Friday night during D23, the ultimate Disney fan event presented by Visa, Disney held its first presentation at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The presentation sold out within hours. The storytelling on display wowed more than 12,000 guests.
With their wristbands lit up, fans eagerly awaited news from the giant stage complete with showstopping effects and giant screens. Who was there to welcome them? The man himself, Bob Iger, who was here for D23 for the first time in five years. He celebrated with the fans, saying, “There is nothing we love more than to entertain you, thrill you, surprise you, and fill your hearts with joy and wonder, and we know that when we do all of that, we’re doing our jobs right.” Iger continued to reinforce what sets Disney apart as a leader in creativity and innovation.
The 3-hour presentation included exclusive first looks from highly anticipated releases, major casting and title announcements, and star-studded performances. Disney fans from around the world cheered along with the stories and characters they have fallen in love with over the past century.
Hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown, nostalgia and genuine happiness flooded the arena. “The world needs to be entertained now more than ever before, and we take that job seriously,” said Iger. The night was “distinctly Disney” as creative leaders, including Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, Pixar Animation Studios’ Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, Disney Animation’s Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee, and Marvel Studios President and producer Kevin Feige were on stage to introduce the stars and storytellers behind new and beloved titles.
Here are some of the spotlight moments from the evening:
Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Moana 2: Auli‘i Cravalho, alongside dancers and drummers from Nonosina Polynesia, kicked off with “We’re Back,” an all-new song written by Grammy®-winning songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. Dwayne Johnson arrived on stage, revealinga new trailer and poster for the first time for the first time. The big reveal – Moana is a big sister! The latest film opens only in theaters on Nov. 27, 2024.
Dwayne Johnson and Alan Bergman revealed a new movie in the works, Monster Jam. The film is from the pov of monster trucks. Johnson will produce via his Seven Bucks Productions.
- Zootopia 2: Ginnifer Goodwin, who returns to voice Judy Hopps, greeted fans at D23 and shared a special look at the film. The film features a fugitive snake called Gary, to be voiced by Ke Huy Quan. Jason Bateman returns as the voice of Nick Wilde. The film will hit theaters in November 2025.
- Frozen 3: Disney Animation’s Jennifer Lee, who wrote and directed 2013’s Oscar-winning Frozen and its 2019 follow-up Frozen 2, shared a brief tease and gorgeous concept art for Frozen 3. The film is coming exclusively to movie theaters in 2027. She also teased the next two Frozen films will attempt to answer all the questions fans had about Elsa and Anna.
- Avatar 3: Stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldaña joined James Cameron on stage to reveal for the first time the title of the third film in the franchise – Avatar: Fire and Ash. “The new film is not what you expect, but it’s what you want,” exclaimed Cameron.
Pixar
- Win or Lose: Pete Docter revealed the official launch date of Pixar’s first original series, which begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ on Dec. 6. Some fans will see the first two episodes at the D23 Backlot stage on Saturday.
- Dream Productions: Coming to Disney+ in 2025. Taking place between the adventures of Inside Out and Inside Out 2, this new series is about the studio inside Riley’s mind where dreams really do come true, thanks to acclaimed dream director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell).
- Hoppers: Coming to theaters in 2026, is an all-new film that introduces Mabel, an animal lover who seizes an opportunity to use new technology to ‘hop’ her consciousness into a life-like robotic animal.
- Toy Story 5: The crowd went wild for new information about the recently announced film. With a few clues to the storyline, Pixar veteran Andrew Stanton described it as a toy meets tech situation. Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gang have to compete with an all-new threat to playtime: technology.
- Incredibles 3: Before departing, Docter announced everyone’s favorite Super-family is heading back to the big screen. Incredibles 3 is officially in the works at Pixar Animation Studios with Oscar-winning filmmaker Brad Bird currently at the helm.
Disney on Broadway
- Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the stage in the Honda Center was filled with outstanding performances from some of Disney’s hit stage musicals including The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and the newly announced Hercules, which will open in London’s West End in summer 2025. When a Black Hercules and the Muses showed up singing “Go the Distance” and “Zero to Hero,” the crowd went wild.
The presentation also featured a performance from The Greatest Showman, which is currently in development for a stage musical adaptation. Frozen, which was filmed on stage and will premiere on Disney+ in 2025, concluded the Broadway presentation with a dazzling performance of “Let It Go” by Samantha Barks, who will star as Elsa. Snow-like confetti filled the room as fans sang along. Not everyone hit that high note at the end. We love Disney nerds.
Lucasfilm
- Director Jon Favreau and producer Dave Filoni announced Mando and Grogu are coming to the big screen. D23 fans were surprised with a special sneak peek of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the upcoming Star Wars feature film that will open in theaters on May 22, 2026.
Marvel Studios
- Agatha All Along: Stars Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Patti LuPone, Joe Locke, Sasheer Zamata, Ali Ahn and Debra Jo Rupp performed a magical new song from the series, “The Ballad of the Witches Road,” written by Oscar-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen). The series will be available September 18, 2024.
- Captain America Brave New World: Joining Kevin Feige on stage was Anthony Mackie, who makes his big-screen debut as Captain America on February 14, 2025. Mackie talked about the film and shared footage with the D23 audience.
- Daredevil: Born Again: Launching on Disney+ in March 2025. The crowd erupted when Feige invited stars Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Elden Henson and Jon Bernthal to the stage to talk a little about the upcoming show before sharing footage with D23 attendees.
- Ironheart: Ryan Coogler joined Feige on stage. Stars Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Lyric Ross, Regan Aliyah and Alden Ehrenreich arrived to finally offer some insight and a look at some footage from the new series that launches on Disney+ in 2025.
Disney Entertainment Television
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians: co-creator Rick Riordan and stars Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) revealed an exclusive start of production tease from the upcoming second season. Season two is based on “The Sea of Monsters,” the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling “Percy Jackson” book series by acclaimed author Rick Riordan.
- Descendants/Zombies: Worlds Collide Tour: The stars of mega-hit franchises Descendants and Zombies will be hitting the road together for a world tour in summer 2025. Descendants: The Rise of Red star Rita Ora introduced a medley performance of hit songs from the latest film by stars Kylie Cantrall, Malia Baker, Dara Reneé, and Ruby Rose Turner.
- David Blaine: Do Not Attempt: A first look trailer was released for the series coming 2025 on National Geographic and Disney+. Blaine performed a magic trick with the audience in the Honda Center. It was the first time that more than 12,000 people have done a magic card trick together. Fans were convinced magic was real after that performance.
Disney Live Action
- Lilo & Stitch: With a first look at a live action Stitch, the crowd got a taste of Stitch’s signature mayhem as he wreaked havoc throughout the Honda Center. Lilo & Stitch is a live-action reimagining of the animated classic. Starring Maia Kealoha, Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere and Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance and Zach Galifianakis. Comes to theaters summer 2025.
- Snow White: Stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, who portray Snow White and her stepmother, the Evil Queen, respectively, hit the stage to share a special look at the upcoming film, including a brand-new teaser trailer and poster. They also shared a first look at the film’s full song sequence for “Whistle While You Work.” Coming to theaters March 21, 2025.
- TRON Ares: Stars Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, Evan Peters, and Jared Leto were welcomed with huge applause from the D23 audience who heard details about their characters as well as an in-room-only early look.
- Freakier Friday: We asked and we got it. Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan revealed to fans for the first time the sequel’s official title, “Freakier Friday,” which heads to theaters in 2025.
- Mufasa The Lion King: Closing the Disney showcase, Lebo M. performed the iconic “Nants’ Ingonyama” alongside a full choir. Director Barry Jenkins welcomed Mufasa songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda in his first-ever D23 appearance. Together, they offered a special look at a sequence from the film featuring a new song, “I Always Wanted a Brother.” Fans were among the first to see the new trailer before being treated to a show-stopping finale by Lebo M. and choir, who returned to the stage to perform a new song called “Ngomso.” The film opens in theaters December 20, 2024.
