Disney unveiled a list of all prospective films they have in store at the D23 – a part-cosplay and part convention event, at Anaheim last August 9, 2024.
The venue was packed with 12,000 fans and Disney stars who shared a familiar sentiment as the new trailers previewed. The sneak-peaks of the upcoming films included “Moana 2,” “Avatar 3,” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” and more. With a blast of pyrotechnics, confetti and a Magic Show by David Blaine.
Dwayne Johnson launched the showcase with a look at the upcoming sequel of “Moana 2.” Johnson describes the film as a “perfect escape.” The movie is set to be released on November 27 this year. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan also surprised the crowd with an announcement of a “Freaky Friday” sequel where they starred as a mother-daughter tandem who switches bodies. The sequel is entitled “Freakier Friday.”
Barry Jenkins, an Oscar-winning director, premiered a scene and the brand new trailer of “Mufasa: The Lion King,” featuring a musical score composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The movie is expected to arrive at the cinemas on December 20.
Director of “Avatar 3,” James Cameron also came to the event, taking a break on production in New Zealand to share updates regarding the film. Cameron claimed that it’s got “high emotional stakes” and that it’s not something viewers would expect. Stars of Avatar Zoe Zaldana and Sam Worthington were also at the D23, revealing the title of the third installment of the franchise, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”
Other highlights of the event included debuts for “Zootopia 2” by Ginnifer Goodwin, “Snow White” live action starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Jared Leto and Greta Lee also shared first-look footage of “Tron” sequel, titled “Tron Ares.”
Because of the continued success of “Inside Out 2,” which became the best performing animated movie of all time, Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar, revealed “Dream Productions” as an upcoming spin-off series for “Inside Out.” The project is due for release on Disney+ next year. Along with that, Doctor also noted the audience of a fifth installment of “Toy Story,” debuting in the summer of 2026.
Pixar will also be releasing original films such as “Elio,” releasing summer 2025 and “Hoppers,” arriving on big screens spring 2026. Dexter ended with news on an ongoing project for “Incredibles 3.”
Marvel’s president Kevin Feige took the stage to present one of the awaited MCU projects, “Captain America: A Brave New World,” the fourth installment to the series where Anthony Mackie is officially set to make his debut as Captain America in the film. Exciting appearances of ‘Thunderbolt,’ also known as Red Hulk, played by Harrison Ford is to be expected as well. Another highlight from Marvel’s news was the casting of “Agatha All Along,” led by Kathryn Hahn, repeating her witchy role of Agatha Harkness that originated from the series “WandaVision.”
Along with Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Okwui Okpokwasili, and Ali Ahn stepped on stage to perform a production song from the series. “Agatha All Along” will premiere in October. Along with those anticipated projects, Marvel ended with surprises about developing progress for “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” a look at the “Ironheart” series, and a reboot series of “Daredevil: Born Again.”
The Star Wars world continues to grow with a new original series entitled “Skeleton Crew” which will premiere on Disney+ in December.
Lastly, Star Wars prodigy Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni talked about “The Mandalorian & Grogu” which will be the first ever theatrical Star Wars production in five years. The movie is expected to launch in 2026.
Photo Courtesy: Walt Disney