‘Moana 2’s Post-Credit Scene Had a “Last Minute Change”

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As a lifelong cinephile who has seen his fair share of animated films, I must say that Moana 2 has truly left its mark among the recent releases. The post-credit scene, which introduces us to the stormy god Nalo, is an intriguing addition to the story and hints at exciting adventures yet to come for our beloved characters.

Have you heard that Moana 2 includes a scene after the credits? If you haven’t caught up with the film creating waves at the box office alongside Wicked, you might not be aware that there was actually a mid-credit scene in the sequel. However, it does exist and underwent quite a few changes before reaching your screen.

In a fresh chat with Collider, directors Dana Ledoux Miller, David Derrick Jr., and Jason Hand delved deeply into the film’s production journey, uncovered Disney references, and other fascinating aspects. Yet, what caught our attention was the behind-the-scenes story about crafting the scene in the movie end credits that unfolds Moana’s (Auli’i Cravalho) world, setting up possibilities for her future escapades with Maui (Dwayne Johnson).

Needless to say, but if you don’t want to be spoiled on it, maybe don’t read on!

What Does ‘Moana 2’s Mid-Credit Scene Mean for ‘Moana 3’ and How/Why Did It Change?

If you assumed Matangi was the main antagonist in Moana 2, that’s not entirely unreasonable, but she turned out to be a sort of decoy for the true threat that our characters would soon encounter: Nalo, the deity responsible for storms and lightning (portrayed by actor Tofiga Fepulea’i). In the movie, Nalo is depicted as protecting Motufetu, the island Moana must save from a long-lasting curse. However, Moana and Maui can only lift this curse if they manage to overcome Nalo’s stormy nature, marked by ominous clouds, bolts of lightning, and tornadoes.

In the middle of the movie’s credits, when we catch up with Nalo again, it becomes clear that even though Moana and Maui managed to defeat him at the end of the film, the deity of storms remains very much present and eager to exact his vengeance on them for their actions.

As stated by the filmmakers, this particular scene was intended to play a role in the narrative of Moana from the very beginning, as per Miller’s explanation.

Initially, it was planned but underwent a late modification. It developed similarly to how the remainder of the narrative unfolded. My assumption is that the core concept involved the introduction of both a demigod and a god into the world, and we found the idea intriguing as it allowed for a bit more complexity.

It appears that the transformation in this scene could be linked to the initial plan of Moana 2 as a TV series on Disney+, which was later changed into a feature film in February 2024, as announced by CEO Bob Iger. Derrick mentioned that the transition from small screen to large screen enhanced Moana’s journey, stating that while the overall story and emotional journey remained consistent, the series provided an opportunity to delve deeply into the characters. This additional knowledge only fortified Moana’s character development and the theme of the story. Essentially, the insights gained from the TV series served to amplify the feature film. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for further updates on whether Moana and her crew will return in a third feature or reappear on the small screen.

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2024-12-02 01:07