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New Details on the Upcoming Leslie Iwerks Documentary
Calling all Disney history and documentary buffs! If you fell completely in love with The Imagineering Story on Disney+, we have some incredibly exciting news for you.
With the highly anticipated programming lineup for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 officially out in the wild, Disney has quietly dropped a brand-new description for the upcoming feature-length documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Leslie Iwerks.
When the documentary was initially teased, details were tightly under wraps. Disney simply promised “an exclusive first look at a powerful new Disney story told through her singular lens.” But thanks to the fresh D23 schedule updates, we finally have a clearer picture of what this project will entail—and yes, it is heavily focused on the Disney Parks!
Related – Legendary Disney Innovator Don Iwerks Passes Away at Age 96
According to the official D23 panel description, the upcoming feature will explore how Disney’s most iconic creative minds use the physical theme parks as a direct source of creative fuel. The description reads:
“Discover how Disney’s greatest storytellers draw inspiration from the parks where their worlds were always meant to live, featuring a panel with top filmmakers and special guests, followed by the debut screening of Leslie Iwerks’ new feature coming to Disney+.”
Not only do D23 attendees get to witness the premier screening alongside a panel of top filmmakers and special guests, but the announcement also confirms the project will be headed straight to Disney+ after the event for fans at home to enjoy.
If the name Iwerks sounds legendary, that’s because it is. Leslie Iwerks has a deep, multi-generational connection to the Walt Disney Company. She is the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks—the pioneering original animator and co-creator of Mickey Mouse—and the daughter of Disney Legend Don Iwerks, the brilliant camera technician who passed away earlier this month at the age of 96.
Leslie has beautifully carried on that family legacy by documenting the history of the company’s magic. Aside from her smash-hit series The Imagineering Story, she has directed The Pixar Story, The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story, and the recent January release, Disneyland Handcrafted.
The documentary will make its grand debut during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, taking place from August 14–16, 2026, in Anaheim, California. It’s shaping up to be a massive weekend for parks fans, especially with other newly announced panels on the roster, like a Carousel of Progress-inspired Disney Parks presentation hosted by Neil Patrick Harris!
While we don’t have an exact Disney+ streaming release date just yet, we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more trailers and announcements as we get closer to August.
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