Disney Prepares to Make Waves with "Moana 3"

Disney fans are in for a treat with the confirmation of "Moana 3", the latest addition to the highly popular and lucrative animated oceanic adventure series. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the voice of the tattooed demigod Maui, confirmed the news while on a promotional tour for the live-action adaptation of the original film, which hits screens on July 10th.

Johnson stated that while discussions concerning the third Moana installment have already begun, the focus is currently on the live-action film. The team of Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, credited with penning the original movies, will return to script "Moana 3".

The inaugural "Moana" film raked in an impressive $680 million at box offices worldwide in 2016. However, the franchise really took off on streaming service Disney+, where the first film continues to be one of the most viewed titles. Originally conceived as a streaming project, "Moana 2" was eventually transformed into a feature film. It broke records at the 2024 Thanksgiving box office with a stellar $225 million opening, eventually amassing over $1.059 billion in global sales.

The original characters Maui and the titular heroine Moana, voiced by Dwayne Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho, are set to return for the threequel. The films follow the journey of a brave and determined daughter of a village chief who is selected by the ocean to restore prosperity to her island. The plot for the third film is being kept under wraps for now.

Notable composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who was responsible for the first film's memorable soundtrack, passed on the torch to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. The musical duo achieved recognition for “The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical.” The composer for the third film still remains unannounced.

Prior to "Moana 3", viewers will have the chance to revisit the mystical island of Motunui in Disney's live-action adaptation of the original film. Directed by Thomas Kail in his directorial debut and written by Bush and Miller, the reboot will feature Johnson and fresh face Catherine Laga’aia in the leading roles.