In 2016, Walt Disney Animation Studios released Moana, an animated musical based on Polynesian mythology. The studio strived to make the film’s details more authentic to Polynesian cultures through research and the help of Oceanic Story Trust. Now Moana 2 takes the next steps to advance off-screen representation by bringing two filmmakers of Samoan-heritage on as directors.

Though the off screen representation was there with the story trust in the first Moana, there was a lack of directors telling a story about a community that they are a part of. That changes with the release of Moana 2. The highly anticipated sequel hopes to shine with its stunning visuals and epic music, and has Samoan filmmakers Dana Ledoux Miller and David Derrick Jr on board as directors to tell a story that both honors their heritage and appeals to a wider audience.

Last month, The Nerds of Color joined their fellow journalists for an early preview of Moana 2 at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA. There, they saw just a little over 30 minutes of footage which showed how Moana has matured three years after she saved her island and the new adventure that awaits her.

While the first Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto had their respective story trusts to bring more authenticity to their stories, the three films lacked a director that reflected the story presented in the films. Forming these story trusts to honor underrepresented cultures in stories that can resonate with all audiences is one thing. Still, it’s also essential to see the creative talents share the same space beyond consultation.

Before the first Moana was released in 2016, directors Ron Clements and Jon Musker went on research trips to Fiji, Samoa, and Tahiti to help shape a story respecting the Polynesian culture and communities. From trekking through the jungle and learning about regional textiles to learning about the various geography and the histories behind the tattoos, the Oceanic Story Trust was there to answer the filmmakers’ questions.

The Oceanic Story Trust’s advice and input would help provide cultural nuance to the story the Clements and Musker were telling. So even though some of the cultural specificities would go unnoticed to audiences who were unfamiliar with the culture, it meant a lot more to the advisors and those who have a connection to it. Those attention to the details and the feedback the directors received would help shape the film into reinvisioning Moana as the confident hero who doesn’t act like the typical Disney princess.

The directors even collaborated with the cast and used their feedback to help shape the story that reflected their knowledge of the Polynesian culture.

The Oceanic Story Trust would later inspire similar story trusts for Raya and the Last Dragon and Encanto. These story trusts help ensure that the film’s details are authentic to the stories outside of the animated adaptations of European-based fairy tales of the past. For Moana 2, the Oceanic Cultural Trust consisted of Dr. Dionne Fonoti, Su’a Peter Suluʻape, Hinano Murphy, Frank Murphy, Tiana Liufau, Dr. Grant Muāgutuiʻa, Lāiana Kanoa-Wong, Tweedie Waititi, Millicent Barty, Nainoa Thompson, Lehua Kamalu, Kalikolehua Hurley, and Thomas Raffipiy. While enlisting the cultural trust was crucial, it was clear that more was needed to advance off-screen representation.

The first Moana was a coming-of-age film that saw the title character reconnecting with her past while embarking on a self-discovery journey. As such, she became the strong-willed Wayfinder that we know today. In the sequel, Moana embraces her new identity after reconnecting with her past. As a Wayfinder, she embarks on a journey to the far seas of Oceania after receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors. Considering Moana 2 is much larger in scale and scope, there’s more territory to cover in the narrative and world-building. As such, it was important for Derrick Jr., Hand, Miller, and producers Christina Chen and Yvette Moreno to collaborate with the Oceanic Story Trust again.

“So much of our story is rooted in the mythology and cultures of the Pacific Islands,” Chen said. “Every single step, every single decision — both character- and world-building — it’s so critical that we do it respectfully. Our Trust has been with us every step of the way as we’ve built Moana’s fantastical world. From providing cultural advice and support for design, choreography, and language to inviting us into the emotional headspace of a Wayfinder, they, and their collaboration with us, have helped propel the story forward.”

Though the first Moana paved the way for underrepresented voices to participate in the creative process for films depicting their cultures, it’s critical to recognize the lack of off-screen representation, especially when it comes to direction. At times, it can feel conflicting when some films come close to bringing representation across the board, yet fall short in those off-screen key creative roles. We saw that in Raya and the Last Dragon. The film was penned by Crazy Rich Asians screenplay scribe and Joy Ride director Adele Lim and acclaimed playwriter Qui Nguyen and had a Southeast Asian lead in Vietnamese actor Kelly Marie Tran. There was much to celebrate as the film spotlighted Southeast Asian cultures in the film’s visuals, sounds, and action sequences. Though, it should be noted that it was directed by Don Hall and Carlos López Estrada, co-directed by Paul Briggs and John Ripa, and had a predominantly East Asian cast.

With Encanto, the film celebrates Columbia with its majority-Columbian cast, spotlighting the culture and heritage while addressing generational trauma. However, the film had a team of directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard and co-director Charise Castro Smith. Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer served as producers. Bush and Smith penned the script. And Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote eight original songs. While everyone on the creative level brought the images and music of Columbia to the screen in a very beautiful way while also addressing generational trauma, it still had creatives outside of the community telling a story with the input of those who are a part of that community.

There’s no question what films like Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto have done to share stories of marginalized communities and people of color with the world through the lens of animation. Nor is there any question about how the contributions of filmmakers, producers, and song writers helped bring these stories that had cultural specificities while also emotionally resonating with a global audience. What was missing in these films was someone as a director who could offer an authentic perspective.

Animation studios like Pixar, Dreamworks, and Sony have already taken the right steps with their respective films. Adrian Molina, a Mexican-American filmmaker at Pixar, co-wrote the screenplay and story of Coco, and co-directed it alongside Pixar alum Lee Unkrich. While Domee Shi shared her experience as a Chinese-Canadian teenager in her directorial debut in Pixar’s Turning Red. Kemp Powers helped bring NYC to the big screen in his co-directing efforts in Pixar’s Soul and Sony Animation Pictures’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. And Stephanie Ma Stine made her directorial debut as co-director of Dreamworks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 4.

Today, advances in on-screen representation in animation through voice talents are immeasurable, but the same approach must be taken for off-screen representation so that those underrepresented stories aren’t told by just by the creatives outside of the underrepresented community. It’s not as though they aren’t allowed to as those outside of the community may be better understanding of the animation process and aim to portray the cultures depicted in the film positively. It’s just that having someone who is part of that community themself in a creative role that goes beyond just consultation has a greater meaning to those audiences who can see themselves in the characters on screen and future filmmakers who also have dreams of sharing their stories with the world.

So Moana 2 represents those next steps in advancing off-screen representation for Walt Disney Animation Studios as it brings Derrick Jr. and Miller, both of whom are of Samoan heritage, on board as directors. As such, the two can contribute their experiences and heritage to the film while ensuring authenticity.

Miller, who also wrote and directed the sequel alongside Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand, co-founded Pasifika Entertainment Advancement Komiti (PEAK). This non-profit spotlights and provides resources for Pacific Islander talent. She created PEAK to foster inclusion and better representation for Pacific Islanders on and off-screen.

Moana 2 is Miller’s directorial debut for an animated film. “I realized in that moment, Disney film, which ended up becoming one of the biggest Disney properties ever, that that film would forever change the way people saw Pacific Islanders, people saw me,” she said. The film also meant it would change the way she told stories. The chance to direct the animated sequel didn’t seem possible at first, but then she was approached to co-write the live-action Moana with Bush. She described the collaborative experience as incredible. After that, the opportunity to direct the sequel came to her.

“It was at that time, I was hired as a consulting writer, and then as that this project very clearly needed to become a film, was brought on to write that and direct that with these folks right here,” Miller added.

“I am Samoan, and it’s not often that we see Pacific Islanders on screen — definitely not on the scale of a Disney movie,” Miller says. “I was six months pregnant with my first child when I saw the first film. The first song rings out — it’s in Samoan and Tokelauan. Hearing those beautiful words so powerfully in a big theater filled with people, I thought, ‘My child is entering a world that’s so different than the world that I grew up in. What’s possible is so different.’ Moana changed the narrative for Pacific Islanders — about who we are and what’s possible.”

Part of what’s possible is now that Polynesian artists, creatives, and storytellers know that directing a blockbuster animated musical sequel is within their reach. Not only that, but their input comes from a genuine place because they are telling stories from a community that they are a part of.

Moana 2 marks Derrick Jr.’s directorial debut following his role as a story artist on the original Academy Award®-nominated film. He joined Walt Disney Animation Studios to work on Moana because he was drawn to the story by his own Samoan ancestry and personal connection to the title character’s quest to understand her heritage.

As one of the original showrunners for the former streaming series, Derrick Jr. and Hand, along with the other animators came to the conclusion that the series should be a feature film. “We like to say that the story will tell us what it wants to be,” he said. Ultimately, listening to the story, listening to the groundswell of all the artists and creators involved, we we knew it was destined for big screen.”

Like many of the artists working on the film, Derrick Jr. drew from personal experiences and his cultural background to form the story. He was also close to the film that you can say he had a connection to it. “I felt like I was on the journey with Moana. I have ancestors from Samoa, and just as Moana comes to understand her heritage, working on and researching this film brought me closer to my own. Traveling with his brothers and sisters to reconnect with their Samoan heritage,” Derrick recalls. “We learned how to husk and crack a coconut without any tools. We cooked our dinner in a traditional Samoan oven called an umu.”

As a director of Moana 2, Derrick Jr. can honor his Samoan heritage and bring familial experiences to the relationship between Moana and Simea. “The relationship between Moana and Simea is one I’ve seen and experienced — my oldest daughter is 20, and my youngest son is 6,” Derrick Jr. said. “And while there are years between them, the two of them have this beautiful, powerful bond.”

Seeing is believing plays a role in on-screen representation. People of color and minorities who can see themselves in the characters that appear on screen sends a clear message about representation. So, it’s exciting to see how Moana 2 is another opportunity to bring more Polynesian stories to the world, and that the sequel changes the way the Walt Disney Animation Studios approaches off-screen representation.

Moana 2 opens in theaters on November 27, 2024.