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By Movieguide® Staff
Dwayne Johnson says Maui and Moana may have another voyage ahead, even as Disney prepares the live-action version of the beloved story.
“Yes, we have talked about MOANA 3, yes,” Johnson said during a press conference for the live-action MOANA in Rio de Janeiro, according to People and Variety.
The update gives families another reason to keep an eye on one of Disney’s most successful modern franchises. Movieguide® reviewed the original MOANA and its sequel MOANA 2, both of which sent the title heroine across the sea with courage, songs and a stubborn sense of calling.
Johnson, who voices the demigod Maui in the animated movies and plays him in the upcoming live-action adaptation, said the creative team has not finished with the animated story. He also said Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller would return as writers.
“But first, live-action MOANA, we’ll let that come out first,” Johnson said. “We have [the] amazing Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, who have been our writers…they will pen MOANA 3.”
MOANA first reached theaters in 2016 with Auliʻi Cravalho voicing the title character and Johnson voicing Maui. The story followed Moana as she sailed beyond the reef to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her island.
Related: MOANA 2 Makes Waves on Disney+
The first movie became a family favorite in part because it mixed adventure with responsibility. Moana’s journey asked children to think about courage, identity and service to home, even as parents weighed the story’s mythological elements.
MOANA 2 arrived in 2024 and brought back much of the original cast. Variety noted that Disney CEO Bob Iger first announced that sequel after it had been developed as a television series before Disney shifted it into a theatrical movie.
The live-action adaptation now sits between the first two animated movies and a possible third chapter. Disney has leaned heavily on familiar franchises in recent years, but the best version of a new MOANA story will need more than brand recognition.
The franchise has already moved through several forms: an animated hit, a theatrical sequel and now a live-action remake. That pace creates opportunity, but it also raises the risk of stretching a meaningful story into a product line.
Johnson’s comments suggest Disney wants continuity behind the scenes by keeping Bush and Ledoux Miller involved. For parents, that continuity could help the next chapter preserve the adventurous, family-friendly spirit that made the first movie memorable.
It also gives the studio a chance to deepen Moana’s growth instead of simply sending her on another scenic voyage. Sequels work best when the character faces a new test of virtue, not just a new map.
Families will want a tale that honors courage, humility and sacrificial love instead of merely repeating songs and images audiences already know. The original worked because Moana did not chase adventure for applause; she answered a responsibility larger than herself.
Disney has not announced a release date for MOANA 3. Until then, Movieguide® will continue watching how the studio handles a franchise that still carries real appeal for parents looking for colorful, music-filled stories to enjoy with their children.
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