When Disney fans fell in love with Moana back in 2016, they also fell in love with the heroine’s animal sidekicks, Pua and Heihei. However, fans have agreed for years that Moana’s adorable pot-belly pig should have earned a spot on her adventure. With Moana 2 among 2024 movies hitting theaters soon, justice for Pua was apparently on the filmmakers’ list.
CinemaBlend was invited to Walt Disney Animation studios to watch the first 30 minutes of Moana 2 and speak to the directors of the latest of upcoming Disney movies. During our chat with David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller (the latter also serving as co-writer with Jared Bush), they shared that they heard fans’ calls for more Pua and made sure it was part of the sequel. In Miller’s words:
Look, people really wanted Pua in that first movie on the canoe. I wasn't around, but we put Pua on the canoe now. And I will say Pua reached unexpected depths. He gets his own arc. So, it was really exciting to have him. I think that's what's so fun about making this film is that we take a lot of characters that we all really love and we take them to new places, Pua included. Yeah, literally and figuratively, I would say.
Moana 2 has a new directorial team after John Musker and Ron Clements helmed the 2016 original, and they made a big effort to add Pua. While that was no surprise to me given the massive outcry for the cute character to have more screen time last time, I was surprised to hear Pua will also reach “unexpected depths.” What does that mean? Here’s how Miller expanded on her response:
I think everyone in this film, Moana included, is really pushed to new limits, beyond sort of who they knew themselves to be, and that's true for Pua. You know what I'll even put out there that Hei Hei gets a little moment, not too much of a moment 'cause he's still a dumb chicken, but this is a film about personal growth and connection and evolution of self. And so, you know, no one is left untouched by that.
While I assume everyone’s wishes and expectations for Pua are to simply be more present in a Moana movie, making room for more cute moments from the pot-belly pig, I’m even more excited for the sequel now that I know they also found a way to bring Moana’s pet into the deeper themes of the film and grow with the other characters. I’m certainly intrigued about what they are referring to when it comes to Pua being on the adventure this time around, and how his arrival on the canoe will change Moana’s adventuring.
Moana 2 will take place three years after the events of the first movie, and as you watch Pua in this new film, you might notice he has aged as well. Director David Derrick Jr. shared this about Pua’s new look:
And if you look closely, Pua’s a little older, a little larger, He’s got a little baby tusk poking up.
If you haven’t noticed from the new Moana 2 trailer yet, here are some visual development drawings of Pua from one of Walt Disney Animation’s artists that showcases how Pua looks now:
Aww, see that cute little tooth? Walt Disney Animated movies are well known for their animal sidekicks, and now I’m intrigued about what these directors mean about what’s next for Pua. You can look forward to the Moana 2 release date on November 27.
