In recent years, it seems like Walt Disney Animation Studios has been on fire, rolling out one insanely successful film after another, such as “Frozen”, which became the highest grossing animated film of all time, and “Zootopia” breaking box office records (it’s now the 5th highest grossing animated film of all time), and surpassing box office projections (bringing in a total of $997 million worldwide). Not only that, but the animation studio itself has been getting a new design and makeover to help inspire more creativity and a communal work space. With so much happening over at Disney animation, it’s exciting to think of what else the studio have up their sleeve for the near future.
Here is a round-up of all the upcoming Disney animated films that have been officially announced, and what we know so far!
Moana
What We Know: This is the next Disney princess film, about a young princess who sets off on an epic adventure with the demi-god Maui to help save her family. The film stars Dwayne Johnson as Maui and newcomer Auli’i Cravalho as Moana. The film is being directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who also directed “Aladdin”, “The Little Mermaid”, and “Princess and the Frog”, so this is sure to be another great Disney princess film! Not only does the film have great talent behind it, but is beautiful visually. Fans got a sneak peek at a scene from “Moana” at last years D23, and the ocean and island scenery were breathtaking.
What We Wonder: This is the first Disney princess film to be released since “Frozen”, and will again have a strong female lead at its focus. Will the combo of stunning visuals and a great role model for young girls match “Frozen”‘s success, or even possibly surpass it and become the new number one animated film?
Release Date: November 23, 2016
Gigantic
What We Know: The film is inspired by “Jack and the Beanstalk”. “Gigantic” is set in Spain, where a young boy named Jack discovers the hidden world of giants that is up in the clouds. He ends up on a thrilling journey with a 60-foot-tall girl named Inma. The film is directed by Nathan Greno, who also directed “Tangled”. Kristen-Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez, who wrote the unforgettable songs in “Frozen” will be writing the songs for “Gigantic”, which is also an animated musical.
What We Wonder: Will there be any big names in the voice cast of the film? I am also curious to see how Spanish art might influence the animation style of the film to help establish the setting of Spain.
Release Date: March 9, 2018
Frozen 2
What We Know: The same cast, song writers, and directors will be returning for the film’s sequel. In March Kristen Bell said that a script was complete, with just a few tweaks needing to be done, meaning that voice recording will be soon underway!
What We Wonder: Will Hans return for the sequel? Also, will “Frozen 2” surpass “Frozen” at the box office? I am also curious to see if there will be a song in the film as iconic as “Let it Go”.
Release Date: An official release date hasn’t been announced yet, but people have been speculating Fall 2018 or sometime in 2020, as it seems the new and upcoming pattern for Disney releases are two films released every other year (“Zootopia” and “Moana” this year, and “Gigantic” in 2018, still leaving a space open for a fall/winter 2018 release).
These are all the titles that have been officially announced by Disney Animation Studios, and am excited to see what might be coming in 2020 and beyond! We might perhaps be seeing a “Wreck-It-Ralph 2” or a “Big Hero 6” sequel, as some interviews have indicated.
What film are you most excited to see? Do you think any in the line-up will become the new number one animated film of all time?
