This past weekend, Walt Disney’s biggest fan convention, D23, took place in Anaheim, California. This convention brings first-looks, exciting experiences, new merchandise and more.
This year was the first convention since 2019, when Disney Plus was first announced, as well as the company’s 100-year-anniversary. Here’s some of the upcoming projects Disney has in store.
Black Panther
New footage of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was unveiled at the convention. The movie is set to be released later this year on Nov. 11. Footage showed Romonda, played by Angela Bassett, speaking at an international event, denying the request to share vibranium with the rest of the world.
Later on, Wakanda’s female warriors stop thieves from stealing the precious metal. The film’s story changed after Boseman’s passing, and is now seen as a “love letter” to the late actor.
Derrick Boseman accepted the Disney Legends Award at D23 on behalf of his brother.
Marvel
Marvel president Kevin Feige presented several new films at the convention.
“Captain America: New World Order” is set to release in 2024, with Anthony Mackie as the new Cap. They also released the movie’s official name and logo.
“New Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” footage was shown, generating excitement for Marvel’s 5th phase.
“The Thunderbolts” cast was revealed, featuring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbor, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, and Hannah John-Kamen.
The Little Mermaid
An extended clip of the new live-action “Little Mermaid” was revealed on Friday. In the clip, Ariel, played by Halle Bailey, sits in her cove and sings a line of “Part of Your World.”
As soon as Bailey was cast several months ago, the internet was in uproar. The casting was met with racist backlash, but the film will be released May 26, 2023.
Avatar 2
The highly anticipated “Avatar” sequel will be released in Dec. 2022.
James Cameron shared scenes from “Avatar: the Way of Water” on Saturday. Cameron did not provide any context for the following clips in the introduction, leaving much of the story unclear, despite fans who have waited for 13 years since the last film was released.
Specific technology used to shoot scenes underwater was developed just for Cameron and this film, so fans’ are hopeful.
Indiana Jones
The fifth, and final, installment of the “Indiana Jones” series remains untitled. A new trailer shown at D23 revealed a bit of the story. It was described as action packed, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge playing Indiana Jones’ goddaughter.
Harrison Ford, who played Indiana Jones in the series, described this film as his send off to Indiana Jones. He made a guest appearance at the convention to present the trailer. There, he promised that “this one is fantastic.”
The movie is set to release in June 2023.
More Movies
Some more new movies presented at D23 are “Snow White,” a live-action remake, a star-studded “Haunted Mansion,” a sequel to “Hocus Pocus,” and a live-action Peter Pan film called “Peter Pan & Wendy.”
Animated Features
Several new animated films were announced. “Wish” is a musical about a kingdom of wishes, described as the Disney Wishing Star’s origin story. The Disney Animation Studios film achieved the visuals of 3D characters with a 2D feel, as seen in the first look. A release date has not been announced yet.
Pixar’s “Inside Out” is getting a sequel in 2024. Amy Pohler visited D23 to confirm this news. The movie will follow protagonist Riley as a teenager, and new emotions she must adjust to.
“Elemental” is a new romance film, following a girl made of fire and a boy made of water living in Element City. Pixar shared a work-in-progress trailer at the convention, with June 2023 as its release date.
“Elio” is a movie about an 11-year-old boy who makes contact with aliens. The extraterrestrial beings beam him up to space and name him Ambassador of the Universe. Pixar shared some character drawings from the movie’s production, and is to release in Spring 2024.
TV Series
Disney released some exciting news about their upcoming television series.
“Mandalorian” is back with season 3. The show’s cast came on stage to share exclusive clips of the new season, as well as a first-look at the trailer. This season follows the Mandalorian, the Child, and Din Djarin. Season 3 premieres on Disney Plus in Feb. 2023.
Another series coming to Disney Plus is “Percy Jackson & The Olympians,” a show based on Rick Riordan’s book series. The show is long awaited by fans. A teaser trailer was released at D23, and the show is expected to begin streaming in 2024.
Disney Parks
The D23 Expo also includes the company’s parks.
Talks about a redesign for Splash Mountain have been circulating for years, but D23 finally unveiled the model for its new design. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be centered around the bayou featured in “The Princess and the Frog”, and concept art showed a lavish floral exterior, including each character from the film.
This redesign is expected to hit the company’s parks in 2024.
