Disney stirs anticipation amongst its fans by dropping trailers and first looks at their several upcoming projects, all within the first day of the D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California.
With most of their projects pushed back by the pandemic, Disney Live Action, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios finally reveal their calendar of upcoming animated and live-action films during the fan expo.
The Little Mermaid
The teaser for the live-action remake of the Disney classic offers the first glimpse into Halle Bailey’s Ariel. Halle, half of the Grammy-winning sibling-duo Chloe x Halle, teases fans with a preview of her rendition of the film’s theme song “Part of Your World.” “The Little Mermaid” opens in theaters on May 26, 2023.
Hocus Pocus 2
The nostalgic Halloween favorite is back with a sequel 29 years after its premiere. The Sanderson Sisters, with Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy reprising their roles, will cause trouble in modern-day Salem, Massachusetts once again. The Disney+ original film streams on September 30, 2022.
Disenchanted
Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel, the original cast of the 2007 musical “Enchanted,” reunites in its highly-anticipated sequel. The trailer reveals the titular, opposing theme of the sequel, in which good seemingly turns into wicked. “Disenchanted” streams on Disney+ starting November 24, 2022.
Peter Pan and Wendy
Disney is set to release another twist to J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan,” with Jude Law as Captain Hook, The Sun is Also a Star lead Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell, and newcomers Ever Anderson as Wendy and Alexander Molony as Peter Pan. The film streams on Disney+ on 2023.
Mufasa: The Lion King
“The Lion King” fans are in for a treat with filmmaker Barry Jenkins’ upcoming prequel. Jenkins revealed during the D23 expo that the film will follow Mufasa’s rise as king of the Pride Lands. The Disney original is scheduled for a 2024 release.
Snow White
Eighty-seven years after the debut of the animated film, Snow White is getting a live-action remake. “West Side Story’s” Rachel Zegler stars as the first-ever Disney princess, while Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot stars as the Evil Queen. The film arrives in theaters in 2024. (By Kynesha Robles)
