Dwayne Johnson Confirms Moana 3 Days Before Live-Action Opens

Dwayne Johnson confirmed on July 2 that Disney is developing Moana 3, with the studio’s regular Moana writers, Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, set to pen the next animated sequel. The actor made the comments at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro for the live-action Moana remake, which opens in theaters on July 10. “Yes, we have talked about Moana 3, yes,” Johnson said at the press stop, per the Rio press stop where Johnson confirmed Moana 3.

The announcement lands in the run-up to the live-action Moana’s July 10 opening, with the studio banking on newcomer Catherine Laga’aia and Johnson to repeat the franchise’s animated success. The live-action film is eyeing an $85 million domestic opening weekend, according to Deadline, a softer figure than Disney’s recent live-action remakes. Lilo & Stitch opened at $146 million last year and crossed $1 billion worldwide. How to Train Your Dragon landed at $84.6 million.

What Johnson Said in Rio

Johnson did not hold back on the question, but he was quick to redirect. “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,” Johnson said. The comments came on the global press tour for the live-action remake, a few stops after a Sydney event on June 25.

Bush has written all three existing Moana projects, and Ledoux Miller co-wrote Moana 2 and the live-action script with him. People reached out to Disney for comment on the sequel, and the studio had not confirmed anything as of publication, per the report confirming Bush and Ledoux Miller for Moana 3. Johnson also did not announce a release date, a director, a plot, or a music team for the next film. The clearest signal is that Disney’s existing Moana writing team is staying in place. The rest of the announcement will follow once the live-action film is in theaters.

The $85 Million Tracking Gap

Meanwhile, the live-action Moana is opening to softer tracking than Disney’s recent run of live-action hits. The current tracking puts the film behind Disney’s biggest recent remake by a wide margin. The figure sits in a crowded field of live-action remakes that have ended up at very different box offices. Those remakes have set the recent $84.6M-to-$146M range of opening weekends.

The animated Moana 2 opened around Thanksgiving 2024 with a record-setting $225 million five-day start, per Variety. Moana 2 finished with $1.059 billion in worldwide sales. The live-action tracking is closer to the $56.5 million opening the original animated Moana posted in 2016 than to its sequel’s launch.

Disney’s recent live-action track record is mixed. Lilo & Stitch cleared $1 billion worldwide on its strong opening; Snow White flopped after a weak launch and a critical drubbing. Moana now sits in a middle band, ahead of the How to Train Your Dragon remake in tracking but well behind Lilo & Stitch. The original animated Moana took $687.2 million worldwide in 2016, the closest comparable opening-and-total shape for a Moana-branded film.

Disney opens the live-action Moana on July 10, with marketing, reviews, and word of mouth still to land before then. Disney has booked the film for IMAX screens, which can lift the per-screen average. The live-action remake now sits between the original’s $687.2 million and the sequel’s $1.059 billion in tracking, with the actual number still to be settled at the box office. Disney is also coming off a $6 billion 2025 global box office haul that lifted the studio to the top of the annual chart. The original Moana remains one of Disney+’s most-watched titles.

A $200 Million Cost on Top of That

The stakes are high because the live-action Moana cost Disney more than its animated originals. The film’s budget is reported at over $200 million, with marketing on top of that. The original animated Moana built up its worldwide total through years of theatrical and streaming runs. A soft opening does not preclude a profitable run, but it tightens the math considerably.

The franchise track record is the studio’s biggest asset. Moana 2’s worldwide take in 2024 is the high-water mark, and both films have stayed in heavy rotation on Disney+. Disney is now betting that the live-action remake can match the animated original’s first-weekend and then stretch into a long theatrical tail.

The Writers Already Lined Up for Moana 3

While Moana 3 has no release date or director, its writing room is essentially set. Bush wrote the original Moana and co-wrote Moana 2, and he co-wrote the live-action script with Ledoux Miller. Ledoux Miller also co-wrote Moana 2 and the live-action film, making her the second writer on the two most recent installments. Their return is the clearest piece of news around the new sequel.

Johnson is expected to return as Maui. Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in both animated films and serves as an executive producer on the live-action remake, is also expected to reprise her role. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote songs for the original Moana and the live-action remake, but he skipped Moana 2, leaving songwriting duties to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.

Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise, and we can’t wait to give you more of Moana and Maui.

That was Disney CEO Bob Iger, in a press release announcing Moana 2 in February 2024, per People. Disney has been telegraphing the move for two years. The composer Mark Mancina is back for the live-action score, and “Along the Way” is the new Miranda-Laga’aia-Cravalho-Johnson collaboration on the live-action soundtrack. For Moana 3, no music team has been announced, and questions about Moana 2’s cliffhangers remain open. The sequel’s ending left Moana transformed into what appears to be a demigod, setting up a different kind of voyage next time.

How Disney Is Sequencing the Moana Sail

Disney is now sailing the Moana franchise on an unusually tight cadence. The original 2016 animated film, the 2024 sequel, and the 2026 live-action remake all sit within a ten-year window. A third animated film would land somewhere in that same compression. The original Moana was developed as a standalone, with its sequel originally planned as a Disney+ series before being upgraded to a theatrical release.

The studio has clearly decided Moana is one of its most valuable modern properties, both as a film franchise and as a streaming asset. The original Moana is one of Disney+’s most-watched titles, and the live-action remake is being marketed as a 10th-anniversary event for the franchise. Disney’s first full Moana trailer drew a divided online reaction earlier this year, per the trailer debut and the casting reaction online. The July 10 release is timed to that anniversary. Moana 2 was originally developed as a Disney+ series before being retooled into a theatrical release, and a third animated Moana is now in that same conversion pipeline. July’s box office will tell Disney whether the franchise can carry more Moana.

• $687.2M worldwide gross of the original 2016 Moana
• $1.059B worldwide gross of Moana 2 in 2024
• $225M Moana 2’s five-day Thanksgiving opening
• $200M+ live-action Moana’s reported budget

What the Studio Hasn’t Confirmed Yet

For now, the gaps in the Moana 3 announcement are bigger than the confirmed pieces. Johnson named the writers. He did not announce a release year, a director, a plot, or even an official studio confirmation.

What Disney has said is that the live-action Moana opens on July 10 and that the cast includes Johnson, Laga’aia, Owen, Tui, Adams, and Clement. The studio is also marketing the film as a 10th-anniversary event for the original. The tracking is the live-action film’s biggest open variable heading into opening day. Reviews and marketing still have time to land before opening day.

Disney opens the live-action Moana on July 10, with marketing and reviews still to land. A landing in the middle of the tracking range would leave Disney with a smaller opening than recent remakes but a long runway to a similar worldwide total. The studio is putting the franchise confidence Johnson voiced in Rio in front of paying audiences on opening day. The third animated film will be measured against whatever the live-action one delivers. July’s box office will set the test for whether the Moana cadence reads as a celebration or a saturation point.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the live-action Moana open?

Disney’s live-action Moana is scheduled to open in theaters on July 10, 2026.

Has Disney officially announced Moana 3?

As of publication, Dwayne Johnson said on July 2 that talks are underway, with Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller set to write. People reported that Disney had not commented at the time.

Who is writing Moana 3?

Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller are set to write the next animated sequel, per Johnson’s July 2 announcement. Bush wrote the original Moana and Moana 2 and co-wrote the live-action screenplay, while Ledoux Miller co-wrote Moana 2 and the live-action film.

How much is the live-action Moana tracking to open?

Deadline projects an $85 million domestic opening weekend, below the $146 million start of Lilo & Stitch and on par with the How to Train Your Dragon remake at $84.6 million.

Who is in the live-action Moana cast?

Newcomer Catherine Laga’aia plays Moana, with Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui, Jemaine Clement as the voice of Tamatoa, Rena Owen as Gramma Tala, John Tui as Chief Tui, and Frankie Adams as Sina. Auli’i Cravalho, the original voice of Moana, is executive producer.