‘Inside Out 2,′ ‘Werewolf by Night’ and more announced at D23

This year’s D23 Expo had plenty of exciting updates for film fans, Including new trailers for “The Little Mermaid” live-action remake and Marvel’s “Secret Invasion,” plus new details on high-profile projects like Pixar’s “Elemental,” Disney+ movie “Peter Pan and Wendy” and superhero team-up “Thunderbolts.”

In addition to all of these exciting updates, Disney also gave guests at the convention a glimpse into the future of the studio, announcing several brand-new film projects at the convention.

One of the biggest surprises this year came from Marvel, which announced its first-ever one-off movie special, “Werewolf by Night” which stars Gael García Bernal and marks the directorial debut of Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino. Though it was only just announced, the film has already been completed and will be hitting Disney+ on Oct. 13, just in time for Halloween.

Next up is “Wish” from Disney animation which will explore how the “wishing star” featured in so many Disney films came to be. It will take place in a fairy tale kingdom that existed long before any other Disney world, called the Kingdom of Wishes. The movie will star Ariana DeBose as Asha, will be directed by Chris Buck & Fawn Veerasunthorn and feature all-new songs by pop music writer Julia Michaels. The film will debut next year.

Over at Pixar, a sequel to 2015′s “Inside Out” was announced for summer 2024. Not much was revealed about the project, other than it will be directed by Kelsey Mann, penned by the original film’s co-writer Meg LeFauve and will feature Amy Poehler returning to the role of Joy.

Pixar also announced new sci-fi project “Elio,” which follows a young boy who becomes Earth’s ambassador for an intergalactic association of aliens. The film stars America Ferrera as Olga Solis and is directed by “Coco” writer and co-director Adrian Molina. The film is also scheduled for release in 2024.

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