Of all Disney’s relatively recent franchise’s its no stretch to say that “Moana” is among the most beloved. The first film was a massive hit with children everywhere and only gained more popularity with the sequel’s release. The fan-favorite film franchise has even received a live-action adaptation, which is set to debut incredibly soon. Although the trailers have received a lot of scrutiny online, most negative statements are from people outside the film’s target audience.
Almost all of Disney’s most popular films have received live-action adaptations, which is why the project shouldn’t have been shocking. However, what is surprising is Disney’s latest confirmation concerning the beloved franchise. The entertainment staple recently announced that the animated duology is officially expanding into what could become Disney’s most popular modern animated trilogy, although the studio has readily proved it probably won’t stop there.
Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller Are Set to Write the Script
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who portrays Maui in the films, announced that “Moana 3” is officially in development at a press conference for “Moana” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, per Variety. Disney alumni Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller will be handling the script. Bush is primarily known for his work on the equally popular “Zootopia” franchise, aside from his work on the previous “Moana” films. Bush even wrote the incredibly beloved film “Encanto” which is largely considered one of the best Disney films of the 2020s. He has become a clear staple of recent Disney and previously brought on Miller to help him with “Moana”.
Miller first began collaborating with Bush on the “Moana” sequel, but also worked with him on the live-action film. Most of her previous attributions have been in production, but she is clearly an incredible and passionate writer. There is no doubt that her impact on the franchise as a whole is incredibly invaluable and will likely shape her career with Disney in the future. Miller could receive many incredible opportunities, especially if she continues to maintain the popularity of one of Disney’s key franchises.
The second film was largely chastised among critics for being less engaging than the first film. The reviews are incredibly indicative of this mindset, but audience scores barely dropped between films. At least, according to Rotten Tomatoes. Either way, children, who are the film’s target audience, have clearly enjoyed both films to the point where Disney is comfortable greenlighting a third film.
The story will likely continue Moana’s battle with the Nalo, the God of Storms. Moana successfully defeated the deity and united the world’s people, but the film’s ending proved Nalo isn’t ready to give up so easily. The third film will likely feature a combination of the previous films’ cast attempting to defeat Nalo once and for all. However, fans will likely have to wait quite a while before any official promotional material, since the film was just announced.
The Announcement Comes Right Before the Live-Action Releases
Disney likely confirmed the animated film as a way to drum up press for the live-action film set to release July 10. The project has received a lot of unnecessary criticism from people already hyper-critical of live-action adaptations. The live-action method might not be the most popular, but it’s clearly profitable, or Disney wouldn’t continue to do it.
GettyJohnson is clearly passionate about the project and has become a key figure behind the entire franchise. He not only acts as the demigod Maui in the animated movies, but is set to reprise his role in the live-action film. This makes Johnson one of the few actors, like Jim Cummings, Danny DeVito, and Matthew Lillard, to act as both animated and live-action versions of their characters. Either way, Johnson apparently loves playing Maui and will likely continue doing so for as long as Disney will let him.
Ultimately, Disney has finally confirmed that “Moana 3” is in the works. The franchise is one of Disney’s most popular, so it was somewhat expected the film would receive a third installment. However, many fans didn’t expect the news to come so close to the debut of “Moana’s” first live-action film.
