UPDATED November 5, 2020 to reflect Disney’s removal of Free Guy and Death on the Nile from its release calendar.
From the decision to temporarily remove Ryan Reynolds comedy Free Guy and Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation of Death on the Nile from its release calendar to the optimism that Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Raya and the Last Dragon will have a theatrical release in March, it’s hard to remember exactly which of Mickey Mouse’s relatives in the Walt Disney Studios orbit are releasing films, and when. This is especially true now that the company owns so many major IP machines (Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar) and 21st Century Fox and its subsidiaries (now known as 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures). So yes, add Avatar to the growing list of hotly anticipated Disney franchise titles that also includes MCU titles like Black Panther 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Below, we’ve gathered details for some of the flashier Disney and Disney-associated films that are expected to hit in the next few years – it’s the most comprehensive new Disney movies list you’ll find. The Mouse House’s planned release schedule for 2020 through at least 2022 has been given a major shakeup following the outbreak of the coronavirus and the subsequent upending of the movie industry, with Disney taking a number of films set to open in 2020 off the schedule, and then reworking its entire calendar. The below guide reflects the studio’s updated full schedule, with Black Widow moving (again!), 2021’s Eternals’ move to later that year, and the shift of the West Side Story remake from December 2020 to December 2021. Also, the next Star Wars film won’t arrive until 2023 and Avatar 2 won’t premiere until December 16, 2022.
In brighter news, Disney still plans to let Captain Marvel 2, fly into theaters in 2022. And the highly awaited The King’s Man is scheduled to be out on February 12, 2021.
We’ll add to this list as more information becomes available, especially in regards to the speculation surrounding Marvel and Pixar movies still waiting release dates – and in some cases, titles – as well as other rumored and in-development films like the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean.
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Below, you’ll find the Disney-produced projects that have locked release dates – for now. Among them are big-hitters (Black Panther 2! Cruella!) and yet more live-action remakes. Expect some of the dates later in the set to shift as announcements are made, and note that the situation with the coronavirus and theater openings remains fluid. We’ll keep this list updated so you’re always on top of what’s coming up. We’ve noted which of these are Twentieth Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures releases.
Black Beauty
(2020)
Release Date: November 27, 2020
Director: Ashley Avis
Starring: Kate Winslet
Kate Winslet lends her voice to this remake of the classic story about the bond between a horse who was captured and taken away from her family and the orphaned girl who loves her. (Mackenzie Foy plays the child). Iain Glen and Claire Forlani also star in this film that is written and directed by Avis. It is scheduled to be released on Disney+.
Nomadland
(2020)
Release Date: December 4, 2020
Director: Chloé Zhao
Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn
Songs My Brothers Taught Me’s Zhao writes and directs this drama, which is an adaptation of Jessica Bruder’s book about older Americans who travel from town to town in search of employment.
Soul
(2020)
Release Date: December 25, 2020
Director: Pete Docter
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs, Questlove
The new flashy Pixar film promises to “take you on a journey from the streets of New York City to the cosmic realms to discover the answers to life’s most important questions.” If that sounds like quite the tall order, remember that Docter also directed and co-wrote the 2015 hit Inside Out – a movie all about feelings having their own feelings. The movie stars Jamie Foxx, Tina Fey, Daveed Diggs, Questlove and Phylicia Rashad. It features an original score from Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who collaborated on the score to The Social Network and other films.
Soul was scheduled to have a theatrical release in November, but now follows the path of Disney feature Mulan. It will premiere on Christmas on Disney+.
Everybody's Talking About Jamie
(2018)
Release Date: January 22, 2021
Director: Jonathan Butterell
Starring: Max Harwood, Richard E. Grant, Lauren Patel, Sharon Horgan
First-time director Jonathan Butterell adapts musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. It’s about a teen from Sheffield, England, who aspires to be a drag queen.
The King's Man
(2021)
Release Date: February 12, 2021
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Matthew Goode, Harris Dickinson
A treat for Anglophiles and others who love witty banter and bloody action, the third film in the Kingsman franchise is a prequel to the first two films. The movie welcomes a new cast – including Ralph Fiennes and Gemma Arterton – and sees one man facing off against some of history’s worst villains as they plot a potentially world-ending war.
Antlers (2021)
Searchlight PicturesGuillermo del Toro helps produce this horror movie about a small-town teacher (Russell) and her sheriff brother (Plemons) whose stories become intertwined when it’s learned that one of her students is harboring a dark secret. Antlers was scheduled to premiere in April 2020 but was moved during the coronavirus pandemic-related reshuffling.
Raya and the Last Dragon
(2021)
Release Date: March 12, 2021
Director: Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins
Starring: Awkwafina, Cassie Steele
Disney gave fans at the 2019 D23 Expo a first-look at the upcoming animated title, Raya and the Last Dragon and minds were blown by the hyper-realistic visuals. In the film, Awkwafina – who also stars as Scuttle in Disney’s upcoming remake of The Little Mermaid – will play Sisu, the last dragon, who flies by riding raindrops. Rick and Morty’s Cassie Steele voices Raya, the fearless warrior on the hunt for her.
Bob's Burgers
(2020)
Release Date: April 9, 2021
Director: Lauren Bouchard
Starring: H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Kristen Schaal
Oh to imagine all the burger-related puns that could fit into a full-length movie. Hoping to rekindle the box-office magic that The Simpsons Movie did in 2007 (it grossed $183,100,000), the movie adaptation of this popular Fox sitcom is now officially a go after a lot of red tape in the Disney-Fox acquisition.
Ron's Gone Wrong
(2021)
Release Date: April 23, 2021
Director: Alessandro Carloni, Jean-Philippe Vine
Starring: Thomas Barbusca
Set in the (possibly) not-so-distant future where talking and digitally-connected bots are now kids’ best friends, this animated feature focuses on an 11-year-old who worries that something has gone wrong with his robot comrade.
Black Widow
(2020)
Release Date: May 7, 2021
Director: Cate Shortland
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh
First revealed in January of 2018 with Jac Schaeffer writing the script, the film became Marvel’s fastest-track project ever with Lore’s Cate Shortland signing on to direct. The film features David Harbour as Alexei – a.k.a. The Red Guardian – as well as Florence Pugh as Yelena, O-T Fagbenle as Mason, and Rachel Weisz as Melina. Black Widow is a prequel to the events of Avengers: Endgame, and Shortland recently revealed to Empire magazine that it will see Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff passing the Black Widow baton to Pugh’s Yelena.
(Photo by © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Cruella
(2021)
Release date: May 28, 2021
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel Fry
Taking a page from the Maleficent playbook, this new film plans to look at Disney classic 101 Dalmatians from the view behind villain Cruella de Vil’s dark sunglasses. Emma Stone stars in the lead role – she has Glenn Close-sized shoes to fill – and the movie was described at the 2019 D23 Expo as “punk rock.” Set in 1970s London, I, Tonya’s Craig Gillespie directs, and Emma Thompson co-stars.
Luca
(2021)
Release Date: June 18, 2021
Director: Enrico Casarosa
This is a coming-of-age story about a sea monster posing as a young boy who enjoys scooter rides, gelato and other perks of the Italian countryside.
(Photo by © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, © Marvel Studios)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
(2021)
Release date: July 9, 2021
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Starring: Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung
In March 2019, Short Term 12’s Destin Daniel Cretton emerged as the director of a film based on Marvel’s 1970s comic book The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu. In the comics, Shang-Chi was the son of legendary literary villain Fu Manchu. Learning the truth about his dad’s business, he used his martial arts prowess against his father and any other Marvel baddie ready to go against his mighty hands.
Jungle Cruise
(2021)
Release date: July 30, 2021
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Édgar Ramírez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti
Following the path that Pirates of the Caribbean charted so successfully – and The Haunted Mansion charted less successfully – this new film (franchise?) is based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name. Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt star, respectively, as a shady riverboat captain and a scientist on a hunt for a magical cure in this Depression-era action adventure. Comedian Jack Whitehall also joins in the fun, playing Blunt’s character’s brother (watch for more of him – he was also in Disney’s November 2018 film, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms). The movie was pushed back an entire year, from Summer 2020 to Summer 2021, in Disney’s pandemic-related schedule change.
Deep Water
(2020)
Release Date: August 13, 2021
Director: Adrian Lyne
Starring: Ana de Armas, Ben Affleck, Rachel Blanchard
This adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel centers on a husband who allows his wife to have affairs to stave off a divorce, only to become a suspect when her lovers begin to disappear. Director Adrian Lyne has form here: He directed both Unfaithful and Fatal Attraction, but this will be his first film in 18 years.
The Beatles: Get Back
(2021)
Director: Peter Jackson
Release date: August 27, 2021
Starring: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr
Having showcased his documentary chops with They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson directs this doc about The Beatles. The film is set to feature footage shot in the studio with the Fab Four during 1969 and 1970.
The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)
Release Date: October 15, 2021
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer
Director Ridley Scott is back in historical mode with this film – written by and starring Matt Damon and Ben Affleck – that features King Charles VI, a knight named Jean de Carrouges, and yes, an epic duel. The film was supposed to have a limited premiere in December 2020 before a wide release in January 2021. However, it was pushed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic-related shutdown.
(Photo by © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, © Marvel Studios)
Eternals
(2021)
Release date: November 5, 2021
Director: Chloe Zhao
Starring: Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Kit Harington
In April of 2018, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that a film based on the Eternals comic book and concept was in development. Soon after, The Rider’s Chloe Zhao became its director. Based on characters and situations imagined by Jack Kirby, the Eternals are a race of fantastically powerful proto-humans engineered by the Celestials to harness vast amounts of “cosmic energy.” The movie reunites Game of Thrones actors Richard Madden and Kit Harington.
West Side Story
(2020)
Release Date: December 10, 2021
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Rita Moreno
Director Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner bring a new generation to this tale of star-crossed lovers struggling to stay together amid gang warfare. One can only imagine that the film will concentrate particularly hard on the themes of outsiders and immigration – especially given the casting of Rita Moreno, who crossed off the “O” in her EGOT when she won the Academy Award for playing the headstrong Anita in the first film.
(Photo by © Marvel Studios / © Sony Pictures )
Spider-Man: Far From Home Sequel
Release date: December 17, 2021
Director: Jon Watts
Starring: Tom Holland
After much back-and-forth and fears that the kid wouldn’t make it, Disney and Sony reached an impasse and Spidey fans will get a new film. Jon Watts, who directed the first two films in this reboot of the franchise, returns as director and Far From Home writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are back for this project. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, pushed the film’s release from July 2021 to November of that year — and then again to that December.
Nimona
(2021)
Release Date: January 14, 2022
Director: Patrick Osborne
Starring: TBD
This animated film is based on the graphic novels by Noelle Stevenson – a.k.a. the creator of Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power – and tells the story of a young shape shifter who happens to be the sidekick of a super-villain.
(Photo by © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, © Marvel Studios)
Thor: Love and Thunder
(2022)
Release date: February 11, 2022
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Natalie Portman
Shortly before Comic-Con 2019, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi signed on to return for a fourth installment in the God of Thunder franchise. In a surprise move, Marvel revealed that Natalie Portman is returning to the series as the new Mighty Thor, a twist pulled from an Thor comic book series by Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman, and others. Meanwhile, Tessa Thompson will return as Valkyrie, the king of New Asgard who must find a Queen, and Christian Bale is on board to play a villain – although which villain, exactly, is not clear as yet.
(Photo by © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, © Marvel Studios)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
(2022)
Release date: March 25, 2022
Director: TBD
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong
Benedict Cumberbatch returns as the Sorcerer Supreme with Elizabeth Olsen joining him as the Scarlet Witch in what is being touted as the first scary MCU movie. Director Scott Derrickson left the project, and Sam Raimi – who helmed the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films – confirmed in April 2020 that he was now overseeing it. However, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the film’s release date from November 2021 to March 2022.
(Photo by courtesy @DisneyStudios Twitter)
Much is at stake for the second chapter of Black Panther — including how the story will factor in the events of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and, most importantly, how it will pay tribute to star Chadwick Boseman, who died of complications related to colon cancer in August 2020.
Little is known about the sequel to Captain Marvel, beyond the fact that Brie Larson will return and we will finally see it in the summer of 2022. In January 2020, it was announced that WandaVision’s Megan McDonnell would write the script.
(Photo by ©Paramount/courtesy Everett Collection)
Untitled Indiana Jones Film
Release date: July 29, 2022
Director: James Mangold
Starring: Harrison Ford
Ready your leather jackets and fedoras. After much waiting, it seems the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise will finally arrive in theaters in summer 2022. While plot details about the rugged archaeologist’s latest adventures have truly yet to be unearthed – there has reportedly been some writer turnover with the script – star Harrison Ford is set to return, while Steven Spielberg has handed the directing reins over to Ford v Ferrari and Logan helmer James Mangold.
Avatar 2
(2022)
Release Date: December 16, 2022
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver
The long-awaited sequel to director Cameron’s box-office hit and Best Picture nominee checks in with Worthington’s former human, Jake Sully, and his partner, Neytiri (Saldana), a member of Na’vi royalty. Weaver, whose character died in the first film, is back in a new role. Lang, whose character also died in the first film, is also back (somehow). New cast members include Kate Winslet, Michelle Yeoh, and David Thewlis. Production was delayed on this film, as well as Avatar 3, 4, and 5 , due to coronavirus concerns.
Avatar 3 (20th Century Studios)
Release date: December 20, 2024
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana
Avatar 4 (20th Century Studios)
Release date: December 18, 2026
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana
Avatar 5 (20th Century Studios)
Release date: December 22, 2028
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana
Below are projects that have been announced, are in some state of development – we define “stalled” as a state of development – and whose dates we’re still awaiting for. A number are projects that are set to premiere on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, and a number were taken off the schedule following the coronavirus outbreak and have not been re-dated.
For more info on upcoming Marvel films without release dates, check our our full list of upcoming Marvel movies.
Free Guy
(2020)
Release Date: TBD
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Taika Waititi, Lil Rel Howery, Joe Keery, Jodie Comer
Reynolds stars as a bank teller who finds out he’s actually a background character in a video game. Now he must try to stop the game’s inventor from shutting down the operation in this film directed by Night at the Museum‘s Levy. The film was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but was removed from the schedule as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Death on the Nile
(2020)
Release Date: TBD
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Gal Gadot, Letitia Wright, Armie Hammer, Kenneth Branagh, Tom Bateman
Branagh, who directed and starred in the 2017 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express, returns to the universe of Agatha Christie mysteries. This one finds his Belgian detective Hercule Poirot forced to cut his beach-side vacation short when a young heiress turns up murdered. The film was scheduled to be released in December 2020, but was removed from the schedule as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The French Dispatch (2020)
Searchlight PicturesInitially reported to be a musical, Wes Anderson’s next film will be a drama that brings to life a handful of stories from a magazine created by an American living in a fictional city in France. The film’s press release calls it a “love letter to journalists” and it brings together several regular collaborators in a massive, star-studded cast. The release date was shifted in Disney’s coronavirus reshuffle and the film is now awaiting another premiere date.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date: TBD
Director: James Gunn
Starring: Chris Pratt
Everything about a third installment of the Guardians section of the MCU seemed good to go and the film was heading for a 2020 release date. Then writer-director James Gunn was fired when some of his old and not-so-politically-correct Tweets surfaced and his leads wrote an open letter in support of him – causing some to wonder if Disney should just do an epic recast. After Warner Bros. jumped at the opportunity to hire Gunn to write and direct the next Suicide Squad movie, Disney re-hired him to write and direct Guardians 3.
Children of Blood and Bone
Release Date: TBD
Director: Rick Famuyiwa
Starring: TBD
In 2019, Deadline reported that This is Us’s Kay Oyegun is adapting the film based on Tomi Adeyemi’s young adult fantasy novel about a young girl who attempts to restore magic to her kingdom.
(Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
The Little Mermaid
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Halle Bailey, Awkwafina
This remake of the Disney classic is one of the most anticipated releases the studio has coming – at least, if the feverishness of the rumor mill is anything to go by. We know that R&B star Halle Bailey will play Ariel, Awkwafina will play Scuttle, and Jonah Hauer-King will play Prince Eric. The movie, directed by Rob Marshall, does not yet have a release date.
(Photo by © Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
New Pirates of the Caribbean Movie
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
The ship that doesn’t ever seem to sink will keep sailing with Disney’s newest attempt to revive the franchise. Initially, Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were hired for the project, but in October 2019 it was announced that franchise vet Ted Elliott and Chernobyl writer Craig Mazin were taking over writing duties. No word on cast and director or on whether Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) will be a part of the new story.
Director: TBD
Starring: Margot Robbie
The above Pirates film should not be confused with the one set to star Margot Robbie. This film, which The Hollywood Reporter says will be penned by Birds of Prey screenwriter Christina Hodson, will reportedly be female-fronted and be its own story that will introduce new characters beyond those already part of Jack Sparrow’s orbit.
29 Dates
Director: Richard Wong
Starring: TBD
This young adult rom-com, which is based on the Melissa de la Cruz novel, will appear on Disney+. While no cast, director, or writer has been announced, we know that this story centers on a 16-year-old Korean exchange student who meets a host of eligible bachelors from around the globe. It has been compared to author Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series.
Hunchback
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
M. Butterfly playwright David Henry Hwang is writing the script for this live-action telling of author Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music and lyrics for the 1996 animated film (among many, many other Disney projects) are also on board. So is actor Josh Gad — but so far just as a producer, even though he did Tweet a fun image of himself outside of the famous French cathedral.
Jungle Book 2
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: TBD
Jungle Book writer Justin Marks told Rotten Tomatoes that he and Favreau co-wrote the sequel to their blockbuster film in December 2017, but they had to wait until the director finished work on the revival of The Lion King before they started production. And while Neel Sethi, who starred as Mowgli in the 2016 film, has said that he’s down to return, Marks stressed that the character has aged along with the young actor. “Jon and I saw The Jungle Book story as a coming-of-age story and the second movie continues in that direction,” Marks says. “Really, if it’s done right, it should break some hearts with where it goes.” He added that the sequel will pull in more animal characters from author Rudyard Kipling’s book because (duh) “there’s such a wealth of characters in that world.”
Lilo & Stitch
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
Another fan-favorite Disney film to ride the waves of the live-action/CG trend, this upcoming adaptation of the Hawaiian-set film about friendship and family is being produced by Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of the live-action Aladdin. No cast or director has been announced, but rising star Mike Van Waes is reportedly writing the script.
Sadé
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
One of the handful of original properties in the works for Disney, this live-action fairytale centers on an African princess who must accept her newly discovered magical powers and protect her kingdom when its threatened by a mysterious evil force. Ola Shokunbi and Lindsey Reed Palmer are writing the script and Dope director Rick Famuyiwa is one of the producers, but a director and cast have not been named. The film was announced a few months after Disney saw both massive success for its Marvel film, Black Panther, and allegations of whitewashing its The Princess and the Frog heroine, Princess Tiana, in a promo for its animated film, Ralph Breaks the Internet. (The character was redrawn for the film’s release).
Sister Act 3
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
Another classic IP that’s getting a modern rendition, the third chapter in the Sister Act franchise is written by Regina Hicks (HBO’s Insecure) and Karin Gist (Fox’s Star) and will air on streaming service Disney+. Plot and cast details are scarce, but it was reported that original star Whoopi Goldberg would only cameo in this film. And details have been particularly scant of late, so don’t be surprised if this one doesn’t see the light of day.
The Sword in the Stone
Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
Starring: TBD
Another live-action version of an animated Disney favorite, this film is also awaiting a release date on the Disney+ streaming platform. Last we heard, 28 Weeks Later… director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo was directing the film based on Game of Thrones writer Bryan Cogman’s script.
Blade Reboot
Director: TBD
Starring: Mahershala Ali
At his 2019 Comic-Con presentation, Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige announced that they would be rebooting the Blade franchise and that Oscar winner Mahershala Ali would star as the new version of the half-vampire superhero (Wesley Snipes played the character in the original three movies). Other details, such as a director or other cast members, have yet to be released.
National Treasure 3
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
In January 2020, it was announced that Disney and mega producer Jerry Bruckheimer were developing a third installment of the National Treasure movies and had hired Bad Boys for Life screenwriter Chris Bremner to pen the script. The first two films, which starred Nicolas Cage, premiered in 2004 and 2007.
Pinocchio Live-Action Movie
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: TBD
Continuing Disney’s trend of making live-action versions of fan-favorite films from its vault, it was announced in January 2020 that Robert Zemeckis had signed on to co-write and direct a version of Pinocchio in this format. A release date and details on who will play the toy-turned-boy have yet to be announced.
Shrunk
Director: Joe Johnston
Starring: Josh Gad, Rick Moranis
Looks like we’re getting the gang back together again. In 2020, it was announced that Honey, I Shrunk the Kids star Rick Moranis will appear in the new chapter in the family favorite film series — one that Joe Johnston, who had directed the original 1989 movie, was already on board to direct. Disney regular Josh Gad stars in this film as the grown-up version of Moranis’ son.
Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers Live-Action Movie
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Starring: TBD
In 2019, we learned that Lonely Island member Akiva Schaffer had been tapped to direct a live-action version of this children’s cartoon series — and one that is described as “a distinctly meta or self-referential take” at that. Dan Gregor and Doug Mand wrote the script, but no casting news has been announced.
Flora & Ulysses
Director: Lena Khan
Starring: Matilda Lawler, Alyson Hannigan, Ben Schwartz, Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Danny Pudi
This feature adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s novel will soon premiere on Disney+. Matilda Lawler stars as a girl who adopts a squirrel who just so happens to possess super powers.
Godmothered
Director: Sharon Maguire
Starring: Jillian Bell, Isla Fisher
This Christmas-themed fantasy comedy stars Jillian Bell as Eleanor, a fairy-godmother-in-training who tries to save her profession when she hears it’s going out of style. Isla Fisher plays the woman Eleanor tries to help. The film, which is written by Kari Granlund and Melissa Stack, will air on Disney+.
Peter Pan & Wendy
Director: David Lowery
Starring: Alexander Molony, Ever Anderson, Jude Law (in talks)
Something to crow about? In March 2020, Variety reported that newcomer Ever Anderson would play Wendy and The Reluctant Landlord’s Alexander Molony will play Peter in this live-action version of the 1953 Disney animated classic, while news broke in July 2020 that none other than Jude Law is in talks to play Captain Hook. Pete’s Dragon’s David Lowery will direct.
Safety
Director: Reginald Hudlin
Starring: Jay Reeves
Jay Reeves stars in this biographical sports drama about football player Ray McElrathbey, who had a challenging backstory but received a scholarship to play for Clemson University and raised his 11-year-old brother. It will air on Disney+.
Robin Hood Live-Action Movie
Director: Carlos Lopez Estrada
Starring: TBD
Another classic animated Disney film to get the live-action/CGI treatment is 1973’s animated musical Robin Hood. In April 2020, Disney announced that Lopez Estrada would be directing a new adaptation of this movie with Lady and the Tramp’s Kari Granlund writing the script. The film will air on Disney+.
Hercules
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
In April 2020, The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Avengers: Endgame’s Joe and Anthony Russo would be producing a live-action remake of the 1997 Disney animated hit, Hercules. While there is no directing or casting news yet, it was reported then that Dave Callaham — who also wrote Marvel’s upcoming Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings — would write the script.
Aladdin Sequel and Spin-Off
Director: TBD
Starring: TBD
The 2019 live-action version of Aladdin found some box office treasure even if it wasn’t exactly a critical hit (it has a 57% Tomatometer score). So, naturally, there are reports of two other Disney properties set in this world.
In December 2019, The Hollywood Reporter noted that plans were in the works for a spin-off film centered on Billy Magnussen’s scene-stealing Prince Anders that would air on Disney+. This angered some fans, who took issue with Disney — which has long struggled with inclusion and diversity in its films — giving a whole movie to a minor white character from one of its few IPs set around a person of color. A few months later, Variety reported that Disney was also planning a live-action sequel to Aladdin. The hope was to bring back Will Smith, who played the wish-granting genie in the 2019 film, as well as some other stars.
Encanto
Directors: Byron Howard and Jared Bush
Cast: TBD
In June 2020, the Disney-themed news outlet The Disinsider reported that Zootopia directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush would be making this Walt Disney Animation Studios film about a young Brazilian girl who is the only one in her family not to have magical powers. Lin-Manuel Miranda was writing the music and Bush and Howard co-wrote the script with Charise Castro Smith.
All Night Long
Director: TBD
Cast: TBD
Variety reported in June 2020 that Disney was developing a jukebox musical film based on the music of Lionel Richie a la the successful Mamma Mia! stage and screen productions that rely on ABBA music. No director and cast have been named, but the story reports that Crazy Rich Asians screenwriter Pete Chiarelli is penning the script.
Ant-Man 3
Director: Peyton Reed
Cast: Paul Rudd
Probably (definitely) one of the films set to fill one of those Untitled Marvel Film premiere date slots we have listed below, the third chapter in the Rudd-starring superhero standalone “is going to be a much bigger, more sprawling movie than the first two,” director Reed said when visiting SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show in August 2020. Reed also teased then that “it’s going to have a very different visual template.”
Knights
Director: TBD
Cast: TBD
News broke in 2019 that Disney was working with Operation Finale writer Matt Orton on Knights, a live-action film set in the Middle Ages and about a young girl. Back then, it was reported that the film would have a theatrical release.
Cyrano The Moor
Director: TBD
Cast: David Oyelowo
As evident by this project’s name, Deadline reported in 2017 that this project is “some kind of musical mash up of two classic stories — Cyrano de Bergerac and Othello — and will be set in the Bristol region of England during the 19th century” with Oyelowo set to star and Moonlight screenwriter Tarell Alvin McCraney penning the script. While there hasn’t been a ton of press about the film since then, Oyelowo did tell Screen Daiy in 2019 that “we are in the trenches with it right now.” That interview also states that Shrek The Musical’s Jeanine Tesori is doing the music.
Marley
Director: Bill Condon
Cast: TBD
Bill Condon, who directed the live-action Beauty and the Beast, is reportedly re-teaming with Disney on another live-action musical adaptation of a classic story. This film will be a take on A Christmas Carol that is told through the eyes of Jacob Marley, Ebenezer Scrooge’s deceased business partner who haunts him that fateful night. But a word of caution: The Hollywood Reporter broke this news in 2019 and wrote then that the project had not been greenlit.
Hocus Pocus 2
Director: Adam Shankman
Cast: TBD
In March 2020, Variety reported that Hairspray director Adam Shankman was attached to direct this sequel, a follow-up to the 1993 movie that starred Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy and was directed by Kenny Ortega. Casting and plot details are still under wraps, but it is known that Workaholics’ Jen D’Angelo penned the script and that the film will air on Disney+.
Disenchanted
Director: Adam Shankman
Cast: TBD
The Variety article that announces Shankman’s ties to Hocus Pocus 2 also states that Shankman was in pre-production on Disenchanted — a sequel to 2007’s Enchanted — when that news broke. There was no word then on which film would begin production first.
Home Alone
Director: Dan Mazer
Cast: Archie Yates, Rob Delaney, Ellie Kemper
Don’t worry, Kevin McCallister die-hards. The Hollywood Reporter had news in December 2019 that this upcoming Disney+ film, which is written by Saturday Night Live’s Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell and directed by Bad Grandpa’s Mazer, “is being labeled Home Alone due to the similarities in concept, but in execution the project will have another title” and therefore may not have much to do with the 1990 Macaulay Culkin classic.
Spin
Director: Manjari Makijany
Cast: Avantika Vandanapu
Deadline reported in August 2020 that Diary of a Future President’s Vandanapu will star in this original Disney Channel movie with Desert Dolphin’s Makijany set to direct. The story, which is written by Carley Steiner and Josh Cagan, follows a 15-year-old who re-discovers her passion for music after her mother’s passing.
That isn’t all. As per usual, there are a number of movies that are shrouded in mystery – some of which come to us from the next phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and from Pixar. Here is the full list of those.
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: September 10, 2021
Untitled Disney Animation Film
Release Date: November 24, 2021
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: December 3, 2021
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: December 17, 2021
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: January 7, 2022
Untitled Pixar Film
Release Date: March 11, 2022
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: April 8, 2022
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: May 27, 2022
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: June 10, 2022
Untitled Pixar Film
Release Date: June 17, 2022
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: August 12, 2022
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: September 16, 2022
Untitled Marvel Film
Release Date: October 7, 2022
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: October 21, 2022
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: November 4, 2022
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Untitled Disney Animation Film
Release Date: November 23, 2022
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: December 23, 2022
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: January 13, 2023
Untitled Marvel Film
Release Date: February 17, 2023
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: March 10, 2023
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: March 24, 2023
Untitled Marvel Film
Release Date: May 5, 2023
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: May 26, 2023
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: June 9, 2023
Untitled Pixar Animation Film
Release Date: June 16, 2023
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: July 14, 2023
Untitled Marvel Film
Release Date: July 28, 2023
Untitled Disney Live-Action
Release Date: August 11, 2023
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: September 15, 2023
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: October 6, 2023
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: October 20, 2023
Untitled Marvel Film
Release Date: November 3, 2023
Untitled 20th Century Film
Release Date: November 10, 2023
Untitled Disney Animation Film
Release Date: November 22, 2023
Untitled Disney Live-Action Film
Release Date: December 15, 2023
Untitled Star Wars Film
Release Date: December 23, 2023
Untitled Star Wars Film
Release Date: December 19, 2025
Untitled Star Wars Film
Release Date: December 17, 2027
Check out the most anticipated movies of 2020 and most anticipated movies of 2021.
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