By Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, and Daniel Broadway
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Walt Disney, which topped the summer box office with Pixar Animation’s “Inside Out 2” and Marvel’s “Deadpool & Wolverine,” opened its D23 fan convention Friday with a live screening of the highly anticipated animated film “Moana 2.”
Dwayne Johnson, the lead star who was accompanied by Auli’i Cravhalo and Hawaiian dancers, told the 12,000 attendees that, reprising his role as Maui, he would once again sing “to tunes that don’t exist.”
This film will release in theatres on 27th November.
Director James Cameron took the stage with “Avatar” stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington to show off artwork from the next sequel and announce its title as “Avatar: Fire and Ashes.”
Pixar’s chief creative officer, Pete Docter, announced a new “Inside Out” series, “Dream Productions”, based on main character Riley’s dreams, set between the first two films and set to premiere in 2025.
Docter also announced a new installment of one of Pixar’s biggest titles, “The Incredibles,” which centers on a quirky superhero family, is getting a third film, to be directed by Brad Bird.
Disney said a slate of recorded live-Broadway musicals will come to Disney, including the hit movie “Frozen.” “We are thrilled to announce that the hit musical, which was filmed on stage, will premiere on Disney Plus in 2025,” said Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Disney Animation.
Lee said the company is also developing a Broadway musical based on the film “The Greatest Showman.”
The company touted the strength of its films during an investor call this week, signaling a comeback in 2023 after losing its spot as the top-grossing Hollywood studio.
“It’s never too late for Hollywood to make a comeback,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore. “And they’ve certainly done that.”
“Inside Out 2” is the highest-grossing animated film of all time, earning $1.6 billion at the global box office, surpassing the record set by Disney’s “Frozen II.” A month later, “Deadpool & Wolverine” scored the best domestic opening for an R-rated film and earned more than $850 million in global ticket sales.
“The movie business is certainly volatile,” Deutsche Bank analyst Brian Kraft wrote in a note to investors. “But if Disney once again works its magic at the box office, there could be more growth ahead as theaters continue to perform strongly.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger praised the film studio’s theatrical lineup over the next two years, which includes the animated sequel “Moana 2,” a live-action version of “Disney’s Snow White,” a reboot of the Marvel superhero franchise “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” and James Cameron’s third “Avatar” film.
“When you think about not only their potential at the box office, but also their potential to drive global streaming value, there’s a reason to be optimistic about where we’re headed,” Iger said on the investor call.
The release of “Inside Out 2” surpassed the original film’s 100 million views on Disney, the company said.
Investors and fans are expecting more details on the Marvel superhero studio’s future plans on Friday. The company had to choose a new villain for future films after actor Jonathan Majors was convicted of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend. It was also forced to postpone some titles due to the Hollywood writers and actors strike last year.
At the Comic-Con pop culture convention last month, Disney revealed that “Iron Man” actor Robert Downey Jr. would play “Fantastic Four” villain Doctor Doom.
This article is generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
