It’s easy for Jared Bush to distill why the character Moana has been making waves since 2016.
“Moana is this perfect combination of tenaciousness and empathy, in equal parts,” says Bush, who was named Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios in September, giving him oversight of the creative output of the iconic studio’s films, series, and associated projects. “She is someone who will always make the tough choice. She is someone who will always try as hard as she possibly can to save the day. And more than anything, she will always see the best in others and do whatever it takes to help them.”
After writing the screenplay for Moana, Bush decided to dive in even deeper and write the screenplay for Moana 2 with Dana Ledoux Miller (who directs the film with Jason Hand and David Derrick Jr.). He also serves as an executive producer with Jennifer Lee and Dwayne Johnson (who voices Maui) on the highly-anticipated sequel.
In an exclusive Q&A, Bush — who received an Academy Award® in 2022 for Encanto and who is currently writing and directing Zootopia 2, premiering in November 2025 — reflects on the journey of the beloved franchise.
Thinking back to the first film, what initially drew you to Moana as a character?
It’s truly a universal story of finding one’s identity. Moana is 16 in the first film, and when I was that age, trying to figure out who I was, was so difficult — and I think it is for most people. We wanted to highlight that struggle with Moana, who had this feeling she was meant to be on the ocean, but couldn’t because her dad refused to let anyone go out to sea. She felt her true self was out there, but she couldn’t know for sure until she took the leap. It was all about the relatable notion of finding yourself and how hard that can be.
The worldbuilding in the first Moana was so rich that the opportunity seems like it was there for a new chapter in her story. What was your inspiration for the story of Moana 2?
With any story, you try to think of the characters as someone you know — and that means building someone’s psychology and understanding what they’re going through emotionally. While the first film is not directly set up for a sequel, Moana has just found out who she is. She’s just become a wayfinder at the end of the first film. What does that mean for her moving into this next part of her life? What is she going to go out in search of? From a character perspective, it makes so much sense for her to want to go out there to explore and seek out new islands and perhaps even connect with new communities.
We join up with Moana, three years after the end of the first film, and it’s at this moment that she is called by her ancestors to go on an impossible mission to save her people and reconnect the people of the Pacific. And she’ll have to do so, now, as a leader of a crew on her canoe. It’s a new chapter for her and everyone. Even Maui went through a massive character arc in the first film. He was this guy who was pretty full of himself, and he found redemption through Moana and started to work on himself. How does a demigod work on himself? We find that out in this next story. It’s always character first; they will lead you on that journey.
With no roadmap, how did you finally crack the story for Moana 2?
Well, it takes hundreds of brilliant minds — that’s the real way to do it. We have so many people who were deeply invested in this story and what it could be, and so everyone set the bar incredibly high. Everyone wanted this movie to be something really special. We wanted this story to be worthy of Moana, of the other characters, of this world, and — of course — of the many communities of the Pacific. It’s only made possible because of everyone’s deep love of all of that and wanting to bring audiences on a journey with their best friend and into places they’ve never seen.
Although this is a sequel, how does Moana 2 stand on its own?
I like to think this is just the beginning of her story. There’s so much more in store for her in the future. Every one of us goes through these moments where you define yourself, but that’s never the end of the story; there’s always more to you. And in this movie, Moana redefines herself yet again — maybe even bigger than in the first film.
Fans get to experience Moana’s adventures on the big screen, surrounded by an audience, and they can also stream the first movie on Disney+. There are even more Moana adventures to be had in Disney’s theme parks and on its cruise ships. What makes Disney uniquely positioned to create this continuous and immersive storytelling?
It’s one of the most exciting things that you can experience as a storyteller. Seeing the popularity of Moana grow since it was released eight years ago is incredible. Watching what it’s done on Disney+ — last year it was the No. 1 streaming movie on any platform — it’s remarkable and so thrilling for everybody at Disney Animation. We spend so long making these movies, and everyone puts their heart into them. That people still find themselves in her story and want to be with Moana on the canoe, it’s a dream come true.
As the screenwriter of both films, you’ve been living in Moana’s head for more than a decade. What are you most excited for fans to see when Moana 2 releases in theaters?
It’d be easy to say it’s the finale, because the finale is pretty spectacular. But as a storyteller, it’s all the tiny human moments. Specifically, I love Moana’s relationship with her kid sister Simea [voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda]. For those of us who are parents or caregivers, who’ve had to have difficult conversations with a 3-year-old who may not understand the imperfect choices you have to make as an adult, that was [a dynamic] that we all felt really connected to. Moana’s love for her little sister, her care for her, and the specialness of that relationship is something I think many people are going to relate to and fall in love with.
Moana 2 premieres exclusively in theaters on Wednesday, November 27.
