‘Moana 2’ Breaks Records with Maori-language Version Released Simultaneously with Premiere

“Moana 2” is breaking new ground as the first Disney animated feature to release an Indigenous-language version alongside its English counterpart. The movie will premiere globally on Wednesday, with a special release of “Moana 2 Reo Māori” in theaters in New Zealand on Thursday, featuring voiceovers in the indigenous Polynesian language. The film reunites Moana and Maui for a new seafaring adventure three years after the original movie. Director Tweedie Waititi, who is from the Tairāwhiti tribe in New Zealand, expressed the importance of accurately representing Māori culture in the movie, including incorporating a haka dance. The Māori language is endangered, and efforts to revitalize it have included incorporating it into popular media such as Disney films. Matewa Media producers Chelsea Winstanley and Mia Henry-Teirney praised the normalization of te reo Māori in cinema screens alongside English, a goal they have been working towards for years. Other Disney animated films have also been translated into te reo Māori after their English release, in collaboration with Matewa Media. The production of “Moana 2 Reo Māori” and other translated films aims to honor the legacy of those who have fought for the survival of the Māori language. Waititi expressed gratitude for the opportunity to see Māori language on cinema screens, a dream that has now become a reality.

Photo credit
www.nbcnews.com