Moana 3 in the works
Dwayne Johnson has confirmed a third animated Moana movie is in the works.
Moana 3 is in the works, Dwayne Johnson has revealed.
The 54-year-old actor voiced the shape-shifting demigod Maui in the 2016 animated movie and its 2024 sequel, and he has returned to the character for Disney's upcoming live-action film but that won't be the last time he plays his beloved alter ego.
Speaking at a press conference in Brazil to promote Moana, Variety reports he said: "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.”
Although Moana is played in the new film by Catherine Laga'aia, Variety reports Auli'i Cravalho will return as the eponymous heroine for the third movie.
Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the songs for the first movie, with Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear taking over for Moana 2, but it is not yet known who will provide the soundtrack for the third animated installment.
Meanwhile, Dwayne recently admitted his kids were stunned when they saw him in character for Moana.
The former WWE star - who has Simone, 24, with ex-wife Dany Garcia and Jasmine, 10, and eight-year-old Tiana with spouse Lauren Hashian - has transformed his appearance for roles in the past, but his brood found it particularly "jarring" to see him with long flowing locks.
He told E! News: "The first time they saw me as Maui, they were like, 'Oh.'
"It was jarring for them for maybe 10 minutes. Just to see me with hair, and I get it, it's a lot of hair.
"It's not like Smashing Machine, where it's just a little bit [of hair]. This is long, beautiful, luscious."
Dwayne loves getting to meet young fans of the franchise.
He said: "It's the wildest thing when I'm out, and I get a chance to meet fans, especially little, little, little ones.
"The parents are like, 'That's Maui!' And they're like, 'That's not Maui.'"
He explained he tells them, "Look, my tattoos!" and explains away his missing curls by saying, "I shaved my head."
One element of making the live-action film that has been harder than voicing Maui in the 2016 animated film and its 2024 sequel has been the musical numbers.
He explained: "The timing of the dance choreography is a little bit more challenging because there's music involved. It's singing and making sure that the words and the lyrics are driving the moves and the steps.
"I have a partner for my number of You're Welcome. which is Catherine, and so there's a lot happening."
