Moana 3 Gets Unsurprising Story Update From Disney Directors

Should Moana 3 happen, the directors of the Disney animated feature already have an idea of where its story will go.

After initially being created as a Disney+ series, Moana 2 ended up getting reformatted into a feature film (which was the source of some controversy) before it released in cinemas this past December—to resounding box office success.

With the film outperforming its predecessor, questions around a potential third Moana movie at Disney are already circulating.

Moana 3 Story Direction Teased by Directors

Moana 2's directors, David Derrick Jr. and Jason Hand, confirmed where they envision the story going in future sequels.

The second Moana film came with a twist ending that saw Moana die and be resurrected by her ancestors as a demigoddess.

In an interview with Comic Book Movie, the directing duo confirmed Moana's newfound godly status will be a big plot point in any future films, with Derrick Jr. saying there's "untapped potential" to the idea:

You know, there’s an untapped potential to the idea of her being a demigod, obviously. And we love that as an idea. And you know what that means. We haven’t quite got there yet, but I think it actually felt right for her character.

The directors revealed that the decision to make Moana a demigod was a way to reflect that she is "doing things for the right reason:"

"As we were developing the story, we really wanted to show that Moana still had a lot to grow a lot to change. And it really sort of puts an exclamation point on that idea when she has always been a person who's out there for people doing things for the right reason, and it sort of naturally led to that idea that she would actually in the action she takes and everything she does that she proves herself to be more than just who she thought she was at the beginning. 

Having that demigod status at the end of the film, it says a lot about it, and it was something that we crafted towards and really wanted to do."

Moana's trajectory up to this point has seen her return the heart of Te Fiti to its owner and become a Wayfinder to help break the curse of the lost island of Motufetu.

In a third film, it appears the story may be even more introspective, with Moana's role as a demigoddess and her new responsibilities a focus.

Will Moana 3 Happen? Almost Certainly

At this point in time Disney has not confirmed Moana 3, but the movie's box office earnings reflect an insatiable appetite for the Moana franchise, so it seems inevitable it will continue. 

Hand and Herrick Jr. added that the film's mid-credit scene, which features Nalo and Tamatoa teaming up to get revenge on Moana, hinted that "there's much more to this story," indicating there's ample room for the franchise to grow should Disney choose to continue with it.

At the time of the Comic Book Movie interview, the directors could not confirm whether Moana 3 was happening, revealing, "We can't say anything as of yet, but we're glad people want it."

Even if Moana 3 does not happen for some time, fans do have more to look forward to from the franchise with the upcoming release of the live-action Moana remake.