Lin-Manuel Miranda is likely adding another Disney project to his busy schedule. After "Mary Poppins Returns" and while preparing the music for the upcoming live-action "Little Mermaid" remake, reports say that the studio has also talked to him about doing a "Moana" sequel or an animated film with a Latina princess.
According to Page Six, Miranda's father, Luis, exclusively divulged to the outlet that his son is discussing plans to do "Moana 2" with Disney. But Luis also said that the sequel would likely also include Disney's first Latina princess.
But the older Miranda might be talking about two different projects since "Moana" is about a Pacific Islander princess. Could Luis be meaning to say that his son is also going to do an animated movie about a Latina princess as a follow up to "Moana"?
Disney has not made any comments regarding these upcoming projects. But it might make sense to do a "Moana" sequel since the first film earned $643 million at the global box office.
Miranda co-wrote the music and songs of "Moana," which came out in theaters in 2016. He was the man behind the catchable tunes of "You're Welcome" and "How Far I'll Go." The latter even scored a Best Original Song nomination at the Oscar Awards.
The prolific songwriter is currently in Puerto Rico for the stage production of "Hamilton." The Miranda family brought the musical from New York to raise funds for the rehabilitation efforts in the towns devastated by last year's strong hurricanes.
Meanwhile, Miranda is also writing and producing new songs for the "Little Mermaid" live-action movie along with the original composer Alan Menken. The studio has also hired Rob Marshall ("Mary Poppins Returns") to direct the movie.
But Disney has not yet announced who will play the role of the mermaid Ariel. Rumors say that the studio might be keen to cast Zendaya as the princess in the live-action version.
In 2016, Deadline reported about Disney's plan to bring "Little Mermaid" on the big screen as a live-action film following the success of "Cinderella." But, production has taken years to progress, and it might also take a while for the movie to have a confirmed release date.
So far, Disney's slate of live-action remakes is full until 2021, with the upcoming releases of "Aladdin," "Dumbo," "The Lion King" and "Mulan." The studio is also doing the live-action films of "Cruella," based on "101 Dalmatians," and "Hunchback," based on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." In all likelihood, the live-action version of "Little Mermaid" might not be out in theaters until late 2021 or sometime in 2022.
