehow haven’t seen the box office hit) before jumping in your canoe and venturing forward.
Moana 2 is the latest of big movies to be new to streaming following its massive theatrical run. And, in celebration of the film's Disney+ debut, CinemaBlend had the chance to talk to two of the directors about a few aspects of it that might have missed the first time you watched it. So, get your remotes ready and follow along with us on some exciting easter eggs and fun tidbits.
There's An Easter Egg That Foreshadows Moana 2's Ending
I thought the most interesting piece of information that David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand shared with me was in regard Moana’s eventual rebirth as a demigod. I don’t think most fans noticed that the tattoos she receives at the end of the movie after risking her life for her people were foreshadowed earlier in the movie. As Derrick shared in our interview:
In ‘Can I Get A Chee-Hoo?’, the motif behind Moana when she lands on Motu, that is the motif that she ultimately gets when she becomes a demigod. So that's something we can talk about now.
How cool is that? Given Maui is connected with the ancestors as a demigod, perhaps he had some sort of inkling of Moana becoming a demigod? No matter, check out images below that point out what the filmmakers are speaking to:
Now, that’s a fun detail and speaks to just how meticulous and clever these animators are. Needless to say, It will have me looking at Dwayne Johnson’s song differently whenever I watch the film moving forward. And there are other excellent nods within the film that major Disney lovers are sure to appreciate.
The Moana 2 Directors Also Pointed Out A Big Moana 2 Easter Egg Deep Cut
Walt Disney Animation is known for sneaking in easter Eggs from other Disney movies, so I additionally asked the directors about that. Here’s the one David Derrick Jr. shared:
If you look, when Kele is throwing things out of the canoe, you'll see something very familiar.
When I looked back at the movie, it took me a while to find the aforementioned easter egg. It happens around 1 hour and 15 minutes into the movie while Moana and her crew are in the storm. Derrick is referring to a fork or “dinglehopper” from The Little Mermaid, but this one is squinter. You can see it briefly as the items leave the canoe. I applaud anyone who was actually able to spot this during their first viewing.
Yes, There's A Zootopia 2 Easter Egg, But Disney+ Will Probably Skip It
Lastly, it’s tradition for the House of Mouse's animation studio to sneak in a cameo for an upcoming Disney movies in the one preceding it. In this case, that is the upcoming Zootopia 2, which its theaters this fall. When I hunted around, I found it at the very end of the credits for Moana 2 in the form of one of Moni’s drawings. Check it out:
Now, unless you are really up on Disney you’re not going to clock this, and when I was looking on Disney+, I noticed the app actually skipped the credits for me and started trying to play another title. But that snake is a new character named Gary, who's set to be voiced by Everything Everywhere All At Once’s Ke Huy Quan in Zootopia 2. All we know about Gary so far is he’ll be pursued by Nick and Judy in their latest case.
As a fan myself, I really hope that the knowledge of these fun Moana 2 details enriches your viewing experience on Disney+. What makes Walt Disney Animation so special is how much work its filmmakers put into every frame, and this entry in the Moana franchise is no exception.
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