ANAHEIM, Calif. Disney delighted fans at the D23 convention with a series of thrilling announcements, showcasing upcoming films and television series, including much-anticipated sequels like “Moana 2,” “Toy Story 5,” and “Incredibles 3.”
The event, held at the Honda Center, kicked off with a standing ovation for Disney CEO Bob Iger. “The world needs to be entertained maybe even more so now than ever before and we take that responsibility seriously,” Iger stated before unveiling exciting new projects from the “Avatar,” “Toy Story,” and “Incredibles” franchises.
In a surprise performance, Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, stars of the original “Moana,” energized the crowd with a live song featuring drummers and dancers in costume. Both actors will reprise their roles in “Moana 2,” set for release on November 27. Johnson, who mentioned his daughters were in the audience, expressed his enthusiasm for the film and its continuation. The first full-length trailer for “Moana 2” was also released, introducing new characters and returning favorites, including Moana’s pet pig Pua and the Kakamora pirates.
Johnson also announced he would be involved in creating a live-action “Monster Jam” movie. However, there were no updates on his other Disney project, the live-action “Moana,” which is still in development.
In Star Wars news, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni teased the upcoming May 2026 film “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” showing a brief clip of the beloved characters embarking on a new adventure. Jude Law also announced the Disney+ series “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,” set to debut on December 3. “I fell in love with ‘Star Wars’ when I was a 10-year-old boy,” Law said, presenting footage from the coming-of-age show.
Updates on other major Disney projects included Pixar’s announcement of “The Incredibles 3” and “Toy Story 5.” Pixar Animation Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter confirmed the third installment of “The Incredibles” is in development. Andrew Stanton, director of the first two “Toy Story” films, will return for “Toy Story 5,” which will explore the theme of toys versus technology and is set for release in summer 2026.
Jennifer Lee, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, shared concept art from “Frozen III,” slated for 2027, featuring Anna, Elsa, and Olaf facing an ominous new threat. James Cameron and actors Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington introduced “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the third film in the “Avatar” series, offering glimpses of Pandora through new concept art. Cameron assured fans, “The new film is not what you expect, but it’s definitely what you want.”
Fans also received a preview of “Zootopia 2,” coming to theaters in November 2025, with Ginnifer Goodwin announcing Ke Huy Quan will join the cast as a snake.
Marvel’s updates included a look at “Ironheart,” starring Dominique Thorne and Anthony Ramos, with a first look at the series. Feige also teased the new “Fantastic Four” film with a retro 1960s aesthetic.
Musical moments included a preview of “Mufasa: The Lion King,” featuring a new song by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot showcased the live-action “Snow White,” arriving in March 2025, with new songs by Benji Pasek and Justin Paul.
Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan announced the title for their “Freaky Friday” sequel, “Freakier Friday,” sharing initial images from the film.
Pixar’s announcements included the original film “Hoppers” and the upcoming “Elio,” starring Yonas Kibreab and featuring Zoe Saldaña. “Elio” is set for a June 13, 2025 release. Pixar is also launching two new series on Disney+, “Dream Productions” and “Win or Lose,” with “Win or Lose” set to premiere on December 6.
Disney’s D23 convention showcased a diverse lineup of projects, promising to keep fans entertained with new stories and beloved characters.
Paraluman P. Funtanilla
Paraluman P. Funtanilla is Tutubi News Magazine's Marketing Specialist and is a Contributing Editor. She finished her degree in Communication Arts in De La Salle Lipa. She has worked as a Digital Marketer for start-up businesses and small business spaces for the past two years. She has earned certificates from Coursera on Brand Management: Aligning Business Brand and Behavior and Viral Marketing and How to Craft Contagious Content. She also worked with Asia Express Romania TV Show.
