When Moana's first movie was shattering box office records, amassing an astonishing $225.2 million within its five-day debut and emerging as the top Thanksgiving opening ever, the writer-director Dana Ledoux Miller was in an unexpected place - a Target. As she recalls with a laugh, "I was in my sweatpants, getting our Christmas tree with my kids. There's a remarkable disconnect between the grandeur of the box office and the reality of daily life." She adds that even her four-year-old fell asleep during the film's premiere. "You pour so much of yourself into making something, hoping people will come and see it, and then suddenly, it's a massive success."

From Television to Disney

In 2016, when the first Moana hit theaters, Miller was working as a television writer on shows like The Newsroom, Narcos, and Designated Survivor. Of Samoan descent and having attended the University of Hawaii before moving to Los Angeles, she went to the theaters with little knowledge about the Disney animated film other than it centered around a Polynesian princess. Miller vividly remembers, "I was also six months pregnant with my first child. As the lights dimmed and the first words in Samoan filled the air, I couldn't hold back my tears. I had gone to film school in Hawaii, so I wasn't completely unfamiliar with the indigenous film world. But seeing a Disney film take our language and display it on global screens was a moment of profound significance. I knew my child would enter a world different from the one I grew up in."This film marked a watershed moment for Pacific Islanders in the entertainment industry. Miller recounts, "I kept talking to people, emphasizing, 'I'm Samoan! There are so many stories waiting to be told!' But often, I just got blank stares. If it wasn't about pitching to [Dwayne] 'The Rock' Johnson or Jason Momoa, there seemed to be no understanding of what that could mean. With Moana, we finally had a touchpoint, a reference, something to show and explain."A few years later, Miller had a meeting at Disney where she was informed that the studio was planning an animated TV series about the heroine. However, she had already sold a show to Netflix - a Thai cave rescue drama produced by Jon M. Chu - and couldn't pursue the Disney project. She recalls with a mix of disappointment and frustration, "I remember thinking, 'Oh my gosh, this is my dream! I can't do it!' My manager tried to console me, saying 'These things always come back around.' But I was skeptical. How could they possibly know?"

The Return and the New Journey

In 2022, fortune smiled upon Miller when Moana writer-director Jared Bush and Disney reached out about a new live-action version of the film. She immediately got to work on this project and was later involved in the animated series as well. Bush's persuasion led the studio to transform the series into a second theatrical film. This meant Miller got to write not one but two Moana movies, with the first one hitting theaters during the Thanksgiving holiday.Moana 2 is set several years after the first movie and follows Moana as she receives a call from her ancestors, setting off on a journey into the ocean to lift a curse that has been keeping the people of Oceania apart. Miller explains, "If in the first film, she connected with her past, in this one, she's looking forward. It's a fascinating exploration of her growth and evolution."For the first film, a diverse group of advisors with expertise in various fields - from history to agriculture to folklore - from across the Pacific Islands came together to form the Oceanic Cultural Trust. This trust played a crucial role in guiding Miller and the filmmakers as they shaped Moana 2. As she says, "You can see the impact in the crew that accompanies Moana on her journey. There's Kele, a farmer; Loto, the engineers; and Moni, the historian. They truly represent the indigenous genius that enabled our ancestors to navigate the oceans thousands of years ago. They brought along plants that helped them on their way. These were people with incredibly scientific minds who built those canoes. And before colonization, we were oral storytellers, passing down our history through generations."Miller took it a step further by starting the non-profit, PEAK, to provide opportunities for Pacific Islanders in the entertainment industry. She hopes to build on the interest sparked by the Moana movies and create a lasting impact.As Moana 2 enters its second weekend at the box office, it is expected to maintain its dominance. A mid-credits scene at the end has set the stage for a possible third film. While Disney has yet to make an official announcement, Miller expresses her hope for Moana's story to continue. "The first film is deeply Polynesian, but the Pacific is a vast expanse of different cultures and peoples. Opening up the whole ocean presents endless possibilities."