“The first film was about Moana finding her identity,” says Moana 2 screenwriter/ executive producer Jared Bush, chief creative officer for Disney Animation who also wrote the first Moana feature. “It’s a never-ending journey. There’s still a lot that Moana needs to learn about herself. If the first film is about reconnecting with your past, this film is about Moana and her people’s future.”
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Three years have passed since Moana’s inaugural voyage. She’s an experienced wayfinder now, so when she’s called on by her ancestors to take on a decidedly dangerous mission, she’s up for the challenge. Older and wiser, Moana knows she’ll need help this time—even beyond the shapeshifting demigod Maui. “Her calling is bigger than she is,” says producer Yvett Merino. “It’s all about connecting—connecting in the larger sense with the Pacific Island peoples—and we get to see how she connects with her community, her crew, her little sister.”
When audiences met Moana in 2016, they fell in love with Motunui and the Pacific region that inspired it. “One of the major things that makes the story of Moana so universally loved is the world,” says director Jason Hand. “It’s rare when the look of a film—the quality of the water animation and effects—is commented on by so many people. The world of ‘Moana’ is a visual feast.
For producer Christina Chen, bearing witness to the making of the movie was extremely gratifying. “You really see the pursuit of perfection across all the different art forms, whether you’re in story and editorial, or cinematography and layout, or animation—all the way through post production. It’s been an incredible honor to see the level of attention to detail that people have and their passion to the craft. People pour their hearts and souls into every single frame.”
According to director Dana Ledoux Miller, who wrote the screenplay with Bush, the story of Moana 2 was inspired by the island communities themselves. “There are old stories within the Pacific of meeting points for navigators from different islands,” she says. “We were inspired by that idea that people would travel to find each other—we imagined that, generations ago, many ocean channels led to one island, enabling wayfinders from across the ocean to come together to learn from each other through shared experiences. But long before our story began, a god didn’t like that human connection, so he decided to sink that island to the bottom of the ocean, cursing their meeting place and making all those channels disappear.”
“No matter what age or place we are in life, we are always growing and changing,” says director David G. Derrick Jr. “Moana’s island of Motunui and her people are thriving, but she knows that they’re not done growing. There must be people out there beyond their island—and when she actually finds evidence of it, she must go farther than any of her ancestors have ventured to find the answers to her questions.”
The ocean, says director Jason Hand, is everything. “The ocean connects us,” says Hand, who—like Derrick—worked on the first film as a story artist. “Everywhere we go, people talk about the setting of our film, the inspiration behind it, the natural beauty of the Pacific—it really is a magical place. We’ve connected with so many people from the Pacific Islands and there is such a deep respect for nature and where they live. That sense of place and deep respect for community were core inspirations as we shaped the story.”
The filmmakers were committed to representing the Pacific Island communities and peoples respectfully and with integrity.
“Coming on to write ‘Moana 2’ felt like an incredible responsibility—both to the characters and to my community,” says Ledoux Miller. “In thinking about what Moana’s continued story might be, I thought a lot about what it means to be a Pacific Islander. Our lives are built around community and connection. There’s a phrase that’s often used in the Pacific, and it’s been said by many people: ‘The ocean isn’t what separates us, it’s what connects us.’ That’s always resonated with me.”
As Moana 2 kicks off, Moana, a leader of her people now, doesn’t understand why they haven’t encountered others as they’ve explored the seas. “In a vision, Moana is visited by one of Motunui’s original wayfinders, Tautai Vasa, who tells her about the island Motufetū that was lost long ago,” says Bush. “Moana will have to risk everything to take on Nalo, the god of storms, and find this long-lost island that connects the people of the ocean. This is a voyage like no other, and if she can fulfil the mission seen in her vision, she’ll need a crew.”
And not just a crew, of course. Heihei the chicken and Pua the pig are along for the adventure, as well as the extraordinary demi-guy himself. “You can’t tell Moana’s story without Maui,” says Derrick. “We love these two characters together. They push on one another—they make each other better. And there’s so much comedy to be had with the two of them.”
Maui has a very important role to play in the mission. “Breaking the curse is a lot more complex than any of them imagine,” says Ledoux Miller. “She needs Maui to help get her through many complicated twists—she has a lot to learn about what’s being asked of her and what she’s willing to do to find Motufetū, break the curse and open the channels.”
Auli‘i Cravalho returns to the big screen as Moana; Dwayne Johnson reprises his role as the charismatic demigod. “We were so excited to once again work with Auli‘i and Dwayne,” says producer Yvett Merino. “The dynamic between their characters is magical. And this time, we get to expand the cast of characters, welcoming amazing talent to Moana’s adventure. They bring so much personality to this new journey.” The voice cast also includes Hualālai Chung as Moni, Rose Matafeo as Loto, David Fane as Kele, Awhimai Fraser as Matangi, Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda as Simea, Temuera Morrison as Chief Tui, Nicole Scherzinger as Sina, Rachel House as Gramma Tala, Gerald Faitala Ramsey as Tautai Vasa, and Alan Tudyk as Heihei.
For Moana 2, the filmmakers called on Grammy winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foa‘i, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina to create the music and songs for the new big-screen adventure. According to Merino, Barlow and Bear hit the ground running. “When we had our launch meeting with them, they showed up having already written something—we listened to what became our opening song, ‘We’re Back,’” says Merino. “It takes you right back into Moana’s world. And we’re blessed to have both Opetaia and Mark back, who brought so much to the music of the first film, working all together to create something truly special.”
“Music is always such an important part of all of our stories, whether it’s a musical or not,” says producer Yvett Merino. “‘Moana 2’ is a stunning, sweeping musical, and music plays such an important role. The songs throughout the film help move the story forward in such a special way, the score is so dynamic. It has been such a great experience.”
The musical legacy leading up to “Moana 2” is profound—the team was deeply inspired by the characters, world and music “Moana” delivered. Says director Jason Hand, “The music in this film will make you laugh, it will make you think. It’s going to set up camp in your mind. It’s truly unforgettable.”
“I think music can make the difference between walking out of a theater not feeling anything and walking out feeling all the emotions,” says Barlow. Adds Bear, “I’m biased—I think music is everything in movies. It’s such a powerful storytelling tool—it can bring back memories, take you to new places. It can make you cry; it can make you feel all the things.”
Their ability to think fast and capture all the feels in a scene proved bountiful. “Music is one of the biggest components of the ‘Moana’ universe, so it was very important to us to have songwriters who understood the assignment,” says director Dana Ledoux Miller. “They’re two young women at the pinnacle of their careers, who are bold and adventurous. They saw Moana, they felt what we wanted for her, and they pushed the boundaries of what’s possible.”
The film welcomes to the big screen fan-favorite characters, as well as new faces and terrifying new threats. Danny Arriaga, art director–characters, says artists were loyal to the style established for the first film. “It’s a world we all know and love,” he says. “We imagine that the new characters have been part of this world all along, we just didn’t get to meet them until now.”
Adds head of animation Kevin Webb, “Since the broader style was developed for the first film, setting up the second film was an archeological process—studying what made the visuals of ‘Moana’ so successful. To me, it’s a caricatured naturalism with a big focus on sculptural appeal.”
Fellow head of animation Amy Lawson Smeed points to “Moana” directors Ron Clements and John Musker—veteran Disney Animation filmmakers. “Their history in animation really lent itself to this style with pushed facial expressions and poses,” she says. “We worked with the designs of the characters to find that balance between caricature and naturalism—some designs might lean one way, so we’d take the animation the other way.”
Rob Dressel, who was director of cinematography–layout for Moana and serves in the same capacity for “Moana 2,” was among the filmmakers who trekked to the Pacific Islands when the first film was in development. “It was an incredible trip with a lot of hiking, a lot of being on the sea,” he says. “The look of our film and how we wanted to shoot it really came from being in that space. Our job is the world—how you see it.”
Adds Behzad Mansoori-Dara, fellow director of cinematography–layout for “Moana 2,” “There is always a real-life reference—whether it’s animation or lighting or camera work, we’re always looking at real-life reference to find inspiration and amalgamate it all—that keeps it grounded. And that’s true of everything you see in the movie. Everything from a flower that may or may not exist in the real world to all-out fantasy elements—there are pages and pages of reference.”
Always top of mind for all the filmmakers is the story—how does my contribution support the storytelling? Says Sucheta Bhatawadekar, director of cinematography–lighting, “Comedy scenes tend to be lit brightly, without dark shadows. For scary scenes or action scenes, we want a lot of contrast so we can feel that punch in the story. The songs have a very different energy, depending on what the song is. And there can be different lighting scenarios within one single song.”
Moana 2 expands the world of the ambitious wayfinder, and audiences will be invited to journey to a host of fantastic locales and approaches to bringing them to life on the big screen.
The Ocean, a vast and stunning body of water full of life and activity, reprises its role as Moana’s biggest fan and support system. “In ‘Moana,’ we realize the ocean is a living, breathing being with emotion,” says screenwriter/executive producer Jared Bush. “In the new story, we learn how far it reaches and how it connects people. And the ocean is once again there for Moana—until it can’t be.”
Filmmakers Turn to Oceanic Cultural Trust to Guide Pacific Island Representation
Filmmakers at Disney Animation revel in transporting audiences to places unseen or never imagined. The key to making even the most magical characters or fantastical places believable to moviegoers lies in anchoring the story in reality. That can mean incorporating the physics of water or weather into an ocean simulation, populating an island with plant life that would really have existed in the locale, or ensuring the characters steer a canoe—one modeled after actual canoes of the era—with proper techniques. The effort calls for a lot of research and a desire to learn from the experts. “We dive deep into every single detail when we make our films,” says Kalikolehua Hurley, senior manager, cultural. “On ‘Moana 2,’ every frame that you see on the screen was created with a lot of care, integrity and collaboration. We truly want our stories to celebrate and resonate with the communities and the cultures that inspired them.”
For director Dana Ledoux Miller, capturing the true essence of the Pacific Islands and its communities means so much. “I am Samoan, and it’s not often that we see Pacific Islanders on screen—definitely not on the scale of a Disney movie,” she says. “I was six months pregnant with my first child when I saw the first film. The first song rings out—it’s in Tokelauan and Samoan, and 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.”
As was done on the first film, filmmakers assembled a team of cultural experts in anthropology, history, dance and movement, canoes and navigation, linguistics, and various cultural practices from the Pacific Islands. The group, the Oceanic Cultural Trust, has advisors who were part of the first film’s Trust, as well as new members. “So much of our story is rooted in the mythology and cultures of the Pacific Islands,” says producer Christina Chen. “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 reference and language to inviting us into the emotional headspace of a wayfinder, they, and their collaboration with us, have helped propel the story forward.”
The Oceanic Cultural Trust consists of more than a dozen experts in a variety of fields.
Hurley, who is Native Hawaiian, leads the Trust, as well as provides guidance culled from her own experiences.
- Dr. Dionne Fonoti is a Samoan cultural anthropologist based in Apia, Samoa and has served as the Trust’s lead consultant since the first film. “Dionne is a legend here at Disney Animation,” says Ledoux Miller. “She’s the first person we call whenever we have a question about anything cultural in the world of Moana.”
Adds Hurley, “On ‘Moana 2,’ Dionne met regularly with us, helping to guide our film’s cultural aspects, from art to story and animation.”
Says Fonoti, “We’re always very cognizant of our roles and the huge responsibility we have. There’s a phrase that I have heard from a good friend of mine. She always says that we need to ‘interrogate with wisdom.’ So, you don’t remove the ability to interrogate, you just interrogate in very wise ways. And I think that we’ve found ways to do that so that we’re sensitive to history, sensitive to the people, sensitive to the community, but also sensitive to anybody who watches the film. It’s really exciting, because more of our people are involved in ‘Moana 2’; we’re going deeper into story, deeper into elements of culture. That’s what we want the trajectory of these stories to be.”
- Su’a Peter Suluʻape is a master tattooist, lives in Wellington, New Zealand, and hails from one of two Samoan tattoo family lineages. “Su’a not only helped us with tattoos by looking at motifs and translating them for our art teams on both films,” says director David G. Derrick Jr., “but he also generously provided motifs from his own family’s lineage that our artists could iterate off of, and he also designed a very special tattoo for us too.”
- Hinano Murphy and her husband Frank Murphy hail from Mo‘orea and shared their knowledge and connection to Tahitian history, culture, and environments as a cultural expert and geographer, respectfully. “Since the first film’s earliest research trip, Hinano and Frank have helped our teams understand key cultural tenets, such as ‘knowing your mountain’—or knowing where you come from,” says director Jason Hand.
- Tiana Nonosina Liufau provided choreography references for many songs for both the first and second films. She and her dance troupe, Nonosina Polynesia, based in Anaheim, Calif., are known worldwide. Liufau is of Samoan, Tongan and Native Hawaiian descent, and her choreography draws from the wide varieties of dance styles seen in the Pacific. “Dance and movement are so instrumental in this film,” says Chen. “Tiana helped visualize everything from a haka to a big celebration with lots of dance. Tiana not only helped design the movement, she provided the story behind it, what the characters would be feeling and the motivations behind the choreography.”
- Dr. Grant Muāgututiʻa is a Samoan linguist out of Oceanside, Calif., who helped on all language aspects of the film, including the creation of names of new characters and locations, and served as a dialect coach. Says Ledoux Miller, “One of the things I love about working with Dr. Grant is the way he’s able to connect the various languages of the Pacific—the similarities and the differences that speak to how each of our cultures have evolved but also stayed connected, which in a lot of ways speaks to the core themes of our film.”
- Lāiana Kanoa-Wong is a Hawaiian language and cultural educator from O’ahu, Hawai’I who provided Hawaiian cultural consultation and led hand-on experiences for ‘Moana 2’ filmmakers and crew to deepen their understandings of Oceanic voyaging and ceremonial practices. “We really cherish Lāiana,” says producer Yvett Merino. “His time in Burbank and Vancouver with our teams connected us more deeply as a crew and cemented our commitment to celebrating Pacific voyaging traditions in this film.”
- Tweedie Waititi is an advocate and champion of Māori language and culture and is at the helm of the Māori language version of ‘Moana 2.’ “Tweedie brings a very strong voice to our team,” says Hurley, “helping us to ensure that all the Māori cultural elements are done with care.”
- Millicent Barty, an oral historian and founder of the Kastom Keepers from the Solomon Islands, worked closely with the team on the film’s Kakamora characters and storyline, in addition to providing cultural consultation from a Solomon Islands cultural worldview. “Millicent taught us so much about the Kakamora, from their love of bananas to their cherished status as people-helpers. She really helped us deepen their storytelling, including the awesome Kotu,” says Hand.
- Nainoa Thompson, Native Hawaiian, is a traditional deep-sea navigator and CEO of the Polynesian Voyaging Society whose input served as key inspiration and reference for the film’s voyaging and wayfinding aspects. Says Hurley, “Nainoa is a hero to many of us in the Pacific for his leadership in traditional Pacific navigation and environmental stewardship. It is our privilege and honor to collaborate with him.”
Adds Chen, “We looked to Nainoa Thompson from a technical standpoint—like what Moana would do in a storm. But he also has such a breadth of storytelling that comes from decades of experience, he helped us get into the emotional headspace of a navigator. He taught us that once you understand the ocean and the wind clearly, the idea of getting lost is not terrifying, like a novice might think. Getting lost is the pathway to magic. It’s about trusting yourself, trusting your instincts and knowing that you can find the way. We realized that this is how we can really push Moana forward.”
- Lehua Kamalu, also Native Hawaiian and a navigator with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, provided valuable insights from her specific lens as a female captain and wayfinder. “We all look up to Lehua,” says Hurley. “She’s outrageously smart—able to recall the rising and setting positions of hundreds of different stars at so many different latitudes. She’s an inspiring leader, having navigated and captained open-ocean, long-distance voyages. And she’s a lot of fun.”
- Thomas Raffipiy, a navigator from Satawl, is nephew to master navigator Papa Mau Piailug, Nainoa Thompson’s mentor, and lent his vast knowledge of canoes from across the region to the team. “Tom can tell you in an instant if a canoe is rigged correctly and how it should look when it moves,” says Merino. “His expertise helped our teams ensure the integrity of the engineering of our canoes.”
The availability of the experts proved valuable to team members new to the world of “Moana,” including Sucheta Bhatawadekar, director of cinematography, lighting. “For ‘Moana,’ the production team did extensive research, including visiting the islands—we had a wealth of knowledge to pull from, including photography and videos. There were some painters that we looked to for inspiration like Herb Kawainui Kāne and A.J. Casson, which was valuable in terms of stylization. A big highlight was when Lāiana Kanoa-Wong came to our studio for a blessing and, as a bonus, gave a presentation on wayfinding. It put so many unexpected ideas in our minds—all these details of how they did wayfinding back then. It really informed our creative decisions.”
The story itself is rooted in the real-world belief systems of Pacific Islanders, says Hurley. “We are taught from a young age that it’s all about community. We believe that as a village, we are stronger and can get more done when we’re working together. So, for Moana to go on an even bigger adventure this time, she had to go with more people—she recruits a crew and must lead them. Seeing Moana make more connections also ties into the belief that the ocean doesn’t separate us, the ocean connects us.”
JASON HAND (Directed by) makes his feature directing debut on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana 2,” following a distinguished career as a story artist and head of story (“Encanto”) on some of the most popular Disney Animation films in recent history. His work on the original “Moana” feature includes a major contribution to the “Shark-Head” scene, where Maui uncontrollably shifts shape. For “Zootopia,” Hand played a key role in creating and storyboarding the hilarious DMV scene featuring an agonizingly slow sloth clerk. He also received an Annie Award in 2022 for best storyboarding-feature for his work on “The Family Madrigal” opening song sequence for “Encanto.” His other major story credits for Disney Animation include “Big Hero 6” and “Ralph Breaks the Internet” (storyboard supervisor), among others.
“Working on the first ‘Moana’ was my favorite assignment, because the film is just so magical,” says Hand. “It’s also the film that I’ve watched with my family more than any other. When David Derrick asked me to join him in directing ‘Moana 2,’ I didn’t hesitate for a second. This all-new adventure brings back those characters that everyone loves with new songs and great storytelling. It’s a very powerful thing to have everyone at the studio—both in Vancouver and in Burbank—coming together to make this film something incredibly special.”
Born and raised in Simi Valley, Calif., Hand grew up loving the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes shorts (especially the ones directed by Chuck Jones), and remembers having his “socks knocked off” when his dad took him to see a re-release of Disney Animation’s “The Jungle Book” when he was 8 years old. Even at that young age, Hand was captivated by the amazing level of character development, the juxtaposition of the music into that world, and the entertainment value of the drawings. He grew up in a family that loved and respected the arts (his mother owned an arts and crafts store), and his father (who worked in concrete construction for the major studios and occasionally brought him to visit movie sets) encouraged him to follow his dreams.
Hand’s dreams led him to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he met kindred spirits and focused on the various creative aspects of animation and live-action filmmaking. As a lifelong film buff, he recognized animation as a way to bring together his love of drawing and filmmaking. Prior to CalArts, Hand worked at the acclaimed visual effects studio Dream Quest, where he had hands-on experiences making models.
After graduating from CalArts with a BFA in 2002, Hand worked as a layout artist and background designer (with Bill Perkins) on a number of animated projects, including several for Disneytoon Studios. He was hired at Disney Animation in 2005, and his first assignment was as a layout artist on “The Princess and the Frog.” A short time after that, Hand was selected to participate in Disney Animation’s story internship.
DANA LEDOUX MILLER (Directed by/Screenplay by/Story by) is a Samoan writer and producer. She was the co-showrunner of Netflix’s “Thai Cave Rescue” limited series and an executive producer on “Last Resort” as part of the Break the Room Initiative and set up at Quibi. Prior to that, Ledoux Miller wrote for AMC’s “Lodge 49,” as well as ABC’s “Designated Survivor,” Netflix’s “Narcos” and HBO’s “The Newsroom.” She is a graduate of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and was born and raised in Long Beach, Calif.
DAVID G. DERRICK JR. (Directed by) helms Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana 2” following his role as a story artist on the original Academy Award®–nominated film. Derrick joined Disney Animation to work on “Moana,” drawn to the story by his own Samoan ancestry and personal connection to the title character’s quest to understand her heritage.
“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.”
Derrick previously served as a story artist at DreamWorks Animation on such films as “Megamind,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Rise of the Guardians,” among others.
Born and raised in Farmington, Utah, Derrick decided to pursue a career in the animation industry after seeing Disney Animation’s “Tarzan” while in college. He studied character animation at CalArts.
JARED BUSH (Screenplay by/Story by/Executive Producer) is the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, overseeing all aspects of the creative direction of the studio, beginning the role in September 2024. Bush is currently directing and writing “Zootopia 2,” the sequel to the Academy Award®–winning feature for which he was co-director and co-writer. The film will release Fall 2025. Bush is also executive producer and co-writer of “Moana 2”; Bush was the screenwriter of the first “Moana.”
During the 13 years Bush has been a writer and director at Walt Disney Animation Studios, beyond his work on the “Moana” and “Zootopia” films, he received an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe® and a BAFTA Award for “Encanto,” for which he was director (with Byron Howard) and co-writer. In 2021, the same year as “Encanto,” Bush was also the executive producer for the Oscar®-nominated “Raya and the Last Dragon.” Additionally, Bush was the executive producer for the series “Zootopia+,” for which he received a Children’s and Family Emmy® Award.
He is also a writer of the upcoming live-action version of “Moana,” which is based on the Disney Animation film for which he wrote the screenplay. Bush has also written and advised on several projects in collaboration with Disney Animation Creative Legacy and Walt Disney Imagineering, including Zootopia land in Shanghai Disney Resort as well as the upcoming “Zootopia”- and “Encanto”-themed attractions in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in Walt Disney World.
Bush began his career as a script reader for director Robert Zemeckis and, prior to joining Walt Disney Animation Studios, developed original television series for Revolution Studios, Fox and NBC, and feature film projects for New Line Cinema, Columbia/Tristar and 20th Century Fox.
A Harvard University graduate with a degree in English and American literature, Bush is an avid musician, and currently resides in Los Angeles with his college sweetheart and three sons.
ABIGAIL BARLOW (Original Songs by), 25 years old, is a Grammy®-winning singer, songwriter and composer best known for her glittery, addictive pop songs and musical series “What If Bridgerton Was a Musical?” After breaking the internet with her “Bridgerton” TikTok series, Barlow and her writing partner Emily Bear wrote, produced and engineered “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” concept album, winning the 2022 Grammy Award for best musical theater album. In doing so, they became the youngest composing team to ever win in the category, and made history by being the only women among their fellow nominees. Barlow and Bear make history again this fall as the youngest and first female composing team to write original songs for a Walt Disney Animation Studios theatrical feature with “Moana.”
As a teenager, Barlow found a worldwide audience on the internet live-streaming platform YouNow. She became a 2016 YoungArts Finalist and founding TikTok creator, where she fostered her love of writing and performing her original music in real time for a growing fan base. Now, with over 2.4 million TikTok followers, a Forbes 30 Under 30 nod, and 75-million-plus independent streams, Barlow continues to release solo music and perform her pop music, building a fan base with her sticky pop bangers and heart-wrenching ballads alike. Barlow’s strength as a songwriter also leads her to write with and for other artists, and she asserts her influence in the music industry by making a commitment to work regularly with female writers and/or producers, as well as to offer a writers fee for all her solo releases, becoming the first artist to take such a stand advocating for her songwriting peers and colleagues.
Recently, Barlow has worked on music with/for artists including Gayle, Meghan Trainor, Freya Ridings, Kylie Cantrall, Daya, Zolita and others, collaborating with pop heavy hitters including Ryan Linvill, Jakke Erixson, Jonas Jeberg, Jackson Foote, JORDY and Jesse Saint John. Barlow lends her musical theater storytelling, clever lyricism and killer hook sensibility to every song, always collaborating with the mission to amplify the artist’s voice, vision and style.
Barlow performed her debut live shows in L.A. and New York last winter and continues to perform regularly with both her pop show and her musical theater work with Emily Bear. Barlow will also contribute music to the “Phineas and Ferb” reboot coming soon to Disney+, and is always hard at work developing properties from both existing IP and her own imagination. As part of Barlow & Bear, she is at work on numerous other projects for film, TV and stage.
Barlow displays a well-rounded portfolio, with her passions for female empowerment, fitness, women in audio, and musical theater leading to brand collaborations with Bose, Shake Shack, Dolby, PetSmart, and Taco Bell (2024 Clio Award). She maintains a vibrant and influential presence in the Broadway, songwriter/producer, and influencer communities, positioning herself in a unique crossover space unlike any other entertainer today.
EMILY BEAR (Original Songs by) is a Grammy®- and Emmy®-winning composer and songwriter. Barlow and Bear are the youngest duo and the only female songwriting team to write a full soundtrack for a Disney animated film.
While Bear was still in single digits, she was performing as a pianist on the world’s most legendary stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center, Montreux Jazz Festival and the White House. When she was 9 years old, her mentor, Quincy Jones, produced her chart-topping original jazz album, “Diversity.”
In 2022, at the age of 20, she won the Grammy® Award for best musical theater album for “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” album, which she co-wrote with Abigail Barlow. Barlow & Bear broke barriers by composing the musical live on social media, composing 16 songs in 5 weeks, resulting in more than 300 million views on TikTok. Bear co-wrote, produced and orchestrated the project, which shot to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes pop charts within 1.5 hours of its release and reached the top five albums worldwide. That same year, Bear received an Emmy® Award for her original score for “Life Centered,” a PBS documentary. In addition, Forbes Magazine included her on its prestigious “30 Under 30” list.
Last year, Bear not only scored the soundtrack for the film “Dog Gone,” starring Rob Lowe and which became the No. 1 film for Netflix worldwide, but also toured with the legend that is Beyoncé on the Renaissance World Tour as her pianist.
Bear is also a founding member of the Recording Academy’s new Songwriters & Composers Wing, and she has raised millions of dollars for charities through events and performances. Bear has multiple musical projects in the works across theater, film and TV, as well as her own solo album.
OPETAIA FOA‘I (Original Songs by) is a composer, singer, guitarist and founder of the Contemporary Polynesian band Te Vaka. He also contributed music for and performed on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ original 2016 hit “Moana.” Foa‘i is recognized as one of the Pacific Islands’ most influential cultural and musical ambassadors. From the beginning of his career he has been on a mission to tell the stories of his seafaring ancestors and to share his culture with the world, writing predominantly in his native languages (Tokelauan, Tuvaluan and Samoan).
Foa‘i was born in Samoa and immigrated to New Zealand at the age of 9. Growing up, he was always surrounded by the rhythms, voices, sounds and dances which remain firmly as his foundation to this day.
In 1997 he released his debut album, “Te Vaka” (meaning “The Canoe”), and the Te Vaka band made its international debut with a three-month European tour, going on to play major festivals, including the Wintershall Charity Rock Concert, WOMAD Festivals around the world, and an appearance at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Foa‘i wrote and produced the second Te Vaka album, “Ki Mua,” whose single “Pate Pate” got to No. 1 on radio stations around the Pacific Islands and into the Top 10 on World Music charts around the world. They finished the year with a nomination for best international achievement at the New Zealand Music Awards. Te Vaka’s third album, “Nukukehe,” received a nomination from BBC Radio 3’s World Music Awards for best artist in the Asia/Pacific category, and their fourth album, “Tutuki,” released in 2004, entered the European World Music chart at number four and won best Pacific album in the New Zealand Music Industry Awards.
After four more albums, the Creative New Zealand “Senior Pacific Artist” award for his contribution to the Pacific Arts, two best Pacific album New Zealand Music Awards (for “Olatia” and “Amataga”), two “Best Pacific Group” Pacific Music Awards (2008 and 2010), an Australian Songwriting Award for best international song (“Tamahana”), ISC first place (“Tamahana”), a Hawaiian Music Award “Polynesian Category” (“Haoloto”), and two “Best Pacific Language Song” Pacific Music Awards (“Haoloto” and “Amataga”), Foa‘i was approached by Disney Animation to contribute songs for the musical animated feature film “Moana,” alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda and GRAMMY®-winning composer Mark Mancina.
His songs in the film include “Logo te Pate,” “An Innocent Warrior” and theme song “We Know the Way” (with English lyrics by Miranda), plus other collaborations with the music team. His own Te Vaka vocalists and drummers are also featured in the songs and score. Foa‘i and Te Vaka performed at the world premiere of “Moana” at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, and in 2017 he received the “Special Recognition for Outstanding Achievement Award” at the Pacific Music Awards and the “International Achievement Award” at the New Zealand Music Awards. In 2017 Foa‘i signed to Walt Disney Records to release “Te Vaka’s Greatest Hits: Songs That Inspired Moana.”
Foa‘i resides in Sydney, Australia, with his wife, and is the father of four. He continues to create music and is currently working on his 12th studio album.
MARK MANCINA (Original Songs by/Original Score by) is a three-time Grammy® Award–winning film composer and Tony®-nominated music producer. He has scored over 60 films and television series including “Speed,” “Bad Boys,” “Twister,” “Training Day,” “Con Air” and more.
Mancina has collaborated with Walt Disney Animation Studios for decades, composing scores for “Moana,” “Brother Bear” and “Tarzan.” He also produced the original songs written by Elton John and Tim Rice for the 1994 blockbuster “The Lion King,” as well as songs for the upcoming live-action Disney film “Mufasa.”
For the Disney Theatrical Productions adaptation of “The Lion King” on Broadway, Mancina produced the score and composed additional music and lyrics. He was nominated for a Tony Award® for best original score in a musical and received Britain’s Ivor Novello Award for the London production.
His musical collaborators include Opetaia Foa‘i, Phil Collins, Lebo M and Clint Eastwood.
