Studio Leaders and Filmmakers from
Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Disney Live Action, Pixar and Walt
Disney Animation Studios Reveal New Details, Introduce Major Stars
and Host a Stunning Performance at Ultimate Disney Fan
Event
Film imagery and photos from the event are
available on www.image.net/press/2019D23 B-roll/VNR/Sound Bites
from the event will be available later today on
https://www.epk.tv/view/#/campaign/d23-expo-2019
The Walt Disney Studios—including studio leaders and filmmakers
from Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Disney live action, Pixar and Walt
Disney Animation Studios—wowed an audience of nearly 7,000 this
morning at D23 Expo 2019 at the Anaheim Convention Center in
Anaheim, Calif. Alan Horn, co-chairman and chief creative officer,
The Walt Disney Studios—joined by Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy,
Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, Disney live action’s Sean Bailey,
Pixar’s Pete Docter and Disney Animation’s Jennifer Lee—offered
guests a captivating look at Disney’s upcoming film slate,
including never-before-seen footage and a host of stars, plus a
spectacular performance from “Frozen 2” voice cast members Idina
Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad.
“You’re not just fans, you’re family,” said Horn to the packed
room. “It’s because of you that we keep working so hard to make
great movies, and we love D23 Expo because it’s where we can share
them with you first.”
The presentation included the following highlights.
LUCASFILM
President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy and “Star Wars: The
Rise of Skywalker” director/writer/producer J.J. Abrams
showcased the riveting conclusion to the Skywalker saga. Kennedy
and Abrams revved up the audience, introducing nine stars from the
film—many of whom marked this as their first D23 Expo appearance:
Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi
Ackie, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran and Billy Dee
Williams, plus special appearances from R2-D2, BB-8 and the new
droid D-O. A brand-new poster was revealed—and gifted to the entire
audience. And all were given a look back at the incredible legacy
of Star Wars storytelling and treated to a sneak peek of “Star
Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which opens in U.S. theaters on Dec.
20, 2019.
MARVEL STUDIOS
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, kicked off his
presentation with a surprise visit from “Black Panther” director
and co-writer Ryan Coogler. Together, they revealed that “Black
Panther 2” (working title) will hit U.S. theaters on May 6,
2022.
Feige segued to next year’s “The Eternals,”
inviting cast members from the much-anticipated film to the stage:
Richard Madden, who portrays the all-powerful Ikaris; Kumail
Nanjiani, who plays cosmic-powered Kingo; Lauren Ridloff, who
portrays the super-fast Makkari, the first deaf hero in the MCU;
Brian Tyree Henry, who plays the intelligent inventor Phastos;
Salma Hayek, who plays the wise and spiritual leader Ajak; Lia
McHugh, who portrays the eternally young, old-soul Sprite; Don Lee,
who plays the powerful Gilgamesh; and Angelina Jolie, who stars as
the fierce warrior Thena. Feige revealed concept art images of each
character, and announced three new cast members and their
characters: Gemma Chan, who plays humankind-loving Sersi; Kit
Harington, who was cast as non-Eternal Dane Whitman, and Barry
Keoghan, who portrays aloof loner Druig, and was on hand for the
event. Directed by Chloé Zhao, who helmed the critically acclaimed
Sundance film “The Rider,” “The Eternals” opens in U.S. theaters on
Nov. 6, 2020.
Feige concluded with “Black Widow,” the Cate
Shortland-directed first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic
Universe, which hits U.S. theaters on May 1, 2020. Feige shared a
pre-recorded greeting featuring stars Scarlett Johansson, who
reprises her role of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow; David Harbour,
who was cast as Alexei the Red Guardian; and Florence Pugh, who
plays Yelena. The audience was also treated to an exclusive look at
the upcoming film.
DISNEY LIVE ACTION
Sean Bailey, president, Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture
Production, took the audience through upcoming releases for the
studio, including next summer’s “Jungle Cruise,” a rousing
adventure inspired by the classic theme-park attraction. Star
Dwayne Johnson, who plays riverboat captain Frank Wolff, entered
Hall D23 aboard an original Jungle Cruise boat, introducing a
“trailer” that showed off his character—so much so, that co-star
Emily Blunt, who portrays Dr. Lily Houghton, arrived via classic
car to share with fans her own “trailer,” offering a different
perspective—Bailey laughingly informed Johnson and Blunt that
neither trailer was official. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra,
Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” hits U.S. theaters on July 24, 2020.
Bailey welcomed Angelina Jolie back to the stage to present
exclusive footage and details about Disney’s “Maleficent:
Mistress of Evil,” the exciting follow-up to the hit
2014 film. Maleficent, portrayed by Jolie, and her goddaughter
Aurora, played by Elle Fanning, begin to question the complex
family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different
directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and new dark
forces at play. Aurora’s imminent marriage to Prince Phillip is
cause for celebration—however, Prince Phillip’s mother, Queen
Ingrith, portrayed by Michelle Pfeiffer, challenges Maleficent’s
role as Aurora’s mother figure. Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Connal,
one of the leaders of the dark fey who becomes Maleficent’s ally.
Ejiofor, Pfeiffer and Fanning were all welcomed to the stage by an
enthusiastic audience. Directed by Joachim Rønning, who co-helmed
2017’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,”
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” arrives in U.S. theaters on Oct. 18,
2019.
Bailey next introduced acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro, director
of “Mulan,” the upcoming live-action reimagining of the 1998
classic animated film. Caro expressed to fans her passion for the
project, sharing several minutes of footage from the epic adventure
inspired by one of China’s fiercest warriors. In Disney’s “Mulan,”
which opens in U.S. theaters on March 27, 2020, the Emperor of
China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the
Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders. So, the
eldest daughter of an honored but ailing warrior masquerades as a
man, transforming into a heroic warrior to ultimately earn her the
respect of a grateful nation and a proud father.
Next up, Bailey shared details about “Cruella,” an
all-new feature film starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. Stone,
who plays the iconic “Cruella,” sent D23 Expo fans a greeting from
the London-based set with help from a spotted, four-legged co-star.
Fans also got a glimpse of an image of Stone in full costume with
Cruella’s signature black-and-white hair. Director Craig Gillespie,
who helmed “I, Tonya” and “The Finest Hours,” brings “Cruella” to
the big screen on May 28, 2021, with a fresh, 1970s, punk-rock
approach.
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Pixar Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter
guided the audience through Pixar’s upcoming film slate of
originals. Docter began with next summer’s release, “Soul,”
which he directs. The film journeys from the streets of New York
City to the never-before-seen cosmic realms and “The You Seminar,”
the fantastical place where we all discover our unique
personalities. Producer Dana Murray, co-director/writer Kemp Powers
and writer Mike Jones joined Docter on stage, and together they set
up the film for the audience and shared a sneak peek. The team
revealed members of the voice cast who joined them on stage,
including Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Daveed Diggs,
Tina Fey and Jamie Foxx. Foxx lends his voice to Joe Gardner, a
middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. Fey
plays 22, a soul-in-training who has an unexpected encounter with
Joe when he accidentally finds his way to the “You Seminar.”
Together, the two are going to find a way to get Joe back to Earth,
making him think again about what it truly means to have soul.
Filmmakers also revealed that globally renowned musician Jon
Batiste will be writing original jazz music for the film, and
Oscar®-winners Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (“The Social
Network”), from Nine Inch Nails, will compose an original score
that will drift between the real and soul worlds. Disney and
Pixar’s “Soul” opens in U.S. theaters on June 19, 2020.
Docter next introduced director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori
Rae, who shared details and more than ten minutes of exclusive
footage from Pixar’s upcoming feature film “Onward.” The
movie, which opens in U.S. theaters on March 6, 2020, stars Tom
Holland and Chris Pratt as two teenage elf brothers, Ian and Barley
Lightfoot, who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if
there is still a little magic left in the world. Set in a modern
fantasy world, Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” is inspired by Scanlon’s
personal experiences with his brother. Holland, Pratt and Julia
Louis-Dreyfus—who voices Mom in the movie—joined the filmmakers on
stage—much to the delight of the audience, who all received an
exclusive “Onward” poster.
WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Jennifer
Lee presented an overview of the studio’s next two features,
beginning with the Thanksgiving 2020 fantasy-action-adventure,
“Raya and the Last Dragon.” Directors Paul Briggs and Dean
Wellins (“Big Hero 6,” “Frozen”), producer Osnat Shurer (“Moana”)
and writer Adele Lim (“Crazy Rich Asians”) joined Lee on stage to
set up the film, which introduces Raya, a lone warrior from the
fantasy kingdom of Kumandra who teams up with a crew of misfits in
her quest to find the Last Dragon and bring light and unity back to
their world. The D23 Expo crowd was the first to get a look at the
new film, viewing an exclusive three-minute piece. They also met
two newly announced members of the voice cast: Awkwafina lends her
voice to Sisu, the Last Dragon, who was left on Earth in case dark
forces return to the world, and Cassie Steele voices the lead
character, Raya. Exploring themes of community and hope, and
inspired by the beautiful and diverse cultures of Southeast Asia,
the fantasy-action-adventure “Raya and the Last Dragon” opens in
U.S. theaters on Nov. 25, 2020.
Lee, who directs “Frozen 2” with Chris Buck, and wrote
the screenplay, invited Buck to join her on stage as the
Oscar®-winning duo revealed new details about the upcoming film,
which opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22. Lee and Buck introduced
two new “Frozen 2” cast members: Sterling K. Brown, who voices
Lieutenant Destin Mattias, and Evan Rachel Wood, who voices Queen
Iduna, Anna and Elsa’s mother. The crowd—who received an exclusive
D23 Expo “Frozen 2” poster—saw never-before-seen footage of the new
characters, including a scene that featured Wood as Iduna singing
to young Elsa and Anna. The song, “All Is Found,” is one of seven
all-new original songs by Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen
Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The audience also saw a sequence
from the movie that showcased Elsa’s yearning for answers about the
past, culminating in another song, “Into the Unknown.” And a
climactic performance of the song “Some Things Never Change” by
Menzel, Bell, Groff and Gad brought the audience to its feet,
capping off the studio presentation in extraordinary style.
About The Walt Disney
Studios
For more than 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the
foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the
Studio brings quality movies, music, and stage plays to consumers
throughout the world.
About D23 Expo 2019
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the
worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of
presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks,
shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented
access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and
celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com.
Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the
D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter,
Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in
1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is
the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history.
It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of
Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its
quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at
D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and
special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Family
Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels
at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events,
follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
NOT FOR PRINT: For images, press releases, and the
official media credential application, please visit
D23expoPress.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190824005005/en/
The Walt Disney Studios
Kara Spector The Walt Disney Studios (818) 560-6881
Kara.Spector@disney.com
Derek Del Rossi The Walt Disney Studios (212) 827-5440
Derek.Del.Rossi@disney.com
D23 Expo
Jeffrey R. Epstein The Walt Disney Company (818) 560-8125
Jeffrey.R.Epstein@Disney.com
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