Dwayne Johnson has confirmed that talks are underway for a third Moana movie. Johnson, who voices demigod Maui in the animated franchise, is gearing up for the release of the live-action version of Moana in which he'll bring his animated character to life.
Speaking at a press conference for Moana in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Johnson said (via Variety): "Yes, we have talked about Moana 3, yes.
"But first, live-action Moana, we’ll let that come out first. We have [the] amazing Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, who have been our writers … they will pen Moana 3."
Related: Best streaming services
The first Moana film was released in 2016 and became an instant hit, gaining an ever bigger fan following when it was added to Disney+. A miniseries was original devised to serve as a prequel but it was eventual worked into a movie, Moana 2, which came out in November 2024.
The sequel ended up having the highest five-day opening for an animated film in box office history and went on to take $1.059 billion worldwide.
A live-action remake of Moana was announced in 2023, with Johnson confirmed as bringing Maui to life. Johnson has had to undergo a huge transformation to play the role, donning 40 pounds of prosthetics, as well as wearing a bodysuit.
What to Read Next
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly about the transformation, which took two and a half hours every day, Johnson said: "It was grueling because of the suit and how hot it was. In between takes, there's literally five, six people, all [with] fans, opening me up, pulling my hair back."
Related: UK film release dates
He continued: "There was an idea that maybe we were gonna do this whole thing with visual effects, body and everything, but then there's also a tactile, emotional resonance when it's a real bodysuit.
"It moves and breathes with you. So we thought the best iteration of this was, let's go for it, let's challenge Joel [Harlow, makeup designer], and he rose to the occasion."
Alongside Johnson, the live-action Moana also stars Catherine Laga'aia in the titular role, Rena Owen, John Tui, and Jemaine Clement, reprising his role from the animated movies as the voice of Tamatoa.
Disney's live-action Moana will be released in cinemas on 10 July.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Living Legends, celebrating the global phenomenon of BTS, is here! Buy this ultimate fan guide in newsagents or online.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stephanie is a freelance news writer, who previously covered WWE and AEW for Digital Spy.
After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.
Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.
You can read more of her work on her Substack page.
