The ocean is calling once again. Dwayne Johnson has officially confirmed that Moana 3 is in development at Walt Disney Animation Studios, revealing the news during a press conference in Rio de Janeiro while promoting the upcoming live-action Moana.
The Rock Makes It Official
According to Variety, Johnson told reporters that a third animated film has been discussed and that the franchise’s trusted writing team is already attached. “Yes, we have talked about Moana 3, yes,” Johnson said. “But first, live-action Moana, we’ll let that come out first. We have amazing Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, who have been our writers. They will pen Moana 3.”
Bush has written every Moana film to date, while Miller joined the franchise on Moana 2, co-writing and co-directing that film before teaming with Bush again on the live-action screenplay. Johnson and Auli’i Cravalho are expected to reprise their voice roles as Maui and Moana.
Why A Third Film Was Inevitable
The confirmation should surprise no one who has followed the franchise’s box office trajectory. The original Moana earned roughly $680 million worldwide in 2016, while Moana 2 exploded to $1.059 billion in 2024 after setting a Thanksgiving weekend record with a $225 million opening. Moana 2 also left plenty of story threads dangling, from the mysterious storm god Nalo to Moana’s own transformation at the end of the film, giving the third chapter no shortage of material to explore.
First Up: Live-Action Moana
Before Moana 3 sets sail, the live-action remake arrives in theaters on July 10, starring Johnson alongside newcomer Catherine Laga’aia as Moana. The film is directed by Thomas Kail with a screenplay by Bush and Miller, and the cast has been circling the globe on a promotional tour that recently included a stop in London ahead of the worldwide release. No release window has been announced for Moana 3.
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