Moana 2 featured an abundance of songs for fans to enjoy. Due to this, many are wondering who wrote Moana 2’s music. Did Lin-Manuel Miranda write the film’s music? Did some other writers contribute to it?
Here is what we have learned on the topic.
Who wrote the music in Moana 2?
Moana 2’s music was written by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.
Barlow and Bear are known for having written The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which had gone viral on TikTok and won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. They also wrote Mexican Pizza: The Musical for Taco Bell.
However, Barlow and Bear were mentored by Miranda on Moana 2’s songwriting. They confirmed this in an interview with ABC News. “He was really really helpful, especially in the inception when we decided to set sail,” Barlow said. She also mentioned that Miranda had given her true rhyme and musical theater storytelling books to help in the process.
“We reached out for some advice a few times!,” Bear added, mentioning that Miranda was only “a facetime call away.”
Why Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t write Moana 2’s music
It is unclear why Lin-Manuel Miranda did not write Moana 2’s music.
However, it is theorized that Miranda was busy working on the songs for Mufasa: The Lion King, scheduled to hit theaters on December 20. This explains why he could not contribute to the Moana sequel’s songs.
Despite this, Miranda is still attached to the Moana franchise. Dwayne Johnson confirmed in an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this year, that the Tick, Tick…Boom! director will be involved in writing the songs for Moana’s live-action remake, set to release in 2026, and where Johnson will reprise his role as Maui.
Moana 2 is currently playing in theaters. Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Hualalai Chung, Rose Matafeo, Awhimai Fraser, and David Fane make up the film’s core cast.
