How to Find the Best Sunglasses for Your Face Shape

How Barlow And Bear's Bond Influences Their Art

“We have such a sacred sisterhood!” Abigail tells me over email. “We met and found musical soulmates in one another. It’s more than just special. It’s a once in a lifetime connection that laid an incredibly strong foundation for creation.”

“Most of my life I’ve been the only girl in the room writing with much older people,” Emily adds. “Honestly because Abigail and I are like sisters, it creates such a safe place to be vulnerable together and create without restraint. When writing for Moana 2, we leaned on that emotional connection to explore the complexities of the story and how much we see ourselves in Moana!”

And the empowering message of the film, which follows Moana’s journey through Oceania, actually influenced their art. “Every day that I worked on Moana, I was empowered to continuously choose who I wanted to be,” Abigail says. “A leader, a listener, and a learner. In being tasked to write for this movie, I was being asked to go past my comfort zones. I think by being completely open hearted to this experience, it allowed me clarity when crafting the lyric and melody with Emily.”

“Moana 2 is a story about finding strength through vulnerability, and that message became a huge theme in the music,” Emily says. “All our characters’ journeys reminded us to embrace our imperfections and trust the process of growth — no matter how painful it may seem in the moment. Moana is THAT girl. No one defines her but herself and writing for such an inspiring heroine FOR SURE inspired us right back.”

Why Abigail Barlow And Emily Bear Loved Working On 'Moana 2'

But considering the fact these two women are huge Disney fans (Abigail tells me her favorite Disney movies are The Little Mermaid and Frozen, while Emily loves Hercules and Mulan), one of the most inspiring details about their involvement is the fact that Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear’s Moana 2 score marks the first time a female duo has composed a Disney movie — and it’s a moment they don’t take for granted.

“I hope this shows [young girls] that their voices matter,” Emily says. “Growing up, I barely saw people who looked like me in roles like this, so being here now feels surreal. I want girls and women to know that their stories are powerful and deserve to be told. I really hope that Abigail and I can continue to open doors for more female creatives in film and music.”

And Abigail agrees. “I hope our story encourages young girls and women to forge their own path, and to never let anyone tell them they can’t do something.”

But this unbelievable experience didn’t come without its challenges. “Imposter syndrome is so real and a part of life for every single creative, and anyone who tells you otherwise is lying,” Emily says.

“I’m just trying to enjoy the ride, trust the fall, and be so grateful for the opportunity to be a role model for any little girl who might have a song in her heart,” Abigail says. “It’s an absolute honor and privilege to show her that anything — even magic — is possible.”

And according to Emily, the challenge of imposter syndrome actually propels her forward. “I do feel like that little voice of self-doubt pushes me to do the best work I possibly can do…I zoom out and focus on the bigger picture: the little girls watching this movie and realizing they, too, can dream as big as they want.”

How Lin Manuel-Miranda Empowered Barlow And Bear

One friendly face that provided a soft place to land was actually the original movie’s composer, Lin Manuel-Miranda! To no one’s surprise, theIn The Heights and Hamilton writer had some wonderful advice for Barlow and Bear.

“He was such a wonderful resource especially at the inception of the project when we were just setting sail,” Emily jokes. “He urged us to lean into our heroes for inspiration!”

“He gave me a stack of books I needed to buy,” Abigail adds. “Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim, LYRICS by Oscar Hammerstein, Lyrics on Several Occasions by Ira Gershwin to name a few. He empowered me to study the craft of musical theatre storytelling in a way I never had before.”

And thanks to Barlow and Bear, a whole new generation of young women will dream about musical theatre storytelling now too!

"She was like my rock," Michelle says of the movie's leading lady. "She just looked at me, held my hands and she said, 'I know you can do this because I've heard you, so just sing, just go for it and have fun.' And you know when you have a dear friend who has confidence in you? It just like gives you that extra [push], and I did and I had fun. So that was all in all a good day."

It's no surprise on a movie set with so many musical geniuses — Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Jonathan Bailey — that the cast would break into song between takes. "I was, like, in a rock concert the whole time," Michelle says. "I was just sitting back and watching them and they are like little angels singing. They have such incredible voices."

When we meet Michelle Yeoh's character Madame Morrible, she becomes an integral part of both Glinda and Elphaba's lives as a professor and a mentor. And for Michelle, working with Ariana and Cynthia was an "incredible opportunity."

"It was really truly magical in that sense to be surrounded by that kind of kinship and love," she says. "That was very, very special indeed. Ariana is young and she's so eager, and so loving and lovely at the same time. And so working with her — Jon and I sometimes would play tricks on her. He'll come up to me and say, 'can you just scare the h—ll out of Ariana?' And I'm like, 'No,' he said, 'Please, it will be so fun.' And it was! I mean, I scared her so bad her eye lens popped out. We are so naughty."

"And then with Cynthia, she's a pro, come on!" Michelle continues. "She's an Academy nominee, he's a [Tony] winner. She's everything, but at the same time so grounded. And when you work with people like that who is passionate, who is because they only make you better, we only try to make each other better, and that is the true experience of an amazing storyteller. It was fantastic, and having Jon around again was wonderful."

In our final moments together I can't help but point out how the film makes room for every kind of woman, and how it'll make every viewer feel more powerful when the credits roll. "I think the most amazing thing, it's like you can be whatever you want to be, and believe that people will accept you for who and what you are," Michelle says. "I think that's the most important thing.

I think the very diverse cast makes a big difference because you know, you have a Madame Morrible who's Asian looking, then you have an Elphaba who's green, but more than green. So I think that the coming together of this cast and particularly at this time — why did they hold out for 20 years before they brought it to a cinematic experience? I think there are very good reasons for that."

Y2K — In Theaters December 6, 2024

Remember that Y2K crisis at the turn of the millennium? This December movie, which follows two high school juniors who crash a New Year's Eve party, reimagines it as a full-blown disaster — blood, guts, and all.

Y2K stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, The Kid Laroi, and Fred Durst.

Mary — On Netflix December 6, 2024

Get a new look at one of the most famous women in the world when Mary drops on Netflix next month. This movie will give you a whole new look at the titular heroine's life — from being forced into hiding to running for her life, all to protect her baby son from a murderous king.

Mary stars Noa Cohen, Ido Tako, Stephanie Nur, Susan Brown, Ori Pfeffer, Eamon Farren, Hilla Vidor, Mili Avital, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Keren Tzur, Mehmet Kurtulus, Mila Harris, and Anthony Hopkins.

Another December movie that will have you looking at motherhood differently is Nightb—ch, which follows Amy Adams character's life as she becomes a mother...and becomes convinced she's also turning into a dog.

Nightb—ch stars Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper.

F Marry Kill — On Digital December 6, 2024

We all know dating apps can be a really horrifying experience, but when true-crime lover Eva starts to believe one of her three dates could be the “Swipe Right Killer," she finds herself in a life-or-death situation.

F Marry Kill stars Lucy Hale, Samer Salem, Virginia Gardner, Jedidiah Goodacre, Brendan Morgan, Brooke Nevin, and Bethany Brown.

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter — On Netflix December 6

If you're still singing "Nonsense" by Sabrina Carpenter, then this December movie (er, holiday special) is for you. Not only will the popstar perform tunes from her fruitcake EP, but she'll be joined by special guests as well!

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter stars, you guessed it, Sabrina Carpenter.

Maria — On Netflix December 11, 2024

Angelina Jolie's newest film follows iconic performer Maria Callas. After a glamorous, albeit difficult, public life, Maria moves to Paris for some quiet — and must confront her identity, her past, and her future in the process.

Maria stars Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Valeria Golino, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Haluk Bilginer.

Kraven The Hunter — In Theaters December 13

Despite the fact it's coming out around the holidays, Aaron Taylor Johnson's new December movie is not for kids. The flick follows the titular Kraven as he morphs from the son of a gangster to the brutal and fearsome villain comic fans know so well.

Kraven the Hunter stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, and Russell Crowe.

Carry On — On Netflix December 13

One TSA agent is in for a less-than-jolly holiday when he's blackmailed by a traveler hoping to bring a very dangerous package into the airport on Christmas Eve.

Carry On stars Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, and Sofia Carson.

Not only is this Lion King sequel giving us a brand new look at a classic story, but it also marks Blue Ivy Carter's acting debut! The movie tells the story of how Mufasa began his journey as an orphaned cub and how a run-in with royal heir Taka changed everything.

Mufasa: The Lion King stars Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Aaron Pierre, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, and Blue Ivy Carter.

Nicole Kidman's new December movie will add some spice to your holiday, thanks to an affair with her character's much-younger employee. Is it getting hot in here?

Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.

If you're still laughing about the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest, then you'll definitely want to show up to see this flick, which stars our favorite Timmy as Bob Dylan during his historical move from folk to rock'n'roll.

A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, and Nick Offerman.