Disney 'in talks' for Moana 3 ahead of live-action remake release
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been spilling the tea!
Last updated 2 hours ago
As one of Disney's most popular Princess characters of the last few years, it's no surprise that Moana is coming back to our screens again and again. Since the first animated film was released in 2016, we've seen animated sequel Moana 2 released in 2024 - and the live-action remake coming to cinemas this month!
So fans will be over the moon to hear that Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, who voices the demigod Maui in the animated films and has played him again in the live-action remake, has let slip that a third animated sequel is in the works at the House of Mouse.
Speaking at a press conference to promote the upcoming live-action Moana, which is set to be released in cinemas in the UK on 10th July 2026, Dwayne revealed that the third film is being discussed.
According to Variety, he said: "Yes, we have talked about ‘Moana 3. 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."
The animated films see Dwayne as Maui alongside Auliʻi Cravalho as Moana, Nicole Scherzinger as Moana's mum Sina, Temuera Morrison as Moana's dad Tui and Jemaine Clement as Tamatoa.
Although Dwayne is reprising his role for the live-action Moana, he will not be joined by Auliʻi Cravalho, with the role instead going to Catherine Laga'aia - but Auli'l is involved in the project as an executive producer, and also sings a beautiful song in the film with Catherine to bridge the two Moana worlds.
READ MORE: All the Disney films that have already been remade as live-action movies
Scroll through to see which other films Disney are remaking as live-actions:
Moana
Release date: 10th July 2026
Remake of: Moana (2016)
Dwayne Johnson confirmed in a sweet video in April 2023 that he would be reprising his role as demigod Maui in a live-action remake of Moana! His co-star from the 2016 original, Auli'I Cravalho, also confirmed that she would be returning to the franchise, but later announced that she would not be reprising her role as the titular character and instead be taking on a producer role. Catherine Laga'aia was announced to have been cast as Moana in June 2024 - and we caught a first glimpse of her as Moana in November 2025 when the first teaser trailer dropped... AND her beautiful voice!
Tangled
Status: In production
Remake of: Tangled (2011)
It's fair to say that Disney's animated hit film Tangled has become a modern classic, so it's no surprise it's getting the live-action treatment. The original film's starring voice-actors Zachary Levi and Mandy Moore were even keen on a live-action remake, suggesting how they could even feature as a cameo.
In December 2024, it was reported that a script had allegedly been 'drafted', with The Greatest Showman and Better Man director Michael Gracey having 'entered negotiations' to take on the film, and in October 2025 it was rumoured that Scarlett Johansson could be taking on the role of Mother Gothel. However, she had reportedly pulled out of the project by December 2025 due to scheduling conflicts, with The Hollywood Reporter writing that Sarah Catherine Hook, Teagan Croft, Freya Skye and Olivia-Mai Barrett had all read for the part of Rapunzel.
In January 2026, Teagan Croft was confirmed as Rapunzel with Milo Manheim announced as Flynn Rider. In March, Kathryn Hahn was cast to play Mother Gothel, with Star Wars actor Diego Luna being cast in May 2026 in a currently-unnamed role which has been especially created for the live-action remake. Filming then began in June 2026.
Hercules
Status: Announced
Remake of: Hercules (1997)
Hercules is in line for a live-action remake, with Joe and Anthony Russo AKA The Russo Brothers - best known for being the brains behind Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War - will produce the film, but not direct it. Guy Ritchie was attached to direct initially, but it's since been rumoured that he's left the project.
Writing the script will be Dave Callaham, who wrote the Expendables film series and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as well as Wonder Woman 1984 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2. In April 2024, the Russo brothers confirmed they had not yet had a script for the project, but that it was still happening.
Although it's still too early to confirm any cast members, fans are keen for Miss 'God is a Woman' herself, Ariana Grande, to take on the role of Megara, following the singer's cover of 'I Won't Say I'm in Love' during The Disney Family Singalong in 2020.
Lilo & Stitch 2
Status: Announced
Remake of: Lilo & Stich 2 (2005)
Following the success of the live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch in 2025, Disney were quick to confirm the second movie would be getting the same treatment, with the cast set to return. A release date of 26th May 2028 was confirmed in March 2026.
Maleficent 3
Status: Announced
Sequel to: Maleficent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2021)
So far, we know that the first draft of a script had been confirmed in September 2021, with Angelina Jolie herself confirm at a panel in November 2021 that she would return for a third film. It was officially announced in December 2023, and screenwriter Linda Woolverton was reported to be still working on the project in March 2025.
Gaston
Status: Announced
Remake of: Spin-off to 2017's Beauty and the Beast
Disney is developing Gaston, a brand-new live-action Beauty and the Beast spin-off putting the spotlight firmly on the village hunk (and villain). The movie is being written by David Callaham (Shang-Chi, Godzilla x Kong), with no director, cast, or release date announced just yet. Though Luke Evans portrayed Gaston in 2017's Beauty and the Beast live-action remake, the actor isn't set to return the role, and there's no word so far on whether Josh Gad might come back as LeFou. Story details are still under wraps, but we're speculating that Disney's Villains novel Kill the Beast, which explores Gaston's past and his fixation on being the 'best', could inspire the tone or direction of the film.
Tinker Bell
Status: Announced
Remake of: Peter Pan (1953)
Disney+ is sprinkling some pixie dust on a brand‑new live‑action series, Tink, all about Disney's iconic fairy Tinker Bell. The show, from 20th Television, reimagines J.M. Barrie's iconic character, who first fluttered into Disney history in the 1953 Peter Pan animated classic and later fronted her own franchise. Tink has been in development at Disney in various forms for years, including a previously planned feature project that had Reese Witherspoon attached to star and produce. Now, writers and executive producers Liz Heldens (The Dropout) and Bridget Carpenter are steering the concept into a character‑driven series, alongside executive producer Gary Marsh.
Bambi
Status: Shelved
Remake of: Bambi (1942)
Disney's live-action Bambi remake was first officially announced in January 2020, when Disney revealed plans to adapt the 1942 animated classic using photorealistic CGI, with Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer attached as writers.
The project quietly stalled over the next few years, with director Sarah Polley ultimately exiting and no substantial production updates from the studio.
By early 2026, industry coverage and fan reports indicated that development had been halted and the remake was no longer moving forward as of January 2026, effectively leaving the film shelved.
Robin Hood
Status: Shelved
Remake of: Robin Hood (1973)
Rumours began swirling in April 2020 that Disney were planning to give Robin Hood, with Disney developing the project for Disney+. Carlos López Estrada had signed on to direct from a screenplay written by Kari Granlund, who previously worked on Disney's live-action reboot of Lady and the Tramp for the streaming platform.
As of March 2026, however, the remake was shelved after the Carlos provided a fan with an update on the project. "It's dead, sadly," the Mexican filmmaker said. "I say 'sadly' because I actually thought there was something really special (and original!) there. Some truly extraordinary music we had figured out for it." Carlos added: "I keep daydreaming about doing it independently with different characters."
Beauty and the Beast prequel series
Status: Shelved
Remake of: Beauty and the Beast (1991) and sequel to Beauty and the Beast (2017)
After the success of the live-action Beauty and the Beast film in 2017, there was a lot of interest in a spin-off about the character Le Fou, played in that film by Josh Gad AKA the voice of Olaf the Snowman from the Frozen films. Fans will remember the character being a lapdog to Gaston - the baddie who is interested in marrying Belle, much to her disdain. Le Fou was played as if having an unrequited love towards Gaston, and the series was set to explore the relationship between the two and how they met in the first place.
However, the series was scrapped in 2022 due to creative differences and scheduling conflicts.
Aladdin 2
Status: Shelved
Remake of: Sequel to Aladdin (2019)
In February 2020, it was announced that Disney were pursuing a sequel to the live-action Aladdin, which was released in 2019. The only confirmation has been that writers Andrea Berloff and John Gatins would return to the project, but there's no word on whether the cast or director, Guy Ritchie, will be reuniting. It was also reported that the new film would not take any inspiration from the original animated film's sequels: Return of Jafar and Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and would be a totally new story.
In September 2021, Mena Massoud, who starred in the 2019 film, told Screen Rant: "They're working on it. They're trying to make it happen. That's really all I know. As you know, usually actors are the last piece of the puzzle, so the studio has got a lot to worry about before they start thinking about the actors. Obviously, I would hope that all of us come back and Naomi, Will and I all come back and the rest of the cast, Marwan, Navid, Nasim, everybody. But right now, as far as I know, they're just working on the script and trying to make it happen."
As of 2025, there haven't been any developments on the film. Disney were also reportedly looking into a prequel for Aladdin entitled Genies, focusing on Will Smith's character - although he wasn't linked to the project. However, that was scrapped in May 2021. There's also a rumoured spin-off, to focus on the character of Prince Anders from the 2019 film starring Billy Magnussen.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Status: Shelved
Remake of: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
In January 2019, a live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was announced after actor Josh Gad revealed he was helming the new project. Josh, who is the voice of Olaf the Snowman in the Frozen film franchise and starred in the live-action remake of The Beauty and the Beast in 2017, revealed that he'd taken a trip to Paris in January 2019 to research the film. Posting a photo of himself under the famous Notre Dame cathedral in the French capital city, he cryptically wrote: 'Sing the bells, bells, bells Bells, bells, bells, bells, bells...'
The remake was confirmed by People magazine, with Deadline later revealing that original composer Alan Menken was set to team up with Stephen Schwartz to write the music. The original 1996 film was very loosely based on the original 1831 novel by Victor Hugo, and was given the Disney treatment to remove some of the heavier topics from the book - although is still considered to be one of the darker Disney films.
However, in a 2023 interview, Alan Menken revealed that the Hunchback remake would not go ahead as it would be too difficult to navigate the subject matter. He celebrated the film's 30th anniversary with an Instagram post in 2026, with hopes that the stage adaptation may be resurrected.
The Aristocats
Status: Shelved
Remake of: The Aristocats (1970)
A live-action remake of The Aristocats was in the pipeline with The Roots member Questlove directing - unfortunately, he confirmed in August 2025 that it was no longer happening. Not much else was known about the film, other than it would have been a mix of live-action performances and CGI.