Disney Investor Day was chock full of exciting announcements and while most of the upcoming content announced will unsurprisingly be heading to Disney Plus, Walt Disney Pictures did have news on theatrical releases that fans can look forward to. With live-action adaptations, prequels, and more the next couple years look to be exciting and hopefully these films will be able to be experienced in theaters when it is safe.
WALT DISNEY MOTION PICTURES THEATRICAL RELEASES
The action-adventure film based on the classic Disney ride, Jungle Cruise, is set to hit theaters in July 2021. Starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as well as Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti, Jungle Cruise film looks to follow in the footsteps of the Pirates Of The Caribbean.
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The cast for the live-action The Little Mermaid was shared and it looks like a star studded classic in the making with, Halle Bailey as Ariel, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Awkwafina as Scuttle. The Rob Marshall directed live-action adaptation will not only feature music from the beloved animated film, but new music from the legendary Alan Menkin and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Cruella, a live action prequel of 101 Dalmatians, will show audiences the origins of Cruella with Emma Stone playing Estella aka Cruella who is plucked out of obscurity by Emma Thompson’s Baroness, the head of a prestigious fashion house. Cruella is directed by Craig Gillespie and set during 1970s punk rock London. Cruella is expected to hit theaters in 2021.
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There was an exciting announcement for fans of the 2019 live-action The Lion King, Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) is set to direct a prequel to the live-action blockbuster. Details were not shared as it’s still in development, but it looks like music will be provided by Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and Nicholas Britell. This won’t be the first time The Lion King franchise has explored a prequel story, but it will be interesting to see what the Moonlight director brings to audiences.
OTHER UPCOMING THEATRICAL RELEASES
There are a number of other theatrical releases to look forward to as well, without getting into the huge list of Phase Four Marvel films. Lucasfilm not only talked about the Star Wars film that Taika Waititi will be directing which was described as “fresh, unexpected, and unique”, but they also revealed the next Star Wars film set for theatrical release. Patty Jenkins will be directing Rogue Squadron which is set to hit theaters Christmas Day 2023.
There are also two non-Star Wars films that are coming out of Lucasfilm that are worth mentioning. The fifth and final installment of Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones is in preproduction and is expected to begin shooting in 2021. This Indiana Jones film will be directed by James Mangold and see the return of Harrison Ford to conclude Indy’s iconic journey. The final Indiana Jones film is scheduled to be released July 2022.
Lucasfilm is partnering with 20th Century Studios to bring Tomi Adeyemi’s New York Time’s bestselling novel to life with Children of Blood & Bone. Children of Blood & Bone will center around a young African girl’s quest to restore magic to the Magi, her people.
Walt Disney Animation Studios announced that Raya And The Last Dragon will hit theaters March 5, 2020 and be available on Disney Plus with Premiere access. Given the current state of the world this is not a surprising move. Walt Disney Animation Studios also officially announced their next film, Encanto with music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this film will focus on a magical family living in a magical home in Colombia. Pixar also announced three upcoming theatrical releases with Luca, Turning Red, and Lightyear. Lightyear will tell the origin story of the original Buzz Lightyear and star Chris Evans as the voice of the space ranger.
The Disney Investor Day Presentation was full of exciting news from Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and more. You can watch the full Disney Investors Day presentation here. Are you excited about the upcoming Disney movies and Disney Plus series? Which one is your favorite? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media.
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Source: Walt Disney Company
