For the spectacular D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California, Disney has stuffed some of the biggest names — think Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Pixar and Walt Disney Studios.
Disney has announced a slew of upcoming live-action films, animated films, series and games at the three-day event (September 9-11), which will continue over the weekend. Here are the big announcements from Day 1 of D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Scheduled to release in 2024, this is a prequel to Disney’s 2019 live-action film The Lion King, directed by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins.
Jenkins is returning for the prequel as well. “Mufasa is the origin story of one of the greatest kings in the history of the private lands. The story is told in two different time frames.... It’s a story about how Mufasa rose to loyalty. We assume that he was just born into his lineage, but it was actually an orphan who had to navigate the world alone by himself. We get to experience the real journey of how Mufasa found his place in the circle of life,” Jenkins said at the D23 Expo, according to a PTI report.
Inside Out 2
The sequel to Pixar’s Inside Out is slated for release in the summer of 2024. Amy Poehler will be back as the voice of Joy in Inside Out 2. The animated film has been written by Meg LeFauve and is being directed by Kelsey Mann.
The 2015 original film directed by Peter Docter, followed a little girl, Riley, and her experience of different emotions as she grows up, which were personified as joy, sadness, fear, anger and disgust. Inside Out 2 will again focus on Riley, now a middle-school student adapting to her family’s move from Minnesota to San Francisco.
Wish
Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed the first look of their animated film, Wish. The film, about how the iconic wishing star came to be, features Ariana DeBose (of West Side Story and Hamilton fame) in the lead role of Asha.
Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn, Wish will feature all-new songs by Julia Michaels and is set to release in November 2023.
Strange World
Disney unveiled a new poster of its animated film, Strange World. Headlined by Jake Gyllenhaal, the film is set to hit theatres on November 23, 2022.
The studio posted on Instagram: “Get lost in this very STRANGE new look at Disney’s #StrangeWorld and see the movie in theaters on November 23, 2022.”
Iwájú
Disney Animation and Kugali’s upcoming original series Iwájú was also dropped. A ‘journey into a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria’ is what the all-new original series promises for 2023.
Elio
Pixar’s upcoming movie Elio, directed by Adrian Molina, stars America Ferrera as Olga Solis and Yonas Kibreab in the title role of Elio. Elio is a boy ‘who finds himself transported across the galaxy and mistaken for the intergalactic ambassador for our planet Earth’, wrote Disney and Pixar on Instagram. The film lands in 2024.
Elemental
The first poster of Disney and Pixar’s animated film Elemental is also out. The film will arrive at cinemas on June 16, 2023.
The studio also shared an exclusive first look of the characters Ember and Wade, played by Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie, respectively.
Snow White
Disney’s new Snow White film stars West Side Story’s Rachel Zegler and Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot. This is the latest remake of Disney’s 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which established Walt Disney as the pioneer of grand animation on the big screen. White will hit the theatres in 2024.
Win or Lose
Pixar’s upcoming animated series on baseball, Win or Lose, will have The Last Man on Earth actor Will Forte as Coach Dan. Win or Lose will be streaming on Disney+ in 2023.
You can stream the D23 Expo event here: https://d23expo.com/
