Auliʻi Cravalho expresses gratitude to 'come back' as Moana in sequel

Auliʻi Cravalho just expressed how she grew along her character, Moana.

Renowned for voicing the 2016 hit Disney princess of the titular movie, its sequel, that was released on November 27, 2024, made her realize how she was “so grateful to come back” to playing the character.

“This character is who started my whole career as a young performer,” she told PEOPLE magazine of her role as Disney’s wayfinding chieftess.

She continued, “I really get to have that full decade look back at just how much growth I've gone through.”

Detailing how the first part of Moana was “focused on connecting with the past,” Moana 2 “is about connecting to the future and all the things that could come.”

“It feels like Moana and I have been juxtaposed in our growth together, and that is amazing,” she stated while expressing how the sequel is one of those rare instances “in Disney history that a Disney princess has been allowed to age. And so, my voice has changed from when I played her when I was 15, and now her voice is a little different. The songs that I'm singing also get to show off a different side of myself.”