By Courtney Potter
Anna and Elsa return to the big screen, and Chip ‘n’ Dale bring new adventures to Disney+… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!
Stay Cool with New Frozen 2 Trailer and Poster
Can you believe we’re already around halfway through the year?! Time flies when you’re having fun! (And we are always having fun at D23!) So it should come as no surprise that the further adventures of Arendelle’s most beloved sisters, Anna and Elsa, are really just around the corner—with the release of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen 2 this fall. Check out the brand-new and positively chill-rific official trailer, above.
But that’s not all: Take a gander at the film’s new poster, above, featuring the sisters as they set out beyond the gates of Arendelle. Frozen 2 is the highly anticipated sequel from Oscar®-winning directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, producer Peter Del Vecho, and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez—and it’ll follow Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) as she searches for the source of her magical powers. Assisted by Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff), Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), and reindeer Sven, Elsa will venture far outside the kingdom of Arendelle and embark on a journey to uncover the truth about her past… See Frozen 2 in theaters beginning November 22.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives June 13, 2019 Mickey Mouse’s Roller Disco Party June 15, 2019 Celebrate Toy Story 4 with D23 Shopping Mixers June 20, 2019 Celebrate the Induction of Disney’s Cinderella into the National Film Registry! June 22, 2019 The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour – Presented by D23 August 23-25, 2019 D23 Expo 2019 Parks August 16, 20, 23, 27, 30; September 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29; October 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31, 2019 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom park August 29, 2019 Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening at and Walt Disney World Resort August 29—November 23, 2019, 2019 November 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24; December 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 2019 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom park 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival November 29—December 30, 2019, 2019 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays |
Studios June 21, 2019 Toy Story 4 opens in U.S. theaters July 19, 2019 The Lion King opens in U.S. theaters October 18, 2019 Maleficent: Mistress of Evil opens in U.S. theaters November 22, 2019 Frozen 2 opens in U.S. theaters December 20, 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens in U.S. theaters Television June 21, 2019 Final episodes of Andi Mack begin airing (8 p.m. EDT/PDT) August 2, 2019 Descendants 3 premieres on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW (8 p.m. EDT/PDT). |
Go Nuts Over New Chip ‘n’ Dale Series for Disney+
Two favorite Disney characters—who happen to be small mammals adept at getting into all sorts of hilarious shenanigans—are coming to Disney+ with a brand-new original series. Read up on what to expect from Chip ‘n’ Dale (created by Disney’s London-based animation team and an award-winning French production studio) right here at D23.com.
Marvel Entertainment and Square Enix Assemble New Marvel’s Avengers Game
Every June, gamers around the world wait with bated breath to hear the latest news out of the E3 Expo, the world’s premiere event for computer and video games and all their related products. Marvel Entertainment, and their friends at Square Enix, got in on the E3 action earlier this week when they offered up a first look at Marvel’s Avengers—an incredible new action-adventure game that combines cinematic storytelling with single-player and co-operative gameplay. See the trailer for the game, above!
Developed by Crystal Dynamics in association with Eidos-Montréal, Nixxes Software, and Crystal Northwest, Marvel’s Avengers will release simultaneously for PlayStation®4, Xbox One devices, Stadia, and PC on May 15, 2020. The adventure begins on A-Day, where Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor are unveiling a high-tech Avengers Headquarters in San Francisco—including the reveal of a new helicarrier powered by an experimental energy source. (The trailer, created from in-engine footage, is narrated by a young woman who meets the Avengers on A-Day.) Sadly, the celebration turns deadly when a catastrophic accident devastates the city. Blamed for the tragedy—in which Captain America perishes—the Avengers disband. Five years on, with Super Heroes outlawed and the world in jeopardy, the only hope is to reassemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes… Register for updates about Marvel’s Avengers, and pre-order for “beta access,” at playavengers.com.
Coming Soon: New Animation Experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
If you happen to be adventuring over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort this summer, look for some brand-new enhancements in celebration of the 25th anniversary of The Lion King.
As we previously reported, Rafiki’s Planet Watch—as well as Affection Section and the Wildlife Express Train—will be reopening next month, and it will include a cool new encounter. Drawing on Disney’s rich heritage of wildlife animation, The Animation Experience at Conservation Station will feature a talented animator offering step-by-step instructions on how to illustrate a popular Disney character, including The Lion King’s Simba, Zazu, Pumbaa, and Timon… which, in turn, invites guests to discover how live animals inspired some of the most iconic characters from Disney films! Since each 25-minute class will be different, guests are encouraged to come back often in order to complete their collections. Luckily, Disney FastPass+ Service is being offered for The Animation Experience, and selections can be made now. So don’t miss this whole new way to experience a bit of “Hakuna Matata”!
Paris Train Station Enjoys Surprise Preview of The Lion King and Jungle Festival
Imagine you’re in Paris (that’s a nice daydream already), and you’re at the Gare de Lyon train station. Now imagine you hear the opening strains of “Circle of Life,” sung by an incredible singer, right in the middle of the station. Suddenly, an entire cast of performers joins him—and you realize you’re witnessing something very special…
That’s just what happened last week, when members of the cast of “The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands”—part of Disneyland Paris’ The Lion King and Jungle Festival, beginning later this month—surprised Gare de Lyon travelers with a surprise preview. The whole thing was captured on video; check out the amazing clip, above.
The Lion King and Jungle Festival at Disneyland Park brings guests closer than ever to the beating drums and unforgettable songs of the savannah during “The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands.” But wait, there’s more: The festival will also feature Baloo and Friends in “The Jungle Book Jive” show, and Timon will entertain young and young at heart over in Adventureland with Timon’s “MataDance.” See it all beginning June 30!
“Disneyland Forever” Fan-Fave Fireworks—Back at Disneyland Resort!
There’s a ton of summer fun to be had at the Disneyland Resort (besides visiting Batuu, of course)… and just in time, a fan-favorite fireworks spectacular is back! Yes, “Disneyland Forever” has returned to the skies above Sleeping Beauty Castle.
The “street-to-sky” festivities, which first debuted during Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, feature tons of pyrotechnics, colorfully immersive projections, and a host of other effects—taking guests on a breathtaking, up-close journey through timeless Disney stories. And there are multiple viewing locations, including Main Street, U.S.A., the Rivers of America, and near it’s a small world. It’s truly a “must see” item for your summer Disneyland to-do list.
