Yahoo Movies Will there be a Moana 3?
The franchise's second film broke box office records in its opening weekend, which suggests there's appetite for more
Moana 2 is dominating the box office after earning a record-breaking $386.3m globally in its opening weekend, and winning the Thanksgiving battle against the likes of Gladiator 2 and Wicked.
The Disney sequel sees its heroine Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) set off on a new adventure across the seas, looking to help the people of Motufetu after receiving a vision from one of her ancestors. Alongside Maui (Dwayne Johnson), Moana sets off with new friends to find and defeat the god Nalo and free Motufetu from his curse.
Moana 2 may have originally been envisioned as a Disney+ series that was then transferred to the screen, but it leaves the door open for more to come. Here’s what we know about the possibility of Disney returning to the world for Moana 3.
Is Moana 3 in the works?
For those hoping for good news about Moana’s future, Disney has not yet confirmed if there will be a third film in the franchise. However it has set the stage for more to come, if the studio decides to give it the green light.
The animated sequel has a post-credit scene that all but confirms what will happen in a future third film. The scene sees villain Nalo meeting with antagonist Matangi (Awhimai Fraser), both of whom Moana encountered over the course of the movie. Nalo wants revenge on Moana and Maui for re-connecting the people of Matufetu with other Polynesian communities, and while Matangi told Moana she’s keen to free herself from the god’s influence it seems she’s not there yet.
Nalo and Matangi are joined by none other than Tomatoa, the crab that Maui and Moana thwarted in the first film. The character, once again voiced by Jemaine Clement, reveals his intentions to get vengeance on the duo for stealing his fish hook, and even threatens to come up with a new catchy song in the process.
So, while there are no official plans for more Moana films it seems that if one was made it would see the sea-faring heroine going up against enemies old and new.
What’s next for the Moana franchise?
Disney is currently working on a live-action adaptation of the 2016 original which stars Dwayne Johnson as Maui once again. The movie is currently in production, with filming underway, so this will be the priority for the studio.
The live-action film will be released in July 2026, and it is unclear if work on another animated feature would begin while the live-action film was being made.
However, even if work on an animated movie begins now it will take a few years before fans see it because there is an eight year gap between the first and second films’ releases.
Moana 2 is out in cinemas now.
