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‘Disney Worldbuilders’ First Look Coming to D23 Prior to August 20 Disney+ Launch
Disney fans, get ready to pull back the curtain on how your favorite movies transform into real-world theme park lands!
Disney has officially announced “Disney Worldbuilders,” a brand-new feature-length documentary from Academy Award®- and Emmy®-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks. The documentary will drop on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 20, 2026, but lucky fans attending D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will get an exclusive world premiere screening on Sunday, August 16!
From Pandora to Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s modern theme park expansions don’t just happen by accident—they are built on a dynamic feedback loop where screen stories inspire physical places, and physical places then inspire the next generation of storytelling. This creative practice dates all the way back to Walt Disney himself, and Disney Worldbuilders explores how that legacy lives on today.
The film features candid, sit-down conversations with the visionary architects, filmmakers, and executives shaping the Disney universe:
- Bob Iger & Josh D’Amaro
- James Cameron (Avatar)
- Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni (Star Wars & The Mandalorian)
- Kevin Feige (Marvel Cinematic Universe)
- Jennifer Lee (Frozen)
- Pete Docter (Pixar)
- Jared Bush (Zootopia)
Together, they detail how worlds like Avatar, Star Wars, the MCU, Pixar, Frozen, and Zootopia were translated into living, breathing environments that guests never want to leave.
Disney Worldbuilders doesn’t just look backward—it looks forward! Audiences will get a rare, behind-the-scenes look at upcoming lands and expansions taking shape at Disney destinations around the globe, offering a window into one of the most ambitious periods of creative development in the company’s history.
“I wanted to understand what ignites the imaginations of the storytellers behind some of the world’s most beloved stories,” said director Leslie Iwerks. “As I sat down with each of them, I discovered a common thread: they often traced their creative journeys back to a single childhood moment—walking through the gates of Disneyland and realizing that impossible dreams could become real. It’s a feeling I know well, and one that has shaped my own journey. My hope is that audiences leave with that same sense of possibility and inspiration.”
For long-time Disney fans, Leslie Iwerks is a name synonymous with Disney history:
- Grandfather: Ub Iwerks, Walt Disney’s original animator, co-creator of Mickey Mouse, and Disney Legend.
- Father: Don Iwerks, Academy Award® winner, inventor, and camera technician at Walt Disney Studios.
Leslie herself directed fan-favorite documentaries including The Imagineering Story, The Pixar Story, Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible, and Disneyland Handcrafted.
How & When to Watch
- D23 World Premiere: Sunday, August 16, 2026 (Exclusively for D23 attendees)
- Official Disney+ Release: Wednesday, August 20, 2026
Are you attending D23 to catch the world premiere, or will you be streaming it at home on Disney+?
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