What's Going On With The Moana TV Show? Everything We Know About The Announced Project

So, whatever happened to that Moana: The Series TV show? Well, have no near, because we have some info that you might want to know about it. 

When Moana was released back in 2016, it was a huge hit. While there were plenty of great 2010s Disney movies, the film was a massive box office success and brought upon new songs written by Lin Manuel Miranda, and created another Disney princess that young women and little girls everywhere look up to. 

It was only a matter of time before a live-action version of Moana was announced – which the original movie's co-star Dwayne Johnson confirmed himself. But what some people might have forgotten is that there was a Moana television series that was announced several years ago, way back in 2020. And we haven't gotten much news on it since. 

So if you're wondering what is happening with Moana: The Series, you're not alone. Here is what we know about it – and what you should know, too. 

Moana: The Series Was Announced In 2020 And Originally Set To Premiere In 2023

As mentioned above, Moana: The Series was announced in December 2020, according to Variety. The new series was revealed along with several other major shows and features from Walt Disney. This included the already-premiered Dug Days on Disney+ and other shows that have yet to see the light of day – such as Tiana, a series based on the movie The Princess and the Frog, and a series based on the world of Cars. 

This isn't that surprising, considering Disney tends to bulk together their major announcements and let them all out at once, but often, things will fall under the radar as they enter production hell. For example, the supposed Lando TV show from the Star Wars universe was also announced in 2020, and we only recently got an update on that – it's now turning into a movie.

So what does this mean for Moana: The Series? Is it in production hell? The Variety article said the series would air in 2023, but that's no longer true. 

The Premiere Date Was Pushed Back To 2024

In August 2021, Deadline confirmed that Moana: The Series had been pushed back to 2024. This is because Walt Disney Animation Studios opened a new facility in Vancouver that would focus specifically on long-form series and special projects for Disney+. Moana: The Series was the first to get looked at. 

Later on in the article, it was confirmed that the series was pushed to debut in 2024. We're all sad that this won't be on the 2023 TV schedule, but if it means they'll be given more time to work on the series, I'm OK with waiting for a bit. 

This would be the last time we heard about the series until six months later. 

The Series Was Meant To Act As A Sequel To The Original Movie

We received some news regarding the show in January 2022. The Twitter page of Disney Animation confirmed that the series was meant to continue Moana's story through a statement that David G. Derrick Jr, the chosen director of the series, released:

The Moana ending left plenty of room for more stories. We didn't see much of Maui after he took off, and I would have loved to see the exploration of Moana and her people learning how to navigate the seas again. So, I understand why a sequel TV series would be the best way to explore that. 

And It Was Confirmed To Still Be In The Works In April 2023

When we got that update in January 2022, it felt like some life breathed into the series, but everything went dark again for over a year. We didn't get many updates, we didn't hear anything, and we were just sitting ducks waiting for some news to come out. 

And then, April 2023 came around, and suddenly, we were bombarded with the news that a new live-action version of Moana was in the works, where Dwayne Johnson would return as Maui and play the demi-god in real-life form. 

Disney's live-action movies have been a relative success. Some have performed exceptionally well at the box office. Others have been critical and commercial failures – or pushed right to streaming. Regardless, there are plenty of upcoming live-action Disney movies coming out, including Moana.

But a live-action Moana was something I'm sure no one was expecting because the movie is not even a decade old. Why adapt something so young?

Regardless, the film was announced, and with barely any news about the series, people started to wonder if it was happening. However, Moana screenwriter Jared Bush confirmed it's still in the works.

Bush announced that he would be back to write the script for the live-action adaptation of the movie on his Twitter page. In his mentions, he responded to a fan who asked about the Moana series and if it was still happening. His reply was simple:

After not hearing about the show for some time, seeing him say that the series is still in the works was refreshing. And thankfully, it was only a short time before we got another update on the subject.

While News Has Been Sparse, Jennifer Lee Said In September 2023 They Are 'Doing' The Series

Jennifer Lee, who is the chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, confirmed that the series was very much being worked on in an interview that she did with eCartelera (via The Direct) in September 2023. She also said it was fun that the streaming platform (Disney+) allowed them to experiment and explore different ways to tell stories:

This is significant news; honestly, it makes me feel like everything might be on track. We may get that 2024 release date if the series is in the works. Here's hoping we get more updates soon. 

While 2024 isn't that far away, it still pains me that we have to wait to learn more about this series that I'm sure all of us are looking forward to. Until we hear more, we'll just have to rewatch Moana, have all the thoughts, and sing all the songs – oh no, "You're Welcome" is stuck in my head now.