If you have finished Moana 2 and are wondering whether Moana’s journey is really over, there is now a much more encouraging answer than there was a year ago. Moana 3 is being developed, according to Dwayne Johnson, who voices Maui and confirmed in July 2026 that Disney has been discussing a third animated movie. He also said that Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller are expected to write it.
The important catch is that there is still no announced Moana 3 release date. Disney has not publicly given a theatrical date, production schedule, full cast announcement or official story details for the third animated film. That means fans should separate what is genuinely confirmed from the dates and plot theories circulating online.
There is also some understandable confusion because Disney released the live-action Moana in July 2026. That movie is a reimagining of the 2016 original, not Moana 3.
Here is what we actually know about the next animated adventure, what a realistic release window might look like, and why the franchise has plenty of room to continue.
Is there going to be a Moana 3?
Yes, Moana 3 is in development according to Dwayne Johnson, but Disney has not yet announced a release date.
Johnson revealed the news while promoting the 2026 live-action Moana. He explained that Disney had talked about Moana 3 and specifically identified Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller as the writers who would work on the project.
That is significant because this is not merely a fan theory based on the ending of Moana 2. A major cast member has publicly described the third movie as an active project.
However, there is an important distinction:
- Moana 3: being developed/in the works.
- Moana 3 release date: not announced.
- Moana 3 trailer: not announced.
- Full returning cast: not officially announced.
- Detailed plot: not announced.
- Confirmed theatrical date: none.
So if you see a website claiming that Disney has already announced a specific 2028 or 2029 release date, treat that information cautiously unless Disney itself confirms it.
What is the Moana 3 release date?
As of August 8, 2026, there is no official Moana 3 release date.
This is probably the single most important answer for people searching for the movie online.
Disney’s currently documented information confirms the 2026 live-action Moana, which opened in U.S. theaters on July 10, 2026. But that date has nothing to do with the animated third installment.
Why hasn’t Disney announced a date yet?
The reason is simple: Moana 3 appears to be at a much earlier stage than a film that is ready for a public release schedule.
A Disney animated feature normally requires substantial development, including:
- Story development and screenplay work.
- Character and world design.
- Voice recording.
- Storyboarding and visual development.
- Animation.
- Editing, music and sound.
- Testing and final production.
- Marketing and theatrical scheduling.
Because Johnson’s comments identify the writers but do not provide a production timetable, it would be premature to treat any specific year as official.
A 2028 release would be possible, but it is not confirmed. A 2029 or later release is also plausible. At this point, the responsible answer is that fans should wait for Disney to establish the schedule rather than treating speculation as fact.
Why Moana 3 is happening
There is a strong commercial and creative argument for another movie.
The original Moana, released in 2016, became one of Disney’s most enduring modern animated properties. Disney has noted that the film remained among the most-streamed movies annually for years, while the original accumulated more than 1.4 billion hours streamed on Disney+ according to the company’s March 2025 figures.
Then came Moana 2.
The sequel opened with an extraordinary Thanksgiving performance, generating an estimated $225 million domestically over its first five days. Disney later reported that it surpassed $1 billion worldwide.
That creates something unusual for a modern franchise: the character is successful across theatrical releases and streaming.
For Disney, that matters because a franchise with strong audience recognition is easier to build around than a completely new property.
The franchise has also expanded its world
Another reason a third movie makes sense is that Moana 2 did not simply repeat the first film’s basic structure.
The sequel expanded the world of Oceania and introduced new characters, new supernatural elements and a broader concept of Moana’s role as a wayfinder. Disney said the filmmakers worked with the Oceanic Cultural Trust during production to help approach the cultural material thoughtfully.
That gives future filmmakers considerably more territory to explore.
Will Moana and Maui return?
Most likely, but not every casting detail has been formally announced.
Dwayne Johnson is expected to return as Maui, and Auliʻi Cravalho is expected to return as the voice of Moana. Johnson specifically discussed the third film while talking about the live-action project and named the returning writing team.
For audiences, Moana and Maui are difficult to separate from the identity of the franchise. A third animated film without both characters would therefore be a major creative change.
Other characters could also return, including members of Moana’s family and her wider community, but it is too early to assume exactly who will appear.
Who is writing Moana 3?
The two names attached to the project are particularly interesting.
Jared Bush
Jared Bush has been deeply involved with the Moana franchise and wrote the original screenplay. He also worked on Moana 2 and serves as Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. Disney previously described his involvement in shaping the franchise’s future.
Dana Ledoux Miller
Dana Ledoux Miller worked on Moana 2 and is also associated with the 2026 live-action adaptation.
Johnson said the pair would write Moana 3.
That combination is worth watching because it means the next story is being developed by people who already understand the franchise’s characters and its Pacific cultural context.
What could Moana 3 be about?
Disney has not announced the official story, so any detailed plot currently circulating should be considered speculation.
Still, Moana 2 leaves several useful storytelling possibilities.
1. Moana’s expanding role as a wayfinder
The biggest natural progression is Moana herself.
In the first movie, she is learning to become a wayfinder. In the second, she has grown into a more experienced leader who is trying to reconnect people across the ocean.
A third film could therefore ask a more mature question:
What happens when exploration is no longer about discovering who you are, but deciding what kind of leader you want to become?
That would give Moana an opportunity to grow without simply repeating the “young hero discovers her destiny” formula.
2. The wider oceanic world
The first two movies establish that Moana’s world is much larger than Motunui.
That creates enormous possibilities for another expedition involving unfamiliar islands, communities, legends and supernatural forces.
A good third movie would ideally make the ocean feel larger again rather than simply introducing another villain.
3. Matangi and the supernatural mythology
One particularly interesting possibility comes from Moana 2.
The sequel introduced Matangi, a mysterious supernatural character whose story left room for further exploration. Contemporary coverage of the sequel noted that the character had more potential to explore in a future installment.
This could become especially useful if Disney wants Moana 3 to explore the mythology of its world more deeply.
Could Nalo return in Moana 3?
Another possibility is Nalo, the storm god from Moana 2.
The sequel’s mid-credits material deliberately left the door open for future developments involving Nalo and Matangi.
That does not prove Nalo will be the villain of Moana 3. In fact, simply bringing back the same antagonist could make the third film feel repetitive.
A more interesting approach would be to use Nalo as part of a larger mythology while giving Moana a completely different central conflict.
That is one of the places where a third film could either become a meaningful expansion of the franchise or feel like a conventional sequel.
One overlooked clue: Moana 2 wasn’t originally conceived exactly this way
One of the more interesting facts about the franchise is that Moana 2 had a very different development history from a conventional animated sequel.
The project was initially developed as a Disney+ series before being transformed into a feature film after Disney leadership saw the material and decided to pursue a theatrical release.
That history helps explain why Moana 2 contains so many characters, locations and story threads.
It also offers an important lesson when thinking about Moana 3: the existence of a franchise does not necessarily mean every future installment will follow the same production path.
Disney could take considerably more time with the third movie and develop it specifically as a theatrical feature from the beginning.
Moana 3 vs. the 2026 live-action Moana
This is where many online searches become confusing.
| Movie | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Moana (2016) | Animated original | Released |
| Moana 2 (2024) | Animated sequel | Released |
| Moana (2026) | Live-action reimagining | Released |
| Moana 3 | Animated sequel | In development |
| Moana 3 release date | — | Not announced |
The 2026 live-action film is a reimagining of the original story, with Catherine Lagaʻaia playing Moana and Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui. Disney lists its U.S. theatrical release as July 10, 2026.
It should therefore not be counted as Moana 3.
The simplest way to think about the franchise is:
2016 animated original → 2024 animated sequel → 2026 live-action remake → future animated Moana 3
How long might fans have to wait?
This is where patience is important.
Disney has not provided enough information to calculate a reliable release date. Animation takes years, and the project still needs to move through writing, development, production and post-production.
A reasonable expectation is that Moana 3 is unlikely to arrive immediately.
The gap between the first two animated movies was eight years: Moana opened in November 2016, while Moana 2 arrived in November 2024.
That does not mean fans will necessarily wait another eight years. Moana 2 had an unusual development history, and the third movie already has writers attached.
Still, anyone promising a precise release month right now is getting ahead of the evidence.
A realistic way to follow the announcement
Instead of relying on fan-made release calendars, look for these milestones:
- Disney officially announces the project.
- The studio confirms the director or creative team.
- Disney announces the theatrical release window.
- Voice cast details become official.
- The first title artwork or teaser appears.
- A trailer arrives closer to release.
The release date becomes genuinely reliable once Disney puts it on its official theatrical slate.
What fans should not assume yet
There are several common mistakes surrounding Moana 3 news.
Mistake 1: Treating a rumored year as an official date
A projected 2028 or 2029 date is not the same thing as a Disney announcement.
Mistake 2: Calling the live-action movie Moana 3
The 2026 movie retells the first Moana story in live action. It does not continue the animated storyline.
Mistake 3: Assuming every character will return
Moana and Maui are the most logical returning characters, but supporting cast details should wait for an official announcement.
Mistake 4: Assuming the story is already known
The ending of Moana 2 creates possibilities, but it does not constitute a confirmed Moana 3 synopsis.
What makes Moana 3 particularly promising?
There are three less-obvious reasons to be optimistic.
First, the franchise has moved beyond a single-island story. Moana’s world has become progressively larger, meaning another sequel does not need to repeat the original movie’s formula.
Second, the creative team has an opportunity to learn from the first two films. Rather than simply increasing the number of characters or locations, the strongest third film could concentrate on Moana’s emotional development and her responsibilities as a leader.
Third, Disney has evidence that audiences still care about the property. The original’s enormous streaming presence and Moana 2‘s billion-dollar worldwide performance give the studio a strong reason to keep investing in the franchise.
The real challenge is therefore not whether Disney can make another Moana movie.
It is whether the filmmakers can find a story that genuinely deserves to be the next chapter.
FAQ
Will there be a Moana 3?
Yes. Dwayne Johnson said in July 2026 that Disney has been working on Moana 3 and that Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller will write it. However, Disney has not yet released a full production announcement with a theatrical date and complete details.
When is the Moana 3 release date?
There is currently no official Moana 3 release date. Any specific year or month circulating online should be treated as an estimate until Disney confirms it.
Is Moana 3 going to be animated?
The project discussed by Johnson is the third animated Moana movie, continuing the storyline established by the 2016 and 2024 animated films. The 2026 live-action Moana is a separate reimagining of the original.
Will Dwayne Johnson return as Maui in Moana 3?
Johnson is expected to return as Maui, and his own comments strongly connect him with the third movie. However, fans should distinguish between his confirmation that the project is being developed and a complete official cast announcement from Disney.
Will Auliʻi Cravalho return as Moana?
Auliʻi Cravalho is expected to reprise her role as the voice of Moana in the animated third film. The exact final cast has not yet been fully announced by Disney.
Could Moana 3 come out in 2028?
It is possible, but 2028 is not an announced release date. The film’s current development stage makes a precise prediction difficult, so 2028 should be regarded as speculation rather than confirmed information.
Conclusion
The answer to “Will there be a Moana 3?” is now essentially yes: Dwayne Johnson has publicly said that Disney has been discussing the third animated movie and that Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller are set to write it.
The answer to “When is the Moana 3 release date?” is different: Disney has not announced one yet.
For now, the safest expectation is that Moana 3 remains an early-stage animated sequel rather than a movie with an imminent theatrical date. Moana and Maui are expected to return, while the next story could expand the mythology and oceanic world established in the first two films.
And that may ultimately be good news. Rather than rushing another adventure onto the screen, Disney has an opportunity to give Moana a third chapter that feels like a genuine evolution of her journey—not simply another voyage across the same waters.
