Tons of exciting Disney-Pixar movie and TV announcements were made at the D23 Expo!
Fans in Hall D23 were among the first to see a brand-new logo introduction of the iconic Disney castle—now platinum in honor of Disney’s 100 Years of Wonder celebration. Created by Disney Studios and Industrial Light & Magic, and featuring an all-new arrangement of “When You Wish Upon a Star” by award-winning composer Christophe Beck (“Frozen,” “WandaVision”), the new Disney castle introduction will play in front of all Disney theatrical and streaming releases starting this fall.
Bergman called on Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production (Disney Live Action); Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios; and Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios to walk fans through a powerful lineup of streaming and theatrical titles. The event included the following highlights.
Disney+ Movie Presentation
Fans got a wicked greeting from “HOCUS POCUS 2” stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who appeared magically via video to surprise the room with a new trailer. It’s been 29 years since the 17th-century sisters have been resurrected and they are looking for revenge. It’s up to three high-school students (Whitney Peak, Belissa Escobedo, Lilia Buckingham) to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve. Directed by Anne Fletcher and produced by Lynn Harris, “Hocus Pocus 2” also stars Sam Richardson, Tony Hale and Hannah Waddingham. It debuts exclusively on Disney+ Sept. 30.
Up next, Bailey welcomed to the stage stars from “DISENCHANTED,” including Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph, Gabriella Baldacchino, James Marsden, Idina Menzel, Yvette Nicole Brown and Jayma Mays. Featuring music from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, the musical comedy picks up 15 years after Giselle (Adams) and Robert (Dempsey) get married when their family heads to suburbia in search of happily ever after. Fans were among the first to see the first trailer of the film, which is directed by Adam Shankman, produced by Barry Josephson, Barry Sonnefeld and Adams, and features new music from the greats, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. “Disenchanted” streams on Disney+ beginning Nov. 24.
“PETER PAN & WENDY” spotlights iconic characters in a whole new way. Joining Bailey on stage were cast members Alexander Molony (Peter Pan), Ever Anderson (Wendy), Alyssa Wapanâtahk (Tiger Lily) and Captain Hook himself: Jude Law. The new film dives deeper into Wendy’s story as she joins the boy who refuses to grow up on a magical journey to Neverland and reveals the history behind Peter Pan’s rivalry with one of Disney’s most memorable villains. The cast discussed what fans can expect from the new film and revealed an exclusive first look at the film for the D23 audience. Directed by David Lowery and produced by Jim Whitaker, the live-action reimagining of the 1953 animated classic begins streaming on Disney+ in 2023.
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Bailey concluded his presentation with four highly anticipated titles heading to theaters in 2023 and 2024:
- “HAUNTED MANSION” director Justin Simien—who actually used to work at Disneyland—joined Bailey to discuss the ghostly adventure. Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. They shared a sneak peek of the film exclusively with the D23 Expo crowd, then welcomed the queen of scary movies, Jamie Lee Curtis, who made an unforgettable entrance aboard a Haunted Mansion doom buggy. Curtis plays Madame Leota in the film, which releases next year.
- “MUFASA: THE LION KING,” a prequel to “The Lion King,” won’t release until 2024, but director Barry Jenkins was on hand to show a never-before-seen sneak peek and share a little about the film, which is currently in production. Told in flashbacks—Rafiki, Timon and Pumbaa tell the story of Mufasa to a young lion cub—“Mufasa” reveals the rise of one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands.
- “SNOW WHITE” is a live-action reimagining of the classic tale starring Rachel Zegler in the title role and Gal Gadot as Snow White’s Stepmother, The Queen. The film’s two stars joined Bailey to talk about their roles and to share a very early glimpse at the iconic characters in the 2024 film, which is directed by Marc Webb, produced by Marc Platt and features new songs by Tony®-, Grammy®- and Oscar®-winning songwriters Pasek and Paul.
- “THE LITTLE MERMAID” director Rob Marshall took a break from post-production under the sea to share more about the live-action version of the beloved tale. He played the “Part of Your World” sequence for fans in Hall D23 and invited on stage Ariel herself, Halle Bailey, who shared her excitement about her new role. Marshall concluded by introducing the new teaser trailer, available worldwide today. Featuring fan-favorite songs plus four new songs penned by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the feature film also stars Melissa McCarthy as Ursula and Javier Bardem as Triton. “The Little Mermaid” swims onto the big screen next summer.
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Pixar’s Pete Docter was excited to share the upcoming slate for the Emeryville-based animation studio.
The voice of Joy, Amy Poehler, arrived on stage to huge applause—especially when she informed the audience that “INSIDE OUT 2” is in the works at Pixar. Director Kelsey Mann, producer Mark Nielsen and writer Meg LeFauve are hard at work on the all-new adventure inside the head of now-teenager Riley—who may or may not be feeling all kinds of new Emotions. “Inside Out 2,” the follow-up to 2015’s Oscar®- and Golden Globe®-winning feature film, is slated for release Summer 2024.
Following flickering lights and an ominous message reading “Bring Us Your Leader,” Docter welcomed to the stage director Adrian Molina and producer Mary Alice Drumm to showcase for the first time ever plans for the original feature film “ELIO.” In the story, 11-year-old dreamer Elio is artistic, creative and an avid INdoorsman who finds it hard to fit in. Meanwhile Mom Olga, who runs a top-secret military project, is working to decode a strange signal from outer space. But it’s Elio who makes contact, gets beamed into space and is subsequently mistaken for an intergalactic Ambassador for Earth. The voice of smart and super-confident Olga, America Ferrera, was invited on stage alongside Yonas Kibreab, who lends his voice to Elio himself. Kibreab revealed to the audience that “Elio” releases Spring 2024.
“WIN OR LOSE” directors Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates provided a closer look at Pixar’s first-ever long-form series and what inspired it. “Win or Lose” follows the Pickles, a co-ed middle school softball team, in the week leading up to their championship game. Each episode takes place that same week, highlighting the perspective of a different main character—players, their parents, the umpire—each reflected in a unique visual style. Hobson and Yates revealed that Will Forte will voice Coach Dan in the series, and shared a shout-out Forte recorded for the occasion, followed by a special clip just for fans. “Win or Lose” streams on Disney+ in Fall 2023.
First up, filmmakers Peter Sohn and Denise Ream joined Docter on stage to discuss “ELEMENTAL,” an all-new, original feature film releasing on June 16, 2023. Sohn, who directs the film, shared the personal inspiration behind the film—a story of immigrants pursuing dreams in beautiful neighborhoods where language and cultures come together. Filmmakers introduced the characters in “Elemental,” which is set in a city where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together. Ember is a tough and fiery young woman, and Wade is a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy. Helping bring them to life are Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, who were warmly welcomed to the Hall D23 stage. Audience members got an exclusive look at the film and received a mini-poster featuring Ember and Wade.
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Photo and Image Credit: Disney and Pixar Studios
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