Walt Disney Studios held two major presentations at their D23 Expo in Anaheim, California this weekend. Here’s the biggest news!
Want to read all the theme park news? Check out this report.
Live Action
- The live-action Dumbo has been dated for March 29, 2019.
- Disney dropped the first trailer for A Wrinkle in Time, directed by Ava DuVernay. The cast is led by Storm Reid (Meg Murry), as well as Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Chris Pine. The film looks incredible:
- We got some further updates on Mary Poppins. The film will take place 20 years after the original, during the Great Depression. Ben Wishaw is an adult Michael Banks, while Emily Mortimer is playing Jane. Mary Poppins will return to the family during some dire financial struggles.
- The main cast of Disney’s live action adaptation of Aladdin has finally been revealed — despite earlier reports that they were having difficulties casting the lead roles. Mena Massoud will play the titular Aladdin, with Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Will Smith officially announced as the Genie. No word on who will be taking on the role of Jafar as of yet. The film will draw from 1,001 Arabian Nights, as well as the original Disney animated film.
- There wasn’t much to share on the Star Wars side. Kathleen Kennedy is still in London, overseeing the Han Solo movie, so updates weren’t forthcoming on the recent shake-ups concerning the next spinoff. The biggest tidbit dropped was by John Boyega, who suggested that Finn will be facing down Phasma at some point during The Last Jedi. That’d make some sense, especially with the glimpse of Finn and Rose undercover in First Order uniforms in the latest Behind the Scenes video:
Go behind the scenes of Star Wars: #TheLastJedi. In theaters December 15. pic.twitter.com/5hFtptIrmJ
— Star Wars (@starwars) July 15, 2017
(You might need a few tissues for this one. We still miss you, Carrie…)
- With San Diego Comic-Con coming up, Marvel news was very light. Other than a confirmation that nearly all the heroes we’ve seen in the MCU thus far will be making an appearance, there was nothing new to share. They’re likely saving all the big stuff for next week. We did, however, get another behind the scenes video with some brief glimpses at Infinity War — though it hasn’t made its way online.
Brief highlights: Thor crashes into the Milano, Loki presents Thanos with the Tesseract, the Collector’s lair is destroyed with Gamora crying amid the rubble, Thanos calls upon meteors to rain down on everyone. And, most importantly, Steve has a beard!
Animation
Pixar Chief Creative Executive John Lasseter helmed the animation presentation on Friday, July 14. Here’s what we learned:
- Toy Story 4 will now be under the sole direction of Josh Cooley (the direction of the Inside Out “Riley’s First Date” short). The fourquel was previously co-directed by Toy Story and Toy Story 2 helmer John Lasseter.
- A new Pixar original was announced. Monsters University director Dan Scanlon will helm a movie “set in a world with no humans —
only elves, trolls and sprites. He said, “In the film, we’re going to tell the story of two teenage elf brothers whose father died when they were too young to remember him. But thanks to the little magic still left in the world, the boys embark on a quest that will allow them a chance to spend one last magical day with their father.” - Wreck-it Ralph 2 will feature a sequence in which Vanellope von Schweetz (Sarah Silverman) interacts with most of the classic Disney Princesses, who will be voiced by the original actresses. They include: Auli‘i Cravalho (Moana), Kristen Bell (Anna in Frozen), Kelly MacDonald (Merida in Brave), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel in Tangled), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in The Princess and the Frog), Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Linda Larkin (Jasmine in Aladdin), Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast) and Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid). Read more here!
- New details were announced about The Incredibles 2. The new movie “puts the family into an expanded universe that includes new allies and a brand-new villain.”
“Incredibles 2 is really a family film, it’s just that the family happens to have super powers,” said director Brad Bird. “They may have super speed or super strength, but they experience the same problems as any family.”
“Bob’s actually home with the kids this time and I’m the one out fighting crime,” added Holly Hunter, who voices Mrs. Incredible.
