Oceania 2 takes place a few years after the events of the 2016 film. So, when the sequel hits screens, fans will be introduced to the titular character’s fiery three-and-a-half-year-old sister, Simea (voiced by Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda).
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the co-director David Derrick Jr. explained how the interactions between his children inspired him to create Simea. The director recalled an episode that happened after the pandemic, when his seven-year-old son had difficulty seeing his twenty-one-year-old sister go out into the world without him.. “He would grab her and say, 'Samea, when are we going to live together forever again?'” Derrick said. “It was so hard, but I saw things that we all go through as we grow up. It's beautiful and it's hard.”
Animator Kevin Webb also talked about the bond between the two animated brothers and how he wanted to represent it on screen.The relationship between Simea and Moana was the most important thing to try to decipher and reveal“, he explained. “Moana is not only the older sister, she is also a guardian and a leader with her, but she has this unique relationship where she's the only one who can talk to Simea as an equal and get to the core of her personality.”
Simea is described as “fiery and combative”
Webb went on to explain the creative process behind animating the character. “When we were developing Simea’s personality, a lot of it came from the question, ‘What would it be like to grow up with a big sister who was as badass and tough as Moana?’” she said.Simea will be as feisty and fiery as Moana was when she was little. So, we tried to create a strong enough personality for her to match Moana's energy on screen.a really fun alchemy to play with.”
Co-director Dana Ledoux Miller previously spoke about how Moana 2 Expands on 2016 Film. “We were really trying to build on who Moana is in the first film. We're not going to betray that version of the character. We're building, not replacing,” he said. “In the first film, Moana showed incredible strength in her willingness to throw herself into unknown danger for the sake of her people. But now, her responsibilities are changing. It was really important for us to show her evolution in that way.”
“Oceania 2 reunites Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) and Maui (Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an all-new adventure with a crew of unlikely sailors. After receiving an unexpected calling from her seafaring ancestors, Moana must journey to the distant seas of Oceania and enter dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced.we read in the official synopsis.
Oceania 2 will hit theaters on November 27th.
Source: Entertainment Weekly