It’s finally time to set sail into the great beyond with Moana and Maui with the sequel ‘Moana 2‘ arriving in cinemas this Friday. Before fans around the world flock to theatres for this new adventure, Norman Joseph, the General Technical Director sat down for an exclusive interview with ETimes, where he shared his own inspiring story on setting his course from the bustling shores of Mumbai to the glittering world of Hollywood animation. With a career boasting of groundbreaking work on films like ‘Frozen’, ‘Big Hero 6’, ‘Encanto’, and ‘Zootopia’, Joseph has become a key figure in the animation industry, blending technical innovation with creative storytelling. As Disney also gears up for the live-action remake of ‘Moana’; following the release of its animated sequel, Joseph reflects on his journey, the magic of animated storytelling, and the thrill of seeing his creations reimagined on the big screen.
Joseph’s journey from Mumbai to Hollywood is nothing short of inspiring. A graduate of Sabhi Siddhi College and Elphinstone College, he first dipped his toes into game development with an expanded take on Tic-Tac-Toe, called Plot Fork. The game’s success led him to pursue computer graphics at Purdue University in Indiana.
“I saw how entertaining something simple could be and got deeply involved in the industry. Even after working as a software engineer for four years, I decided to quit and study computer graphics. Animation is such a collaborative process—it’s about a community coming together to create something impactful,” said Joseph.
Interestingly, he also had a stint as a child artist on Doordarshan with P.T. Sagar. While acting was his first love, he found his calling in animation technology.
In his role as a technical director, Joseph played a crucial part in shaping the world of ‘Moana’. For the sequel, he worked with the lighting department to enhance workflows and technology. Opening up about his part in bringing this fairytale to screens he explained, “My team supports artists by providing them with tools to focus on their craft. For ‘Moana 2’, we revamped the lighting pipeline, enabling the artists to create an even more visually stunning film.”
“It was incredible to see the entire studio come together for this project, growing with the characters and their journey.”
Reflecting on the evolution of ‘Moana’ over the two films, Joseph highlighted how the animated feature mirrors real-life growth. He shared, “In ‘Moana 2’, not only do the characters grow, but the entire community evolves. It’s inspiring to see how their beliefs and values change over time. As artists, we’ve grown too, and it’s a privilege to reflect that journey on screen.”
With production underway for the live-action version of the film with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson reprising his role, Joseph expressed excitement about seeing a fresh take on the world he helped create.
“It’s always amazing to see a variation or enhancement of what we worked on. Filmmakers bring new perspectives, and some Disney Animation team members are collaborating to provide context. We fully support and look forward to seeing this reinterpretation,” he said.
Slated to hit theatres in India on November 29, ‘Moana 2’ sees Auliʻi Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Rachel House, and Alan Tudyk, reprising their roles from the first film, with Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda, Rose Matafeo, David Fane, Hualālai Chung, Awhimai Fraser, and Gerald Ramsey joining the cast.
Moana 2 – Official Trailer
