At the 2024 D23 Expo, Disney confirmed several movies slated for release in the coming years. With loads of titles, the studio has been settled for a few years as it also has Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Marvel slates under its wings, but several movies under the parent company have also created a splendid buzz. Here are upcoming movies Disney has slated for release.
Moana 2
The second installment of Disney’s animated movie Moana is set to hit theaters nearly eight years later. Moana 2 will take fans on a new oceanic voyage with Moana and Maui. Auli’i Cravalho plays Moana and Dwayne Johnson is reprising his role as Maui.
David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller are set to helm the movie, which is slated for a November 27 release this year.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Mufasa: The Lion King is another highly anticipated Disney project, with Barry Jenkins directing the movie. The upcoming animated musical tale of Mufasa comes from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson, which is based on The Lion King saga.
Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., John Kani, Seth Rogen, Donald Glover, Mads Mikkelsen, and several other stars are lending their voices for the movie alongside Blue Ivy Carter and her mother Beyoncé. Mufasa: The Lion King will hit theaters on December 20.
Snow White
Snow White made headlines after Rachel Zegler is set to lead the movie alongside Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Andrew Burnap has reportedly joined the live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs but he will play a new original character.
Marc Webb, who has 500 Days of Summer and the Amazing Spider-Man movies to his credit, directs the movie from a screenplay written by Barbie director Greta Gerwig alongside Erin Cressida Wilson and Dorothy Ann Blank. Snow White will be released on March 21 next year.
Elio
The new Pixar animated film Elio is interesting on several grounds. Yonas Kibrea will voice the primary character Elio alongside a roster of talented actors joining the film, including Zoe Saldaña, Jameela Jamil, and Brad Garrett.
Domee Shi, Madeline Sharafian, and Adrian Molina are set to direct the sci-fi adventure movie that follows Elio’s astonishing journey and communication with aliens after he was beamed up. Elio has a June 13, 2025, release date.
Tron: Ares
Tron: Ares is one of the highly anticipated movies from Disney. Joachim Rønning who previously directed Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and most recently Young Woman and the Sea, will sit on the director’s chair for Tron: Ares.
Jared Leto will lead the movie with Cameron Monaghan, Evan Peters, Jodie Turner-Smith, Gillian Anderson, and Greta Lee supporting the narrative. Tron: Ares is slated for release on October 10, 2025.
Zootopia 2
Byron Howard and Rich Moore’s animated comedy Zootopia claimed a stunning critical response and was a huge box-office success. Disney has finally announced the second installment to the blockbuster franchise at the D23 Expo.
Loki season 2 star Ke Huy Quan joins the cast of Zootopia 2, with Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin reprising their roles. Jared Bush writes and directs the sequel, which is slated for a November 26, 2025, release.
Lilo & Stitch
2002’s Lilo & Stitch is getting a live-action remake, with Dean Fleischer Camp on board to direct the movie from a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright.
The new Lilo & Stitch movie will star Naia Kealoha as Lilo and Sydney Elizebeth Agudong playing Nani. Zach Galifianakis and Billy Magnussen also joined the cast of the movie. The narrative follows the relationship between a lonely girl named Lilo and an alien named Stitch. Lilo & Stitch live-action is coming to theaters in the Summer of 2025.
Toy Story 5
Toy Story franchise is expanding with a brand new installment. Toy Story 4 was a huge success but the movie seemingly closed the chapter of the franchise. However, Disney is not done with the hit franchise, as the fifth installment of the huge movie series has already been confirmed, with Andrew Stanton set to direct.
Tim Allen will return to voice Buzz, with Tom Hanks reprising his role of Woody. Details of the plot of the movie are under wraps but Disney has set a release date of June 19, 2026.
Moana
Moana live-action (not to be confused with Moana 2) has also made a stunning buzz following the casting of newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia as Moana, replacing the original actor in the animated franchise, Auli’i Carvalho. However, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson will return to his role as Maui.
John Tui will play Moana’s father, Chief Tui, alongside Frankie Adams as her mother Sina and Rena Owen as her grandmother Tala. Thomas Kail will direct the highly anticipated movie, that is slated for release on July 10, 2026.
Frozen 3
Franchise director Jennifer Lee revealed that Frozen 3 and the fourth film of the movie series are being developed simultaneously, as she detailed in a conversation with Fandango following the movie’s D23 announcement. The Frozen franchise will continue even after Frozen 3. The third installment is expected to open in theaters on November 24, 2027. However, details of the plot of the movie have not been revealed yet.
Upcoming Disney movies without a release date
Disney is allegedly working on a number of films as well, though the release dates have not yet been set. There will apparently be a live-action adaptation of The Aristocats. The title villain in Cruella 2 is anticipated to be played by Oscar-winning Emma Stone again, however, there hasn’t been any official confirmation as of yet.
A live-action Hercules is reportedly in early development, with Guy Ritchie set to direct with Russo Brothers on the production front. Details of the movie are under wraps. Pirates of the Caribbean reboot has been in the hype as reports suggest that two separate Pirates of the Caribbean movies are being planned at Disney—one with Barbie star Margot Robbie and another potential reboot following the saga. But sadly, the franchise star and soul of the blockbuster movie series, Johnny Depp, is unlikely to return to the reboot.
Whoopi Goldberg’s comedy Sister Act 3 is reportedly planned for an exclusive Disney+ release. Three Men and a Baby reboot with Zac Efron may also debut on the streamer. Finally, Untitled Tower of Terror movie starring Scarlett Johansson was reported to be in development in 2021 but so far, there has been no new update on the movie.
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