Dwayne Johnson Confirms "Moana 3" at Press Tour in Rio

We now know what many fans already assumed was coming - Moana 3 is officially coming from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

What's Happening:

• Big news out of Walt Disney Animation Studios as Dwayne Johnson has shared what, to be honest, many already saw coming.
• Moana 3 is on approach and set to debut sometime in the future, however, according to Variety, The Rock isn't ready to reveal too much information.
• As the live-action Moana is set to hit theaters on July 10th, Johnson was asked about the potential of a third installment at a press stop in Rio de Janeiro.
• While Johnson was quick to revert the conversation back to the upcoming project, he did share "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.”
• It is safe to assume Dwayne Johnson is set to return to the role of Maui for a fourth time, and it is probably equally safe to assume that Auli'i Cravalho will return to voice Moana.

• Fans of the franchise definitely knew this was coming, given there were a number of unanswered questions from Moana 2. Deep diving fans who know about more than just where the line of the sky meets the sea also know that Moana 2 was also originally slated as a 10-episode series set for Disney+ before getting the theatrical treatment.
• Given the length of Moana 2 - that only accounts for a handful of the episodes - so Moana 3 was all but already locked-and-loaded in the pipeline.

A Third Chapter:

• Those who saw Moana 2 may recall that we were introduced to some characters and elements during the film that could lead to and play a part in the third movie.
• To quickly refresh, Moana 2 saw our titular hero search for the legendary island of Motofetu, which was sunk by the storm god, Nalo, to divide the various peoples of Oceania.
• Rounding up a new crew and demigod sidekick Maui, Moana succeeds in restoring the island and reconnecting the voyaging cultures. However, in doing so, Nalo's lightning actually seems to - as the kids say - "unalive" Moana before she is revived by her ancestors and transformed into what appears to be a demigod.
• What we don't know much else about is Nalo himself, who is only seen briefly in a mid-credits scene.
• This leads us to Matangi, who serves as the antagonist through much of the film but later helps Moana, as it is hinted that she is a servant to Nalo. How did she end up in this position, what powers has she yet to reveal (outside of defying gravity), and is she also a demigod, or spirit or what? That same mid-credits scene tells us there is far more to the story than we already know.
• The big question, though - what does it mean for Moana to be a demigod? By the end of the film, she has mystical tattoos, a glowing oar, and is seen at the same level as Maui. Is she now immortal? Does she have any powers of her own? What supernatural effects will she deal with instead of just being a human wayfinder?
• Then, there are a number of other possibilities - like why were the voyagers divided by Nalo in the first place? Will Simea (Moana's new younger sister) play a larger role? Will there be a villain team-up (Did you think I forgot about Tamatoa's return as well?)?