D23, the definitive Disney fan event, did things differently this year with their entertainment showcase. Rather than spread it out over the course of two days at the Anaheim Convention, they held their signature event at the Honda Expo, which is only a few miles away from where the expo was being held. This meant Disney could hold a larger crowd and take advantage of the studio’s sound system and visual technology. Disney’s Chief Executive Office, Bob Iger was welcomed to a roaring crowd and gave opening remarks about the studio’s responsibilities to entertain while also inspiring creativity.
DISNEY ANIMATION
MOANA 2
The event kicked off with a powerful performance from Moana 2 stars Auli’i Cravalho, who sang about going home and returning to who they should be. Moana is also a big sister. She tells her new sibling about their ancestors and how they traveled across the ocean to connect with other islands. But when a new curse arrives and threatens their island, Moana takes it upon herself to go on a quest to prevent her home’s destruction. Along the way, she is joined by the shapeshifting and fishhook wielding demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) and some new friends. They’ll also encounter the Kakamora. Moana 2 opens in theaters on November 27, 2024
MONSTER JAM
Johnson stage on the stage for a bit to announce his next live-action project Monster Jam. It’s a love letter to monster trucks and those who drive them. According to the multitalented actor from the point of view of “these incredible monster trucks and their eccentric owners.”
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH
The showcase then went from monsters to aliens, specifically the Na’vi. Director James Cameron came all the way from New Zealand to share some new concept art the the official title of the third Avatar film, Avatar: Fire and Ash. Like all sequels, there will be new characters and villains. According to the director, “there are new cultures and settings and creatures, and new biomes. You will see a lot more of Pandora, the planet, that you’ve never seen before.” Avatar: Fire and Ash opens in theaters on December 19th, 2025.
PIXAR
DREAM PRODUCTIONS
During the Pixar portion of the showcase, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter shared some new footage from Dream Productions, an Inside Out spinoff series that focuses on the mind workers creating new dream content for Riley. The series is set between the events of Inside Out and Inside Out 2. Dream Productions debuts 2025.
WIN OR LOSE
Pixar’s first long-form animated series will get its premiere on Saturday but showcase attendees got a small look at what to expect. Win or Lose features the voice talent of Will Arnett and follows a team’s determination to win baseball games despite the odds being stacked against them. The first episode drops December 2026.
HOPPERS
Hoppers, a new Pixar original, follows a young girl, Mabel (Piper Curda), who can transfer her mind into a robot beaver. The film also features the voices of King George (Bobby Moynihan) – who is king of the beavers. Together Mabel and King George have to fight Mayor Jerry (Jon Hamm). Hoppers debuts spring 2026.
TOY STORY 5
Andrew Staton returns to the studio and visual format that launched his career. Though they couldn’t show any new footage, the director dropped a few details about the sequel that is currently in development. According to him, the film centers around the toys facing off against their worst enemy: technology. To make things worse, there are about 50 Buzz Lightyears who are stuck on toy mode. It releases in 2026.
ELIO
The panel went from playing with toys to spending time with aliens. In Elio (Yonas Kibreab), Elio is an underdog with an active imagination, who finds himself representing Earth when an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide assemble together. Elio hits theaters on June 13, 2025.
THE INCREDIBLES 3
Before the Pixar panel concluded, Docter confirmed that The Incredibles 3 is happening and Brad Bird will direct. No release date has been announced.
ZOOTOPIA 2
Ginnfer Goodwin stopped by to confirm that “Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan will join Zootopia 2 as Gary, a slithery snake. The sequel will introduce Reptiles to the franchise and visit new districts like the Marsh Market.
Frozen III
Jennifer Lee took to the stage to drop a little tease about Frozen III and Frozen IV, which is said to answer the pages of questions people are asking about.
STAR WARS
Star Wars Skeleton Crew
Star Wars Skeleton Crew combines the Amblin spirit of films like the Goonies and E.T. with the energy of Star Wars. It follows a group of adventerous young kids who find themselves launching themselves into space and looking for a way back home. Along their quest they run into some mean pirates and a Jedi (Jude Law) in hiding. “I love most about this series is that it is told through the perspective of the kids as they explore curious and dangerous worlds beyond their own, unsure how and who they can trust,” Law said.
ANDOR
It was Diego Luna’s to head to the stage to talk about Andor season 2. He was just as shocked as anyone else to learn that he’s been playing the character for the past 10 years, and was just as excited to bring his story to its conclusion or at least bridge the gap between Season 2 and Rogue One. He then showed a sizzle reel that revealed our first looks at Ben Mendelsohn as Krenic and Alan Tudyk voicing the droid K-2S0.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau took to stage to talk about The Mandalorian & Grogu. The film is in the midst of production, but the two did share a brief recap reel of the titular characters adventures across the galaxy which then turned into a full on first look at the upcoming film. In it, we see Din (voiced by Pedro Pascal) and Grogu with Zeb, Grogu crawling in a pipe, the two trying to slide down a snow mountain with what looks like a crude AT-AT, and Snowtroopers. And as a last little comedic jab, we see Grogu play with Anzellans.
MARVEL STUDIOS
Captain America: Brave New World/Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Marvel Studios panel kicked off with some footage from Captain America: Brave New World and Fanastic Four: First Steps. Though it was the same footage that was shown at the San Diego Comic-Con. Captain America: Brave New World debuts February 14, 2025, while The Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025.
Ironheart
Black Panther: Wankanda Forever director Ryan Coogler took the stage to talk about Ironheart. The new series centers on Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) who has trouble adjusting to her new life as a student at MIT after spending her semester abroad. As if that wasn’t trouble enough, she is also on the verge of being expelled and is having difficulty finding the funds to build her new suit. The series also stars Anthony Ramos, Alden Ehrenreich, Lyric Ross, Matthew Elam, Anji White, Manny Montana, and Shea Couleé.
Daredevil Born Again
Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) looks to return to the court room while defending the Hell’s Kitchen’s innocent from the likes of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) The series also brings back Jon Bernthal as the Punisher, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson. The series is expected to premiere on March 2025 exclusively on Disney+.
Agatha All Along
As expected, Kathryn Hahn stepped onto the stage with her fellow coven, I mean castmates, and led them into a harmonous song, or was it an alluring chant. Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Paul Adelstein, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Okwui Okpokwasili, Debra Jo Rupp, Patti LuPone, and Aubrey Plaza also star. The series is set to drop this September.
Freakier Friday
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan took to the stage to confirm that the Freaky Friday sequel wouldn’t be called Freaky Friday 2, and will be known by Freakier Friday. According to them it will be freakier but also more emotional. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the sequel is expected to debut in 2025.
Lilo and Stitch
Lilo and Stitch looks even more fluffy in live-action. Though the footage shown was mostly from his mischievous perspective, experiment 626 then broke out onto the screen to announce the film opens in theaters in spring 2025.
Snow White
Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot walked on the stage to share a first look at Snow White. The footage saw Zegler with the seven dwarves cleaning house while singing Whistle While You Work.
Tron Ares
Jeff Bridges, Jared Leto, Evan Peters, and Greta Lee all took to the stage to share a first look at the upcoming Tron Ares, which will feature a new score composed by Nine Inch Nails. Bridges returns to play Kevin Flynn. Leto plays Ares, a program from the Grid who is sent to the real world. Lee plays Eve, a highly skilled programmer who makes first contact with Ares. Even Peters plays Dillinger, as as every Tron fan knows, anyone who comes from the Dillinger family is abound to cause trouble for Flynn and anyone else who lives in the grid.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Director Barry Jenkins was joined by Lin-Manuel Miranda to unveil a new song from Mufasa: The Lion King. The two shared some plot details about the forthcoming prequel which follows an orphan Mufasa’s rise to be king of the Pridelands, and how that it affected Taka (Scar) who was originally heir to the throne. Mufasa: The Lion King opens in theaters on December 20, 2024.
