An animated Moana series for Disney+ has been in the works for quite some time but that's all changed according to Disney CEO Bob Iger.
It appears that Disney analyzed the streaming statistics for Moana on Disney+, where it has consistently ranks near the top, and determined that the next project in the franchise should be another movie, not a television show.
The cartoon series is being repurposed as an animated movie, with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returning as Maui's voice and Auli'i Cravalho in talks to return as the title heroine.
So where does that leave the recently announced plans for a live-action adaptation of the popular Disney film?
According to The Rock, filming is still set to begin later this year. He says they've also found an actress to portray the live-action Moana in the project (Auli'i Cravalho previously stated that she's too old now) but that they don't want to reveal her identity at this time.
"Lin Manuel Miranda's coming back. We're doing the music. Tommy Kail is our director, who directed Hamilton," he said while speaking to Entertainment Tonight. "You put everybody together and you want to put the best team together and then you really go for it."
When asked when cameras would roll, The Rock revealed he's "excited" to start shooting later this year while also touching on the global search to find the young actress to star alongside him.
"One of the exciting things about that was actually finding our Moana and how exciting that has been. The global search to find our Moana -- which -- between you and I, we found her -- not gonna tell you yet. [It's] very exciting."
As far as returning for Moana 2 (which it sounds as if The Rock is definitely on board), Johnson stated, "It's very exciting. I can't wait for fans to see the film, the technology, the effects, cutting edge. We all really went for it. We thought if we're gonna make a sequel to something so beloved, let's really go for it."
He continued, "You also have the benefit and the beauty of the ocean. In Moana... the ocean is alive, so when the ocean has a heartbeat and a pulse, that's just a whole different thing. I can't wait. All new music, which we're excited."
Released in 2016, Moana went on to gross $682 million worldwide from a production budget of $150 million. It's also one of the most popular streaming titles on Disney+.
Moana 2 arrives in North American theaters on November. 27, 2024. The live-action Moana movie currently has a release date of June 27, 2025.