Is Moana a Disney Princess? Auli'i Cravalho Responds (2024)

What's in a name like "princess"? And who, exactly, gets the title of Disney Princess, and why? Well, that's a loaded question, depending on who and how you ask. And if you ask the star of Moana and its forthcoming sequel, Moana 2 — Auli'i Cravalho, the titular character is anything but, even if you think she is (and even if she officially is as far as the Disney Princess merchandising canon is concerned).

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actress responded to the question that's long been on Disney fans' minds: is Moana a princess? And while on a technical level, no, she isn't — she is the daughter of a village chief and wayfinder — Disney has absolutely made her a part of the official princess line-up, perhaps due to their ever-expanding definition of what it takes to be a Disney Princess, specifically.

"Films are always representative of their times," Cravalho explained. "For today's day and age, we want to see a young woman being the hero of her own story. So, yeah, she is a princess, but she's also a hero. I like that those two words are now interchangeable."

Her character even states at one point in the new film that she is indeed not a princess, to which Maui (Dwayne Johnson) simply retorts, "Well, a lot of people think that you are." And while Cravalho believes that "you probably won't see Moana in a ballgown" anytime soon, she also thinks "that's fine." Because, really, it takes all types of girls to make the world go 'round — not just the ones who look prettiest in a fancy, flouncy dress (no shade to fancy, flouncy dresses, which are also fun sometimes in some contexts)!

"I feel it's really important to have characters go on their own hero's journey of finding themselves, not necessarily finding a love interest or the love of their lives," the actress added. Besides, Moana is "so interesting on her own. She doesn't need anybody else!"

What Is 'Moana 2' About And Who Is In The Cast?

Picking up three years after the events of the first film, Moana 2 finds our hero heeding the call of the ocean and her ancestors to unite all the people of islands that make up Oceania and break a mysterious curse with the help of her old friend Maui and many other characters reprising their roles from the first film along the way. Returning to star alongside Cravalho and Johnson in the film are Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, and Alan Tudyk. Joining the cast are Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Hualālai Chung, Awhimai Fraser, and Gerald Ramsey.

And, in a particularly adorable casting addition worth breaking out into its own paragraph: Johnson's daughters Jasmine and Tiana also provide voices for members of Moana's fan club, which is just about the cutest thing to ever be. Considering the fact that Johnson's daughter, Tiana, was hard-pressed to believe her father actually voiced the god Maui in her favorite movie, this is the sort of completely charming nepo-baby casting we can absolutely get behind.

Moana 2 is set to sail into theaters on November 27, 2024. Between this and Wicked, the box office numbers are sure to be impressive. Hmm...two sure-to-be blockbuster films led by women, doing serious numbers, saving the studios once again (Hi, Barbie!). I'm sure nobody will learn anything of value from this! (But for the record, I love to be proven wrong.)

4/5

Moana 2

PG

Animation

Comedy

Fantasy

Musical

Adventure

Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.

Release Date

November 27, 2024

Director

David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller

Cast

Auli'i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda

Runtime

100 Minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Writers

Dana Ledoux Miller , Jared Bush , Jason Hand , Ron Clements , John Musker

Studio(s)

Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios

Distributor(s)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

prequel(s)

Moana

Franchise(s)

Disney

Where To Stream

Disney+

Character(s)

Moana , Maui , Hei Hei , Tala , Chief Tui , Sina , Moni , Kele , Loto , Matangi , Tautai Vasa , Simea