Are You a Disney Expert? Try This Week’s Trivia Challenge!

As a member of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, you know your magic! This week we’re putting your High School Musical: The Musical: The Series knowledge to the test to see if you are the ultimate Disney fan.

Which musical HASN’T been performed in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series?

Correct! Wrong!

(B) High School Musical 2 has not yet been performed in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. HSMTMTS Season 3 is now streaming on Disney+.

Are You a Disney Expert? Try This Week’s Trivia Challenge!
You are the ultimate Disney fan!
Looks like you are a Disney expert! Thank you for participating in this week’s Trivia Challenge. We’ll see you next week for your chance to uphold your title as the ultimate Disney fan!
Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!
Thank you for participating in this week’s Trivia Challenge! These questions are tricky, so don’t stop swimming yet. We’ll see you next week for your chance to earn the title of the ultimate Disney fan!

Where to Find the Stars of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series in the World of Disney

By Tori Hunt

While many of us have grown to love the actors in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series from their glorious music and witty characters, you may have noticed a few familiar faces amongst the cast. Despite most of the cast having been teenagers when starting out on the show, which premiered in 2019, they are no strangers to the Disney family. As we get ready to follow our favorite Wildcats to Camp Shallow Lake in season three of the hit series, debuting on Disney+ on July 27, we’ve assembled a roundup of where you can find some of your favs from past and the upcoming season in other Disney offerings.

Olivia Rodrigo stands against a dark wooden wall. Her long brown hair is draped over her right shoulder and she is wearing a red, pink, white, and purple diamond pattered romper and black tights.

Olivia Rodrigo
On top of balancing performing as Nini on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Olivia Rodrigo has become a Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter behind the triple-platinum Geffen Records album SOUR. Fans can stream the documentary OLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film), which chronicles her musical journey including the creation of her top-selling debut album on Disney+.

Corbin Bleu stands in a black t-shirt, black pants and a black leather jeacket with his arms stretched out on either of his sides. He is grinning and has short dark hair.

Corbin Bleu
For fans of the original High School Musical film trilogy, Bleu is known for his iconic role as Chad Danforth, the right-hand man of Troy Bolton (Zac Efron). Fourteen years after his character graduated from East High, Bleu makes an appearance in season three of HSMTMTS playing himself as he leads the cast in a production of Frozen. Outside of his High School Musical roles, fans can watch Bleu in Disney’s Jump In! and as a guest star on Hannah Montana. He also voiced the character of Coltrane on the hit animated series Phineas and Ferb.

Matt Cornett leans against a dark wooden wall. He is wearing a teal blue tank top with a brown design and green bottoms. His right arm grasps his right shoulder.

Matt Cornett
Matt Cornett became a sensation of HSMTMTS, starring as Eric James Caswell. Like his character, Cornett is also very ambitious. Outside of his role as a water polo-playing drama kid, he stars in Disney’s Zombies 3 as A-Lan, an other-worldly alien complete with bright blue hair.

Curly brown-haired Joshua Bassett leans with his right shoulder against a dark wooden wall. He is wearing a dark blue T-shirt and gray pants. Both of his hands are tucked into his pockets.

Joshua Bassett
Fans quickly grew to love Joshua Bassett’s funny guy character Ricky Bowen, on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Bassett went on to co-star in the Disney+ series Better Nate Than Ever. He performs as Nate Foster’s standoffish older brother Anthony in the adaptation of the acclaimed novel written and directed by HSMTMTS creator and executive producer Tim Federle

Renée is wearing a teal leopard print long-sleeve shirt, a multi-colored belt and a button-up denim skirt. She is standing with her arms close to her sides. Her hair is styled in a natural light-brown afro with a clip on her left side. She is wearing large, thin silver hoop earings and is smiling directly into the camera.

Dara Reneé
Dara Reneé plays Kourtney on HSMTMTS and she has quite an impressive career with Disney. In the 2018 adaption of Freaky Friday, Reneé brought to life the role of Savannah, the high school’s mean girl and antagonist of Ellie (Cozi Zuehlsdorff). In 2021, she performed in Disney Princess Remixed- An Ultimate Princess Celebration.  She has also starred in select episodes of black-ish and Hulu’s Grey’s Anatomy. Reneé currently hosts Disney’s Magic Bake-Off on Disney+.

Sofia Wylie has her arms crossed over her stomach tilted to her right. She is wearing long braids, a woven pink and white top over a pink bikini top and gray bottoms.

Sofia Wylie
Sofia Wylie is well-known in the Disney universe, having starred in major films and television shows. Before playing Gina Porter on HSMTMTS, Wylie got her big break on Disney’s series Andi Mack playing Andi’s best friend, Buffy Driscoll. She has even voiced Riri Williams, a child prodigy doubling as the Super Hero Ironheart, in the animated series Marvel Rising: Battle of the Bands and Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron. 

Donnelly has a medium length curled blonde hair over her shoulders. She is facing her right, while her face is looking directly at the camera. She is wearing a white blouse with red strawberries and light pink heart shaped earrings.

Meg Donnelly
Disney regular Meg Donnelly joins the cast of HSMTMTS this season, as Val, a confident and funny college student and longtime camper-turned-counselor-in-training. Donnelly has been a major part of several Disney productions, including the ZOMBIES franchise where she plays the role of half-alien/half-human Addison Wells. Donnelly led two spinoff series based off of her ZOMBIES character, ZOMBIES: Addison’s Moonstone Mystery as well as ZOMBIES: Addison’s Monster Mystery. She also guest starred as Priscilla Preston on an episode of Bunk’d.

Jason Earles is squatting next to a golden retriever on his right. He is wearing a white and grey paisley patterned button-up short sleeve shirt with a muted khaki underneath. His hari is light brown and his eyes are looking to his left in a glimpse of shock.

Jason Earles
Season three of HSMTMTS also features a familiar face to Disney fans—Jason Earles, who guest stars as Dewey Wood, the stone-faced, killjoy of a Camp Director. Earles is best known for his role as Jackson Stuart (or, should we say, Bucky Kentucky) on Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana. After the hit show ended, Earles joined the cast of Kickin’ It as Rudy Gillespie and voiced Hamster Boy and Kevin on the animated television series Fish Hooks.

Let It Go… to Summer Camp—High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Returns!

By Courtney Potter

Need s’more reasons to watch season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series?

Fans of the popular Disney+ Original series will recall that, when we last saw our East High Wildcats, they’d just taken the stage in a memorable version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. With summer now officially upon them, it’s time for that treasured break from school known as sleepaway camp! The majority of our faves will soon find themselves at Camp Shallow Lake in California, where campers will stage a high-stakes production of Frozen to determine who is “best in snow” without leaving anyone out in the cold…

Joining series regulars Joshua Bassett (Ricky), Matt Cornett (E.J.), Sofia Wylie (Gina), Julia Lester (Ashlyn), Dara Reneé (Kourtney), and Frankie Rodriguez (Carlos) are two new series regulars, Adrian Lyles (Jet) and Saylor Bell Curda (Maddox)—as well as recurring guest stars Meg Donnelly (Disney’s ZOMBIES franchise) as Val, a counselor-in-training; Jason Earles (Hannah Montana) as Dewey, the killjoy of a camp director; and original High School Musical star Corbin Bleu as, well, himself! Other guest stars for the season include Jesse Tyler Ferguson and JoJo Siwa… and viewers can not only look forward to songs from Frozen, but they’ll also hear tunes from the original High School Musical trilogy and Disney’s Camp Rock.

D23 was lucky enough to hear exclusively from several members of the cast—as well as creator and executive producer Tim Federle—about the making of the season, and what viewers can expect when they gather ‘round the campfire:

In a still from season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, some of the cast are seen walking into Camp Shallow Lake, including Dara Reneé as Kourtney on the far left (wearing a green leopard-print top and a jean skirt) and Frankie Rodriguez as Carlos to her right (wearing a black-and-white jacket, a pink polo shirt, and jeans).

Reneé and Rodriguez on how their characters are approaching this new summertime adventure:
“I do think this summer at camp is gonna relate to a lot of what teenagers are going through,” explains Reneé. “Dealing with relationships, and dealing with friends in different locations and settings. We’re not at school—it’s a whole different vibe. People act very different when you’re at camp and not at school and learning and everything; when you’re just having fun and being yourself. It’s a new atmosphere… [and] I’m very happy with the person that Kourtney is becoming at this camp!”

Rodriguez feels similarly about Carlos, adding, “We really saw him step into the spotlight for the first time [last season], and that transfers over to this season. So, he comes into this summer camp with [big] expectations—and we really get to see him handle the fact that, y’know, things don’t always work out the way you think they will.”

In a still from season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Saylor Bell Curda as Maddox is standing on a wooden stage, with a banner above her reading “Camp Shallow Lake.” She is holding a guitar and standing at a microphone, smiling, and she’s wearing a camo sweatshirt and black pants.

Curda—who’s joining the series as Camp Shallow Lake “techie” Maddox—on a memorable moment from shooting this season:

“I have such an absolute blast with the cast,” she admits. “They’re hilarious. Every single one of them is kind, down to their core—and so funny! One time I specifically remember on set was when I was doing a scene that was just a close-up of me, and all I had to do was something active, then say one quick line, and then wave ‘hi’ to somebody. And I was so in the moment of doing this active thing that every single time we did this scene, I would just skip straight to the waving and completely forget my line! I think it might’ve happened three or four times in a row! It wasn’t me forgetting; I was just so caught up in the moment. Finally, Kim [McCullough], our director, laughed and said, ‘Uh, Saylor, you have a line!’ And it wasn’t even embarrassing, it was just funny because I was so lost in it. It’s just so much fun, and everyone is so, so supportive.”

Earles on going from behind the scenes—he was the dialogue coach on seasons one and two of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series—to now appearing on camera with the cast… and what it was like shooting with guest star Bleu:

“It’s even more fun than I would’ve imagined it would be,” he explains. “I’ve gotten to know all of them really well over the last couple of years, so I think there’s already a really high level of trust and comfortability with each other… I’ve watched them work for two years—and everybody in the cast grew up watching me on Hannah Montana and Kicking It—so to finally have something on film together, with all of us, has been exceptionally fun for me.”

He continues, “And working with my pal Corbin—there was one time late at night, and there were all sorts of shenanigans going on in the scene, and we just kept making each other laugh. And all of a sudden we both stopped and thought, wait a minute—how did we become the ‘grizzled vets’ on set?’” he adds, laughing. “It feels like just yesterday we were the bright-eyed kids on our show or our movie and we were goofing off—and now everybody looks to us to be an example. We were both just struck with how wild that feeling was.”

In a still from season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, from left to right, Adrian Lyles as Jet, Saylor Bell Curda as Maddox, Frankie Rodriguez as Carlos, and Dara Reneé as Kourtney are all wearing bright yellow outfits and participating in a “color war” pep rally at Camp Shallow Lake, surrounded by fellow campers sitting on rows of logs.

Federle on making sure audiences feel cared for—and what they can expect this season:
“The attachment to the characters that the audience has is something we take really seriously,” he explains. “And because previously I’d worked in theater and film—which are these discreet 90 minute to two-and-a-half-hour experiences that have a beginning and middle and end—I think the incredible thing about TV storytelling is, if you’re lucky, it goes on and on. I guess an unforeseen element of creating a TV show for me was recognizing how wonderfully attached the audience is about what happens with these stories and with these characters.”

“There’s so much good music in this season,” he adds. “We lean into the ‘meta’ nature of Camp Rock and High School Musical with some of the greatest songs of those franchises, along with Frozen—I mean, who doesn’t like Frozen? There’s a reason Frozen resonated with an international audience! And I’m excited about some new characters we’re introducing who really shake up the dynamic… For a Disney fan, there’s a lot here to love!”

San Diego Comic-Con 2022: Every Disney Announcement You Need to See!

By Sarah Sterling

If you’re a huge Disney fan, you just had an amazing weekend because we got an onslaught of incredible announcements, presentations, sneak peeks, trailers, and more for upcoming Disney films and series during San Diego Comic-Con! Whether you love Marvel, Star Wars, live-action thrillers, animated series, or all of the above, there was something for every fan to enjoy. We’re here to break down every big Comic-Con announcement by category so you don’t miss a thing, starting with...

Logo image for National Treasure: Edge of History. The Disney logo in gold font sits above large text reading “National Treasure” in a stone-like material with and eye inside of a triangle making the “A” in “Treasure”. “Edge of History” sits at the bottom in gold font.

National Treasure: Edge of History
The first big announcement from Disney at San Diego Comic-Con came Thursday with the first look at National Treasure: Edge of History. Based on the hit film franchise, this series focuses on a new heroine, Jess (Lisette Olivera), a brilliant DREAMer who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about her family’s mysterious past and save a lost Pan-American treasure. Harvey Keitel, who played Peter Sadusky in the National Treasure films, joins the series as a guest star and Justin Bartha returns as Riley Poole. Additional cast members include Zuri Reed, Antonio Cipriano, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Lyndon Smith. Attendees were the first to see the teaser trailer and a BTS featurette from the series, but lucky for you, both are available to watch now:

Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma. She is in a party setting with people dressed nicely around her eating, drinking, and talking. Mon Mothma is looking just left of camera. She has short red hair and is wearing an asymmetrical gold dress with a large gold broch on her left and long gold drop earrings.

Andor
In a special show-floor exhibit, fans got a sneak peek at some of the costumes from the upcoming Disney+ series Andor. Featured in the exhibit were costumes for Cassian Andor and Mon Mothma, plus a brand-new droid for Star Wars fans to love! B2EMO (Bee-two, for short) was on display and is described as a very old groundmech salvage assist unit. He has been towing scrap for the Andor family for years and has a wide array of mechanical tools to complete his tasks. We can’t wait to see more of Bee-two!

The poster for Marvel Studios’ I Am Groot. Baby Groot is laying on the grass against a tree trunk. Behind him are strange, alien-like yellow plants, and there are alien creatures all around him. Some look like fluffy bees or other insects and one is a duck-like creature with purple and pink fur.

Marvel Studios Animation

We received plenty of exciting updates on Friday during Marvel Studios’ Animation Presentation. Executive producer Kirsten Lepore gave the audience a first look at one of the shorts from Disney+’s upcoming series, I Am Groot, titled “Groot Takes a Bath.” All five shorts from I Am Groot debut Wednesday, August 10, on Disney+.

Executive producer Jeff Trammell presented new information and details on the upcoming animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year, including a reveal of the new Spider-Man suit designed for the series. This Disney+ Original series will follow Peter Parker on his way to becoming Spider-Man, before the events of Spider-Man: Homecoming. The show will premiere on Disney+ in 2024, and a second season—the aptly titled Spider-Man: Sophomore Year—was announced during the presentation.

The Emmy® Award-nominated series What If...?, is returning for a second season on Disney+ in early 2023. Executive producers Bryan Andrews and AC Bradley showed fans the Season 2 trailer, as well as one episode from the next season. The multiversal adventures of What If...? will continue in a third season, with a premiere date to be announced! Andrews continued with a presentation of original concept art from Marvel Zombies, which is a series inspired by the first season of What If...?

Finally, fans were treated to a sneak peek of X-Men ’97, an animated series that explores new stories in the iconic ‘90s timeline of the original X-Men: The Animated Series. Executive producer Beau DeMayo presented artwork and an animatic from the new show, which will stream exclusively on Disney+ in Fall 2023. It was revealed that the show will use the original X-Men theme music and that it will have a second season.

Kevin Feige onstage at San Diego Comic-Con. He is wearing a blue checkered suit jacket over a black polo shirt and black pants. He is wearing a black baseball cap with Miss Minutes from Loki on it. He is holding a mic and behind him is a screen with the San Diego Comic-Con logo repeating.

Marvel Live Action

On Saturday, the Marvel-hype was dialed up to a 10 during the Marvel Studios Live Action Presentation in Hall H. Loki’s Miss Minutes appeared to introduce Marvel Studios President and Chief Creative Officer, Kevin Feige, who presented the upcoming slate of Marvel projects, complete with trailers, sneak peeks, talent appearances, and live performances.

Logo image for Marvel Studios The Multiverse Saga. It is plain text against a black background. The words “The Multiverse Saga” are written in a silver, iridescent font that shows a spectrum of colors.

Feige informed the crowd that Phases 4, 5, and 6 will be part of The Multiverse Saga, which will conclude with two Avengers films in 2025: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (May 2, 2025) and Avengers: Secret Wars (November 7, 2025). Our current Phase 4 will continue with Disney+’s She-Hulk (streaming August 17) and culminate with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (in theaters November 11).

Tatiana Maslany as She-Hulk in a screen shot from the show. On the left you can see The Hulk facing away from camera; you can see the back of his green head and his green arm and he is wearing a white T-shirt. Maslany is wearing a gray T-shirt and her hair is down in loose waves.

She-Hulk is a nine-episode comedy series featuring Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, Mark Ruffalo as Smart Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/the Abomination, and Benedict Wong as Wong, as well as Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, Josh Segarra, Jon Bass and Renée Elise Goldsberry.

A screenshot from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Angela Bassett as Ramonda sits in the main throne with two Dora Milage on either side of her. Her throne is circular and has two large talon shaped pieces arching above her head. Wakandan writing can be seen on the seat of the throne. The Dora Milage are in their classic red and black armor and both have tall spears in hand. There is another council member to the queen’s left. She is very old and wearing deep blue robes. Behind the throne room is a wide window showing the daylight sky.

One of the biggest treats from this epic panel was the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The presentation started with a live performance by Baaba Maal, Massamba Diop, and an ensemble of dancers and drummers. Feige and director Ryan Coogler led a cast Q&A with Mabel Cadena, Michaela Cole, Winston Duke, Danai Gurira, Tenoch Huerta, Florence Kasumba, Alex Livinalli, Lupita Nyong’o, Dominique Thorne, and Letitia Wright. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, our heroes will fight to protect Wakanda from intervening world powers following the death of King T’Challa. Watch the first trailer for the film now: 

Logo image for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Against a black background, “Ant-Man’ is highlighted in red and “The Wasp” is highlighted in yellow. Below, the word “Quantumania” is written in a blue iridescent font.

The first film in Phase 5 will be Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, opening February 17, 2023. Before the main Live Action Presentation, Marvel Studios released the poster for the film, featuring a first look at Kang the Conqueror and Cassie Lang in her purple suit.

Logo image for Secret Invasion. The words “Secret Invasion” are written in green, geometric font below the classic “Marvel Studios” logo against a black background.

The Disney+ series Secret Invasion will begin streaming in Spring 2023 and follow Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn), characters we saw meet in 2019’s Captain Marvel. Joining the cast are Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, Olivia Colman, and Regé-Jean Page. Who is a Skrull and who is not? We’ll have to wait and see just how many shapeshifters have been with us on Earth this whole time.

Logo image for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. The title is written in black font against a golden-yellow background. The gold outline around the text is glowing and the entire logo is against a black background.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will hit theaters May 5, 2023, and will be the final installment in the Guardiansstory. Director James Gunn presented a special look at the film, and cast members Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Sean Gunn, Will Poulter, and Maria Bakalova took to the stage to greet guests. Additionally, Chukwudi Iwuji revealed his High Evolutionary costume for the film.

Continuing the Phase 5 slate on Disney+ is Echo (releasing Summer 2023), Loki Season 2 (Summer 2023), Ironheart (Fall 2023), Agatha: Coven of Chaos (Winter 2023), and Daredevil: Born Again (Spring 2024). Theatrically, Phase 5 will include The Marvels (July 28, 2023), Blade (November 3, 2023), Captain America: New World Order (May 3, 2024), and Thunderbolts (July 26, 2024).

Marvel Studios also announced three theatrical titles for Phase 6. These include Fantastic Four, with production beginning next year and releasing November 8, 2024, and the previously mentioned two (!) Avengers films in 2025.

Zach Creggar and Justin Long standing in front of a red step-and-repeat with the Barbarian logo all over it. Creggar is in all black (jacket, shirt, pants) and is wearing round glasses. Justin Long is smiling at Creggar. He has shaggy black hair and a mustache. He is wearing a green denim jacket over a white tee shirt and black pants.

Barbarian
On Friday, Comic-Con attendees were “horror-fied” by a screening of 20th Century Studios’ and New Regency’s latest thriller, Barbarian. The film follows a young woman traveling to Detroit for a job interview. She soon discovers that the rental home she is staying at has been double booked and a man is already staying there. She decides to spend the night anyway and discovers the stranger to be dangerous and terrifying. Writer and Director Zach Creggar and actor Justin long were on hand to greet guests, and you can see a clip from the film now:

Poster for 20th Century Studios’ Prey. The entire poster is in hues or orange, yellow and brown and features a humongous predator on the right side. The monster has a large head, and its mouth is open wide. Coming at it from the right is a tiny woman flying through the air with an axe held above her head. On the far right is a mountain cliffside where a small dog can be seen on a ledge. The title logo is written in white font on the bottom of the poster.

Prey
20th Century Studios’ upcoming action-thriller, Prey, is the latest entry in the Predator franchise and is set 300 years ago in the Comanche Nation. The film will follow a young, skilled warrior named Naru. The prey she stalks turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator, resulting in a terrifying showdown. Prey stars Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp, Michelle Thrush, Julian Black Antelope, and Dane DiLiegro. San Diego Comic-Con attendees were treated to an advance screening of the film, which will stream August 5 as a Hulu Original in the U.S., on Star+ in Latin America, and on Disney+ under the Star banner everywhere else.

Seth MacFarlance in The Orville. He is on a spaceship in a captain’s chair wearing a blue and black space uniform with silver details on the shoulders and chest lapel. He is looking off camera with a stern look on his face and behind him are space-like graphics on a wall or screen.

The Orville: New Horizons
On Saturday, actor/writer/director/producer Seth MacFarlane announced that all three seasons of his Emmy-nominated sci-fi series The Orville: New Horizons will head to Disney+ on Wednesday, August 10. “Making this show has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my career, and I’m immensely grateful to Disney for providing us the opportunity to expand our Orville community further. I can’t wait for new audiences to experience this series,” MacFarlane said of the show’s Disney+ debut. For now, you can stream The Orville: New Horizons on Hulu.

Stream The Orville: New Horizons on Hulu

The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Disney Channel fans were delighted to see the cast and crew of the Disney+ Original series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday. Kyla Pratt (Penny Proud), Paula Jai Parker (Trudy Proud), JoMarie Payton (Suga Mama), Alisa Reyes (LaCienega Boulevardez), Soleil Moon Frye (Zoey Howzer), and executive producers Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar performed an episode table read and participated in a panel discussion for attendees. Season 2 of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder is coming soon, but you can stream all of Season 1 now on Disney+.

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
The highly anticipated animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur made a roaring debut at San Diego Comic-Con with a never-before-seen clip. Starring Alison Brie, Andy Cohen, Daveed Diggs, Maya Hawke, Jennifer Hudson, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Cobie Smulders, and Wesley Snipes, the series will follow 13-year old super-genius Lunella Lafayette and her 10-ton T-Rex. Catch Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur in 2023 on Disney Channel and Disney+, and take a look at this sneak peek now:

There is so much to look forward to across the worlds of Disney and we can’t wait to hear more about these exciting projects. Keep an eye on D23.com for updates, announcements, trailers, sneak peeks, and behind-the-scenes information. We can’t wait to see you at D23 Expo in September and learn more about your most anticipated films and series!

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Week

By Andie Hagemann

Light! Magic! Action! Check out the brand-new content coming to your TV and assorted streaming devices this week. The competition is FIERCE as the celebrity relatives continue to form alliances on the latest episode of Claim to Fame, airing Monday. It’s summertime and the Wildcats are camp bound as season three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series launches Wednesday, along with the debut of Light & Magic. Friendships and relationships are tested on an-all new episode of Good Trouble, airing Thursday. Find out if Black Scorpion knows best on Friday’s latest installment of Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion.

Five contestants on ABC’s Claim to Fame sit at a dining room table, talking

Claim to Fame—Monday, July 25, at 10:01 p.m. ET/PT on ABC
The competition is heating up as 10 contestants remain in the house. As alliances continue to form, this week’s challenge has the contestants splitting up into two teams and jumping into the pool. Tune in to find out which contestant says goodbye as more secret identities are revealed!

(L-R) Actors Dara Reneé, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Julia Lester, Sofia Wylie, and Matt Cornett walk on green grass holding large luggage and duffle bags.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series—Wednesday, July 27, on Disney+
The season three premiere kicks off with the Wildcats venturing to Camp Shallow Lake—a sleepaway camp in California—for a summer they’ll never forget! From budding summer romances and curfew-less nights to a high-stakes production of Frozen, there will be no shortage of drama. Who will prove to be “best in snow”?

A group of men, including Disney Legend George Lucas, carry a model of the Millennium Falcon

Light & Magic—Wednesday, July 27, on Disney+
Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan grants viewers unprecedented access to Industrial Light & Magic—the special visual effects, animation, and virtual production division of Lucasfilm—in this immersive documentary series coming exclusively to the streaming service. Embark on the fascinating journey to see how Disney Legend George Lucas brought his vision to life, inspiring the entire visual effects industry. All six episodes will debut at launch.

Actress Sherry Cola sits at a desk and flips through a brochure

Good Trouble—Thursday, July 28, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform
The FCG attempt to snag Zelda (Teala Dunn) as a brand influencer while Alice (Sherry Cola) feels her career is stagnant. Malika (Zuri Adele) and Tracey (Marisela Zumbado) work together on the Women’s Shelter, and Joaquin Joaquin (Bryan Craig) learns Jenna (Maiara Walsh) may be in a cult. Meanwhile, Gael (Tommy Martinez) struggles with forgiving Isabella (Priscilla Quintana) for her indiscretions.

Actress Scarlett Estevez laughs while wearing a neon purple luchadora costume adorned with silver accents

Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion—Friday, July 29, at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
After fighting crime with Cascada (Lorena Jorge)—a glamorous super luchadora who blurs the lines between right and wrong—Ultra Violet (Scarlett Estevez) begins to question her training. Is Black Scorpion (J.R. Villarreal) holding her back with his strict rules and methodology?

From Puffins to Porgs

By Madlyn Moskowitz, Walt Disney Archives

Porgs, inquisitive creatures first introduced to us in Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), are exemplary for illustrating the intersection between practical puppeteering and visual effects. Their very existence spurred from an environmental challenge on Skellig Michael, the real-world location for Ahch-To, Luke Skywalker’s secluded island hideout, which is a wildlife preserve for puffins, seabirds native to the region. As recollected by creature concept designer Jake Lunt Davies on StarWars.com, “...Everywhere you look there [were] hundreds of birds dotted around the landscape. From what I gathered, Rian [Johnson, director], in a positive spin on this, was looking at how [we could] work with this. You can’t remove them. You physically can’t get rid of them. And digitally removing them is an issue and a lot of work, so let’s just roll with it, play with it.” This challenge drove the Creature FX department to design a puffin-inspired creature that would look indigenous to the environment. And while the creature department built a series of practical puppets and animatronic porgs to perform a number of specific actions onscreen, Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects division of Lucasfilm, augmented porg body movements and facial expressions, and overlayed additional porgs when needed to disguise the real puffin inhabitants of Skellig Michael inadvertently captured during filming.

Check out the photos below to see several iterations of porgs throughout the creative development process.

Guest Stars Announced for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Stellar Guest Stars and Recurring Voice Cast Coming to Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur

We’re starting to get some super-cool news out of this weekend’s huge San Diego Comic-Con. Case in point: a multitalented lineup of guests and recurring stars has been announced for Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, the highly anticipated series from Disney Branded Television! The news was revealed during the show’s panel on Thursday, featuring the series cast and creative team.

The series, which centers on 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur, is slated to premiere in 2023 on Disney Channel and Disney+. Among the just-revealed guest voices are Alison Brie, Andy Cohen, Daveed Diggs, Maya Hawke, Jennifer Hudson, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Cobie Smulders, and Wesley Snipes. And recurring stars are now set include Omid Abtahi, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Michael Cimino, Indya Moore, and Craig Robinson.

But that’s not all: The series’ creators also revealed a first-look clip; check it out, below!

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur stars Diamond White as Lunella (aka Moon Girl); Alfre Woodard as Lunella’s grandmother, Mimi; Libe Barer as Lunella’s best friend and manager, Casey; Sasheer Zamata as Lunella’s mom, Adria; Jermaine Fowler as Lunella’s dad, James Jr.; Gary Anthony Williams as Lunella’s grandfather, Pops; and executive producer Laurence Fishburne in the recurring role of The Beyonder, a curious and mischievous trickster. Look for more info on the series as we get closer to its debut!

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®

We’ve made it to another summer weekend—so keep cool by enjoying some quality entertainment from around the worlds of Disney! Tune in for brand-new episodes of BUNK’D on Disney Channel and Celebrity Family Feud on ABC; celebrate the 37th anniversary of The Black Cauldron by watching the fan-favorite on Disney+; and so much more.

Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building Brings Us “Angel in Flip-Flops”

Fans of Hulu’s hit series Only Murders in the Building—hey, that’s us!—have been clamoring to hear Charles-Haden Savage’s (Disney Legend Steve Martin) “hit” song, “Angel in Flip-Flops,” ever since it was mentioned in this season’s fourth episode… and lo, that day has come!

Hulu just released a music video for the song, which was said to have debuted at No. 83 on the German music charts in 1989. In reality, the tune was written by Martin and Kirker Butler, and produced by Late Night with David Letterman stalwart Paul Schaffer.

“I am as proud of ‘Angel in Flip Flops’ as I am of any work I’ve done that is not that good,” said Martin, who also serves as co-creator and executive producer for Only Murders in the Building.

New episodes of Only Murders in the Building stream Tuesdays on Hulu!

Singer and actress Her stands in front of a backdrop with a drawing of a giant fist on it.

H.E.R. Cast as Belle in ABC’s Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration Special

ABC announced this week that five-time Grammy® and Academy Award®-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R. has been cast as Belle in the network’s upcoming animated and live-action blended special Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration. Presented by The Wonderful World of Disney, the two-hour reimagining of the classic story will be taped in front of a live audience at Disney Studios and will air on Thursday, December 15, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on ABC and will stream on Disney+ the next day.

As previously announced, Jon M. Chu will executive produce the special, with Hamish Hamilton set to direct. H.E.R.’s casting marks the first time an Afro-Filipina woman will play the role of Belle onscreen. The rest of the talented cast, whose original performances will be seamlessly woven through the original animated feature, will be announced at a later date.

“I can’t believe I get to be a part of the Beauty and the Beast legacy. The world will see a Black and Filipino Belle,” H.E.R. said. “I have always wanted to be a Disney Princess.”

Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration is produced by Done+Dusted in association with Walt Disney Television Alternative and Electric Somewhere. Chu, Caitlin Foito, Hamilton, Raj Kapoor, Richard Kraft and Katy Mullan are executive producers and H.E.R. is a producer.

Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear to Stream on Disney+ Beginning Next Month

Yes, it’s true: Earlier this week, Disney+ revealed plans to stream Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear beginning Wednesday, August 3! “Lightyear looks amazing on the big screen, of course, but we are so excited to bring it to Disney+,” said director Angus MacLane. “We devoted years of our lives to this film and we are so proud of it. We want to share it with as many people as possible. Disney+ not only gives more fans an opportunity to see Lightyear, it gives us all the means to see it again and again.”

A sci-fi action adventure and the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Chris Evans), the hero who inspired the toy, Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger after he’s marooned on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth alongside his commander and their crew. As Buzz tries to find a way back home through space and time, he’s joined by a group of ambitious recruits and his charming robot companion cat, Sox (voiced by Peter Sohn). Complicating matters and threatening the mission is the arrival of Zurg (voiced by James Brolin), an imposing presence with an army of ruthless robots and a mysterious agenda.

Mark those streaming calendars, y’all!

ICYMI: Everything You Need to Know About the Disney Wish

The newest ship in Disney Cruise Line’s fleet has officially set sail—and there’s so much to learn about the Disney Wish, even for those “landlubbers” amongst us. Check out our recent roundup of what you can expect when you’re on board… and don’t forget to take a gander at our special D23 Inside Disney Sets Sail on the Disney Wish video podcast episode!

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®

By Andie Hagemann

From a magical quest and the Greens’ drive-in movie adventure to summer camp hijinks, this week’s entertainment slate is jammed-packed with summer fun! On Friday, don’t miss an all-new episode of BUNK’D where Parker and Bill teach a child prodigy how to loosen up. Watch a new episode of Big City Greens, debuting Saturday, followed by The Little Mermaid, which airs later that day. Sunday marks the 37th anniversary of the classic The Black Cauldron—which is available to stream on Disney+; and this week’s episode of Celebrity Family Feud features the cast from Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series!

Actress Miranda May looks at actor Trevor Tordjman while standing in a rustic cabin. 

BUNK’D—Friday, July 22, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
Summer should be fun, and the campers and counselors of Camp Kikiwaka are making that a reality in this week’s brand-new episode. A child genius seeks advice from Parker (Trevor Tordjman) and Bill (Alfred Lewis) on how to have fun, while Destiny (Mallory James Mahoney) gets Winnie (Shiloh Verrico) a drum set as an outlet for her excess energy. Plus, Lou (Miranda May) and Jake (Luke Busey) attempt to improve the camp’s menu.

A young woman with blue hair and purple skin poses for a young boy holding a cell phone with one of her legs kicked up to the car’s ceiling.

Big City Greens—Saturday, July 23, at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
In the first story, aptly titled “Listen Up,” Cricket (voiced by Chris Houghton) loses his hearing and keeps it a secret from Bill (voiced by Bob Joles). The second installment follows the Greens’ venture to a hipster drive-in movie, where Gloria (voiced by Anna Akana) proves her life is super fun by taking the perfect photo for social media.

(L-R) A man and woman hold hands while facing each other in a rowboat that is also surrounded by colorful fish spitting water upward.

The Little Mermaid—Saturday, July 23, at 3:40 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform
Ariel (voiced by Disney Legend Jodi Benson) is a rebellious 16-year-old mermaid who is fascinated with life on land; she wants to be where the people are—much to the dismay of her father, King Triton (voiced by Kenneth Mars). During one of her visits to the surface of the sea, Ariel falls head over fins for a human prince—leading her to strike a deal with the sea witch Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll) to become human for three days. Things quickly go awry, however, forcing King Triton to intervene to save his daughter. A new sing-along version of the animated classic is available to stream, beginning Friday, July 22, on Disney+.

A gopher-like woodland creature props its paws on the arm of a young boy as they both look on in disbelief.

The Black Cauldron—Celebrating its 37th Anniversary on Sunday, July 24, available on Disney+
Embark on an epic, magical quest with a viewing of this 1985 animated film in celebration of its theatrical release anniversary. Taran (voiced by Grant Bardsley) is a pig herder in the land of Prydain who dreams of becoming a noble knight. He receives his wish unexpectedly when the Horned King (voiced by John Hurt) kidnaps Hen-Wren—a prophesying pig that had been entrusted to Taran. With the help of his sidekick Gurgi (voiced by John Byner) and Princess Eilonwy (voiced by Susan Sheridan), Taran must locate the magical black cauldron before the Horned King is able to use its mystical powers to summon an army of the undead.

(Left to right) Host Steve Harvey stands next to actors Joshua Bassett, Sofia Wylie, Frankie A. Rodriguez, Dara Renee, and Matt Cornett, who each have solo podiums and are surrounded by bright stage lights and graphics.

Celebrity Family Feud—Sunday, July 24, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC
Survey says this is an episode you won’t want to miss! The first game features the casts from Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Netflix’s Never Have I Ever as they compete to win money for their selected charities. Then, comedian Ron Funches and his family take on actress Meagan Good and her clan.

Welcoming New California Schools to the Disney Aspire Network

By the D23 Team

To date, tens of thousands of our eligible hourly employees have enrolled in Disney Aspire—Disney’s education investment and career development program for eligible hourly employees in the U.S.

Ever since we introduced the program in 2018, we’ve listened and learned from all of our employees along the way, and we’ve loved getting to know more about their wants and needs when it comes to education. We’ve heard from many employees based in California that when they make the decision to return to school, they want it to be somewhere near and dear to their hearts—and homes.

That’s exactly why we’re excited to introduce two new schools to our ever-growing network of learning partners: California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College.

Combined, we anticipate welcoming nearly 70 new educational programs and offerings to our catalog through these additions. We hope one of them will be your perfect fit for putting your education and career #DreamsWithinReach.

To learn more, visit aspire.disney.com.

There’s No Chance, No Way You Can Miss Out on These D23-Exclusive Hercules Pins

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Bless my soul, these pins are on a roll! Celebrate 25 years of the man and the myth himself with an exclusive Hercules 25th Anniversary Commemorative Pin and an exclusive pin set featuring the goddesses of the arts and the proclaimers of heroes: the incomparable Muses!

Disney’s Hercules premiered on June 27, 1997, and retold the ancient myth using revolutionary storytelling techniques including the use of gospel music, with the Muses acting as the traditional Greek chorus. The film follows the titular god Hercules, who—in order to return home to Mount Olympus—needs to prove he can move from zero to hero with the help of Pegasus, his flying stallion, and Phil, a feisty personal trainer. Along the way, Herc matches wits with Grecian beauty Meg, and battles with a comical hothead named Hades and his sidekicks Pain and Panic, who plan to take over the Universe...

An enamel pin of Hercules, with his arms crossed and a confident expression on his face. To his left is a blue shield with the words “Disney Hercules XXV YEARS” on it.

D23-Exclusive Hercules 25th Anniversary – Commemorative Pin
Go the distance and be a hero with this special pin! This D23 Gold Member exclusive pin is the strongest way to lift up your love for Disney’s Hercules, and celebrate the film’s 25th (or XXVth) anniversary. The pin features the pec-tacular demigod Hercules, and a special message for the film’s special day. Flex on your friends with this pin and celebrate Disney’s Hercules!

Our Hercules 25th Anniversary pin, offered in a limited edition of 1,500, is available to D23 Gold Members on shopDisney on Monday, July 25.

*Available while supplies last. To purchase, you must log in to shopDisney.com with the Disney account tied to D23 Gold Membership. Pins are sold for $14.99 each, plus applicable sales tax. Maximum of two (2) pins of this style for purchase per D23 Gold Member for online orders. Shipping not available to PO boxes; shipping and handling fees may vary for all online orders. Other restrictions may apply. All information is subject to change including, but not limited to, artwork, release dates, editions sizes, and retail prices.

SOLD OUT

The five muses from Hercules depicted as enamel pins. Each is on a background of a gold and blue Grecian vase. The upper right corner Muse, Terpsichore, is holding a scroll in her hands. The lower right Muse, Melpomene, is holding a frowning dramatic arts mask.

D23-Exclusive Hercules 25th Anniversary – The Muses Pin Set
This D23 Gold Member exclusive pin set is the best way to go from zero to hero with the Muses of Disney’s Hercules, and celebrate the film’s 25th (or XXVth) anniversary. These five pins feature the goddesses of the arts themselves—and commemorates the soulful storytelling of everyone’s favorite Disney musical myth. Belt out your “gospel truth” and show off your love for the Muses and Disney’s Hercules!

Our The Muses Pin Set, offered in a limited edition of 1,000, is available to D23 Gold Members on shopDisney on Monday, July 25.

*Available while supplies last. To purchase, you must log in to shopDisney.com with the Disney account tied to D23 Gold Membership. Pins are sold for $79.99 each, plus applicable sales tax. Maximum of two (2) pins of this style for purchase per D23 Gold Member for online orders. Shipping not available to PO boxes; shipping and handling fees may vary for all online orders. Other restrictions may apply. All information is subject to change including, but not limited to, artwork, release dates, editions sizes, and retail prices.

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