An image of the cover for The Art of Moana 2. On the left, a watercolor-style image of Moana is seen on top of a lush green hill, overlooking the ocean, is seen; she is blowing into a shell. To her left are Pua the pig and Hei Hei the rooster. On the upper right of the image is the logo for the book, and on the lower right are the book’s credits, including author Kalikolehua Hurley, preface author Jennifer Lee, and foreword authors Jason Hand, David Derrick Jr., and Dana Ledoux Miller.

First Look: Sail the Spellbinding Seas of The Art of Moana 2

By Courtney Potter

Get ready to go behind the scenes of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana 2 in incredible, colorful detail, thanks to the newest book in the Disney Art of series.

Journey from Motunui across the vast ocean with Moana and her crew in this latest installment, visually revealing the story behind the art and making of Moana 2. This stunning art book highlights the development art and paintings from the film’s creation—including character designs, storyboards, color scripts, and much more—and features exclusive interviews from the creative team along with behind-the-scenes details.

Speaking of, in anticipation of both the book’s debut and the movie’s November premiere, D23 sat down not only with the book’s author—Kalikolehua Hurley, also a member of Moana 2’s Oceanic Cultural Trust and Sr. Manager, Cultural at Walt Disney Animation Studios—but also with co-directors Jason Hand, David Derrick, Jr., and Dana Ledoux Miller for an exclusive chat.

A headshot of The Art of Moana 2 author Kalikolehua Hurley; she is wearing a pink blazer and a yellow silk top, and has long light brown hair. She smiles at the camera.
The Art of Moana 2 author Kalikolehua Hurley

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club: Kalikolehua, what was working on the book like?

Kalikolehua Hurley: Working on an Art of book with Chronicle Books is very, very collaborative. We worked closely with our production designer Ian Gooding, and of course with our amazing directors as well, and our producers. We all get to sit and look at the incredible work that has been created by our artists, across the board, and decide in terms of the structure of the book; how we’re going to tell the story.

In our case, you’ll see it tracks Moana’s journey across the film—the new worlds that she visits; the new characters that she meets. It’s been such a wonderful collaboration, and we hope that it highlights everyone’s amazing work.

An image from the new Art of Moana 2 book, authored by Kalikolehua Hurley. Renderings of Moana are seen, with different facial expressions and renderings done in digital formats. Also seen are captions from co-director David Derrick Jr. and production designer Ian Gooding.

D23: David, what’s your favorite thing about the book?

David Derrick, Jr.: I love that it shows the evolution of the story, visually—back from where we began. I think one of the earliest drawings I did is in there, of Moana in front of a giant whale shark. You’ll see incredible paintings by [Walt Disney Animation Studios’] Ian Gooding and James Finch, all of our incredible artists—things that sometimes don’t necessarily make it into the final film. And I also love the representation of our story team in there. So many of our jokes land and work because our story team works tirelessly, iterating and making these jokes really work—and making true emotional moments really land.

An image from the new Art of Moana 2 book, authored by Kalikolehua Hurley. The image features six panels, and each features a watercolor-style look at Moana and her little sister Simea walking through various locations on Motunui. The final bottom-right panel finds Moana and Simea standing in the ocean and looking at a bioluminescent sea creature.

D23: Jason, what do you hope The Art of Moana 2 highlights?

Jason Hand: It’s such a great thing to be able to showcase all the amazing artwork that’s created. An animated film is made from the ground up. Every single thing has to be designed or researched—and that book is such a testament to all the incredible work that’s put into what makes an animated film.

An image from the new Art of Moana 2 book, authored by Kalikolehua Hurley. The image contains multiple Motunui storytelling panels depicting Moana; demigod Maui; the history of Moana’s people; and the world around them.

D23: Dana, is there anything specific you hope readers take away from this book?

Dana Ledoux Miller: At every stage of making an animated film, we have incredibly inspired artists and craftspeople collaborating to create what has become the stunning visual landscape of Moana 2. I am so thrilled for people to get a glimpse at just some of their amazing work. From visual development to story sketches and beyond, this book takes you on the journey that led to the film you see on the screen.

Look for The Art of Moana 2 on bookshelves (both physical and digital) beginning November 26—or you can pre-order it now from your favorite bookstore! Check out more images from the book, below: