Following the surprise announcement of Moana 2, the live-action adaptation of Moana gets a release update. Originally released in 2016, Moana quickly became beloved for its spin on the traditional Disney princess narrative. Since then, a live-action version of Moana was announced.
A new announcement from Puck reportedly claims that the release plan for live-action Moana has changed. As per the report, live-action Moana will be pushed from its summer 2025 release date. The Puck report implies that this change is due to the release of Moana 2.
What’s Next In The Moana-verse Explained
The report of the Moana live-action release date change comes after Disney’s surprise announcement of Moana 2. Earlier this week, Disney CEO confirmed that a feature film version of Moana 2 was happening. Even more shocking was the release date for Moana 2: November 27, 2024. This means that Moana 2 will arrive just over nine months after the first announcement of the film.
Moana 2 was far from the original plan for the Moana universe. Originally, Disney was planning to release an animated Moana TV show as the animated follow-up to the film, and put out a live action remake on June 27, 2025. Now, the Moana show appears to be condensed into Moana 2, and the future of the live-action film remains unclear.
Why Moana 2 Is Happening 8 Years Later Is Obvious Thanks To Huge 2023 Stat
Moana 2 is finally happening eight years after the original movie, and Disney’s reason for the announcement is obvious based on a 2023 stat.
It is important to note that Disney has not yet directly confirmed the release date push for the live-action Moana. The company did not change the date upon the announcement of Moana 2, but it nonetheless seems likely that they will, given the original date would see two Moana films arriving less than a year apart from each other. Dwayne Johnson is also expected to be in both Moana films, so they would have to be conscious of his busy schedule as well. After this week’s Moana shake-up, there still could be more surprises in store as the Moana–verse evolves.
Moana
Disney’s Moana takes place in ancient Polynesia, and tells the story of the titular princess. The daughter of a tribe chief in a coastal village, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) is drawn to the sea, believing it is her quest to return the Heart of Te Fiti – a mysterious relic – to its rightful home in order to stop the blight threatening her island. Along the way, she meets the trickster demi-god, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who helps her on her quest.
