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Thousands of Disney fans from around the world gathered in Anaheim, California today for the opening of D23 The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. From an expanded show floor filled with interactive exhibits at the Anaheim Convention Center to the marquee Disney Entertainment Showcase at the Honda Center, attendees experienced a full day of announcements, celebrity appearances, and first looks at upcoming theatrical and streaming releases.
The Walt Disney Company Chief Executive Officer Josh D’Amaro opened the evening showcase by addressing the global Disney community:
“Right now, nearly half a million people are in our parks and on our cruise ships. Millions more are watching our stories in theaters or at home. Someone right now is seeing The Lion King on Broadway for the very first time. When you add it all up, Disney has something no other brand on Earth can claim. Not just a customer base, not just an audience, but an actual connection. A connection that reaches every single corner of the globe, spans every age and every background, and becomes part of people’s lives and the memories that they carry with them. A connection with more than four billion fans. That’s half the world’s population who don’t just look to us for entertainment; they look to us for inspiration.”
Hosted by Zootopia 2 stars Ginnifer Goodwin and Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan, the Honda Center showcase brought together filmmakers, studio executives, and actors to reveal major projects across Disney’s film, television, and streaming portfolios.
Dana Walden, President and Chief Creative Officer of The Walt Disney Company, took the stage alongside Bart Simpson to share an exclusive sneak peek of the upcoming Simpsons animated theatrical film, which arrives in theaters on September 3, 2027.
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Walt Disney Studios Live Action and Theatrical Features
Anne Hathaway Reflections
Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey), who will be honored as an official Disney Legend during the event weekend, took the stage to reflect on her history with the studio, starting with The Princess Diaries.
Lilo and Stitch 2
Maia Kealoha, who portrays Lilo in the live-action Lilo & Stitch, was joined via screen by Stitch and the first look at his pink counterpart, Angel. Production on Lilo & Stitch 2 will begin in Hawaiʻi later this year, directed by original animated co-creator and voice of Stitch, Chris Sanders. Produced by Jonathan Eirich alongside executive producers Ryan Halperin and Tom Peitzman, the sequel opens in theaters on May 26, 2028.
The Bluey Movie
Disney debuted the brand-new teaser trailer and official poster for The Bluey Movie, inviting the arena audience to play a giant game of Keepy Uppy with oversized red balloons. The CG-animated feature follows an action-packed day that changes everything for Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli. Written and directed by creator Joe Brumm and co-directed by Richard Jeffery, the film is produced by Ludo Studio in collaboration with BBC Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios. Voice leads Melanie Zanetti and David McCormack return as Chilli and Bandit. The Bluey Movie arrives in theaters on August 6, 2027.
Ice Age Boiling Point
Queen Latifah and Denis Leary took the stage to introduce an exclusive in-room look at Ice Age Boiling Point, showcasing Scrat, Baby Scrat, and their colossal prehistoric relative, Jurassic Scrat. The story brings Manny (Ray Romano), Sid (John Leguizamo), Diego (Denis Leary), Ellie (Queen Latifah), and Buck (Simon Pegg) deep into uncharted, lava-filled regions of the Lost World. Directed by John C. Donkin and produced by Lori Forte, the film debuts in theaters on February 5, 2027.
Tangled Live Action Adaptation
Kathryn Hahn took the stage to discuss her role as Mother Gothel in Disney’s upcoming live-action Tangled.
The arena was treated to a video message directly from stars Teagan Croft (Rapunzel) and Milo Manheim (Flynn Rider), who are currently filming on location in Spain. Directed by Michael Gracey (The Greatest Showman) and produced by Kristin Burr (Cruella), the cast also features Diego Luna as Hawthorne, Caitríona Balfe as Queen Arianna, Elliot Cowan as King Frederic, and Patrick and Hugo McPherson as the Stabbington twins. Tangled opens in theaters on March 31, 2028.
Oswald Hybrid Series
Kathryn Hahn introduced Disney Legend Jon Favreau to present a first look at Oswald, a live-action/animation hybrid series created, written, and executive produced by Favreau. The storyline follows Walt Disney’s classic 1920s creation, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who is freed during an earthquake and aided by a group of middle school students navigating the modern world. Directed by Favreau, Jude Weng, and Andrew R. Jones, the series stars Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Ryder Allen, Al Madrigal, Kathryn Hahn, and Albert Brooks. Oswald premieres exclusively on Disney+ on February 17, 2027.
Pixar Animation Studios
Disney Entertainment Studios Chairman Alan Bergman introduced Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter to share upcoming animated features:
Incredibles 3
Pete Docter kicked off the Pixar presentation with a first-look announcement for Incredibles 3. The new chapter in the superhero family saga is directed by Peter Sohn (Elemental) and produced by Academy Award winners Dana Murray (Soul) and Brad Bird (The Incredibles). Incredibles 3 releases in theaters on June 16, 2028.
Coco 2 and Kingdom Hearts Integration
Docter revealed initial concept art featuring an older, teenage Miguel for Coco 2, before welcoming Benjamin Bratt (voice of Ernesto de la Cruz) to the stage. The sequel reunites original director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina, with Oscar winner Mark Nielsen producing. Coco 2 opens in theaters in November 2029.
Additionally, Disney & Pixar Games and Square Enix confirmed that Kingdom Hearts IV will include a world inspired by Coco, targeting a late 2027 release window.
Ghost Market
Pixar unveiled development details for Ghost Market, an original feature directed by Trevor Jimenez (Weekends) and Jesse Andrews (Hoppers) and produced by Becky Neiman-Cobb (Bao). Set in an out-of-the-way plate lunch shop called ʻOno Market on Oʻahu’s North Shore that caters to wandering spirits, the story follows a human boy named Kyle who accidentally stumbles into the supernatural eatery. Ghost Market arrives in theaters in March 2028.
Gatto
Closing the Pixar lineup, Docter presented an exclusive look at Gatto, directed by Enrico Casarosa and produced by Andrea Warren (Luca). The animated adventure follows Nero (voiced by Mark Ruffalo), a street-smart black cat navigating the canals and superstitions of Venice, who finds himself indebted to local feline crime boss Rocco (voiced by Laurence Fishburne). Gatto debuts in theaters on March 5, 2027.
20th Century Studios
Romy and Michele 2
Original stars Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow walked onto the Honda Center stage under a shower of yellow Post-it notes to announce Romy & Michele 2. Directed by Tim Federle, the sequel brings back Alan Cumming, Camryn Manheim, Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Huebel, Breckin Meyer, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Janeane Garofalo. Romy & Michele 2 will stream exclusively on Hulu in 2027.
Marvel Studios and Marvel Television
Marvel Television VisionQuest
Paul Bettany, James Spader, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige unveiled the official trailer and poster for VisionQuest, the final installment of the streaming trilogy that began with WandaVision and Agatha All Along. The series follows a rebooted Vision on the run alongside Thomas Shepard, consulting internal AI constructs including Ultron. Created by showrunner Terry Matalas, VisionQuest stars Paul Bettany, James Spader, Ruaridh Mollica, Todd Stashwick, and T’Nia Miller, premiering on Disney+ on October 14, 2026.
Avengers Doomsday
Kevin Feige welcomed Robert Downey Jr. (Doctor Doom), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers), and Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter) to present exclusive footage and the first teaser poster for Avengers Doomsday. Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, the ensemble production sets heroes across three alternate universes on an intersecting collision course. Tickets are on sale now, with the film arriving in theaters on December 18, 2026.
The Untitled X-Men Feature
Sadie Sink (Jean Grey) and director Jake Schreier joined Kevin Feige to reveal the principal cast for Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men feature film:
- Kit Connor as Scott Summers (Cyclops)
- Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier
- Samara Weaving as Emma Frost
- Inde Navarrette as Rogue
- Maya Boyd as Storm
- Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury (announced via video message)
The untitled X-Men film is scheduled for theatrical release on May 5, 2028.
Marvel’s Wolverine Video Game
Insomniac Games, Marvel Games, and Sony Interactive Entertainment showcased a brand-new gameplay trailer for Marvel’s Wolverine, confirming its upcoming release on PlayStation 5 on September 15.
Lucasfilm
Ahsoka Season 2
Dave Filoni, Rosario Dawson, Hayden Christensen, and Eman Esfandi took the stage to debut the teaser trailer for Ahsoka Season 2. The storyline tracks Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren through unknown regions beyond the galaxy while Hera, Ezra, Zeb, and Chopper confront Grand Admiral Thrawn in the New Republic. Season 2 premieres exclusively on Disney+ on January 20, 2027.
Star Wars Starfighter
Director and producer Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine) and star Ryan Gosling unveiled a first-look teaser for the upcoming standalone theatrical adventure Star Wars Starfighter. Written by Jonathan Tropper and produced alongside Kathleen Kennedy, the cast includes Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre, Jamael Westman, Daniel Ings, Flynn Gray, and Amy Adams. Star Wars Starfighter opens in theaters on May 28, 2027.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Zootopia 3
Hosts Ginnifer Goodwin and Ke Huy Quan were joined by Chief Creative Officer Jared Bush to confirm that Zootopia 3 is officially in active development, accompanied by an exclusive animated sequence shown to the arena.
Clay
Bush announced production on an original animated feature titled Clay (working title), starring Academy Award winner Kieran Culkin as the voice of Flip. Directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and produced by Peter Del Vecho, the film follows a misfit named Flip who is assigned to mentor a young ball of clay named Mushy through a magical forest. Clay hits theaters in 2028.
Disney’s Hexed
Hailee Steinfeld (voicing Billie Doe) appeared alongside newly announced cast members Walton Goggins (Beef Roger Crummchuk, a magical three-eyed cat) and two-time Oscar winner Jodie Foster (the sinister Queen Celeste). Directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand, Disney’s Hexed arrives in theaters on November 25, 2026.
Frozen 3 Showcase Finale
The Disney Animation portion concluded with live musical performances by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel singing an updated rendition of “Frozen Heart,” followed by Josh Gad performing a new track titled “Ooooh, Samantha,” written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.
The showcase ended with an exclusive look at new Frozen 3 animation hinting at a powerful new adversary. Directed by Jennifer Lee and Trent Correy and produced by Christina Chen, Frozen 3 releases in theaters on November 24, 2027.
Disney Entertainment Television
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 – Walker Scobell, Ming-Na Wen (Hera), and Andra Day (Athena) introduced the trailer for The Titan’s Curse, arriving on Disney+ on November 20, 2026.
- Kingdom Hearts Anime Series – Disney Kids & Family and Square Enix announced a brand-new animated series adaptation developed with creator Tetsuya Nomura, greenlit for Disney Channel and Disney+.
- National Geographic’s LION – Executive producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton introduced footage of LION, a four-year wildlife documentary following a pride in Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Premieres August 19 on National Geographic and streams August 20 on Disney+ and Hulu.
- Camp Rock 3 – Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas introduced performances of “One Beat Away” and “We Rock” by the new ensemble cast, celebrating the film’s current availability on Disney+.
Disney Theatrical Group
Following a successful run at the Bristol Hippodrome, Disney Theatrical Group confirmed that the stage musical adaptation of The Greatest Showman—directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw with a book by Tim Federle—will open in London’s West End at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027. The production stars Oliver Tompsett (P.T. Barnum), Samantha Barks (Charity Barnum), Malinda Parris (Lettie Lutz), Ben Joyce (Phillip Carlyle), and Vajèn van den Bosch (Jenny Lind).
Looking Ahead to Day 2
Coverage continues with additional floor programming at the Anaheim Convention Center, leading into the evening Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at the Honda Center hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, where Walt Disney Imagineering will unveil future theme park and cruise line expansions.
