D23 '22: Disney and Pixar Tease Their Upcoming Slate
D23 Expo is a biannual celebration of all things Disney. After a longer than normal gap (thanks, Covid) the show is back for 2022, and bigger than ever.
The biggest event of the first day was the Disney and Pixar and Studios panel. Those lucky enough to be there in person were treated to some first-look footage and early artwork. The showcase included both previously announced projects and some new reveals, with a mix of theatrical and streaming titles.
Pixar's Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter took to the stage to introduce their upcoming slate."These last few years have been a time of great change in the world," he said. "And it’s led us at Pixar to think about the future. Or, if I’m channelling my inner Joe from Soul, I’d ask: ‘Why are we here? What’s our purpose?’ Well, for us, it’s to tell great animated stories. Whether those are theatrical feature films, streaming series, or shorts, we think telling stories is foundational to who we are as people. They really define us. And we believe in the power of animation to capture and reflect the stories of our own lives."
Elemental
Next up from Pixar is this new feature from The Good Dinosaur's Peter Sohn. The film is set in a city where elemental people (fire, water, land and air) live together. It will focus on Ember, a fiery young woman and Wade, a go-with-the-flow guy. Sohn says the film comes from a place of personal inspiration for him, and tells a story of immigrants pursuing their dreams. Elemental is set to hit US cinemas on June 16, 2023.
Win Or Lose
Pixar's first ever long-form series, Win Or Lose follows the exploits of the members of The Pickles, a middle school softball team. Each episode takes place in the same week, in the lead up to their keenly anticipated championship game. The series is directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates and will stream on Disney Plus in the Autumn of 2023.
Elio
Pixar also revealed their next film after Elemental is Elio from Coco co-director Adrian Molina. The original film features 11 year-old dreamer Elio who finds it hard to fit in. Meanwhile, his mum works for a top-secret military project trying to decode a signal from outer space. But it turns out it's Elio who actually makes contact and finds himself beamed into outer space and mistaken for an ambassador for the Earth. Elio arrives in cinemas in spring 2024.
Inside Out 2
Pixar finished up their part of the show with the announcement that Inside Out is getting a sequel. This time Riley is a teenager so things are going to be on a whole other level. Original screenwriter Meg LeFauve is returning but Kelsey Mann is stepping into the director's chair replacing Pete Docter. Inside Out 2 is set to release in the Summer of 2024.
Disney
Walt Disney Animation Studios' Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee took to the stage to talk about plans for the Year-long celebration of their Centenary. She said: "At Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio that started it all, on the eve of our 100th anniversary, we see today as a moment of privilege and promise- a privilege to be stewards of a studio and a dream that Walt and his brother, Roy, started a century ago and a promise to continue to take risks in our storytelling—and to explore and expand and turn the possible into the actual, just as Walt did.”
Zootopia+
Disney returns to the animal metropolis introduced in the 2016 film for this short form series. The series will take a deeper dive into the lives of some of the city's most intriguing residents. The series will stream on Disney Plus from November 9.
Iwájú
Created in partnership with pan-African comic book entertainment company Kugali, Iwájú is a first-of-its-kind collaboration for Walt Disney Animation Studios. The long-form series is set in a futuristic city that is designed as a love letter to Lagos, Nigeria. The city is divided into an island where the well off live and the mainland populated by the poor. It tells a coming-of-age story featuring Tola, a young heiress from the wealthy island and her best friend Kole, a self-taught tech expert from the mainland. The series will stream in 2023.
Strange World
Attendees also got a first look at a new trailer for Disney's next film. The film follows a family of renowned adventurers who must get past their differences to save a strange and wonderful world full of danger and surprises. Strange World opens in cinemas on November 23, 2022
Wish
Disney concluded their portion of the program with the announcement of the next WDAS feature, which is set to release in 2023, as part of the studio's centenary year. And it looks like they are pulling out all the stops to make sure it's something special to mark the occasion. An epic animated musical, it takes us to the kingdom of Rosas, where wishes can literally come true. It follows 17 year-old Asha who in a moment of desperation makes a wish to the stars and is answered by " a little ball of boundless energy called Star." The thing that sounds most intriguing about the film is its visual style, as this will apparently use a hybrid 3d watercolour technique, designed to pay tribute to Disney's classic animation style.
