It has been a very busy weekend for the Disney/Pixar teams. Fans were treated to a lot of news, sneak peeks, trailers and star-studded presentations at the first day of the D23 fan event on Friday. The three-hour-long showcase offered news and reveals about the studio’s upcoming animated features Disney’s Moana 2 and Frozen 3, Pixar’s Zootopia 2 and Toy Story 5, the upcoming Inside Out TV series, and the animated/”live-action” versions of Mufasa: The Lion King, Snow White and Stitch, among others.
- A new trailer reveal for the studio’s Nov. 27 release Moana 2 kicked off the packed fan event in Anaheim. The presentation received an enthusiastic response when stars Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson—together on the D23 stage for the first time ever—shared it with the audience. Cravalho wowed the audience with a live performance of one of the film’s new songs, “We’re Back,” with dancers and drummers from Nonosina Polynesia under the direction of Tiana Liufau—who contributed animation reference choreography to Moana and Johnson led the audience in a rousing “chee hoo!” chant.
- Also revealed were additional voice cast, including returning stars Rachel House (Moana’s Grandma, Tala), Temuera Morrison (Moana’s father, Chief Tui) and Nicole Scherzinger (Moana’s mother, Sina). The film also features the voices of Hualālai Chung, David Fane and Rose Matafeo as Moana’s new crew members Moni, Kele and Loto, respectively. Awhimai Fraser voices mysterious new character Matangi; Gerald Ramsey plays Moana’s ancestor, Tautai Vasa; and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda lends her voice to Moana’s adoring and adorable little sister, Simea.
- Pixar chief Pete Docter greeted a cheerful crown and revealed some exciting news about the studio’s blockbuster sequel, Inside Out 2, which has grossed over $1.561 billion worldwide. Not surprisingly, the Emmeryville, Cal. Company is working on a Disney+ spinoff series called Dream Productions. Docter said the movie is set in the studio where Riley’s dream are made every night and shared a brief clip where Joy gave a tour of the dream studio with all the emotions hard at work to create a big dream for the young girl. The four-episode show is created by Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell), written and directed by Mike Jones and produced by Jaclyn Simon, and features the voices of Richard Ayoade, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Alli Maki, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith.
- Cowboy Woody and the rest of his pals will be coming back to the big screen! Docter also revealed that Toy Story 5 is in the works, and writer-director Andrew Stanton (Wall-E, Finding Nemo) is coming back to helm the new project. This time around, it’s Toy meets Tech when Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang’s jobs get exponentially harder as they go head to head with this all-new threat to playtime. Co-directed by McKenna Harris and produced by Jessica Choi, the movie opens in theaters on June 19, 2026.
- Oscar-winning director Brad Bird is also returning to the storied studio to direct a third outing of the studio’s superhero family, The Incredibles. The Oscar-winning director will direct Incredibles 3 after he wraps his Skydance animated features, Ray Gunn. The first two Incredibles movies grossed $1.87 billion worldwide.
- Following Toy Story 5, Pixar will be releasing a new movie called Hoppers, featuring the voices of Jon Hamm, Bobby Moynihan and Piper Curda in March of 2026. The original pic will introduce Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic animal: an adorable beaver. The filim is directed by Daniel Chong and produced by Nicole Paradis Grindle
Pixar also revealed some news about Elio, it’s summer of 2025 movie, which was originally slated for 2024, but was delayed due to the industry strikes of 2023. Zoe Saldanha has now joined the voice cast of the original movie, which follows a young boy who finds himself beamed up to an interplanetary organization where he’s selected as Earth’s official ambassador to other galaxies. The synopsis reads, “Completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric aliens, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be!” The studio’s 29th movie is directed by Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi and Adrian Molina, and features the voices of America Ferrera (Elio’s mom), Jameela Jamil (Ambassadro Questa), Brad Garrett (Ambassador Grigon) and Jonas Kibreab (Elio). Disney will release Elio on June 13, 2025.
- Pete Docter revealed the official launch date of Pixar’s first original series Win or Lose which begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ on Dec. 6, 2024. Directed, written and executive produced by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates, and produced by David Lally, the new series reveals what it feels like to be in the shoes of eight different characters—the insecure kids, their helicopter parents, even a lovesick umpire—as they prepare for a championship softball game. Will Forte lends his voice to the coach.
- Win or Lose premieres on Disney+ this December.
- Disney shared a clip from Zootopia 2, which is scheduled to hit theaters on Nov. 26, 2025. The film’s star Ginnifer Goodwin introduced the clip, noting, “The Bunny is back! Zootopia’ is my happy place and I am so ready for the world to see this crazy new adventure.” The sequel to the Oscar-winning 2016 movie will see the return of Mr Big, Clawhauser and Flash the Sloth. It will also include a “creepy, slithery, highly venomous viper” named Gary, which is voiced by Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones, Loki)J. Jared Bush wrote and directs the sequel, which will feature the voices of Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin as Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, who are investigating a new case. The movie is written by and produced by Jennifer Lee and Yvett Merino.
- Disney’s CCO Jennifer Lee was also on hand to treat fans to a beautiful new concept art from the upcoming Frozen III Created by artist Britney Lee, the image showed Elsa on a white Horse and Anna and Olaf trailing her on a brown stag as an ominous dark figure wearing a Viking helmet watches them from a distance. The hugely popular Frozen movies have grossed over $2.76 billion worldwide and won two Oscars. “Coming out of Frozen 2, we still have some questions. A lot of questions, actually,” said Lee. “Now you see why we need two films to tell the story!” Hmmm, sounds like Frozen IV may also be in the works. No letting go, indeed!
- Disney also revealed a new trailer for its live-action hybrid movie, Snow White (2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbiPcMCz0Ek
- And here’s a sneak peek at the live-action/hybrid movie Lilo & Stitch (which comes out in the summer of 2025) (Image courtesy of IGN). Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), the movie stars Tia Carrere, Billy Magnussen, Zack Galiafianakis and Courtney B. Vance.
- Disney on Broadway also celebrated its 30th anniversary with a thrilling medley of performances and exclusive announcements from its hit stage musicals. Highlights included The Lion King, Aladdin and Hercules which will open in London’s West End in summer 2025. The event also featured news about The Greatest Showman, currently in development for a stage musical adaptation, and Frozen, which was filmed on stage and will premiere on Disney+ in 2025. Samantha Barks, who will star as Elsa, dazzled the audience with a powerful rendition of “Let It Go.”
- Among the trailers shared for live-action Marvel and LucasFilm shows at D23 were new teasers for Agatha All Along and The Skeleton Crew. See below:
