2021’s Disney+ Day celebration offered up new details on multiple projects from Marvel, Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and National Geographic. November 12, 2021 marks the second anniversary of Disney+’s launch and special content released included never before seen footage, logos, clips, and trailers.
The Disney portion of Disney+’s celebration revealed Cheaper by the Dozen starring Gabrielle Union and Zach Braff will premiere on Disney+ in March 2022. Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey reunite for Disenchanted coming to Disney+ in fall 2022, and the animated adventure Diary of a Wimpy Kid premieres on Disney+ on December 3, 2021. The second Diary of a Wimpy Kid animated film, Rodrick Rules, will arrive in 2022.
The live-action/CG animated film Chip ‘Dale: Rescue Rangers featuring the voices of John Mulaney and Andy Samberg will premiere in Spring 2022. The behind-the-scenes The Beatles docuseries, The Beatles: Get Back, from Peter Jackson has snagged a November 25, 2021 date to kick off a three-night streaming event.
Tim Federle’s Better Nate Than Ever book is being adapted for Disney+ viewers and will feature Aria Brooks, Joshua Bassett, Michelle Federer, Rueby Wood, Norbert Leo Butz, and Lisa Kudrow. Better Nate Than Ever premieres in spring 2022.
The Disney+ Day celebration included the release of the first photo featuring Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy in character in Hocus Pocus 2, with the much-anticipated sequel targeting a fall 2022 premiere exclusively on Disney+. Live-action and visual effects combine to bring Disney’s animated classic Pinocchio to life with Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, and Luke Evans. Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key, and Lorraine Bracco lend their voices to the project which is expected to air in fall 2022.
Simon Pegg reprises his role as Buck in the film The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild premiering on January 28, 2022. Sneakerella also debuted a new trailer and confirmed a February 18, 2022 premiere date.
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is targeting a February 2022 premiere and a short-form animated series based on Zootopia is planned for 2022.
Disney+ announced they’re making a live-action series based on The Spiderwick Chronicles. The streaming service offered this synopsis: “The series, based on the beloved, best-selling books, follows the Grace Family—twin brothers Jared and Simon, their sister Mallory and mother Helen—as they move into their dilapidated ancestral home. They begin to unravel a dark mystery about their great-great Uncle who once discovered the secret and sometimes dangerous faerie world.”
Stella Meghie (The Photograph) will write and direct the musical series Tiana coming in 2023. Per Disney+: “In the series, Tiana sets off for a grand new adventure as the newly crowned Princess of Maldonia, but a calling to her New Orleans past isn’t far behind.”
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ first animated series, Baymax, showed off its first trailer and confirmed a summer 2022 premiere.
Disney+ provided the following details on Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm projects that were announced or updated during Disney+ Day. Referenced videos and art are available either via Disney+ or YouTube:
PIXAR
- Cars on the Road: Larry the Cable Guy reveals the title of Pixar’s upcoming Cars series: Cars on the Road. Join Mater and Lightning McQueen in this fun-filled cross-country road trip streaming in 2022.
- Pete Docter announces an exclusive peek behind the curtains of Pixar in two brand-new documentaries coming to Disney+ in 2022 that explore the making of Turning Red and Lightyear.
- Win or Lose: Directors Michael Yates and Carrie Hobson reveal concept art for Pixar’s first-ever original long-form animated series Win or Lose, coming to Disney+ in 2023. Each 20-minute episode of Win or Lose highlights the perspective of a different character as a middle school coed softball team prepares for their championship game.
MARVEL
- Hawkeye is set in post-blip New York City where Clint Barton aka Hawkeye has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop to unravel a criminal conspiracy. The series stars Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Vera Farmiga, Fra Fee, Tony Dalton and newcomer Alaqua Cox. Episodes are directed by executive producer Rhys Thomas and directing duo Bert & Bertie; executive producer Jonathan Igla is head writer. The series premieres November 24, 2021.
- Moon Knight: Get a first look at Moon Knight, a new globetrotting action-adventure series featuring a complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities who live inside him find themselves thrust into a deadly war of the gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt. Moon Knight is directed by executive producer Mohamed Diab; Jeremy Slater is head writer. The series is coming to Disney+ in 2022.
- She-Hulk: See Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters, a lawyer who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases. She-Hulk will welcome a host of Marvel characters to the series, including the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, and the Abomination, played by Tim Roth. The new comedy series coming to Disney+ in 2022 is directed by executive producer Kat Coiro with Anu Valia also directing. Executive producer Jessica Gao serves as head writer.
- Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan—a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City. An aspiring artist, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she is a huge fan of the Avengers—and one in particular, Captain Marvel. But Kamala has always struggled to find her place in the world — that is, until she gets superpowers like the heroes she’s always looked up to. Iman Vellani stars as Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel. The series is directed by executive producers Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah, Meera Menon and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, with executive producer Bisha K. Ali serving as head writer. Ms. Marvel premieres on Disney+ in Summer 2022.
Additionally, Marvel Studios announced new projects and unveiled logos for its future series including:
● Echo: a series starring Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, who will be introduced in Hawkeye
● Ironheart: a series starring Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man
● Agatha: House of Harkness: a series starring Kathryn Hahn as her character from WandaVision. Jac Schaefer returns as executive producer and head writer.
● Secret Invasion: a series starring Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos—characters who first met in Captain Marvel. The crossover comic event series showcases a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
● The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special: a special written and directed by Guardians of the Galaxy veteran James Gunn
● X-MEN ‘97: an animated series from Marvel Studios that explores new stories in the iconic ‘90s timeline of the original series. Beau DeMayo is executive producer and head writer.
● What If…? (Season 2): the second season of the fan-favorite animated series. After enlisting the Guardians of the Multiverse to stop Infinity Ultron, The Watcher returns in Season 2 of What If…? to meet new heroes and explore more strange new worlds in the MCU’s ever-expanding Multiverse. Directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews with executive producer AC Bradley serving as head writer.
● Spider-Man: Freshman Year: an animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man in the MCU, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots. Executive producer Jeff Trammel serves as head writer.
● I Am Groot: a series of original shorts exploring Baby Groot’s glory days growing up, and getting into trouble, among the stars. Directed by executive producer Kirsten Lepore.
● Marvel Zombies: an animated series from Marvel Studios that reimagines the Marvel Universe as a new generation of heroes battle against an ever-spreading zombie scourge. Directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews.
LUCASFILM
- Willow: From the set of the upcoming Lucasfilm series Willow, Warwick Davis introduces the supporting cast, including Ruby Cruz, Erin Kellyman, Ellie Bamber, Tony Revolori, Amar Chadha Patel, and Dempsey Bryk. Willow premieres exclusively on Disney+ in 2022.
- Obi-Wan Kenobi: Ewan McGregor and director Deborah Chow share an exclusive look at the series with behind-the-scenes footage and concept art. The Disney+ Original Series Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ in 2022.
- Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett: Celebrate the origins and legacy of Star Wars’ legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett, in a special look for Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett, now streaming on Disney+.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
- Welcome to Earth: Explore Earth’s greatest wonders with Will Smith on an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime adventure around the world in the new trailer for Welcome to Earth, the six-part original series from National Geographic streaming December 8, 2021.
- America The Beautiful: Visit the spacious skies, the amber waves of grain, and the purple mountain majesties in the new trailer for America The Beautiful, a new six-part series streaming on Disney+ in 2022.
- Limitless with Chris Hemsworth: See Chris Hemsworth discover the full potential of the human body in the trailer debut for Limitless with Chris Hemsworth. The six-part Disney+ Original Series from National Geographic starts streaming in 2022.
STAR
The following titles from 20th Century Studios will debut in 2022 on Disney+ in international markets under the Star brand, on Hulu in the U.S., and Star+ in Latin America.
- Rosaline: A fresh comedic twist on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet in which the classic love story is told from the perspective of Juliet’s cousin Rosaline…who just happens to be Romeo’s ex-girlfriend. Starring Kaitlyn Dever and directed by Karen Maine, the movie premieres in 2022.
- The Princess: An irreverent action movie set in a fairy tale world. Joey King stars as a young royal who is more comfortable with a sword than a tiara and must save her kingdom from ruthless mercenaries. Directed by Le-Van Kiet, the movie premieres Summer 2022.
- Prey: An all-new entry in the Predator franchise, Prey will premiere in Summer 2022. Set in the world of the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, the action-thriller follows Naru, the skilled warrior who fiercely protects her tribe against a highly evolved alien predator. Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, the film premieres Summer 2022.
- No Exit: This harrowing suspense-thriller follows Darby Thorne, played by Havana Rose Liu, a young woman who is stranded by a blizzard and forced to find shelter at a highway rest area with a group of strangers. The movie premieres in 2022.
