Amid the divisive audience response to the Moana 2 soundtrack, Lin-Manuel Miranda has now explained his absence from the sequel in a new interview.

There was never an opportunity to be on Moana 2,” Lin-Manuel said. Explaining that this was due to the movie’s production process, he added that the film “already had their songwriters.” And in an interview with Variety,

He told PEOPLE that he's “really proud" of 'Moana 2' composers Opetaia Foa'i, Mark Mancina, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear

Exclusive: Miranda tells ‘The Independent’ he was impressed by ‘how far’ star Auliʻi Cravalho’s voice has come

Lin-Manuel Miranda is opening up about why he didn't return for 'Moana 2.' Miranda, who wrote the music for 2016's 'Moana' and received an Oscar nomination for the song "How Far I'll Go," recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about his latest work on 'Mufasa: The Lion King alongside the film's director Barry Jenkins.

Lin-Manuel Miranda was noticeably absent from Moana 2. Miranda, who received an Oscar nomination for the song “How Far I’ll Go” in Moana, did not work on the music for the sequel. Instead, Miranda was the composer and lyricist on Mufasa: The Lion King.

In a new interview, Lin-Manuel Miranda shared why he didn't return for the sequel, despite writing award-winning songs for Disney's 2016 animated hit.

After his work on the first movie earned him Oscars attention, Lin-Manuel Miranda didn’t return for Disney’s Moana 2, and he now explains why.