Disney’s D23 announcements – The Force Awakens, Toy Story 4, Doctor Strange, Finding Dory and more!

If you felt that Comic-Con didn’t lift the lid on Disney’s upcoming works enough than D23 is for you. The expo of all things Disney enlightened us on all of their properties from Star Wars to Pixar to Marvel and all of the studio’s very own animated and live action features. Sadly there’s been no word on the likes of in the works projects such as Wreck-It Ralph 2, Frozen 2 or proposed remakes of Dumbo and Pinocchio. Firstly…

Pixar!

After critical and commercial triumph of Inside Out, the studio is rolling out its slate of six upcoming movies. The Good Dinosaur will tell the story of an alternate reality where humans are the Earth’s secondary species and dinosaurs still rule. It comes from director Peter Sohn (Partly Cloudy) and stars Anna Paquin (X-Men), Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale), Steve Zahn (Dallas Buyers Club) and Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading). November 25th 2015

Thirteen years after Finding Nemo, Finding Dory will pick up with the characters of the previous instalment when Dory finds herself in a marine study institute. Newly announced cast members include Hayden Rolence (Whom I Fear), Ed O’Neill (Modern Family) and Kaitlin Olson (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia). Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) and Angus MacLane (Toy Story of Terror) direct the cast of Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen), Albert Brooks (Drive), Diane Keaton (The Godfather), Eugene Levy (American Pie), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Dominic West (The Wire), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim) and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man). June 17th 2016

Toy Story 4 is also on the way and a teaser poster graced and it was revealed that it will focus on a love story between Woody and Bo Peep. John Lasseter (Toy Story 1-2) and Josh Cooley (George and AJ) direct while we expect Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump), Joan Cusack (Say Anything) and Tim Allen (Galaxy Quest) to star. June 16th 2017

Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) has long been developing a film centred on the Mexican celebration of The Day of the Dead. It has finally been given a release date and a title, Coco. No casting announcements have yet been made. November 22nd 2017

Another sequel on the way is Cars 3. No plot details were offered but we do know that John Lasseter (Cars 1-2) will write and we’d expect Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers) and Larry the Cable Guy (Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector) to reprise their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater respectively. June 15th 2018

The sequel Pixar fans have actually asking for will finally come out, 15 years after they asked for it. Assuming that the studio don’t want two sequels in the same year, The Incredibles 2 will head for a 2019 release. Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation) will direct while we’d expect Craig T Nelson (Poltergeist), Holly Hunter (The Piano) and Samuel L Jackson (Avengers Assemble) to star.

Next up…

Disney Animation!

Disney’s latest animation Zootopia will portray a metropolis populated by mammals. Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time) and Alan Tudyk (Serenity) were already set to star but the latest addition is pop star/actress Shakira. The directors are Byron Howard (Tangled), Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) and Jared Bush (behind the creative team of Big Hero 6). March 4th 2016

Next, the team behind Aladdin, Hercules and The Princess and the Frog arrived to unveil more from their latest work, Moana. Dwayne Johnson (Fast Five) and Alan Tudyk (Serenity) will star in the story of a plucky young woman who is assisted by a demi-god to reach a fabled island. November 23rd 2016

The newest announcement was Gigantic. Tangled‘s Nathan Greno will collaborate with Frozen’s songwriters, Robert and Kristen Lopez to bring the story of Jack and the Beanstalk to Spain in the age of exploration. March 9th 2018

Following that was…

Disney live action (aka Worlds, Galaxies and Universes)

True life disaster thriller The Finest Hours will depict the struggle for survival of a group of sailors in 1952. Craig Gillespie (Million Dollar Arm) directs with a cast including Chris Pine (Star Trek Into Darkness), Ben Foster (Lone Survivor), Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Holliday Grainger (Cinderella) and Eric Bana (Munich). January 29th 2016

The latest adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book was promoted by director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) as well as Oscar winning stars Ben Kingsley (Gandhi) and Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) and newcomer Neel Sethi. The classic story of an orphan raised by the animals of the jungle also stars Scarlett Johansson (Avengers Assemble), Idris Elba (Pacific Rim), Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), Giancarlo Esposito (The Usual Suspects) and Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter). April 15th 2016

Alice Through the Looking Glass will build upon the established world built in the Lewis Carroll books and the Tim Burton’s 2010 billion dollar hit. James Bobin (The Muppets) directs a cast featuring Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak), Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Anne Hathaway (The Dark Knight Rises), Helena Bonham Carter (The King’s Speech), Alan Rickman (Die Hard), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), Michael Sheen (Frost/Nixon), Andrew Scott (Pride), Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill), Toby Jones (Captain America: The Winter Soldier), Lindsay Duncan (About Time), Stephen Fry (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and Timothy Spall (Mr Turner). May 27th 2016

Next up was the family fantasy adventure Pete’s Dragon, about a young boy who seeks refuge from his family with a dragon. David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saints) directs while the film stars Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Wes Bentley (Interstellar), Karl Urban (Dredd) and Robert Redford (Captain America: The Winter Soldier). August 12th 2016

Two films delivered no material as such but were teased or mentioned. Firstly, Queen of Katwe – a drama about a girl from Uganda who trains to become a world chess champion. Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) and David Oyelowo (Selma) will star with director Mira Nair (The Namesake). 2016

Also, Disney’s new iteration of Beauty and the Beast was present. The reboot (telling the story of a relationship between a monstrous prince and a young woman) is directed by Bill Condon (Mr Holmes) and stars Emma Watson (Harry Potter), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug), Josh Gad (Frozen), Gugu Mbatha Raw (Belle), Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wonda), Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks) and Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings). March 17th 2017

Finally, there was news from the fifth instalment of a legendary franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. This one will see Captain Jack in search of the trident of Poseidon. Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings) was announced to be returning as Will Turner for the first time since 2007. The duo of Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki) direct an ensemble including Johnny Depp (Edward Scissorhands), Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech), Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner), Brendon Thwaites (Maleficent), David Wenham (300), Stephen Graham (This is England) and Javier Bardem (No Country For Old Men). July 17th 2017

Marvel

We won’t include Marvel’s full extensive line up but two of their instalments next year. Because of the studio’s infamous secrecy, none of the material shown has made it to the public. Captain America: Civil War showed off its trailer to the D23 audience. Anthony and Joe Russo (The Winter Soldier) direct with a cast including Chris Evans (Snowpiercer), Anthony Mackie (The Adjustment Bureau), Scarlett Johansson (Lucy), Daniel Bruhl (Rush), Sebastian Stan (Black Swan), Frank Grillo (The Purge: Anarchy), Emily VanCamp (Revenge), Robert Downey Jr (Sherlock Holmes), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Elizabeth Olsen (Godzilla), Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda), Tom Holland (The Impossible), William Hurt (Artificial Intelligence) and Martin Freeman (The Hobbit). April 29th 2016

Doctor Strange is another of Marvel’s latest. Scott Derickson (Sinister) directs the supernatural thriller of which the recent concept art many likened to Inception. Marvel head Kevin Feige (Iron Man trilogy) could neither confirm or deny the rumours of Rachel McAdams joining the film but we do know that Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave). November 4th 2016

Star Wars

Star Wars: The Force Awakens was heralded by this stunning poster from Drew Struzan – the legendary poster designer who craft iconic works for Back to the Future and Blade Runner. JJ Abrams (Star Trek Into Darkness) directs a cast including Harrison Ford (Blade Runner), Mark Hamill (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Carrie Fisher (When Harry Met Sally), Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), John Boyega (Attack the Block), Daisy Ridley (Toast of London), Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), Adam Driver (Frances Ha) and Max Von Sydow (Shutter Island). December 18th 2015

The first spin-off has had a full title announcement, cast reveals and first still. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has added to its ranks Alan Tudyk (Serenity), Donnie Yen (Ip Man), Wen Jiang (Devils on the Doorstep) and Mads Mikkelson (Casino Royale). Gareth Edwards (Godzilla) will direct with the cast of Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Ben Mendelsohn (Killing Them Softly), Diego Luna (Elysium), Jonathan Aris (Sherlock), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland). December 16th 2017

There wasn’t any news on Star Wars: Episode VIII – directed by Looper’s Rian Johnson and coming out May 26th 2017 – or the Han Solo spin off – directed by 21 Jump Street’s Phil Lord and Chris Miller and coming out May 25th 2018.

It was revealed that the third and final instalment of the new sequel trilogy (Star Wars: Episode IX) will be directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) but the returning cast members are yet to be announced!

Ian McKellen joins Beauty and the Beast and Eddie Redmayne favourite for Fantastic Beasts

Following the financial successes Alice in Wonderland ($1 billion), Snow White and the Huntsman ($395 million), Maleficent ($760 million), Cinderella ($405 million+), Oz the Great and Powerful ($495 million) and Into the Woods ($205 million) there’s now talks of Pinocchio and Dumbo entering the production mill. In the more immediate future, a live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast is on the way and has just cast Ian McKellen (X-Men, The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit) as the living clock Cogsworth.

This is his third collaboration with Oscar winning writer/director Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey, Dreamgirls, Mr Holmes) who directs the cast of Emma Watson (Harry Potter, Noah), Dan Stevens (The Guest, Downton Abbey), Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Fast & Furious 6), Josh Gad (Frozen, The Wedding Ringer), Audra McDonald (Private Practice), Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda, Cry Freedom) and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks, Love Actually, The Remains of the Day).

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, a spin off of the incredibly successful Harry Potter films, has been in development for ages but is only now at the casting stage. Eddie Redmayne, the recently Oscar winning star of The Theory of Everything, is the current favourite for the role of Newt Scamander, a wizard who travels the world in search of its most fearsome creatures. Matt Smith (Doctor Who, Terminator: Genisys) and Nicholas Hoult (X-Men: First Class, Warm Bodies) previously mentioned in connection with the film but it’d appear that Redmayne is the closest to taking the role for director David Yates (The Girl in the Cafe, Harry Potter).

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – November 18th 2016

Beauty and the Beast – 2017

Martin Scorsese to direct Foxx’s Mike Tyson biopic and Josh Gad joins the cast of Beauty and the Beast

Disney’s live action reboot of Beauty and the Beast is assembling a very promising cast list ahead of its upcoming production. Emma Watson (Harry Potter) and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr Banks) have been signed on for a long time but there’s been a recent surge in casting with Dan Stevens (The Guest), Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) and Timothy Spall (Mr Turner) all joining. Josh Gad is now the newest addition as Le Fou. Gad was the star of the comedies The Internship and The Wedding Ringer but is still best known for his voice work as Olaf in Frozen. Bill Condon (Kinsey, Mr Holmes) directs.

Oscar winner Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained, Collateral, Ray, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Law Abiding Citizen) is now at the level success that he can will together his own projects with the biggest names of Hollywood obliged to sign on. He’s revealed that his director for his new biopic of boxing legend Mike Tyson is Martin Scorsese. The Oscar winner is the legend behind The Departed, Hugo, The Aviator, The Wolf of Wall Street, Hugo, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Casino and Goodfellas.

Beauty and the Beast – 2016

Mike Tyson – 2017?

Dan Stevens and Luke Evans join Beauty and the Beast and major change for Academy Awards

The Academy Awards results have ranged from the inspired choices likes of The Departed, Return of the King and Gladiator to the overrated King’s Speech, No Country for Old Men and this year’s Birdman. From 1944 till 2008 only five films competed in Best Picture but 2009 saw the upgrade to ten, an experiment that hasn’t paid off. It’s highly speculated that due to the decreasing amount of nominations the Academy are easing the way back to five candidates. We’ve actually enjoyed the ten nominees as it allows unexpected mentions for indie films (Philomena, Nebraska, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Amour) as well as the mainstream (Avatar, District 9, Up, Toy Story 3, Inception).

Disney are in the cycle of producing live action remakes of their classic animations. While Snow White and the Huntsman had a mediocre financial performance, Alice in Wonderland and Maleficent were smash hits and Cinderella is poised to become a massive success but next year Beauty and the Beast is getting a new treatment. Emma Watson (Harry Potter, Noah) and Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Saving Mr Banks) were already set leads but there’s now been a set of new castings. Dan Stevens (The Guest, Downton Abbey) will play the Beast and Luke Evans (The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Fast and Furious 6) is the new Gaston. Meanwhile Timothy Spall (Mr Turner, Secrets and Lies) is rumoured to be in contention for a role. Bill Condon (Kinsey) directs.

Beauty and the Beast – 2016

Emma Watson joins Beauty and the Beast and David Tennant joins Marvel

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has provided some brilliant franchises on film (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man) but it’s expanding with a set of new Netflix shows. Daredevil will star Charlie Cox, Rosario Dawson and Vincent D’Onofrio; Luke Cage will star Mike Colter. The other announced series, AKA Jessica Jones, stars Breaking Bad’s Krysten Ritter as its titular hero but just cast its lead villain. David Tennant (Doctor Who, Broadchurch, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) will play The Purple Man/Zebadiah Kilgore.

Disney have had mixed success rebooting their classic animated materials as live action franchises. From Mia Wasikowska in Alice in Wonderland to Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman, Angelina Jolie as Maleficent or even the cast of Into the Woods. British actress Emma Watson (Harry Potter, Noah, The Perks of Being a Wallflower) will be the Belle of the new Beauty and the Beast film, directed by Twilight/Kinsey’s Bill Condon.

AKA Jessica Jones – Netflix in 2016?

Beauty and the Beast – 2017