'Moana' writer and director talk about making films, future of the franchise at D23

LOS ANGELES -- Director Ron Clements and screenwriter Jared Bush stepped onto ABC's On The Red Carpet Storytellers Spotlight stage at D23 to talk about their journey in The Walt Disney Company, including their collaboration on the 2017 hit, "Moana."

The pair emphasized the universality of Disney animated themes, as they've experienced it in over two decades with the company, and the importance of expanding the "Moana" universe in the upcoming sequel.

VIDEO: 'Moana 2' trailer revealed at D23: Watch it here

The first "Moana" film followed the hero's journey, a structure coined by writer Joseph Campbell, where a character leaves home to complete a mission, only to return home having learned a valuable lesson. While Clements will not be working on the sequel, Bush intended to keep this structure and heart in serving as executive producer for "Moana 2," bringing Samoan and Pacific Island culture to the big screen in a way that works once again.

"With 'Moana,' I think we wanted to make it like a gift to the people of the South Pacific," Clements explained. "And it was great, because they really, really embraced the movie when they saw it. They recognized all kinds of things that that most people won't recognize, but they saw how much research we did and how much that influenced the story."

As important as the story's unique cultural qualities are, Bush believes that the true heart behind "Moana," as well as all Disney classics, is in its relatability and ability to bring people together.

VIDEO: Auli'i Cravalho calls 'Moana 2' story "delicious!"

"Regardless of whether they're coming out today or 20 years ago, I think the number one thing is to connect with people and really tell stories where you can tap into universal human truths and universal human emotions," Bush said. "The most critical part is to make people feel like, 'Oh, I understand that I'm seeing a reflection of myself in those stories,' and we do the same thing as we are creating them."

On The Red Carpet's Storytellers Spotlight Creator Conversations was a daily offering that shined a spotlight on creators across film, television, theater, music, and Walt Disney Imagineering. These intimate conversations delved into their journeys as storytellers, exploring how their own fandom has shaped their creative paths within the Walt Disney Company.

"Moana 2" hits theaters on Nov. 27.

Watch the the full Storytellers Spotlight interview with Clements and Bush in the video player above.

Andres Rovira and Jason Honeycutt contributed to this report.

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