Disney Investor Day continues with Disney animation and Pixar! Dana Walden, Chairman of Entertainment, Walt Disney Television was in animated form at the Simpson’s house! She asked Homer what he learned from Disney+ and he said, “armed bounty hunters make excellent nannies.”! Then, “I would kill for Fat Thor’s body.” Very funny! A highlight was Beauty and the Beast: The Prequel Series with LeFou (Josh Gad) and Gaston (Luke Evans). The series will also have “all new music” from Alan Menken. There was no preview except for investors. Another series is Swiss Family Robinson from Ronald D. Moore, who also created Battlestar Galactica, and Jon M. Chu. The very popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians based on the Rick Riordan books is coming to Disney+. The Mysterious Benedict Society is set to debut in 2021. It is based on the “best selling young adult books” by Trenton Lee Stewart. The show features “smart orphans” with Tony Hale playing Mr. Benedict.
The next host was Sean Bailey from Walt Disney Production. He announced the Hocus Pocus 2 Disney+ sequel. Also from Touchstone was Three Men and a Baby set for 2022 release with Zach Efron. There is a film adaptation of Flora & Ulysses based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo. It follows “comic book fan” Flora Belle Buckman and her squirrel named Ulysses! In 2022, there is a new Cheaper by the Dozen from Kenya Barris which stars Gabrielle Union. Also an animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid series based on Jeff Kinney’s books. There is a number of adaptations, Disney should have a book program to tie into all of these series. From 20th Century Studios is Ice Age: Adventures of Buck Wild featuring possum brothers and Simon Pegg as Buck. Sean Levy is producing the animated Night at the Museum series. Jungle Cruise with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt comes out in July 2021. There is in development a Lion King prequel from director Barry Jenkins.
Rob Marshall is directing the live action Little Mermaid film with “all new songs from Alan Menken and Lin Manuel Miranda.” In spring 2022 is the Chip and Dale Rescue Rangers film with John Mulaney is Chip and Andy Samberg as Dale. There is a live action Pinocchio film from Robert Zemeckis starring Tom Hanks. It does feature the Disney songs, but the CG animation in Zemeckis films is awkward like Polar Express (2004). David Lowery, who directed Pete’s Dragon (2016), is working on Peter Pan & Wendy. It features Jude Law as Captain Hook and Yara Shahidi as Tinkerbell. There was an announcement of the Enchanted (2007) sequel, Disenchanted, with Amy Adams returning as Giselle. Another sequel, Sister Act 3, with Whoopi Goldberg returning as Deloris and the film is produced by Tyler Perry. Lastly, there is Cruella, about the “early days” of Estella played by Emma Stone with Emma Thompson in the cast. It is set in “1970’s punk rock London” and a preview was shown, but only to investors.
Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, showed the cast of Raya and the last Dragon, including Kelly Marie Tran as Raya and Awkwafina as the dragon Sisu. It will be in theaters and Disney+ premiere access (the Mulan treatment) March 5th. For original series, there is Baymax the Series described as a “continuation of the movie” with Baymax helping patients. This is set to open in Early 2022. Zootopia+ is a series that follows the arctic shrew, Fru Fru, the tiger dancers, and Flash, the sloth. It will open in Spring 2022. Another new series is Tiana in 2023, which is great if it features Anika Noni Rose, plus there is the tie-in with the Splash Mountain remodeling. In 2023, there is also another princess, Moana. An original series, Iwaju, which is a collaboration with Kugali Media, an African comics company set for 2022. It is a sci fi series set in Lagos, Nigeria. It is interesting to see a new vision of sci fi. Lastly, in Fall 2021, is Encanto, the 60th animation feature, from directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush. The film shows a magical family in Columbia with songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
For Pixar, the host was chief creative officer, Pete Docter. He showed a screen with the new Pixar filmmakers waving. Docter directed Soul which he says will open Christmas. A preview was shown with Joe (Jamie Foxx) teaching music and one student, Connie “getting lost” playing trumpet. Dug Days featured a clip with Dug now in suburbia given a box of puppies! An original series, Win or Lose, has 20 minute episodes showing the impressions of different characters in a middle school softball game. It is set for Fall 2023. The Pixar films include Luca set for June 2021. It has the director of the charming short, La Luna, Enrico Casarosa. The film is set in the Italian Riveria and has the adventures of Luca and his friend Alberto. In 2022, there is the original film, Turning Red, from the director of the short Bao, Domee Shi. It follows the growing up of Mei who “poofs into a giant Red Panda” when faced with problems, can’t wait! Summer 2022 gives us Lightyear, the “origin story of the Buzz Lightyear toy”, with Chris Evans voicing the test pilot turned Space Ranger! He is the hero that the Buzz Lightyear toy was based on. There is a number of films and television programs to look for to in theaters and Disney+!
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