'Moana 2' Has a Problem

Disney has shocked the internet by announcing a sequel to its animated blockbuster Moana—but people aren't happy.

On Wednesday Disney CEO Bob Iger explained that the studio plans to release Moana 2 in theaters on November 27. He revealed this surprising news during an interview with CNBC that was held just before the studio released its Q1 earnings.

The original movie, released in 2016, is set in Polynesia and follows the titular teenage heroine as she embarks on a journey across the ocean with the demigod Maui to try to save her people.

Grossing $643 million worldwide and having been nominated for two Academy Awards, the film was a huge success. A short teaser for the second film revealed that it will see a return to the island of Motunui.

Moana 2 was originally developed as a TV series for Disney+, but Iger explained that Disney had decided to turn it into a feature film because he was impressed with the footage.

"We were impressed by what we saw and knew it deserved a theatrical release," he said during an earnings call on Wednesday, as reported by The Guardian.

According to Iger, Moana had been streamed for more than 1 billion minutes on Disney+ in 2023 alone, highlighting its continued popularity. While Moana may have been a success for Disney, people online are saying they don't plan on watching the sequel.

Newsweek contacted Walt Disney Company via email for comment Thursday.

The entertainment account Pop Crave on X, formerly Twitter, shared the news when it wrote: "First look at Moana 2. Will you be watching?" People took to the comments to share their honest thoughts.

"We will be boycotting," one person wrote.

"we will not be watching," said another.

A third added: "Chances are slim..."

Others have expressed their frustration over the fact that Disney continues to produce remakes or sequels, rather than develop completely new ideas.

"They're running outta ideas," one X user wrote.

"Disney/Pixar is completely out of new ideas," another commented.

"Anything [other than] those lazy remakes," someone else wrote.

This isn't the only issue surrounding the movie that Disney is facing, as after it was revealed that Lin-Manuel Miranda won't be returning to co-write songs on Moana 2, people online expressed their devastation.

"For all of the hate he gets, Lin writes a mean freaking soundtrack and ESPECIALLY delivered with Moana, so this would be such a shame," someone posted to X.

"This is a bad thing btw (by the way) like one thing about Mr. Miranda is he can write," said another.

"This movie is not gonna do well," one person theorized.

A fourth added: "Then we will not be watching."

Not everyone has been upset by the news of Moana 2, as some people on X have expressed how excited they are about its release.

"I will be watching," one person wrote alongside a dance emoji.

"I'm TUNED IN," said another.

"Omg!! I can't wait to hear the songs," a third person wrote.

"The first one was amazing, so," said another.

Disney has yet to confirm the cast, but Auliʻi Cravalho, the original voice actor for Moana, posted a teaser to her Instagram account. David Derrick Jr., who served as a storyboard artist for the original Moana movie, will direct the second film.

Iger's decision to put Moana 2 in theaters follows Disney's rough 2023. This has included several Disney titles that were deemed box office flops—including Pixar's Elemental—declining linear TV viewership and an uneven transition into a streaming future.

In November, the entertainment behemoth announced it would be slashing costs after its films lost almost $1 billion. In an earnings call, Iger said the company would cut an additional $2 billion in expenses in 2024. This followed a previous announcement that Disney would be slicing $5.5 billion in the coming year, along with thousands of layoffs.