Lin-Manuel Miranda Explains Why He Didn’t Write Songs for Moana 2: ‘There Was Never an Opportunity’ (Exclusive)

Lin-Manuel Miranda reveals why he didn’t return to the world of Moana for the recently-released sequel.

The Tony winner, 44, told PEOPLE at the Mufasa: The Lion King premiere on Monday, Dec. 9, that participating in Moana 2 wasn’t entirely in the cards for him. Miranda wrote the music for the original 2016 movie, which starred Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as demigod Maui.

Miranda, who was nominated for an Oscar for his work on Moana, exclusively told PEOPLE that “there was never an opportunity to be on Moana 2.” He clarified that the production “already had their songwriters” because it was a TV series that became a movie. The sequel film was announced in February 2024 by Disney CEO Bob Iger. 

Miranda added that he’s “really proud” that composers Opetaia Foa’i, Mark Mancina, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear worked on the animated sequel.

While fans won’t hear Miranda’s music and lyrics in Moana 2, he returned to help adapt the film for a live-action remake and worked with Disney on Mufasa.

He told PEOPLE at the Mufasa premiere that composing The Lion King prequel soundtrack was a “labor of love.”

“Barry Jenkins is a genius,” he said of the Moonlight Oscar-winning director. 

The Encanto composer added that when he decided to join Mufasa, he “insisted” that original Lion King songwriter Lebo M collaborate with him.

“He is the secret sound of The Lion King. He’s the first voice we hear in that original movie,” he said of the South African musician, known for singing the Zulu chant in the film’s opening song. “So I needed him in my corner.”

During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Dec. 3, Miranda said he felt pressure writing the soundtrack because he wanted to write songs that live up to the original Lion King score, which he described as “all bangers, no skips.” He also talked about the differences in writing for this animated film compared to the ones he’s done in the past. 

“I remember reading online someone saying, ‘Lin doesn’t write villain songs.’ Like Michael Jordan, I took that personally. I wrote a villain song and Mads Mikkelsen sings it because he’s the big villain in the movie, and he’s terrifying.”

Alongside Mikkelsen, Mufasa: The Lion King also features the voices of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Thandiwe Newton, Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Tiffany Boone, Beyoncé and her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. 

An official synopsis for the film reads: “Simba, having become king of the Pride Lands, is determined for his cub to follow in his paw prints while the origins of his late father Mufasa are explored.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

Mufasa: The Lion King premieres in theatres on Dec. 20. Moana 2 is currently in theatres.