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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt on a riverboat adventure searching for the Tree of Life. Originally set to debut in 2019 and 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic shifted the movie's release a full year. Despite a pattern of release date reshuffling, Disney fans will be eager to hear that there's a slew of new titles coming in the near future.
These days, several major studios fall under the Disney umbrella, including Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios. However, Walt Disney Pictures is still making a name for itself with consistent notable additions. The studio premiered a Disney+ exclusive, Flora & Ulysses, in February before following the premiere plan with the release of the Luca, which received a Disney+ debut.
Thankfully, Disney will continue churning out noteworthy content based on the confirmed releases and other projects in the works. As of now, there are 12 movies from Walt Disney Pictures with premiere dates or consistent progress with development. Though many will have traditional theatrical releases, others will call Disney+ their home. Additionally, Walt Disney Pictures has a slew of other titles in the works, but for now, here's a look at what's to come following Jungle Cruise.
Encanto - November 24, 2021
Following the Encanto. The story follows the Madrigal family in the mountains of Colombia, which has been transformed into a magical town. While the Madrigal family possesses special abilities, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) considers herself ordinary despite being the possible saving grace when the town's magic is threatened. C0-written by Jared Bush, who also directed alongside Byron Howard, Encanto will feature original Spanish and English songs developed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The cast also includes notable names like Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, and Diane Guerrero.
Turning Red - March 11, 2022
Pixar fans won't have to wait long for the studio's next installment, considering directed the Pixar short Bao, is at the helm of the feature film following Mei Lee, a Chinese-Canadian teen who transforms into a red panda when she gets too excited or stressed out. Rosalie Chiang will voice the lead character in the coming-of-age tale while her mother, Ming Lee, will be voiced by Sandra Oh. Unlike Soul and Luca, which debuted on Disney+, Turning Red is expected to have a traditional theatrical release.
Lightyear - June 17, 2022
Just three months after the release of Turning Red, Pixar will be ready to release Toy Story franchise. Lightyear will give the toy more of a backstory by diving into the life of the product's inspiration. Angus MacLane, who will be at the helm of Lightyear, previously co-directed Pixar's Finding Dory.
Disenchanted - 2022
15 years after bringing the role of Giselle to life, Amy Adams will be back for the long-awaited Enchanted sequel, Directed by Adam Shankman, the Disney+ exclusive follows Giselle, Robert, and Morgan after moving to a new town run by a devious plan to bring down the family. A backfiring spell also threatens the group's future, with Giselle tasked with saving them all before it's too late. Though Disenchanted will release in 2022, it doesn't have a release date just yet.
Hocus Pocus 2 - 2022
2022 will also welcome the return of another group of characters when the Sanderson sisters come back into the spotlight for Winnie, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson returning to present-day Salem after three young women accidentally welcome the witches. The movie, directed by Anne Fletcher, will likely debut ahead of the Halloween season in 2022.
Peter Pan & Wendy - 2022
Tinker Bell (Yara Shahidi), and of the Lost Boys. David Lowery's adaptation was once considered for a theatrical release before COVID-19 pushed it into a Disney+ exclusive.
The Little Mermaid - TBA
Lin-Manuel Miranda serves as Little Mermaid's producer, and he also co-created original songs for the movie.
Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers - TBA
Based on the 1989 animated series of the same name, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers is getting a more modern transformation on Disney+. The movie will be a mix of live-action and CGI while still following the co-founders of the Rescue Rangers, re-teaming for a new mission. John Mulaney will be voicing Chip while Andy Samberg stars as the voice behind Dale. Rounding out the primary voice cast is Corey Burton as Zipper, who was involved in the '80s TV series. A release date hasn't been announced, but it's likely Rescue Rangers will debut in the second half of 2022 or early 2023.
Hollywood Stargirl - TBA
Disney's Hollywood Stargirl, is set to premiere in the near future. Julia Hart's follow-up will feature Grace VanderWaal back in the role of Stargirl Caraway as she deals with newfound fame. In addition, Elijah Richardson is playing the male lead of Evan, and Uma Thurman is set to portray a fellow musician, Roxanne Martel. Judy Greer also stars, taking over the role of Stargirl's mother, Ana. Despite not having a release date, the movie finished filming in July 2021, so a 2022 premiere for Hollywood Stargirl is a safe bet.
Pinocchio - TBA
The live-action adaptation of Tom Hanks as Geppetto, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Pinocchio, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jiminy Cricket. The tale about the wooden puppet who turns into a real boy will also star Cynthia Erivo, Luke Evans, and Keegan-Michael Key in pivotal roles. After being announced in 2015, filming finally commenced in the spring of 2021, but a release date is still unclear.
Shrunk - TBA
The Rick Moranis agreed to reprise the role after taking a break from live-action film acting for over two decades. Filming for the movie was pushed back due to COVID-19, but it's set to debut exclusively on Disney+.
Tron: Ares - TBA
After Tron: Legacy's premiere in 2010, it was announced Tron 3 was in development. After being stuck in limbo, the third Tron movie was put on hold at Disney. Toward the end of the decade, progress picked back up with Jared Leto reportedly cast as a new character names Ares in the sci-fi film. It turns out, Leto will play the lead character as the title of the movie is Tron: Ares, according to Leto. As of now, Garth Davis is set to direct, but there's no word on a targeted release date.
Every Other Disney Movie In Development
Aside from the aforementioned titles, Walt Disney Pictures is working on many remakes across various categories. Popular animated movies like Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Robin Hood, The Sword in the Stone, and Lilo & Stitch are in development for live-action remakes. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is getting the same treatment with Rachel Zegler set to portray the Disney princess. Books like Better Nate Than Ever and Song for a Whale are set for adaptations, whereas Disney attractions like The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and The Tower of Terror will be the basis of new movies.
On the Disney sequel side, progress is being made on National Treasure 3 with the original cast, as is Sister Act 3 starring the return of Whoopi Goldberg. Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is said to still be happening. The same goes for The Lion King prequel and an Inspector Gadget remake. Considering Disney has plenty of established content to work with, and a push for fresh storytelling, the list of releases will always seem endless.
