Disney’s official membership based fan club, D23, held its seventh annual D23 Expo on Aug. 9, 10 and 11 in Anaheim, CA. At this convention, Disney announced several movies, updated fans on already known titles, and revealed trailers for upcoming movies. Among these announcements was information on many controversial sequels that are currently in the works.
Moana 2– Auli’i Cravalho—voice actress of Moana—performed one of the upcoming film’s brand-new songs, with Dwayne Johnson—voice actor of Maui—doing crowdwork and interacting with fans. The pair discussed aspects of the plot before the reveal of a new sneak peek and poster. The movie follows Moana as she journeys to the far seas of Oceania. Despite the first film’s seemingly-definitive ending, I believe that the sequel has potential to add something meaningful to Moana’s story. Since she will journey to areas outside of her previous adventure, and new characters will be introduced, and old ones will return, I think “Moana 2” will be a good addition to the franchise.
Zootopia 2– Announcing “The bunny is back,” Ginnifer Goodwin, voice of Judy Hopps, discussed details of the coming film. The movie will focus on reptiles in Zootopia, which were never shown in the original movie. The film has an extensive world, and only small parts of it were shown in the first movie. The sequel will be a good continuation since the introduction of another class of animal allows for the introduction areas and plot points based around new content. The sequel doesn’t stand to be simply a regurgitation of Nick and Judy working as cops, seemingly exploring areas that were never shown, and therefore has the potential to be a well-developed follow-up.
Frozen 3– Jennifer Lee, the Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation Studios, showcased a logo and the first piece of concept art for the film. The movie is set to release in 2027, but no trailer has been released. Not much can be done to continue the story of Frozen; the second movie already answered most of the questions viewers may have had, ending with with Anna as queen of Arendelle and Elsa as the fifth spirit of the forest. An attempt to continue their story will likely fall flat, since there’s little content to base another movie on. Anything that is conjured up to continue the story will likely create a disconnect between the first two movies and the third.
Incredibles 3– The film was announced to be in the works, with Oscar winning filmmaker Brad Bird currently developing it. Nothing related to the plot or characters were discussed, since the movie was only mentioned briefly. In world’s of superheroes, possibilities seem almost endless, a new villain with fresh new powers can be conjured out of thin air with no question. I think that the Incredibles series as a whole is an interesting look into a superhuman society, and both movies have had facinating villains. But a plot point is lacking in the third movie, as of the end of the second movie, supers are no longer banned, which means that secret identities and their seemingly high stakes will be negated. I think that, if handled well, Incredibles 3 will be a worthy addition to the series because of the possibilities that a superhero world allows for, but that entirely depends on how the plot for the third movie is managed.
Toy Story 5– The movies’s director, Andrew Stanton, discussed the core of the 2026 film: the idea of toys trying to fufill their role in a technology-driven world. Do we really need another “Toy Story?” The fourth movie was already excessive, the plot was dull, and Woody—protagonist of the franchise and one of the most vital charcters—left the rest of the original gang. Reportedly, Woody will be making a return in the fifth movie, and while it has a solid premise, forcing this makes very little sense. Disney should let the franchise rest as it is instead of stretching it for everything it has. A sequel like this feels more like a money grab than an attempt at the story’s continuation. If sequels like this continue to be released, Disney runs the risk of killing some of its most popular franchises, simply because it can’t let them go.
Mufasa: The Lion King- To close out the expo, the film’s director, Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, discussed the film’s details, and welcomed the film’s songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda to the stage. The movie will be in the ‘live action’ style of the 2019 remake. I’m excited for this movie, I love the original Lion King, and even though I’m not a fan of the live action style for Disney classics, it’s a good fit for this movie. Mufasa’s life before Simba is only briefly mentioned in the original Lion King, but he’s an important character with a good story. A movie focused on his life and journey to becoming king will be an interesting avenue to explore.
