Breakdown - D23 2022 Announcements, Reveals, and Trailers

           Hey guys, Chuck here. Well, the first two days of the D23 Expo have bore some real fruit for us fans of Disney. And there were a number of release confirmations, cast reveals, trailer drops, and so on. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this year's event, so I wasn't able to see all of the stuff that was held exclusively in Hall D23. However, I CAN give my thoughts on what information was published online, so that what I'm going to do. So, here we go. 

       Let's start with Disney live-action. First off, we got a brand new trailer for Hocus Pocus 2, which releases later this month on Disney+. Expect my review of that next month during HallowScream. We also got our first trailer for Disenchanted, which is the sequel to the 2007 film Enchanted starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. Disenchanted debuts this November on Disney+, and I definitely plan to review the first Enchanted some time this month, just to have my review out there before the sequel arrives. For 2023 releases, we got our teaser poster for Peter Pan and Wendy, set to debut next year on Disney+, and will feature Jude Law as Captain Hook and Jim Gaffigan as Mr. Smee. Definitely excited for that one, as I'm a huge fan of the story of Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. One trailer that, unfortunately, wasn't release online was for next year's Haunted Mansion, based on the Disney parks ride of the same name. However, it was revealed that Dan Levy and Winona Ryder have joined the cast, which already includes the likes of Rosario Dawson, Lakeith Stanfield, Danny DeVito, with Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leotard and Jared Leto as the voice of the Hatbox Ghost. Haunted Mansion will be in theaters in August 2023, and will be the second feature film based on the ride after 2003's The Haunted Mansion starring Eddie Murphy. Expect my review of THAT film next month for HallowScream . As for two major announcements, the new live-action movie Snow White starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot is officially set for release in 2024, as is a follow up film to the 2019 version of The Lion King, and will be called Mufasa: The Lion King. Lastly, we got our first teaser trailer for the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid, set for release in May of 2023, and stars Halle Bailey as Ariel. I gotta say, not only does Halle Bailey look terrific as Ariel, but her singing voice is extremely on point with that of Jodi Benson from the original animated classic. And just announcing it here, February 2023 here on Chuck's Movie Breakdown will officially be Disney Renaissance Month. Definitely keep a look out for that next February. Anyway, lots of cool stuff coming from Disney live-action, and a lot to look forward to from me in months to come. 

          Onto the animation side. First off, Pixar has announced their next two movies. First is Elemental, set for release in 2023, and finally Inside Out 2, which is a sequel to the 2015 film Inside Out. Definitely excited for both, but Elemental, which tells the story of a romance between a girl made of fire and a boy made of water, seems really neat to me. We also got an announcement of a new Disney+ Original series from Pixar titled In & Out, which will be focused on baseball. Probably something my dad might enjoy, given how nutty the guy is about baseball. As for Walt Disney Animation Studios, a new still was released for their next film Strange World, set for release in November, as well as a first look at an upcoming Disney+ series called Iwájú, which looks pretty neat. Lastly, in honor of the 100 year anniversary of Disney, Disney Animation's 2023 film is called Wish, and will be about a sentient wishing star. The movie will hit theaters in November of 2023. 

          Lucasfilm showcase new trailers for projects like Willow, a follow up series to the Ron Howard fantasy film of the same name, with Warwick Davis reprising his role as the titular wizard Willow, and a first trailer for the next year's Indiana Jones movie, which Harrison Ford has confirmed will be his last film of the series.  Unfortunately, the Indiana Jones trailer is unavailable online, but the movie is set for release in the summer of 2023. As for the Star Wars side of Lucasfilm, we got our first trailers for Tales of the Jedi, set to release next month on Disney+, as well as Season 3 of The Mandalorian, set for release in 2023. We got a new trailer for Andor, releasing this month on Disney+, as well as a release confirmation for next year for Season 2 of The Bad Batch. Quick looks for both Ahsoka and Skeleton Crew were also at the event, and it is confirmed that actor Eman Esfandi has been cast in the role of Ezra Bridger for the upcoming series Ahsoka. 

           Lastly, we have the Marvel presentation. Marvel released two trailers online, first was for the upcoming Disney+ series Secret Invasion, airing next year, and second was for their upcoming Halloween special Werewolf by Night, premiering on Disney+ October 7th. And yes, I do plan to review it next month for HallowScream. So, there you go, you guys just got the confirmations of THREE of my reviews for HallowScream next month. Anyway, as far as other reveals go, we got confirmation that Matt Shakman, who worked on the series WandaVision, is now set to direct the upcoming 2024 movie Fantastic Four. We also got a casting confirmation for the upcoming Captain America: New World Order, as it's now confirmed that Tim Blake Nelson will be returning as Samuel Sterns ana The Leader, making his triumphant return to the MCU after last appearing in 2008's The Incredible Hulk. Oh, and the official line-up for the upcoming movie Thunderbolts has been confirmed, with the team consisting of U.S. Agent, Ghost, Red Guardian, Winter Soldier, Yelena Belova/Black Widow, Taskmaster, and Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, with actors Florence Pugh, Julia Louis Dreyfus, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, Sebastian Stan, and Hannah John-Kamen all set to reprise their roles in the movie. Cool.

        Other movies and Disney+ projects showcased included The Marvels, Loki Season 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Echo, Daredevil: Born Again, Ironheart, and Armor Wars. So, definitely a lot to look forward to from Marvel over the next few years, guys. 

         Disney also just released a few first looks at three upcoming Disney+ series, that I am most eagerly awaiting: National Treasure: Edge of History, which is a spin-off of the National Treasure film series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, based on the books series of the same name, and The Santa Clauses, a new limited series starring Tim Allen, and serving as the closing chapter of his tenure as Santa Claus. Definitely look out for my review of that series this holiday season for 12 Reviews of Christmas, along with my review of The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. 

        So, what were my favorite reveals? Well, the Disney Animation film Wish sounds neat, as does the Pixar film Elemental. The first trailers for Werewolf by Night, Secret Invasion, and The Mandalorian Season 3 look good. But, I think the best trailer released at D23 was the one for The Little Mermaid. Honestly, Rob Marshall, great job with getting me excited for this movie, dude. 

         So, like I said, I'll be reviewing Enchanted later on this month, and keep an eye out for HallowScream next month, where I review titles like The Haunted Mansion, Werewolf by Night, and Hocus Pocus 2. Anyway, this is Chuck signing off, and I'll see you guys next time. I have a lot of reviews to map out for the coming months, you guys. Seriously, this is a phenomenal time to be a Disney fan.