Disney Live Action came to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event with a bunch of surprise announcements and reveals including upcoming titles such as MUFASA: THE LION KING, DISNEY’S SNOW WHITE, LILO & STITCH, TRON: ARES, FREAKIER FRIDAY and MONSETER JAM.
Here’s a look at what we learned during the Disney Entertainment Showcase at the 2024 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
The announcements for Disney Live Action came as part of the Disney Entertainment Showcase which was a sold out separately ticketed add-on for the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. The forever-fabulous fantastic fangirl Yvette Nicole Brown was the host for an evening filled with news and reveals from across Disney’s wide umbrella of properties.
The announcements for Disney Live Action were some of the last announcements during the evening and the night was capped off by the king of the jungle, MUFASA which had a beautiful performance and a huge cast reveal and a WHOLE bunch of confetti! Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment Alan Bertman was along for the journey.
Mufasa: The Lion King
Disney’s MUFASA: THE LION KING closed the studio’s showcase, beginning with Lebo M., who contributes to the film’s music, performing the iconic “Nants’ Ingonyama” alongside a full choir. Director Barry Jenkins welcomed to the stage “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.”
Cast members Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Theo Somolu, Braelyn Rankins and Anika Noni Rose were introduced after Jenkins shared details about the all-new story that introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka. 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 also stars John Kani, Tiffany Boone, Kagiso Lediga, Preston Nyman, Mads Mikkelsen, Thandiwe Newton, Lennie James, Keith David, Donald Glover, Blue Ivy Carter, Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Adele Romanski & Mark Ceryak produce.
MUFASA: THE LION KING opens in theaters December 20, 2024.
Disney’s Snow White
SNOW WHITE , a live-action reimagining of the classic tale, whistles into theaters March 21, 2025. Stars Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, who portray Snow White and her stepmother, the Evil Queen, respectively, hit the stage to the fans’ delight, sharing a special look at the upcoming film, including a brand-new teaser trailer and poster.
Featuring original songs by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the new film is directed by Mike Webb and produced by Marc Platt and Jared LeBoff, and welcomes back to the big screen the beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy.
Lilo & Stitch
A new logo was revealed for the much-anticipated feature LILO & STITCH. The crowd got a taste of Stitch’s signature mayhem as he wreaked havoc throughout the Honda Center. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and produced by Jonathan Eirich and Dan Lin, “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, the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family comes to theaters Summer 2025.
@disneystudios Experiment 626 has entered the chat! The live-action #LiloAndStitch is coming only to theaters in Summer 2025!
TRON: Ares
TRON: ARES stars Jeff Bridges, Greta Lee, Evan Peters and Jared Leto garnered huge applause from the audience—Leto, who portrays Ares, hit the stage in style alongside an iconic Lightcycle. Cast members shared details about their characters as well as an in-room-only early look. After a sonic assault, lasers burned into the screens, which parted to reveal “music by NINE INCH NAILS.”
Slated for theatrical release on Oct. 10, 2025, “TRON: Ares” follows a highly sophisticated Program, Ares, who is sent from the digital world into the real world on a dangerous mission, marking humankind’s first encounter with A.I. beings. Joachim Rønning directs; producers are Sean Bailey, Jeffrey Silver, Justin Springer, Leto, Emma Ludbrook and Steven Lisberger.
Freakier Friday
Fans gave a warm welcome to Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan, the stars of the upcoming “Freaky Friday” follow-up—who revealed to fans for the first time the sequel’s official title, “Freakier Friday,” which heads to theaters in 2025.
Directed by Nisha Ganatra and produced by Kristin Burr, Andrew Gunn and Curtis, the new film picks up years after Curtis and Lohan’s characters, Tess and Anna, first endured an identity crisis: Anna has a daughter of her own and a soon-to-be stepdaughter. As they navigate challenges that come when two families merge, they discover that lightning might indeed strike twice.
“Freakier Friday” also stars Mark Harmon, Chad Michael Murray, Christina Vidal Mitchell, Haley Hudson, Lucille Soong, Stephen Tobolowsky and Rosalind Chao. Executive producers are Nathan Kelly, Ann Marie Sanderlin and Lohan.
Monster Jam
Dwayne Johnson and Alan Bergman revealed that a new movie is in the works about monster trucks, leaning into the popularity of Monster Jam truck rallies and celebrating the biggest motorsport event in the world. Johnson will produce via his Seven Bucks Productions.
See it for Yourself
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event took place in Anaheim from August 9 – 11, 2024.
MORE INFO: Check out all of our coverage for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at MouseInfo.com/D23
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