We now live in what many have dubbed ‘the age of the nerd’. Thanks to huge franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel, and even children’s cartoons, which appeal to many, being slightly obsessed with some form of fiction is becoming more and more acceptable. Not only has this lead to greater attendance of conventions, events such as San Diego Comicon, and London MCM Expo, among others, growing in size each year; It has also encouraged such media giants to develop a more interactive relationship with their fan base. Meaning such things as panels, giveaways, and a stronger online presence of franchises is becoming more and more the norm. This interaction with fandoms, and popularity of conventions combined beautifully a few weeks ago at D23 Expo - the official Disney convention. Founded by Disney D23, the official fan club of The Walt Disney Company, D23 Expo is a biennial (once every two years) exposition of Disney’s upcoming projects, allowing fans a glimpse at what films are to come. This article is an attempt at a comprehensive list of all the upcoming projects, and new, interesting information that D23 Expo has provided us with, allowing a greater understanding of the inner workings of the company, and a peak behind the camera.
Pixar Upcoming Movies- The weekend began with a surprise that wasn’t solely localised to the expo; Posters, detailing five upcoming movies from Pixar! These are (in order) ‘The Good Dinosaur’, ‘Finding Dory’, ‘Incredibles 2’, ‘Toy Story 4’, and ‘Cars 3’. ‘The Good Dinosaur’ is set in a universe where the Dinosaurs never became extinct, and are an integrated part of human society- specifically focusing on the friendship between a young boy, and, unsurprisingly, a good dinosaur. ‘Finding Dory’ picks up where the classic ‘Finding Nemo’ left off, but this time focusing on Ellen’s character of Dory, rather than the pair of clownfish. The latter three are further extensions of the original stories; ‘The Incredibles’ a family of superheroes, ‘Toy Story 4’ animate toys, and ‘Cars 3’ animate cars. As someone who grew up with the original ‘The Incredibles’, I must admit, I am over the moon about the sequel.
Further confirmation on Upcoming Disney movies- Then, there was simple confirmation, and a little more details, on films which the internet knew were being made. Note, these films are being produced by Disney Studios, not Disney Pixar. The first is ‘Zootopia’, the trailer for which is already on YouTube - the audience was provided with a release date (March 4th 2016), and were told that the film will feature the pop sensation Shakira voicing a Gazelle. There was also some artwork from an upcoming title ‘Gigantic’, which features a beanstalk, a young boy, and a gigantic princess- I wonder which classic fairy-tale that story is based on! There was greater detail, and some artwork, revealed regarding the next Disney Princess movie ‘Moana’ - which describes the tail of a young Hawaiian, who sets out on a journey to complete her ancestors unfinished quest.
Live Action- It appears that Disney will keep beating this dead horse until it stops spitting out money. Production of a live action ‘Jungle Book’ and ‘Alice Through the Looking Glass’ were also announced. Whilst the idea of a live action remake is certainly a novel one, and it does allow new generations to be introduced to classic tales- its starting to get a little repetitive. Still, with cast members such as Bill Murray and Christopher Walken, who knows? These remakes may surpass the originals.
Marvel- As Disney own Marvel Studios, the comic-book based cinematic universe got a look-in, albeit a small one. The trailer for ‘Captain America: Civil War’ was shown, though it is yet to be officially released, and the makers discussed it with the audience. Despite only a small amount of information being provided from the Marvel front, all press attendees seem to be singing the trailer’s praises, so perhaps, it was enough. Apparently it provides a strong focus on the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America, which is vital to move the plot of the movie along, so that seems promising.
Star Wars- Colin Trevorrow, director of the cult film ‘Jurassic World’, was stated to be the director for the upcoming Star Wars film, Episode IX. The cast of ‘Star Wars: Rogue One’ (episode VII) was also announced, such stars as Felicity Jones, Alan Tudyk and Mads Mikkaelsan making it onto the list. A new Star Wars attraction will be opening at Disney Land, Orlando, and several images from the three upcoming films were also released, including a new poster for Episode VII.
Overall, the weekend appears to have been widely successful. There are a few soon-to-be-made films which have gone unmentioned; ‘Pete’s Dragon’, and ‘The Queen of Katwe’, merely because they are so far from being made. The plot of the former seems to be self-explanatory, but the latter is about a young African girl, who trains to become world chess champion. Certainly an interesting story, waiting to be told. All in all, it seems Disney fans have a lot to look forward to over the next few years- hopefully we will be able to count on the conglomerate, to keep telling the stories that we love.
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