MOANA 3 Officially Confirmed by Dwayne Johnson, but Fans Will Have to Be Patient
While promoting the upcoming live-action Moana film, Dwayne Johnson officially confirmed that Moana 3 is happening. The only catch is that fans shouldn't expect to sail back into the animated world anytime soon.
Johnson revealed: “The answer is ‘yes,’ we have talked about Moana 3. But first, live-action Moana, we let that come out first. We have amazing Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, who have been our writers; they’re amazing, and they will pen Moana 3.”
That confirmation should be welcome news for fans who have followed Moana's animated journey from the beginning. Even better, the creative team responsible for shaping the franchise is sticking around for another adventure.
Jared Bush has been one of the key creative voices behind the series since the original film. He's written every screenplay connected to the franchise, including both animated movies and the upcoming live-action adaptation.
Dana Ledoux Miller joined the team for Moana 2, co-writing the screenplay alongside Bush while also co-directing the film with David Derrick Jr. Bush and Miller also collaborated on the live-action movie, so Disney is keeping the same creative foundation intact for Moana 3.
Honestly, this announcement isn't much of a surprise considering how successful Moana 2 turned out to be. The original film earned an impressive $643 million worldwide, but the sequel sailed far beyond that, bringing in more than $1.059 billion at the global box office.
That accomplishment becomes even more remarkable when you remember that Moana 2 originally began life as a Disney+ series before being reworked into a theatrical feature less than a year before its release.
What's especially interesting is the position Disney now finds itself in. For the first time, the studio is developing both an animated franchise and a live-action version of the same property at the same time.
Previous Disney remakes like Beauty and the Beast and Lilo & Stitch revisited stories that had long since finished their animated runs. Moana is different. The animated films are still moving forward while the live-action series is just getting started.
If the live-action Moana performs the way many expect, Disney could have two versions of the franchise thriving side by side on the big screen.
Now that Moana 3 has been confirmed, the biggest mystery isn't whether it's happening. It's when audiences will actually get to see it.
Right now, Walt Disney Animation Studios already has its next couple of theatrical releases lined up. Hexed is scheduled to arrive on November 25, 2026, followed by Frozen 3 on November 24, 2027.
That schedule makes 2028 feel like the earliest realistic release window for Moana 3. Even then, there's another major sequel waiting in line with Zootopia 3, which could complicate things.
Still, Disney has released two animated films in the same year before. Back in 2016, audiences got both Zootopia and Moana. It would be pretty fun to see history repeat itself if Moana 3 and Zootopia 3 eventually share the same release year.
Via: ComicBook