“Moana 2” was released on November 28 in participating theaters across Aotearoa New Zealand , allowing children who speak reo Māori to experience the magic of “Moana 2” in their native language and connect with their cultural heritage. Set in mythical Polynesia, Moana 2 is based on the Polynesian kōrero tuku iho and tells the story of Moana, a Wayfinder who journeys across the seas searching for a secret vital to save her island. Through this initiative, Disney honors the Polynesian culture that inspired the original Moana film, representing a significant step in promoting Indigenous cultures on a global platform.
For decades, Indigenous cultures and stories have been marginalized in mainstream media, often overshadowed by more dominant Western narratives. By offering a major film in reo Māori at the time of the movie’s release, Disney emphasizes a broader cultural shift toward inclusivity, where Indigenous voices are celebrated for their uniqueness.
In the film, Jaedyn Randell and Piripi Taylor reprise their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively, for the reo Māori version. Randell, who gained recognition on “The Voice Australia,” expressed her excitement and pride in representing Māori audiences. This dual release was a joint effort between Mātewā Media, a New Zealand production company dedicated to Indigenous language projects, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. While Mātewā Media has previously worked with Disney to produce the reo Māori versions of other films, “Moana 2” is the first time an Indigenous-language adaptation was available at the same time as the original release. Director Tweedie Waititi revealed how meaningful this project was to her as she wants to encourage Māori children to “whakamāori the world,” or look at the world through a Māori lens.
The impact of this dual release goes beyond mere entertainment, acting as a powerful statement on the importance of Indigenous languages in mainstream media. By normalizing the use of Indigenous languages in popular films, Disney contributes to efforts of cultural preservation and promotes global efforts to recognize and respect Indigenous cultures. This initiative sets a precedent for future films to embrace linguistic inclusivity.
The success of “Moana 2” in reo Māori has the potential to inspire other film studios to also take on similar projects and dub movies in Indigenous languages when they premiere the movie. Through such efforts, mass media can bridge cultures and promote diversity and inclusion on a global scale. As audiences worldwide watch “Moana 2,” the film demonstrates the power of storytelling to unite people from different cultures and languages.
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Featured Image via Walt Disney Studios
