One of Aotearoa’s finest, Temuera Morrison, plays Chief Tui in both the English and te reo Māori versions of 'Moana 2'.
Storme from Mai Days donned his best bucket hat and hit the blue carpet premiere of the long-awaited movie in Tāmaki Makaurau, where he got the chance to chat with the stars.
Temuera shared that performing in te reo Māori for 'Moana 2' was incredibly special to him because the story takes on a completely different āhua (essence) when told in te reo.
“It has a spirituality that takes on its own because it’s the language of our ancestors,” Temuera said. “So it comes more alive.”
“The reo allows doors to open into our world, into Te Ao Māori.”
“So I’m looking forward to seeing the Māori version. I think it just has a totally different āhua about it, because that’s what we spoke first,” he added.
For him, hearing the story told in te reo Māori adds a layer of connection to the world that’s impossible to replicate in any other language.
'Moana 2' is releasing across Aotearoa in both English and te reo Māori this Thursday.
