Dwayne Johnson reveals Moana 3 is in the works

Disney is planning to leverage the success of 'Moana' with a third instalment of the animated oceanic adventure.

Dwayne Johnson, who plays the tattooed demigod Maui, teased the news while promoting the live-action 'Moana', which is due to hit NZ cinemas on 8 July.

"Yes, we have talked about 'Moana 3', yes," Johnson said at a press conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "But first, live-action 'Moana', we'll let that come out first. We have amazing Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller, who have been our writers. They will pen 'Moana 3'."

Johnson and Auli'i Cravalho are expected to reprise their voice roles in the threequel as Maui and the eponymous Polynesian heroine.

The original story revolves around the strong-willed daughter of a village chief, who is chosen by the ocean to restore prosperity to her island.

In the second film, the plucky heroine journeys back into the deep sea to find a hidden island and break a curse. Plot details for the third iteration are yet to be revealed.

Ahead of the live-action film's release in Aotearoa, rova reporter Monika Barton sat down with Dwayne to talk about the similarities between The Rock and Maui, men's mental health and even got a lesson on how to do a hearty cheehoo! The full interview is coming soon to rova.

The original 'Moana' generated $680 million (£510 million) at the global box office in 2016 and exploded in popularity on streamer Disney+, where it remains one of the most watched titles.

'Moana 2' was originally developed exclusively for streaming but was rejigged into a feature film and sent to cinemas in November 2024. The sequel became a smash hit with more than a billion dollars in worldwide sales.