The Walt Disney Company has come a long way since it was founded in 1923 as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. Once known for its animated cartoon shorts and features (including such classics as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Fantasia”) that are among the best animated films ever, and its family-friendly live-action films, it has long since expanded into more mature content as well.
Today, the company owns Marvel Studios, the source of endless superhero-based adventure movies; Lucasfilm, creators of the Star Wars franchise; the groundbreaking Pixar Animation Studios; and — as of March this year — 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures. Little wonder that Disney is one of the world’s most valuable brands.
All these production companies, as well as Disney’s own enterprises, turn out streams of blockbusters and more intimate films, announcing forthcoming projects well in advance.
Click here for a list of Disney’s upcoming movies.
24/7 Tempo has collected a list of key forthcoming releases from the Walt Disney Company and its subsidiaries for the rest of this year and all of 2020.
Fans of two of the company’s most popular franchises will be interested to learn that there are also not one but four “Avatar” sequels planned, beginning in 2021. “Avatar” is the highest-grossing film of all time. There are also three new Star Wars movies (in addition to the one listed below), starting in 2022. Those movies are among the 25 highest-grossing films of all time.
1. Aladdin
> Release date: May 24, 2019
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
A live-action remake of the 1992 Disney animated film of the same name, directed by former Madonna husband Guy Ritchie, this musical fantasy adventure stars Will Smith as the Genie (the role voiced by Robin Williams in the earlier version), Mena Massoud (from “Jack Ryan”) as the title character, and Naomi Scott as Jasmine.
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2. Dark Phoenix
> Release date: June 7, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Yet another in the seemingly endless series of movies based on Marvel Comics X-Men characters, this superhero flick stars Sophie Turner, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbinder, and Jennifer Lawrence.
3. Toy Story 4
> Release date: June 21, 2019
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
You can’t keep a good toy down, and Woody and Buzz Lightyear are back in this latest installment of the Toy Story franchise. This time they’re joined by the gang’s long lost friend Bo Peep and by Forky — not strictly speaking a toy at all, but a spork repurposed into a craft project.
4. Stuber
> Release date: July 12, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Kumail Nanjiani from “The Big Sick” stars as a low-key Uber driver who picks up a cop chasing a murderer — played by Dave Bautista of “Guardians of the Galaxy” — in this comedy-drama.
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5. The Lion King
> Release date: July 19, 2019
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
An all-star cast, including Seth Rogan, Donald Glover, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Earl Jones, and Beyoncé, voices the CGI-enhanced live lions and other animals in this reimagining of the animated classic.
6. The Art Of Racing In The Rain
> Release date: August 9, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) joins Amanda Seyfried and the voice of Kevin Costner in this cinematic adaptation of Garth Stein’s tear-jerker novel about a dying dog looking back on his life with his human family.
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7. Ready Or Not
> Release date: August 23, 2019
> Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
A young woman’s wedding night turns into a nightmare when she’s forced to play a lethal family game. Samara Weaving, from “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “The Babysitter” plays the hapless bride.
8. Ad Astra
> Release date: September 20, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and Donald Sutherland head up the cast of this science fiction mystery drama.
9. The Woman In The Window
> Release date: October 4, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
This movie version of A.J. Finn’s 2018 best-selling crime thriller stars Amy Adams as the title character. Anthony Mackie, Gary Oldman, and Julianne Moore are also in the cast.
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10. Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil
> Release date: October 18, 2019
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
This sequel to 2014’s “Maleficent” picks up the story of the eponymous evil fairy (Angelina Jolie) and young Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning) as they struggle to protect their world.
11. Ford v. Ferrari
> Release date: November 15, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Based on a true story, this drama recounts the battle between two of the world’s top automakers, Ford and Ferrari, to win the 24-hour Le Mans endurance race in 1966. Christian Bale and Matt Damon star.
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12. Frozen 2
> Release date: November 22, 2019
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Disney is obviously hoping that this sequel to the original 2013 “Frozen” will emulate its success as the highest grossing animated movie of all time. Kristen Bell returns as the voice of Anna.
13. Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker
> Release date: December 20, 2019
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
The third and final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy after “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi,” and the ninth and final film in the main Star Wars series, “The Rise of Skywalker” features appearances by old hands Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Billy Dee Williams, joined by the likes of Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong’o, Oscar Isaac, and Keri Russell.
14. Spies In Disguise
> Release date: December 25, 2019
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
In this animated action fantasy, Marvel movie mainstay Tom Holland voices a superspy who gets turned into a pigeon. Others who lend their vocal talents include Will Smith, Rashida Jones, and DJ Khaled.
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15. Underwater
> Release date: January 10, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
In this sci-fi disaster thriller, a team of underwater researchers must reach safety after a massive earthquake destroys their laboratory. Kristen Stewart stars.
16. Untitled Kingsman Movie
> Release date: February 14, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
This is the latest offering in the Kingsman franchise, which was born as a Marvel comic, “The Secret Service,” in 2012. English actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Matthew Goode star, along with such veterans as Charles Dance, Ralph Fiennes, and Stanley Tucci.
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17. Call Of The Wild
> Release date: February 21, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Harrison Ford stars in this combination animated and live action adventure tale inspired by the classic 1903 Jack London novel about a sled dog fighting for survival during the Klondike Gold Rush.
18. Onward
> Release date: March 6, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
This 3D computer-animated fantasy about a world inhabited by elves and unicorns features the voices of Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Octavia Spencer.
19. Mulan
> Release date: March 27, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Yet another example of Disney’s continuing strategy of turning out live-action versions of its successful animated films (the original appeared in 1998), “Mulan” stars Chinese actress Yifei Liu in the title role.
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20. The New Mutants
> Release date: April 3, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark from “Game of Thrones”) joins Charlie Heaton (“Stranger Things”) and veteran Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, among others, in this saga of five young mutants imprisoned in a secret facility.
21. Untitled Marvel
> Release date: May 1, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
No details have been released about the cast or plot of this forthcoming entry in the Marvel canon — but the fact that it’s from Marvel should be enough for many filmgoers.
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22. Artemis Fowl
> Release date: May 29, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Newcomer Ferdia Shaw takes the title role in this fantasy adventure, directed by Kenneth Branagh.
23. Untitled Pixar Animation
> Release date: June 19, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Nothing is known about this forthcoming animated feature except that it’s being produced by Pixar Animation Studios, the Disney-owned operation responsible for “Toy Story” and its sequels, “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,” the Cars franchise, and many more animated classics.
24. Free Guy
> Release date: July 3, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Ryan Renolds and Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”) star in this sci-fi adventure comedy about a bank teller who realizes that he’s a character in a video game.
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25. Bob’s Burgers: The Movie
> Release date: July 17, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
TV’s Belcher family comes to the big screen, featuring the voices of the same actors known to home audiences.
26. Jungle Cruise
> Release date: July 24, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
This fantasy-adventure based on a ride at Disneyland stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.
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27. The One And Only Ivan
> Release date: August 14, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Angelina Jolie as Stella the elephant and Sam Rockwell as Ivan the gorilla — well, their voices anyway — head the cast of this live action/CGI hybrid. Also in the cast are Danny DeVito, Bryan Cranston, and Helen Mirren.
28. Death On The Nile
> Release date: October 9, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
The star-studded 1978 version of this Agatha Christie classic starred Peter Ustinov as detective Hercule Poirot, along with such screen legends as Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, Davin Niven, and Maggie Smith. Next year’s remake gives Kenneth Branagh the Poiret role and features Gal Gadot and Armie Hammer, among other current luminaries.
29. Untitled Marvel
> Release date: November 6, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
The Marvel franchise strikes again. As with the title scheduled for release in May of next year, no cast or plot information is available for this one.
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30. Ron’s Gone Wrong
> Release date: November 6, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Thomas Barbusca, from TV’s “The Mick” and “Arrested Development,” voices in this animated feature an 11-year-old boy whose personal robot is dysfunctional in a world where bots have become kids’ best friends.
31. Untitled Disney Animation
> Release date: November 25, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
It’s Disney. It’s animated. There’s not much else that needs saying. And not much has been divulged.
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32. West Side Story
> Release date: December 18, 2020
> Studio: 20th Century Fox Film Corporation
Steven Spielberg directs this new version of the classic 1957 Stephen Sondheim/Leonard Bernstein musical, inspired by “Romeo and Juliet,” about gang rivalry on Manhattan’s pre-yuppified West Side. Natalie Wood starred as Maria in the original 1961 screen adaptation, a role taken here by newcomer Rachel Zegler.
33. Cruella
> Release date: December 23, 2020
> Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Puppy-fur-wearing villainess Cruella de Vil made her debut in Disney’s animated 1961 film “One Hundred and One Dalmatians,” appearing again in a 1996 live-action remake (played by Glenn Close). This time around, Emma Stone stars in a prequel about the young de Vil.
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