D23, the biggest fan event, has kicked off on Friday 14th August in Anaheim, California. This is a big event in any Disney fan's diary and one we would love to attend. Sadly this year we are not there, so we are glued to the livestreams to find out about all the new and exciting things coming to Disney in the coming years.
The first one we watched was the D23 Entertainment Showcase, and it did not disappoint.
The one for us: The Greatest Showman is coming to London
We will start here, because this is the announcement that matters most if you are reading from the UK. The Greatest Showman is being turned into a stage musical, and it opens at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London from spring 2027. The showcase marked it with a live performance of Come Alive, complete with gymnasts, which is not something we expected to be reporting from a Disney film panel.
Drury Lane is a proper West End house, and having a new Disney Theatrical production land there rather than on Broadway first is a genuinely nice bit of news for anyone within reach of London.
Pixar
The Incredibles 3 arrives in summer 2028. Violet and Dash are sneaking out at night to prove they are ready to be full Supers, Edna Mode is back, and there is a new villain waiting for the family.
Coco 2 follows in November 2029. Miguel is a teenager now and heading back to the Land of the Dead, with Benjamin Bratt returning as Ernesto de la Cruz, this time out for revenge.
Ghost Market is a new Pixar original for spring 2028 and the studio's first ghost film. A young boy finds his way into a hidden market at the crossroads of the living and the dead.
Gatto arrives in March 2027, with another look at the hand-painted style and the canals of Venice.
Kingdom Hearts IV lands in late 2027 with a world inspired by Coco, so the Land of the Dead becomes somewhere you can actually explore.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
The next part of the presentation was from the creative and fabulous team at Walt Disney Animation Studios.
And they did not disappoint either, with four new films on their way. Zootopia 3 is officially in the works, Clay is a new original animated film for November 2028, and Hexed arrives this November.
However the one which I am most excited about is Frozen 3, scheduled for 24 November 2027. This section was probably my favourite part of the Disney Animation segment as Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad all appeared, along with a first showing from the film footage which points to a royal wedding. But the best part by far was Josh Gad performing Olaf's new song called Samantha. Without giving away spoilers, Frozen 3 really does look like being one film not to miss.
Live action and 20th Century
Live action and 20th Century came next, with more exciting announcements, including a new Simpsons Movie in September 2027, Ice Age: Boiling Point on 5 February 2027, The Bluey Movie on 6 August 2027, and the one which made us squeal, Lilo & Stitch 2 on 28 May 2028, with Angel joining the live action films. Anne Hathaway also made an appearance with an update on The Princess Diaries 3.
There was also an update on the Tangled live action movie, out on 31 March 2028, with Kathryn Hahn, who is cast as Mother Gothel, making an appearance.
Disney+ and television
On the television side, Percy Jackson and the Olympians returns for a third season on 20 November adapting The Titan's Curse, Ahsoka season two follows on 20 January 2027, Kingdom Hearts is becoming an original anime series for the Disney Channel and Disney+, and Camp Rock 3 is confirmed, with the Jonas Brothers back on stage to introduce the new campers.
The one we will be watching for is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, back in a three part miniseries in February 2027. Jon Favreau called it a dream project, and it leans on traditional hand drawn 2D animation, with veteran Disney animators brought back in to work on it.
Marvel Studios
Marvel brought VisionQuest, arriving on Disney+ on 14 October with Paul Bettany back as Vision and James Spader returning as Ultron, and Avengers: Doomsday, in cinemas on 18 December. Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell appeared with new footage, and Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds crashed the segment with a pitch to get Wolverine and Deadpool added to the film. Kevin Feige did not exactly say yes.
X-Men was the finale, and it is real. The film arrives on 5 May 2028, directed by Jake Schreier, who made Thunderbolts. And the cast includes Sadie Sink who made her debut in the MCU universe as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. This was followed by what can be described as one of the biggest surprises of the night. Adam Driver turned up by video to reveal he is playing Mister Sinister.
Star Wars
Star Wars: Starfighter got its first proper look and arrives on 28 May 2027, timed to the fiftieth anniversary of the original film. Ryan Gosling appeared alongside director Shawn Levy to confirm he plays Kade Auberon.
We will update this piece if any of the dates shift, because they always do.
With all this excitement already, we cannot wait to see what comes next. The next big presentation is the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, covering the parks and attractions, and that is the one we are really waiting for.
