Disney announced a bunch of spinoffs, sequels, IP-based rides, and exactly two original movies at D23
Here's everything you may have missed from D23
Photo: Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Disney![Disney announced a bunch of spinoffs, sequels, IP-based rides, and exactly two original movies at D23](https://img.pastemagazine.com/wp-content/avuploads/2024/08/12102718/GettyImages-2166139178.jpg)
Disney’s bi-annual D23 expo has come and gone, and so too have the hopes and dreams of anyone not named Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson trying to get an original film produced by the Sequel-iest Place On Earth. On Friday, we covered the new Moana 2 trailer, an Inside Out-inspired TV show called Dream Productions, Incredibles 3, Zootopia 2, some tidbits about the new Avatar film (now sporting the Game Of Thrones-esque title, Fire And Ash), an actually new “beaver body swap” movie titled Hoppers, and more. But that’s not all, although you may want to temper your excitement for any other original content if beaver body swap (or human body swap à la Freaky Friday 2—ahem, Freakier Friday) doesn’t do it for you. Here are some highlights from the rest of D23:
- •The parks are getting some major upgrades (or downgrades, depending on how you feel about Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand. RIP.) Disney is clearly feeling some of the heat from Universal’s upcoming Epic Universe expansion because they’re finally adding a Villains Land to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom after literal decades of fan requests. According to the park, it’s a place where “happily ever after may feel like just a distant dream,” but it’s still one of the most exciting announcements from the weekend.
- •A lot of IP-based rides are on the horizon. Coco, Encanto, plus even more Avatar, Indiana Jones, and Cars will all get their own attractions on both coasts, as well as that Monsters, Inc. door coaster (and an entire dedicated land for the franchise in Orlando’s Hollywood Studios) that everyone has also been asking for for years. If nothing else, that one at least is sure to be a scream.
- •Robert Downey Jr. literally can’t stay away. In addition to his return as Doctor Doom, the actor will also briefly step back into the Iron Man suit for a new attraction called Stark Flight Lab at Disneyland’s Avengers campus. The park will also be getting a new ride called Avengers Infinity Defense, in which guests will essentially recreate the events of Avengers: Endgame by jumping through fantastical and faraway worlds like Asgard, Wakanda, and… New York along with some familiar faces.
- •There’s one more new movie coming. It’s a project from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson called Monster Jam that’s somehow not at all related to Monsters, Inc. Instead, it will be a “live action experience” from the “P.O.V. of… incredible, iconic monster trucks.” It kind of feels like that one’s also already been done (and about to get a ride in Disney World), but it’s happening regardless.
- •We also got new trailers for Mufasa (surprisingly pretty good) and Rachel Zegler’s live action Snow White (unsurprisingly less so).
- •We also got our first look at live-action Stitch, which is coming to theaters in 2025 for… some reason, and dates for Frozen III (2027), Elio (2025), Zootopia 2 (November 2025), Tron: Ares (2025), Freakier Friday (2025), and Avatar: Fire And Ash (December 19, 2025). This is all well and good, but does present a pretty glaring issue—if Disney refuses to court original film ideas, how will they continue to source their film-based rides? Bet you didn’t consider that, Bob Iger.