By Courtney Potter
Find out how to meet the king of Wakanda, and learn about the Descendants “trequel” and the return of Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl … See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!
Here’s Your Chance to Meet Black Panther
Last week’s debut of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther was truly thrilling (and seriously, if you haven’t seen it yet, you positively must!)—so we’re excited to learn that the heroic king of Wakanda himself is now appearing at Disney California Adventure park! Flanked by members of his Royal Guards, the Dora Milaje, Black Panther is greeting guests in the Hollywood Backlot area for a limited time. Make sure to pay him a visit if you’re visiting the Disneyland Resort soon…
But that’s not all: Guests on Disney Cruise Line also have the opportunity to meet Black Panther in person, during Marvel Day at Sea, aboard the Disney Magic. This especially “Marvel”-ous event takes place on one epic day aboard select five-night Disney Magic sailings to the Caribbean and Bahamas from now through April—and, as just announced, the event will return from January to early March 2019!
Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, and Martin Freeman, is in theaters now.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives March 8, 2018 Be a Warrior During a Complimentary Advance Screening of A Wrinkle in Time March 24, 2018 Celebrate the Opening Weekend of Frozen on Broadway in New York City November 16-18, 2018 Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse Parks February 28–May 28, 2018 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2–April 12, 2018 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival April 13, 2018 Pixar Fest begins at the Disneyland Resort April 26, 2018 Disney•Pixar Toy Story Land opens at Shanghai Disneyland May 27, 2018 Star Wars: Galactic Nights Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios June 23, 2018 Pixar Pier opens at Disney California Adventure June 30, 2018 Toy Story Land opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2019 Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World |
Studios March 9, 2018 Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time opens in U.S. theaters May 4, 2018 Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War opens in U.S. theaters May 25, 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters June 15, 2018 Incredibles 2 opens in U.S. theaters July 6, 2018 Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in U.S. theaters opens in U.S. theaters August 3, 2018 Disney’s Christopher Robin opens in U.S. theaters November 2, 2018 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms opens in U.S. theaters December 19, 2018 Mary Poppins Returns opens in U.S. theaters Television March 4, 2018 The Oscars air live on ABC (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) March 11, 2018 American Idol premieres on ABC (8–10 p.m. ET) |
Descendants 3 to Debut Summer 2019
If you were hoping for another chance at “chillin’ like a villain,” you’re in luck—because just this past week, during Disney Channel’s big premiere of ZOMBIES, a very special clip featuring Mal (Dove Cameron) surprised viewers… and it was all to announce Descendants 3, the highly anticipated “trequel” coming in 2019. Check out the teaser, above.
The curious message alludes to a new villain character—Mal’s father—joining the hugely popular story of the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most infamous villains. Also reprising their roles are Cameron Boyce as Carlos, Sofia Carson as Evie, Booboo Stewart as Jay, Mitchell Hope as King Ben, and China Anne McClain as Uma—with additional casting to be announced at a later date.
Directed and choreographed once again by Kenny Ortega (High School Musical), Descendants 3 begins production this summer. Keep your eyes peeled (whilst practicing all your favorite ways to be wicked) for more information as it becomes available…
Incredible First Look at Incredibles 2
Need some Disney•Pixar fun to look forward to this summer? Check out the brand-new trailer for Incredibles 2, above! And make sure to get that spandex out of storage and “suit up” for when the film debuts in theaters across the country just a few months from today…
Everyone’s favorite family of superheroes is back—but this time Helen, aka Elastigirl (voice of Holly Hunter), is in the spotlight… leaving Bob, aka Mr. Incredible (voice of Craig T. Nelson), at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life. It’s a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack’s emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant but dangerous plot, the family and pal Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again—which is easier said than done, even when they’re all, well, “Incredible”!
Directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and produced by John Walker (The Incredibles) and Nicole Grindle (Sanjay’s Super Team short, Toy Story 3 associate producer), Incredibles 2 premieres on June 15.
Bring Star Wars: The Last Jedi Home Next Month
If you’ve been itching to get your hands on a copy of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (and if so, join the club), we’ve got great news: The latest chapter of the galactic saga arrives on Digital and via Movies Anywhere on March 13, and on Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and On Demand on March 27.
And along with the No. 1 movie of 2017 comes a host of amazing bonus features, including “The Director and the Jedi”—an intimate journey into the creation of The Last Jedi with writer-director Rian Johnson—as well as 14 deleted scenes, audio commentary, a look into how actor Andy Serkis created his role of Snoke live on set, and so much more!
So make sure to visit your favorite brick-and-mortar or online retailer to bring home your own copy. Tell ‘em Yoda sent ya…
Toy Story Land to Open at Walt Disney World Resort on June 30
In case you missed last Friday’s Good Morning America on ABC, here’s a look at the terrifically adorable segment announcing the opening of Toy Story Land—debuting this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort.
As explained by our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog, guests visiting Toy Story Land will “shrink” to the size of a toy and join in on the fun Woody, Jessie, Buzz, and Andy’s other beloved toys are having in Andy’s backyard. Guests can take a ride on Slinky Dog Dash, a roller coaster Andy has assembled from his Mega Coaster Play Kit and topped off with Slinky and Jessie. Families will also be able to take a spin on Alien Swirling Saucers, a galactic play set that Andy won from Pizza Planet; everyone’s favorite “little green aliens” swirl about in their flying saucers with guests in tow in their rocket ship toys, while “The Claw” (oooooh!) hangs overhead. But that’s just the tip of the toy-berg!
Visiting Walt Disney World Resort this summer? Make sure to check out Toy Story Land beginning June 30. To infinity… and beyond!
Disney Junior Announces Cast for Fancy Nancy
Calling all kids and families: Disney Junior’s latest animated series Fancy Nancy just announced its voice cast! Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Rob Riggle (Modern Family) will star as Nancy’s parents Claire and Doug Clancy, with Mia Sinclair Jenness—the 12-year-old Broadway sensation who starred in the musical Matilda—voicing Nancy, a lovable young girl whose zest and enthusiasm for all that is fantastic transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. Newcomer Spencer Moss will voice Nancy’s younger sister, Jo Jo.
Based on the New York Times bestselling book series by Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser, Disney Junior’s Fancy Nancy is an animated family comedy centered around 6-year-old Nancy, a girl who likes to be fancy in everything from her advanced vocabulary to her creative, colorful clothing. Excited to experience what the magnificent world has to offer, Nancy uses her ingenuity and imagination as she learns that while life doesn’t always go as planned, it’s important to celebrate the differences that make everyone unique. Geared towards kids age 2–7, each episode contains funny and heartfelt stories which highlight themes of self-expression, originality, and love of family.
Look for Fancy Nancy to premiere on Disney Junior and the new DisneyNOW app this summer!
