Thread by @brettwhite

Next up at #D23Expo: The Disney and Pixar Studio Showcase. Translation: lots of updates about lots of Disney and/or Pixar movies and shows!

(Marvel and Star Wars announcements are tomorrow)

Oh yeah, Only Murders theme song playing in Hall D23. The Hulu synergy is real in the pre-panel playlists.

Lights dimmed, here we go!

Starting with a video about, you guessed it, the history of Disney. You know they love to set the mood with a clip show at these panels.

Category is: Disney 100: 100 Years of Wonder

Taking the stage is Cynthia Erivo singing "When You Wish Upon a Star." It is a MOMENT.

Here's Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman, pointing out that "When You Wish Upon a Star" is the motto that Disney tries to live up to.

Now we're getting started with live-action movies. Bergman shouts out Treasure Island, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Cruella, etc. -- decades of hits. So, what is next??

Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, is here to tell us what is what. Or, what will soon be what.

Bailey says that Disney+ expands what movies the company can make. First is the followup to Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2. The audience is here for HP2. "It is a film that exists because of the overwhelming love you all have for the film." #D23Expo

Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy, and Bette Midler sent in a video, and it interacts with the theater. Bette turns out the lights. Say what! Now there's a trailer!

Next up, at Thanksgiving Disney+ drops "Disenchanted." The film takes place "in a land where happily ever after is not guaranteed." Also, the entire cast is back and also, they're here. #D23Expo

Newly crowned Disney Legends Idina Menzel and Patrick Dempsey take the stage, along with Amy Adams and Maya Rudolph who take the stage decked out in Disneyland gear. They are LIVING IT UP. #D23Expo

Amy Adams can make an oversized Disney sweater work. Maya Rudolph says that walking through the park with Amy is "surreal. I think she actually thinks she is Giselle." When she sang, Maya says, "a family of raccoons came and sat down with us." #D23Expo

Update on Giselle from Adams: "Giselle still has all the love and joy, but she now finds herself in a slightly different position as a mother of an infant and teenager, and a wife with these new roles. She tries to move forward not in the best way but with the best intentions."

Dempsey says Robert is adjusting to suburban life, he's mostly adjusting to his commute and it's a journey to get to the office. Gabby Baldacchino plays grownup Morgan, and Enchanted is her favorite Disney movie. This is "surreal" and she's "so grateful." #D23Expo

Idina Menzel and James Marsden are here. What have they been up to? "Neverending fairy tale montage." "They're in couples therapy but it's working out" adds Menzel. "I've been learning to cook," she jokes. #D23Expo

Maya Rudolph plays Giselle's foe in the film. "I can't believe i got to be a part of this. It's not easy being mean to Amy Adams, but we had so much fun together and made this fun meal out of being as nasty to each other as we could be." #D23Expo

By Maya's side are Yvette Nicole Brown and Jayma Mays, who get to play "mean girls" in Disenchanted. Brown says there was tons of singing on set between shots. #D23EXPO

Oh, and here's a trailer, y'all.

Next up is Peter Pan & Wendy. Alexander Molony and Ever Gabo Anderson are here, as is Jude Law and Alyssa Wapanatâhk. #D23Expo

Ever: "It's been amazing to play Wendy. Disney has worked hard to give her more depth and character so her and Peter are equals in this film, which I found amazing."

Alyssa: "I was mostly very excited to have the honor to play Tiger Lily. To be able to reimagine this classic, it's beyond words." #D23Expo

Alexander Molony says that Peter and Hook's relationship is a cat and mouse game. Jude Law adds, "We got to mine their backstory a little more, a past where they were possibly once friends. There's a physical rivalry, the fighting and gamesmanship is very present."

Oh, and here's a first look at Peter Pan and Wendy.

Lord I want to write out the descriptions of these trailers here but it is moving too fast and I can't. I just can't. Once it's done I can add those in here in this thread.

And now on to theatrical films, Haunted Mansion time. Justin Simien (Dear White People) directed this movie??? #D23Expo

Justin used to work at Disneyland, and they throw up his old Disneyland ID on the big screen lol. He is young and happy and has hair. "It was the best summer job I ever had. Any time I wasn't working on the ride I was supposed to, I would go ride Haunted Mansion."

Justin says the script was funny with a dark edge and he related to it. "I felt like I understood New Orleans and I'm a fanboy so I understood the ride. I got a responsibility here, I have to make sure all the Easter eggs are there."

Haunted Mansion teaser is here!

About all the cameos, Justin says Winona Ryder, Dan Levy, Hasan Minahj, all in the movie. Who else? Things are getting spooky on stage.

Justin says there's one person they had to have, the queen of scary movies, JAMIE LEE CURTIS #D23Expo

She just arrived onstage in what I assume is what you get into to ride Haunted Mansion (I am not a Disney nerd) and now she's offstage, with Justin joining her lol

Next, Mufasa: The Lion King. Barry Jenkins is the director, following If Beale Street Could Talk and Moonlight. This is Mufasa's story and here's Barry Jenkins to talk about it.

Jenkins: "Mufasa is the origin story of one of the greatest kings of the Pridelands. It's a story told in different time frame. Timon, Rafiki and Pumbaa are relaying the story to a young cub." Jenkins says Mufasa was an orphaned cub who found his place in the circle of life.

Did Jenkins bring anything to show us?? Yeah!

Mufasa comes out in theaters in 2024. Also out in 2024, the live action reimagining of Snow White. She's the original princess. Marc Webb directs, Greatest Showmen songwriters on board.

RACHEL ZEGLER is Snow White and GAL GADOT is the Evil Queen and they are HERE #D23Expo

In the footage, they literally look like the classic cartoon come to life. #SnowWhite

Zegler: "It's such an honor to bring the first full-length animated feature to life. Snow White is the girl you remember but more modern, and there's an emphasis on what it means to be the fairest of them all. She wants an inner voice and sense of agency so she can be just."

Gadot: "It was very different from anything I've done before. I'm used to playing the other end. She is the first most iconic villain in the world and stepping into her skin was so delightful. I enjoyed it so much."

Gal Gadot got so in character that people came up to Gal's assistant and asked if she was okay lol #D23Expo

What are they excited for fans to see? Zegler says "the incredible technology and new music." Zegler says she should be on the other side of the stage because she is so excited and such a fan. #D23expo

Finally for the theatrical portion, The Little Mermaid! Directed by Rob Marshall, director of Into the Woods and Chicago. The movie is in post, and Rob is here to say hello.

Rob Marshall: "I have a special connection to this film, in 1989, you remember when it opened --" then a creepy noise happens and Marshall jokes that Jamie Lee Curtis is swinging around still.

Anyway, Marshall talks about how excited he was in 1989 to see an animated musical again, and he felt that when he brought Chicago to life a decade after that. Now here he is with Little Mermaid in live-action, reimagined with some new depth.

Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote four new songs in addition to the originals we know and love. #D23Expo

Marshall says that Halle Bailey claimed the role as her own, and that we've never seen Melissa McCarthy as she appears in this film. Javier Bardem as Triton, how in the world is that a thing I'm losing my mind lol

And of course, Awkwafina and Daveed Diggs as Scuttle and Sebastian. And Jacob Tremblay as Flounder.
Trailer time? Yep.

Oh actually no they showed the ENTIRE PART OF YOUR WORLD NUMBER which, Halle Bailey is a star and now she's on stage being treated like a star. #D23Expo

Now it's time for the Pixar portion of the presentation, and here's Pete Docter to get this party started.

Oh, and the Little Mermaid teaser is apparently out there right now. Or will be soon. That's what Rob Marshall said.

Summer 2023, original theatrical film titled ELEMENTAL. Director Peter Sohn and producer Denise Ream are on stage. Sohn talks about his parents who immigrated to NYC from Korea in the 1970s. #D23Expo

Elemental is set in Element City where characters made of all the elements try to get along and live together -- and it's hard for a fire person like Ember to make that happen without burning everything down. She falls in love with a water guy named Wade, too!

Introducing voice actors for Wade and Ember, their halves of the stage literally burst into flames and pour down rain.

Pixar's first original, long-form TV series for Disney+ is coming soon from Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates called Win or Lose. Carrie and Michael are on stage now. These two were storyboard artists and office mates on Toy Story 4. #D23Expo.

The series is about a co-ed middle school softball team in the week leading up to championship game. Each episode follows the same week from the POV of a different main character. You see what the character is feeling in their own visual style. #D23Expo

Will Forte is Coach Dan! On Win or Lose!

Next up -- everything in Hall D23 is glitching out! Red lights! Bring Us Your Leader appears on the screens! Uh oh! The next Pixar movie is about aliens!

Aliens are real and the kid who makes first contact is a kid named ELIO. It's a new Pixar movie! #D23Expo Elio is artistic and creative and loves to talk about his feelings. His mom runs a top secret military project decoding a strange signal....

He's beamed up to the Communiverse, a space UN, and it's unlike anything we've seen before. And Elio accidentally becomes Earth's ambassador to the rest of the universe... uhoh! #D23Expo

America Ferrera voices Elio's mom! Here she is looking stunning in a black gown with one shoulder and wow. Werk!

And who voices Elio? A newcomer named Jonas and.. I don't know the last name because D23 doesn't put names up on the screen which feels like something they could easily do!

Oh his name is Yonas and he is super cool.

Elio arrives in theaters in Spring 2024

Pete Docter tries to wrap things up but uh, AMY POEHLER is here! #D23Expo She's here "taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of D23."

Amy wants Pete to make an announcement. And that is, INSIDE OUT 2! #D23Expo It's coming!

A new Inside Out adventure, Kelsey Mann directing, Meg LeFauve back as screenwriter, and Mark Nielsen producing. #D23Expo

Want to point out, they put their names on the screen! It was easy to share with all of you!

Amy tells us, "It takes place in Riley's head but she's a teen now." Oh, and there are new emotions! Summer 2024! #D23expo

And the final section of the presentation: Walt Disney Animation Studios, which started 100 years ago (well, 99, but we're counting down to 100)

Jennifer Lee, Disney Animation CCO and Frozen mastermind, is on stage now.

Oh in this old photo Walt is wearing a killer wide, peak lapel double breasted suit and, I want these clothes.

Disney Animation's next two Disney+ projects: November, Zootopia+ -- 6 new stories, including parodies of Housewives, So You Think You Can Dance, the Godfather and more

Also for Disney+: a new original series from pan-African company Kugali -- a series titled IWÁJÚ

The series is set in Iwaju, a futuristic African city inspired by Lagos. It's the coming-of-age story of a girl (Tola) from a wealthy island, and a poor boy (Kole) from the mainland.

Otin is Tola's curious robotic pet lizard. That lizard is gonna have so many toys. The villain is Bode, the leader of a criminal underground.

The 61st Disney feature film, Strange World, will hit theaters this Thanksgiving -- Directors Don Hall and Qui Nguyen (also writer) are here

Strange World is full of action and new creatures, but it's not just an adventure film, says Nguyen, it's also about a family who gets past their differences to save the world.

The newest Strange World trailer, hello!

Cast members Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, and Lucy Liu are here! #D23expo

Jake says he's always wanted to be in a Disney animated movie. "Searcher is a family man who wants to provide for his family and I loved playing him."

Dennis Quaid loves being part of the Disney family. "It's a different kind of character for me, he has huge calves which I've always wanted to have. Thank you Disney animators."

Lucy voices President Callisto, and she is stunned by this huge audience. "I was so excited to play her because she is fearless, tough, a leader, and someone I'd aspire to be."

Jaboukie on joining the cast as Ethan: "He's the vibe master, he's an incredible kid. He's excited about adventure like his granddad, I felt part of myself in him."

So what could the 2023 film be? It's the 100th anniversary. It's a big deal! So...

How did the wishing star, upon which so many characters wish, come to be? The 2023 feature film is WISH #D23expo

Jennifer Lee is one of the writers on "Wish." The film is directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.

The film is set in Rosas, the Kingdom of Wishes. Those first Disney films all involved wishes.

The animation style blends old style watercolor painting with modern 3D styling, for a look all its own. The film's lead is Asha, a 17-year-old girl with a sharp wit. "The bigger the wish, the harder the journey."

Asha sees a darkness in the kingdom and has to fight it, so she makes a plea to the stars for guidance. The power of her wish calls down a star from the sky -- which is literally a cute star, a "cosmic force made of possibilty, imagination and hope"

Star is a little bundle of chaos (good chaos). Disney Animation's good luck charm, Alan Tudyk, is in the film and here he is! He's been in every Disney Animation film for 10 years?!

Now Alan Tudyk is voicing a cute little goat named Valentino in WISH. He wears pajamas. He does! He's adorable.

Of course WISH has to be a musical. Songwriter Julia Michaels will handle the music. She's written songs for Dua Lipa so, I'm sold.

The directors try to wrap things up but Jennifer Lee stops them. They have to reveal a little more! Just a little more! The first song they got for Wish is titled More For Us. And we get to hear the song!

Asha's voice artist? Ariana DeBose! She's here to sing the song!

Hey, it's a good song. That Ariana DeBose can sing.

That's it -- make sure to follow @decider for more updates!!

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