News

Everything We Saw at Disney's 2024 D23 Entertainment Showcase

A complete rundown of the entire Entertainment Showcase, featuring new information and inside looks at upcoming titles from Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, Walt Disney Animation, 20th Century Studios, and more.

by | August 10, 2024 | Comments

TAGGED AS: , ,

It is a biannual tradition for The Walt Disney Company to showcase its upcoming film and television offerings as the big presentations of the day at D23 – formerly the D23 Expo. But for this year’s event, the company combined both into one mega-event at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA on Friday evening. A reported 12,000 attendees used rideshares, shuttles, and their own cars to reach the sports complex to see the surprises in store and Disney, naturally enough, delivered a spectacle worthy of the trek. From Marvel to Percy Jackson to Tron to Pixar and Walt Disney Animation, here are the highlights of the Disney Entertainment Showcase.

Moana 2

Opening the evening was an extended look at Moana 2. Star Auliʻi Cravalho took to the stage with a number of Polynesian musicians to play a new song from the film. Afterward, Dwyane Johnson joined her to hype up the crowd.

“[Moana] has become the leader of land and sea, but she is also a big sister,” Cravalho explained. “And when she’s not in big sis mode or a leader, she searches for evidence that there are more people beyond the islands she’s explored.” And as revealed in the trailer, some of those missing people are a result of a mistake Maui (Johnson) made in ages past.

Much like Maui, Johnson was not in mood to talk too much about that, instead referring to the new villains as “the storm of storms” and thanking all involved for creating another story set in the Polynesian region. “I know what it means for me, a man of Polynesian culture,” he said. “I know what this means for Auli’i , too. To look beyond the reef was so important in the first Moana and it’s important in Moana 2. Believing there is more and having the guts to find more [is important.]”

He also admitted Maui will sing again.

Monster Jam

Following the Moana 2 trailer, Johnson returned to the stage with co-chairman of Disney Entertainment Alan Bergman to announce a new project, Monster Jam. Fire funnels were lit on stage and the light-up bracelets handed to the crowd lit up in a wild assortment of reddish hues. A brief glimpse revealed a group of monster trucks with, seemingly, minds of their own.

Following the clip, Johnson offered a few brief words about the project. “I’m a pickup truck man. I love motor sports. I love monster trucks. And I thought we had an opportunity here to create something interactive and fun and live action from the POV of these monsters trucks and their eccentric and crazy drivers,” he said.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Logo treatment for Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

(Photo by ©20th Century Studios)

Johnson left Bergman to introduce the next film. He began by mentioning “the one that got away,” a project long in the making with a filmmaker Bergman hoped to bring into the Disney fold before the director found a home at another studio for his ambitious project: 20th Century Fox.

“But that all changed in 2019 when 20th Century joined us,” Bergman said. “That filmmaker was Jim Cameron and now Avatar is right where it belongs. He’s here tonight to give you a look at what he’s been working on.”

Cameron took Bergman’s place and was initially startled – a rarity for the Aliens director – by the response in the Honda Center. “Holy crap, that’s a lot of people. Is this epic or what? It’s the most epic event for the most epic fans!” he exclaimed. “So, did I pick the wrong day to wear a Polynesian shirt? I don’t rock this the way Dwayne Johnson does.”

Getting back on track, he introduced his two stars, Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, to touch upon the third Avatar film, which will be subtitled Fire and Ash.

“Every day, when I’m reviewing shots from the VFX folks, it’s like Christmas morning. It all feels so real,” he said of the work in progress. Offering a few hints to the plot, he added that the stakes are higher and “we’re going into really challenging territory for the characters.”

“There’s a character you’ll love to hate and you’ll see more of Pandora than you’ve ever seen before,” he continued. “The new film is not what you expect, but it’s definitely what you want.”

Saldana thanked the crowd while Worthington referred to Cameron as the arbiter of what could and could not be shared.

“That’s why we write it all down for Sam. He’s one of the best human beings, but he always thinks there’s nothing to be said,” Cameron joked.

Sadly, the director could not share any footage of the new film, but brought along a reel of concept art. The paintings depicted yet more regions of the his alien world and the characters attuned to fire. It still feels of a piece with the regions explored in the first two films while introducing new ideas worthy of the next element in Cameron’s five film cycle.

Pixar Animation Studio

Pete Docter, head of Pixar Animation Studio, took command of the stage to share some upcoming developments from the Emeryville, CA animation house. The big news: the Incredibles will be back in Incredibles 3. According to Docter, director Brad Bird – who also helmed the first two films – is currently developing a story. Sadly, that meant all he could share was a title treatment.

On more concrete footing, Docter thanked the audience for their support of Inside Out 2. “I can’t express what a thrill it is to be part of the legacy started by Walt Disney,” he said. But the mention of the emotional sequel was more than a victory lap. Pixar will launch Dream Productions on Disney+ in 2025. The program will be set between the two Inside Out films and focus on the movie studio in Riley’s head, where her dreams are produced every night. A sizzle reel for the show suggests it will take on a mockumentary style – a la The Office – as the chief emotions send complex experiences to Dream Productions for processing.

That’s not the only Pixar programming coming to the service, though. Docter also discussed the studio’s first true long-form series, Win or Lose. As seen in a trailer screened during the presentation, it focuses on a struggling little league team looking for redemption. “We wanted to do something unlike what we’ve done before,” Docter explained. Despite some graphical flourishes and varying design aesthetics, the series appears to take place in a very grounded reality without free-roaming toys, talking bugs, monsters, or even the well-loved emotions of Inside Out. It debuts on Disney+ December 6, but D23 attendees had a chance to see the first episodes during the convention.

Docter also announced Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton of Finding Nemo and WALL-E fame will helm Toy Story 5. Taking to the stage, Stanton offered a tease of the plot. “In 5, their job gets exponentially harder when they go up against what the kids like now: electronics.”

It elicited a chuckle from the crowd. Stanton quickly observed, “You’re not holding up toys. You’re holding phones.” Beyond that, a shipment of 50 collectable Buzz Lightyears stuck in toy mode will also create trouble for everyone. The film is slated for a 2026 release.

While the studio’s schedule is big on sequels, Docter mentioned one completely new film on the calendar: Hoppers. It centers on a young girl who agrees to have her mind inserted into a robotic beaver. Her mission: infiltrate the inner workings of the animal world. She soon befriends a “regal beaver” played by Bobby Moynihan and, with the other animals, must fend off the plans of Mayor Jerry, voiced by Jon Hamm. The film will be in theaters Spring 2026.

Closer on the horizon is a film about far vistas: Elio. Following an appearance by one of the film’s alien characters – a blob with an indecipherable name and a shaky grasp of Earthly concepts – star Yonas Kibreab appeared on stage to announce Saldana will join him in the film as Elio’s aunt.

“I already feel like we’re becoming a family,” Kibreab said.

The film centers on young Elio Solis, a 11-year-old boy who dreams of traveling the stars and ends up mistaken by the United Advanced Species of the Universe as the leader of Earth. It leads to a journey across the universe, some spectacular looking worlds (if the teaser is anything to go by), and a discovery of family.

That last point was important to Saldana, who said, “I wanted to see a representation of a real family on screen.”

Docter added, “It’s not only fun and funny, but it speaks to the struggle to find connections here on Earth.”

Walt Disney Animation

During a change of lighting for Walt Disney Animation, Zootopia’s Nick Wilde seemingly took control of the Honda Center’s A/V system to change D23 to “Z23, the Ultimate Zootopia Fan Event.”

“Bob Tiger did not appreciate that,” he said, as Judy Hopps convinced him to give control back to the convention organizers.

Hopps’ voice, Ginnifer Goodwin, walked onto stage to offer a few hints about the sequel. “The bunny is back,” she said. “I can’t wait for you to see the adventure our dynamic duo goes on. All your favorite characters are back.” New characters will be introduced as well with the pair investigating the reptile population. One in particular, Gary, will be voiced by Ke Huy Quan and lead Judy and Nick into a new mystery.

In a clip, the search for Gary leads the team to a new part of Zootopia called Marsh Market. It is home to semi-aquatic animals like hippos. Their guide, a beaver named Nibbles, attempts to find some info on Gary by saying little else but “bub” to a friendly hippo. It produces no helpful leads.

Zootopia 2 is set for release in November 2025.

Taking Goodwin’s place on stage, Walt Disney Animation chief creative officer Jennifer Lee presented a few details about Frozen III… and possibly announced a fourth film in the series. “Coming out of Frozen II, we still have some questions,” she said as the screen behind her enumerated some of the most popular fan queries. “A lot of questions, actually,” she continued. “Now you see why it takes two films to answer them.”

Instead of clarifying her statement, Lee moved on to reveal a new piece of Frozen III concept art from Brittany Lee. It featured the two sisters on horses, with Elsa’s made of ice. In the bottom right corner, a seeming devil’s shadow was seen in the river Elsa’s horse uses as its path. “If you look closely, it captures the seeds of their next epic adventure,” the CCO teased.

The film will arrive in theaters in 2027.

Lee continued, “In addition to all the exciting things we’ve shared, you do need to know our team is working on incredible new films. We have an original for 2026. I’m not telling you anything about it today. It’s still top secret. We like to tease.”

Disney On Broadway

Stage actress Samantha Barks appears at the D23 showcase

(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)

While most of the presentation focused on film and TV efforts, Disney’s stage musicals also had the chance to shine. Performers from Frozen – featuring a “snow” of confetti during “Let It Go” – The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Hercules: The Heroic Musical wowed the crowd with showstopping songs. It all culminated with a song from the next musical the company is developing: a stage adaptation of The Greatest Showman. Showstopping is definitely an appropriate description of the segment.

Star Wars

Unlike previous D23 showcases, Star Wars had a relatively modest appearance. Star Wars: Skeleton Crew star Jude Law appeared on stage to talk about the show and unveil a new trailer. “It’s a timeless adventure in the spirit of Amblin,” he explained. “Accidentally blasting off from their home planet, our four protagonists find themselves lost, in danger, and trying to find their way home.”  The series is told from the perspective of the kids as they explore dangerous worlds not knowing who they can trust – even Law’s character, a potential Jedi survivor, may be less honorable than he seems. Nevertheless, the actor said, “It means so much to be part of the Star Wars galaxy.” The series streams on Disney+ this December.

Diego Luna took Law’s place in the center stage to thank the fans for carrying about his character, Cassian Andor, and to tease the final season of Andor. Taking place over the final four years of Cassian’s life, Luna said the second season will “follow him… as he grows into the Rebel who will sacrifice his life in Rogue One. As the imperial threat grows, he’s filled with a purpose to fight for a better tomorrow.”

Diego Luna appears at D23 2024 to present the second season of Andor

(Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images)

The actor presented a “taste” of the new season – a behind-the-scenes featurette suggesting a more perilous time for all the Rebels as the Imperial Security Bureau gets closer to the truth, Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn) gets involved, and Syril Karn (Kyle Soller) continues his pursuit of Cassian. But not all is doom and gloom. Cass has his U-Wing fighter and finally meets K-2S0 (Alan Tudyk). In a quick sound bite, Tudyk confirmed how much he loves playing the reprogrammed Imperial droid while showrunner Tony Gilroy revealed his wish to “amp” the choices the characters have to make and the consequences. Based on the quick cuts of battle, revolution, and rebellion glimpsed in the featurette, Andor will finish strong when it returns to Disney+ in 2025.

Finally, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni took to the stage to discuss The Mandalorian and Grogu, the next Star Wars film.

“We’re excited to have Star Wars back on the big screen,” Filoni said. “It’s been a journey of 20 years and I couldn’t imagine [then] being involved with a film like this.”

Favreau declined to get specific about the film’s plot, but he did present a sizzle reel of sorts complied from the early weeks of shooting. Fans of Star Wars Rebels will be excited to learn Zeb (Steve Blum) has a speaking part in the film – although it’s unclear if the Razorcrest he’s flying is his or a replacement for the one Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) lost in the second season of The Mandalorian. Other quick glimpses included a planet where Mando must face Snow Troopers and AT-ATs. A final shot sees Grogu in a ship piloted by and sized for Anzellans, the species which counts Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’s Babu Frik as one of its own.

Marvel Studios

Following a video in which Ryan Reynolds thanked the fans for embracing Deadpool – “Overwhelming doesn’t cover it,” he said, “Thank you for the most amazing welcome into the MCU a guy could ask for” – the Marvel Studios panel was surprisingly familiar to those who attended the Marvel presentation at Comic-Con International: San Diego a couple of weeks ago. Studio president Kevin Feige and Captain America: Brave New World star Anthony Mackie introduced the same extended preview of the film screened in Hall H. Feige also made use of the same “pre-shooting” reel from The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman prepared for SDCC.

Although, in the case of the latter, the four main castmembers – Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn – provided a new intro to prove they were indeed shooting the film. Most startling in the video, though, was Quinn in his FF uniform. Featuring white sleeves and shoulders, blue for the rest of the body, and the traditional “Four” logo, it’s a slight departure from the team’s best-known costumes, but fitting with the retro-future world of the sizzle reel, which included a rocket ship steeped in the Werner Von Braun designs featured in Colliers magazine and some great 1960s fashions.

Brave New World arrives in theaters February 14, 2025 while Fantastic Four takes its first steps in July of that same year.

Marvel Television

The second half of Marvel’s presentation focused on television, starting with Ironheart. Producer Ryan Coogler joined Feige to discuss the series, which is planned for release in 2025. It continues to the story of Riri Williams (Dominque Thorne), who debuted in Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. In that film, she constructed a suit of armor more advanced than anything built by Tony Stark during his life. But as revealed in the Ironheart teaser, Queen Shuri (Leticia Wright) forbade her to take it back to the States.

“I always loved the character,” Coogler said. “I always knew she had more to her story.”

The story takes Riri back to MIT, where she uses university resources to build a new suit. It eventually gets her expelled. Forced to return to Chicago, she soon allies with The Hood (Anthony Ramos), who offers her the money needed to complete the new armor. But working with him comes with plenty of complications. Based on the teaser screened during the presentation, Ironheart appears to be one of the more grounded Marvel television series, even if it still features an Iron Man style armor at its center.

Ironheart also features Lyric Ross and Alden Ehrenreich.

Marvel also showcased its other 2025 series, Daredevil: Born Again. “Since the earliest conversations about television, people have been asking us about one show: Daredevil,” Feige said. Born Again will merge the hard-hitting action of the original Netflix series with the MCU sensibility. It will also bring back the original cast: Charlie Cox as Matt Murdoch/Daredevil, Elden Henson as Foggy Nelson, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Vincent D’Onofrio as Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin. Also back: Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher, and we’re fairly certain we saw Wilson Bethel’s Bullseye in the teaser screened during the showcase.

The teaser also backed up Feige’s claim with Daredevil losing none of his violent touch, people going missing, and a tense stand-off between Matt and Fisk as the centerpiece of the preview. Also, eagle-eyed viewers spotted an appearance by White Tiger, both in costume and in jail, as he gave Matt the skinny on NYC’s new descent into chaos. It remains to be seen if he will be friend or foe, though.

All but Bethel appeared on stage, with Woll reacting to the sight of 12,000 very appreciative people to see the Daredevil team back. “Holly crap, this is wild!” she said.

“If feels great,” added D’Onofrio.

Feige also teased the ensemble will be shooting a second season in the very near future. The first season of Daredevil: Born Again is schedule to debut in March 2025 on Disney+

Marvel closed its segment of the night with a performance of a song written by Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson for September’s Agatha All Along courtesy of star Kathryn Hahn and other members of the cast. As revealed in an extended version of the previously-released trailer, Agatha Harkness (Hahn) is still caught in the Hex and living life via various TV shows. To escape, she must form a new coven and make them all walk “the road.” It is a very dangerous thing, and it might kill everyone in the coven, but that’s a price Agatha is willing to pay.

“It’s a fun, scary ride just in time for Halloween,” Feige said. It debuts on September 18.

Marvel Animation

And on Saturday, Marvel Animation held its own separate panel to highlight its own upcoming schedule of programs for Disney+, which includes X-Men ’97 season 2, What If…?’s third and final run, Eyes of Wakanda, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Marvel Zombies.

Marvel head of streaming, television, and animation Brad Winderbaum took point during the presentaton. “Marvel’s always been animation. It dates back to the 1960s,” he explained. “If fact, Iron Man had his first animated show before he had his first [solo] comic book. So, when the opportunity came to do more shows for Disney+, it was something we had to do.”

One of those somethings was, of course, reuniting the 1990s X-Men team for X-Men ’97. A sizzle reel for the in-production season 2 offered a glimpse of characters like Apocalypse and Polaris. But in true Marvel fashion, Winderbaum and voice actors Lenore Zann (Rogue) and Cal Dodd (Wolverine) evaded questions about plot developments.

“All I’ll say, Rogue is on the hero’s journey,” Zann said. “She’s on a mission and she’s not going to give up until she gets what she wants.”

Dodd’s comments were further afield, saying he was happy to see “Bishop back into the mix.”

“Wolverine doesn’t get along with a lot of people, but Bishop is one [of them],” he continued. “He’s back [in season 2], so I’m looking forward to that and what’s happening to Wolverine.”

The program returns to Disney+ in the not-too-distant future.

What If…? returns in the near future to complete what Winderbaum called “the final arc of the Watcher’s Mutliversal journey.” Director Bryan Andrews joined the executive onstage to tease a few things about the series’ last set of episodes.

For instance, Andrews said one thing the production team really took to heart was the way the audience loved the more out there stories. “The response was so strong, we learned we can take big swings. The wilder the ‘What If…?’ got, the bigger the response.” Consequently, expect a western-set take on various characters in season 3, the return of Moon Knight, and — as revealed in an extended clip — a Super Sentai take on the Avengers, who literally assemble a Gundam-like robot. With a prologue inspired by 1970s anime, it looks very, very cool – even when it switches to the What If…? animation style as the real battle against Jack Kirby-style monsters begins.

As previously announced, Eyes of Wakanda is an event series diving into the history of the country and generations of warriors who safeguard its Vibranium artifacts. Winderbaum added that it will be told in four parts before inviting series director Todd Harris and Coogler, serving as an executive producer, to the stage.

According to Harris, a key storyboard artist at Marvel, the idea began as a discussion with Marvel Feige during the making of Avengers: Infinity War about exploring the history of Wakanda. With Feige’s encouragement, he eventually pitched it to Coogler, who signed on to produce the show.

“I was blown away by his idea and story,” Coogler said. “I knew if he was at the helm, it could be fantastic.”

“Ryan built a great framework to work backward from,” Harris said. “There’s intersection points through history and unbeknownst characters who are from another secret city. Their name is a title and they have a glowing fist.” The reference to Iron Fist was greeted with approval by the audience.

Beyond that tease, he added the Wakandans are “focused on being the best version of themselves, but you have defectors and [we’ll see] what that means to the rest of the world.”

Each episode takes place at a different point in world history as Wakanda protects “its own special pocket of Eden and tries to protect itself from the world and the world from itself,” as Harris put it. “It’s sort of a metaphor of how we relate to each other.”

Coogler said it also “focuses on a certain group within Wakanda and how it branches across the generations.” That set-up offers a chance to introduce some familiar characters and new people like Noni. As seen in a clip, she protects her nation during the age of piracy. She’s fierce and uses two blades when the situation calls for violence. But all the while, she tries to convince the pirates that their leader is an imposter. The man eventually appears with a piece of weaponry seemingly powered with advanced tech. As the clip ended, their fight began. The series is reportedly scheduled to stream later this year.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man goes back to the beginning of Peter Parker’s (Hudson Thames) superhero career. But as the series takes place in a different reality from the MCU’s 616, his mentor will inspire some pause: Norman Osborne (Colman Domingo).

“You get a Spider-Man you know, but not the one you expect,” executive producer and head writer Jeff Trammel said.

“I love this character so much,” he explained. “For us, the big thing we get is the opportunity to look at who Peter is and how that influences who Spider-Man becomes. We also get to pay homage to the comics and the older animated series. We get to hand pick the things we really love about him.”

Thames and Domingo joined Trammel on the stage. Asked about his penchant for playing villains, Domingo called Norman “the ultimate supervillain” even as he takes a morally ambiguous role in the series. “What [Jeff] has written is so interesting in what it means for origin stories to see a man fall from grace or excel in supervillainy.”

“I’m not sure why I’ve been drawn to the villains,” the actor continued. “I believe everyone has the power to turn [bad]. To become part of the Marvel Universe as Norman Osborne means a lot to me.”

“I feel like Norman has an ominous side to him and Peter is less trusting, but there is this respect,” Thames added. “Norman is in tech and Peter wants to be there.”

“In the MCU, Peter is learning to be a hero from someone who has done it,” Trammel explained. “In our series, Peter is working with someone who has good intentions, but has never embodied the hero role. They’re learning to do that together. But the methods Norman is teaching Peter may not work in everyone’s interest.”

A clip screened during the presentation saw a symbiote emerging from a sling ring portal. Soon, Doctor Strange appears to tussle with the creatures and Peter shows some early heroic tendencies by standing his ground against the symbiote, but soon ends up bitten by a spider that also emerged from the portal.

Other character set to appear include Bonnie Lincoln, Dr. Curt Connors, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, a new version of Runaways‘ Nico Minoru, and Amadeus Cho. Of course, that only scratches the surface as the creative team unveiled a cameo-filled piece of artwork too varied to enumerate. As it happens, all of the character take their visual cues from Steve Ditko’s aesthetic sensibility. It translates well to the animation, which maintains the Ditko style.

Andrews and Winderbaum are also behind Marvel Zombies, a four-episode spinoff of the season 1 What If…? episode set in a reality where zombies have ravaged the Earth and killed many of its heroes. “People like zombies,” Andrews said. “Also, it’s TV-MA.”

The series will not air for some time yet, but Andrews was able to share a scene in which the few remaining living people in San Francisco – including Shang-Chi and Katy – are air-lifted out by Ten Rings agents. Wenwu himself joins the fray, but when Shang-Chi is bit by zombies, he sacrifices himself so the actual Ten Rings can hold the infection at bay. Flash forward five years and Shang-Chi is leading a caravan across the desert, a la The Road Warrior. Their travels are waylaid by Skrulls hoping to steal their shipment of cows. But Shang-Chi is well-adept in the use of the Ten Rings and his team, which appears to include Jimmy Woo, are also ready for combat.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 2

Keeping things in a more fantastic realm, the stars and author Rick Riordan of Disney+’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians offered the slightest glimpse of the new season: a brief shot of Percy (Walker Scobell) about to ride a chariot. It was the only footage available as production just began in recent weeks.

The series will, of course, follow the course of the second novel, Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters. And although the plot details are known to book fans, the cast remained cagey on what they’re looking forward to seeing in the new year.

“You’ll get to meet my lovable half-cyclops half-brother, Tyson,” Scobell said.

Co-star Leah Jeffries offered this tease: “I’m looking forward to seeing Grover in a wedding dress. How’s the costume fitting going?”

“It’s going to be memorable,” Aryan Simhadri, who plays Grover, replied. “I’m looking forward to a smaller, furrier Percy who can’t talk,” he added. Meanwhile, Riordan suggested fans of “Percabeth” may have a few moments to look forward to in the new season.

David Blaine: Do Not Attempt

As the audience filled the Honda Center, they were given an envelope with instructions not to open it until told to do so during the presentation. As it turned out, the signal to open the package came from magician David Blaine as part of a demonstration of the skills he learned on his new National Geographic series, David Blaine: Do Not Attempt.

In the show, he travels around the world to find “incredible people with incredible talents,” receiving a “crash course” in those skills as he attempts to do completely new tricks.

One such trick occurred during the showcase as the envelopes contained a deck of cards. Blaine gave several further instructions to cut the deck, place the cut half face up in the deck, cut it again, and remove the resulting face down card from the top deck. He then asked two volunteers from the audience to join him on stage. One picked a card – the three of hearts – while the other received a card that should be the three of hearts. Instead, it turned out to be the Queen holding the three of hearts in her hand. Meanwhile, the audience discovered they also pulled the three of hearts from their decks.

A card trick of that scale only represents a small taste of what Blaine will do on his show.

Walt Disney Studios

The final segment of the night focused on the live-action films of Walt Disney Studios. It began with a film show host Yvette Nicole Brown said the fans demanded: a sequel to Freaky Friday now know as Freakier Friday.

Stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan return to their familiar roles and took to the stage in front of a very loud and appreciative audience.

“It feels like no time has passed,” Curtis said. “We love these characters, we love working together. We both get to play moms and it’s great! Obviously, I’m a grandma [now].”

Lohan added, “We’ve stayed in touch through the years and it feels like we’re picking up where we left off.”

Mark Harmon and Chad Michael Murray also return, as does the “band” Pink Slip.

“It’s more fun, more emotional, and it’s all for you guys,” Curtis said.

Freakier Friday is set for release next year.

Stitch then crashed into the Honda Center via the video wall to announce the live action Lilo & Stitch is coming to theaters summer 2025. But just as quickly as he appeared, Experiment 626 cleared the stage for Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot to discuss the upcoming live-action Snow White.

“It’s just been the honor of a lifetime,” Zegler said. “Any little girl… if you get to put on a princess dress for a day, let alone six months!”

Gadot said it was fun to do “something that is completely different than I’ve ever done before.” She also described her wicked queen as “delicious” and “evil.”

Although there will be new songs in the film, the pair shared a clip featuring the classic “Whistle While You Work” – although in this version, Snow takes the lead as she convinces the dwarfs to clean up their home. As for the first extensive look at the dwarfs, they resemble garden gnomes come to life, although Dopey retains much of his charm and, consequently, his more human countenance. For her part, Zegler looks like she stepped out of an animation cell from the 1937 original.

Gadot also unveiled the trailer, which was later released online. The film has a March 2025 release date.

And just when it seemed Tron: Ares might sit out the showcase, Brown introduced Jeff Bridges to the stage.

“This is really unbelievable to think we made the original in 1982. I think Steven Lisberger, who created Tron, started this over 40 years ago and it’s amazing that it has this legacy,” the legendary actor said. “What a beautiful time to bring this back. AI is omnipresent in all our lives, and what a perfect time to have this amazing world visit us because that’s what happens in this movie.”

As revealed in the teaser presented to the audience, Ares sees a character by that name, played by Jared Leto, making his way from the Grid to the Real World. His aim, according to Leto: “[He’s] looking for a way to make the real world his own permanently.”

The cast also includes Evan Peters as Julian Dillinger. “For those who know Tron, Dillinger doesn’t always mean great things on the Grid.” Indeed, the original film’s Ed Dillinger (David Warner) created the original Master Computer Program which threatened both worlds in 1982.

Ares is a descendant of that original MCP, but it is Greta Lee’s Eve Kim who “provided room” for Ares to reach the Real World. And as seen in the teaser, her efforts work both ways as she visits the Grid.

The preview also featured such startling images as a lightcycle’s jet-wall cutting a cop car in half in the Real World, Bridges’ Kevin Flynn saying “Greetings, programs,” and a decidedly darker take on the world of Tron — and considering both the original film and Tron: Legacy were shot on black sets, that’s saying something.

But the film had one last surprise for the showcase: Nine Inch Nails is reuniting to score the film. It is set for release next year.

The final film of the presentation, Mufasa: The Lion King pulled out all the stops with a live performance of “The Circle of Life,” more confetti, and director Barry Jenkins explaining why a Lion King prequel is worth the effort. The tale, as told by unreliable narrators Timon and Pumbaa, charts the course of Mufasa’s life as an orphan to his time as king. It also tells the tale of Taca before he became Scar and forged an unending enmity for his adopted brother.

“Like all of you, The Lion King made an indelible impression on me,” Jenkins said. “Hearing the music and feeling every emotion as the story unfolded. A father bestowing a legacy to his son… Telling Mufasa’s backstory is an honor.”

He also revealed the film will feature new songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who joined the director on stage. It marked Miranda’s first D23 apperance.

“Honestly, when Barry sent me the screenplay, I was in the middle of writing Encanto,” Miranda revealed. “But I read it and… You think you know Mufasa, you think you know Scar… But it was great to be in the service of one of our great directors.”

The pair shared a clip featuring a portion of a new song, “I Always Wanted a Brother,” a bright tune accompanying a bright scene as both Mufasa and Taca are still filled with hope, promise, and admiration for one another. We almost hate to see how it all crumbles when Mufasa: The Lion King arrives in theaters on December 20.

Thumbnail images by ©Disney, Leah Gallo/©Disney

On an Apple device? Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Apple News.

Movie & TV News