Thousands of passionate Disney fans showed up at the Anaheim Convention Center this past weekend for Disney’s third bi-annual “D23” expo. This event, similar to San Diego’s Comic-Con, presents panels and sneak peeks to Disney’s upcoming projects.
On Friday, Disney executives discussed the upcoming films for their animation division. Audiences were treated to a preview of Frozen, a film based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. It tells the tale of Anna (Kristen Bell) and her group of friends in a race to find her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), who has kept the kingdom in an eternal winter. Kristen Bell appeared on stage and talked about fulfilling her dream of voicing a Disney character, saying, “I always dreamed of being in a Disney movie. Did I think it would happen? No. Did I want it to happen? Yes. With every bone in my body.” Frozen is set to hit theaters November 27.
Disney also announced its plans for a new film called Zootopia. It will be about animals living in a modern world that they created. The story includes main characters Nick Wilde, a fox, who is accused of a crime he did not commit. He forms an unlikely alliance with a rabbit named Lt. Judy Hops to find out the truth. The film is slated to hit theaters in 2016.
The convention also announced the voice casts for some of its upcoming movies. The Good Dinosaur, a story about a world where dinosaurs never went extinct, will feature the voices of Neil Patrick Harris, Bill Hader, and John Lithgow. Finding Dory, the highly-anticipated sequel to Finding Nemo, will have Diane Keaton and Eugene Levy as the parents of Ellen DeGeneres’s Dory.
Saturday was devoted to films of Disney’s live-action division. Fans were eager to hear news about the upcoming Star Wars films, however Disney executives did not reveal much. They stated that Star Wars Episode VII is set to be released in the summer of 2015. Disney also plans to release standalone films set in the Star Wars universe.
Angelina Jolie took the stage to talk about her role as the Sleeping Beauty villain in Maleficent. She spoke of her excitement of her role, saying, “Since I was a little girl, Maleficent was always my favorite. I was terrified of her, but I was so drawn to her. I wanted to know more about her, know what she was like and who she was.” Jolie was also excited to act alongside her daughter, Vivienne, who portrays the young version of Princess Aurora in the film. The film opens July 2, 2014.
Other highlights of the Disney convention included teasers for Marvel’s upcoming films, a screening of the pilot episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a preview of Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella, and new footage from Saving Mr. Banks.
The next D23 expo will occur when it returns to Anaheim in 2015.
