While at the #D23Expo in Anaheim, myself along with 7500 excited Disney, Marvel & LucasFilm fans ready to hear exciting new, see never before seen clips and perhaps some surprise guests. Let me tell you, we were not disappointed!! This was by far one of my favorite panels that we attended. Many fans slept over and were walking into the panel with their pillows and blankets…You could just feel the excitement in the air as we got underway…
Growing up in a sci-fi household, I’ve always loved Star Wars and Disney movies were always a favorite…I still collect them. Now, being a mom of 4 boys I have also grown to love Marvel. Even though I wasn’t introduced young, Marvel films have become part of my life just like LucasFilm & Dinsey…I just can’t get enough.
Okay, on to what you are actually here for! The Disney, Marvel & LucasFilm line up for the next couple years…You might want to sit down for this, there is a lot of information and surprises!!
MARVEL
DOCTOR STRANGE (#DoctorStrange)
Kevin Feige led off with a glimpse into the world of Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE, featuring a video greeting by Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars as the title character, followed by a pre-production piece that offered fans a taste of the look and feel of the upcoming film.
After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
I have to say this looks quite exciting! I think the other fans in the audience would agree with me.
Marvel’s Doctor Strange is opening in U.S. theaters on October 26, 2016
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (#Captain America #CivilWar)
Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR marched into D23 EXPO with an introduction by its producer, Kevin Feige. The audience went crazy when Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie showed up on stage to help Feige show never-seen-before footage from the movie.
Trailer footage reveals Scott Lang as a giddy Captain America fan as he shakes his hand. “What an honor…I’m shaking your hand too long. Thanks for thinking of me.”
Feige revealed that there was a special “Easter egg” for fans to find: it was aptly a nod to D23 EXPO.
Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
Marvel’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR opens in the U.S. on May 6, 2016.
DISNEY
THE FINEST HOURS (#TheFinestHours)
Sean Bailey took the stage to introduce the first film in the Disney live–action lineup, THE FINEST HOURS, which is based on the remarkable true story of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the Coast Guard. Chris Pine, who plays Bernie Webber, the captain of the rescue boat, joined Bailey on stage to give fans a peak at the heroic action-thriller.
Presented in Digital 3D™, Real D 3D and IMAX® 3D, the film, which is directed by Craig Gillespie and also stars Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz and Eric Bana, transports audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale.
I will say, I didn’t think I was going to want to see this, but just from the trailer that we saw, It looks quite exciting! This will definatly be added to our movie list!
THE FINEST HOURS storms into U.S. theaters on January 29, 2016.
THE JUNGLE BOOK (#TheJungleBook)
After an introduction by Sean Bailey, Jon Favreau, director of Disney’s upcoming THE JUNGLE BOOK, welcomed to the stage newcomer Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of candidates to play man-cub Mowgli; plus Oscar® winners Ben Kingsley, who helps bring panther-turned-mentor Bagheera to life, and Lupita Nyong’o, who lends her voice to the protective mother wolf Raksha.
Favreau treated fans to a sneak peek of footage from the film, and each guest received a copy of the dramatic teaser poster following the presentation. The all-new, live–action epic adventure showcases Mowgli’s journey of self-discovery when he’s forced to abandon the only home he’s ever known.
Based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s 1967 animated classic, the film features state-of the-art technology that immerses audiences in the lush world like never before. THE JUNGLE BOOK also features the voices of Bill Murray (Baloo), Idris Elba (Shere Khan), Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), Giancarlo Esposito and Christopher Walken (King Louie).
I know you are probebly thinking the same thing we thought when we heard of ANOTHER “The Jungle Book”, but I’m really excited for this one! The CG imagery for The Jungle Book was a huge winner, the effects were just unbelievable. And just look at that cast! Neel Sethi is such a little cutie and obviously a little taken back by the crowd.
THE JUNGLE BOOK hits theaters in stunning 3D and IMAX 3D on April 15, 2016.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (#DisneyAlice)
Bailey welcomed Mia Wasikowska to the stage, where she thrilled fans with a preview of the all-new spectacular adventure, ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories. Director James Bobin brings his own unique vision to the spectacular world Tim Burton created on screen in 2010 with “Alice in Wonderland,” in which Alice (Wasikowska) returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter.
The film, which once again features Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter and the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall, introduces several new characters as well: Zanik Hightopp (Rhys Ifans), the Mad Hatter’s father, and Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen), a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.
ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS opens in U.S. theaters on May 27, 2016.
PETE’S DRAGON (#PetesDragon)
Bryce Dallas Howard joined Bailey on stage to talk about her starring role in PETE’S DRAGON, a reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film. The heartwarming adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon.
PETE’S DRAGON opens in U.S. theaters on August 12, 2016.
QUEEN OF KATWE (#QueenOfKatwe)
Bailey, with the help of Lupita Nyong’o, introduced the crowd to the upcoming film QUEEN OF KATWE, which is based on the inspirational true story of a girl from the poverty-stricken slums of rural Uganda who dreams of becoming a champion chess player.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (#BeautyAndTheBeast)
Bailey next presented BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, including a musical greeting from stars Emma Watson, Josh Gad and Luke Evans—sent from the London set where they are currently filming. The live-actionmusical, a retelling of the studio’s animated classic, stars Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Audra McDonald and newcomer Nathan Mack.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will be released in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (#PiratesOfTheCaribbean)
A surprise visit by Johnny Depp, who showed up on stage completely decked out as Captain Jack Sparrow, brought down the house and thrilled fans at Sean Bailey’s presentation of the next exciting film in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN franchise, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES.
Seriously THE. COOLEST. THING. EVER! Especially when he proceeded to throw grapes at the fans! I can’t tell you how much I wanted a grape! lol
Will Turner, played by Orlando Bloom, set to return in Dead Men Tell No Tales!!
Johnny Depp, dressed as Jack Sparrow, visits children’s hospitals to bring cheer
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea…including him. Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES releases in U.S. theaters on July 7, 2017.
LUCASFILM
Moving on to the new Star Wars stories series, Horn touched on the “Untitled Han Solo” stand-alone film, slated for release on May 25, 2018 by reminding everyone that it will be directed by Christopher Miller & Phil Lord, with Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon Kasdan writing the screenplay.
ROGUE ONE (#RogueOne)
Horn then took the audience by surprise, announcing the cast for ROGUE ONE, the first of the standalone Star Wars stories to hit the big screen, which has commenced principal photography. Gareth Edwards(“Godzilla,” “Monsters”) is directing ROGUE ONE, which tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star.
The filmmakers have assembled a stellar cast, including Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Jiang Wen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, and Riz Ahmed.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is slated for a December 16, 2016 release.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (#StarWars #TheForceAwakens)
Alan Horn took the stage again to present the Lucasfilm slate and timeline to the D23 EXPO fans. Horn told the audience that there were only 124 days to the release of Episode VII, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS, on December 18, 2015 and added that there have been record-breaking trailer views and fantastic fan response.
Touching on STAR WARS: EPISODE VIII, Horn reminded the audience that Rian Johnson will be directing the film slated for release on May 26, 2017. Then in a surprise announcement, Horn informed everyone that Colin Trevorrow (“Jurassic World”) has signed on to direct STAR WARS: EPISODE IX, which is scheduled for release in 2019.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS ended the live–action presentation with a bang as J.J. Abrams introduced stars John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Lupita Nyong’o. The crowd cheered when John Boyega announced that everyone there would get a Drew Struzan D23 EXPO commemorative poster to take home (seen above). Then, in a bringing-down-the house surprise moment, Harrison Ford, who is reprising his role as Han Solo, joined Abrams on stage to wild applause.
Let me just say we were already hyperventilating from Johnny Depp, then to have Harrison Ford come out!!! OMG we were done…put me on a stretcher and wheel me out!! While we didn’t see any new trailers, it was still quite an exhilarating moment!
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS out on December 18, 2015
This was such an exciting panel and we were so blessed to have been a part of it!
Did you catch all of that! I know so much to take in! Here is a 3 min recap video ????
If you loved this panel check out a few of the others we attended & other adventures while we were there!
Animation Film Slate | Parks & Resorts | Silly Symphony | Playmation | The Legacy Collection | Disneyland 60 | Disney Shorts |
Here is my favorite photo!! I couldn’t let you leave without sharing…although you might have already seen it if you follow my Instagram!
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
This event was part of an all expenses paid press trip to Anaheim for the #D23Expo, all experiences and opinions are 100% my own.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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