Dwayne Johnson confirms Moana 3 is in development at Disney

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson just put Moana 3 back on the public calendar. Speaking at a press conference to promote the new live-action Moana film, Johnson confirmed that “Yes, we have talked about Moana 3, yes,” and then made the key point: “But first, live-action Moana, we’ll let that come out first.” He also named the writing team that will carry the franchise forward, saying Disney has “amazing Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller” and that “they will pen Moana 3.”

That confirmation matters because animated sequels are not quick turnarounds. Even if the announcement is light on production details, it is still a strategic breadcrumb for Disney: Moana is not only getting a live-action remake, it is also getting the next animated step planned in parallel. The writers Johnson cited are the same ones behind Moana 2 and the live-action remake, according to the report, which suggests Disney is trying to preserve creative continuity while experimenting with format.

Zoom out, and the move fits a broader Hollywood pattern: studios are using remakes as both a test and a bridge. Johnson said live-action Moana comes first, and the article notes the live-action remake is set to hit theaters next weekend, even though the trailers “haven't been well received.” That detail is the emotional pressure point. Audiences do not always line up behind remakes, especially when the original is a relatively recent animated hit. Still, studios keep doing it, because some of these conversions can break big.

The piece points to earlier examples that help explain Disney’s risk calculus. It notes that How to Train Your Dragon’s live-action remake showed people are interested in these kinds of remakes. It also cites Lilo & Stitch’s live-action reimagining, which “also made over $1 billion at the box office last summer.” When a remake reliably produces revenue at that scale, the market signal is hard for executives to ignore, even if critical or fan reactions are mixed. In other words, bad trailer sentiment is not the same thing as a box office ceiling.

Disney already appears to be leaning further into the format shift, with the article stating it has put a sequel into development with a summer 2028 release date. The question implied by that scheduling is whether Disney will accelerate the live-action remix strategy after Moana’s performance, or whether this becomes a cautionary tale. The article even frames the possibility directly, suggesting Moana could become “one of the first of these live-action remakes to crumble,” citing competition from films like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Minions & Monsters, and Disney’s own Toy Story 5. That is the competitive reality executives have to price into release calendars: audience attention is finite, and overlapping tentpoles can cannibalize.

And the Moana franchise itself brings another layer of uncertainty. The report says Moana 2 received “middling reviews” despite cracking the billion-dollar mark at the box office. IGN’s review score is included: a 6/10, plus a quoted summary from IGN. In that review, IGN called Moana 2 “ill-conceived,” praised the original’s “songs and the humorous supporting characters,” and said the sequel “doesn't make the world Moana introduced eight years ago feel richer or more exciting,” while noting that even when it has “a few aspects with potential,” those are “unfortunately stifled.” For decision-makers, that combination is telling: commercial outcomes can remain strong even when critics are lukewarm. The risk is trusting the box office while under-investing in the elements that actually drive audience love.

So where does Moana 3 fit into this? Johnson’s comments and the named writers create a credible throughline for franchise fans: Disney is not pivoting creators, at least based on what is reported. Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, the people “who have been our writers,” are expected to pen Moana 3. That continuity can reduce creative variance, which is especially important when a studio is juggling a live-action remake campaign now and a longer-form sequel campaign later. Executive teams know sequels are where brand equity gets stress-tested. If the sequel feels like a cash grab rather than a natural evolution, fans punish that quickly.

For peers in studios, platforms, or media investment roles, the strategic stakes are straightforward. Moana 3 being “in the works” is Disney signaling multi-year franchise commitment, and it also suggests an internal belief that Moana can support both live-action experimentation and continued animated storytelling. The market context is unforgiving, the release slate is crowded, and the trailer reception for live-action Moana is not uniformly positive. The best takeaway for decision-makers is that Disney is betting the franchise can weather the remake debate, using creator continuity and a staged rollout to manage both commercial and brand risk. If Moana 3 lands, Disney gets to build a longer content runway. If live-action Moana underperforms, executives will still have a sequel narrative to support, but the business math will have to be recalculated in real time.