Dwayne Johnson Loves ‘Moana 2’s Empowering Anthem

Who doesn’t love to see a bit of growth, particularly from a mostly self-obsessed demi-god? That’s exactly what “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” gives us in Moana 2, when the occasionally egomaniacal Maui (Dwayne Johnson) serves up his signature confidence, not for himself, but for our girl Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) when she needs it the most.

In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johnson, Cravalho, and songwriters Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow broke down what it is they love most about the song and how it exemplifies the journeys our beloved characters have gone on since the first Moana film. Namely? One of growth.

Ironically enough, the culturally significant “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” was actually the last song written for the film, as they were finding it hard to crack the necessary sentiment and tone needed from Maui during this pivotal moment during Moana’s journey. “Every time we would try to write something that was inspirational or motivational, it just sounded really cheesy and cringey,” explained Bear. “Where it switched in our head and when things started to click was when we said, ‘Let’s put ourselves in Moana’s shoes. What would we want to be told? When I’ve messed up everything, there’s zero hope. What would actually make me feel a little bit better?'”

She went on to add:

“It wouldn’t be someone being like, ‘Oh, it’ll be okay.’ It would be, ‘Moana, why don’t you believe in yourself? Even this gigantic, all powerful crazy storm god Nalo believes in you enough to send all of these monsters out to try to take you down. He thinks you can do it, and if he thinks you can do it, why aren’t you believing you can do it?'”

That, Bear added, “That’s what started the mindset shift.” And thus “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” was born.

What Is “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” About? How Does It Tie Into The First ‘Moana’ Movie?

“I love the evolution and this idea that it’s not about him; it’s about empowering somebody else,” said Johnson. For him, the motivation was simple: “I’m a proud girl dad of three girls, so I’m all about girl power, and I’m all about empowering women.””I wasn’t expecting growth to be such a central theme this time around. I certainly hoped so, as I myself have grown,” Cravalho noted. “I like that growth is shown throughout our script and our music and my voice. It makes all the difference because it makes it real to also turn it on its head. In our first film, Moana helped Maui get out of the slump, and this time around Maui needs to give Moana a little pep talk.”

Writers of ‘Moana 2’s Catchiest Song Explain the Deeper Cultural Meaning

The soon-to-be earworm from ‘Moana 2’ — “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?” — has a deeper cultural meaning than you might realize!

“In the first film, she did that for Maui,” explained co-director David G. Derrick. “She helped motivate him and get him back up on his feet.” He went on to add that the song becomes “a critical moment where Maui actually returns that favor in an incredible, beautiful way, and it’s super entertaining.”

Barlow summed it up quite nicely: “We wanted Maui to feel like a father figure or a big brother who’s buoying his little sister. We didn’t want it to be coddling her or ‘You’re the best.’ It’s like, ‘Come on, remember your name.'”

Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.

Release Date November 27, 2024

Director David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller

Cast Auli’i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda

Runtime 100 Minutes

Studio(s) Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios

Distributor(s) Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Character(s) Moana , Maui , Hei Hei , Tala , Chief Tui , Sina , Moni , Kele , Loto , Matangi , Tautai Vasa , Simea

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