‘Moana 2’ to Star Transgender Princess, Report Says - Inside the Magic

‘Moana 2’ to Star Transgender Princess, Report Says - Inside the Magic,A rumor suggesting that Moana would transition from female to male in 'Moana 2' spread like wildfire online.

‘Moana 2’ to Star Transgender Princess, Report Says – Inside the Magic

Moana is once again a rising star at The Walt Disney Company. Last year, Journey of Water Inspired by Moana opened at EPCOT, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced that he would reprise his role as Maui in a live-action film remake. Just last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that animators fleshed out what was once conceived as a Disney+ series into a full-blown sequel, Moana 2 (2024). The second installment in this Disney Princess franchise will premiere this Thanksgiving.

This week, thousands of excited Moana (2016) fans were once again tricked by a satirical news site claiming to have insider information about the sequel. Mouse Trap News falsely reported that Moana would transition from female to male in the sequel, just months after making the same claim about the live-action Moana (2025).

@mousetrapnews

What do you think of this controversial move by Disney? #disneyworld #moana #moana2 #disneyprincess #disneymovie

♬ original sound – Mouse Trap News

“An internal source has confirmed to us that Moana will transition from female to male in Moana 2: Rise of Kai,” the reporter said. “As Chief and Wayfinder of the island, Moana still isn’t happy. She teams up with Maui again to find her true self.”

They also explained their reasoning for the unconfirmed title of the Moana sequel.

“She chooses her new name, Kai, which means ‘sea’ in many Polynesian languages,” they continued. “This fits well because Moana means ‘ocean’ in those languages.”

Moana near a capsized boat at night with Heihei on top. — Credit: Disney

The report further claims that the islanders are transphobic toward “Kai” at the start of his transition but come to accept him by the end of the movie. It alleges that the iconic “How Far I’ll Go” is an allegory for gender transition.

Once again, this claim is obviously fake. Walt Disney Animation Studios hasn’t released any information about the plot of Moana 2. Still, the video amassed over 800,000 views and 60,000 likes.

Most commenters took the allegations seriously, and many vowed to boycott the movie.

Te Fiti rising out of the ocean — Credit: Disney

“Nah I’ll actually go mad,” @nl.xox wrote. “Not saying I don’t support ppl that want to but they can ruin the film like that it’s my fav.”

“I’ve decided not to watch Moana 2 anymore,” said @gilyer.

Some commenters said they’d like to see a transgender Disney character but wouldn’t expect the company to address the sensitive topic correctly.

Moana singing as flower petals swirl around her — Credit: Disney

“There’s no way they’ll handle this properly, but it probably isn’t true,” @neasapurcell0 argued. “They couldn’t even handle keeping Shang in live action Mulan.”

“We ALL know that Disney would rather sell out queer people and abandon all their morals for money, than write an actual good story about queer people,” @tobyfloopmagoop067 agreed.

Fans can discover the actual plot of Moana 2 when it premieres on November 27, 2024. It stars original cast members Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson.

What plot would you like to see in Moana 2? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.