Disney+ Day gives a closer look on some of the most anticipated projects
November 16, 2021
Disney+ celebrated its second anniversary Nov. 12 with a day full of updates of what is coming soon to the platform.
A little less than a year ago, Disney held an investors call where they announced many of the shows and movies coming to streaming. Fans got to see new projects coming from studios such as Marvel, LucasFilm, Pixar and more.
When Disney made all their announcements back in 2020, the potential growth of Disney+ was enormous. Chairman and former CEO Bob Iger predicted that the streaming platform would reach 230 to 260 million subscribers by the end of 2024. While the pandemic jeopardized the predictions, Disney+ still had a lot to celebrate since it had become the third biggest streaming service in the world.
When compared to the 2020 investors call, Disney+ day worked quite differently. Throughout last Friday morning, the Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts of Disney+ updated their feeds with new trailers, posters and additional information on upcoming projects.
Simultaneously, new content was added to the platform alongside subscription deals for new and returning members.
Here are some of the major announcements:
Baymax series
One of the most enjoyable movies from Walt Disney Animations Studios’ was “Big Hero 6” back in 2014. Due to its success, the film is getting a spinoff series featuring the inflatable computerized robot Baymax. The show has a scheduled release of summer 2022.
Pinocchio
A revival of the Disney classic is coming to streaming in fall 2022. Directed by Robert Zemeckis from “Back to the Future,” this is a live action retelling featuring Tom Hanks as Pinocchio.
Win or Lose
Announced during the 2020 investors call, we got a new look at the first-ever Pixar animated series. Scheduled to be released in 2023, the series follows a middle school co-ed softball team preparing for a very important championship game.
IMAX version of 13 marvel movies
This feature allows subscribers to see up to 26 percent more pictures in movies such as Avengers: Endgame, Iron Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and others.
Moon knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel first teasers
While posters for many Marvel shows were released on social media, “Moon Knight,” “She-Hulk” and “Ms. Marvel” debuted new footage of what is next in the Marvel Universe. All three shows are scheduled to be released in 2022.
Zootopia+
A spinoff series of the blockbuster film “Zootopia” is coming to Disney+ in 2022. This will be our return to the crazy animal inhabited metropolis in the form of short episodes.
The Beatles: Get Back
This documentary series brought to life by “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson will be a three-night event featuring unseen footage from the iconic British band. The first episode will stream Nov. 25.
Hocus Pocus 2
The sequel to the 1993 “Hocus Pocus” will feature all three stars from the original film (Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Kathy Najimy) reprising their roles. The series will premiere in fall 2022.
Chris Hemsworth and Will Smith National Geographic series
National Geographic is a great addition to the vast Disney+ catalog, and in 2022 two new series will be added featuring two of the world’s most popular actors. Follow Chris Hemsworth on his discovery of the full potential of the human body in “Limitless” and travel with Will Smith across the world on the brand-new series “Welcome to Earth.”
Although there were many announcements last Friday, fans were disappointed that no Star Wars additional information was revealed by Lucasfilm. We already know “The Book of Bobba Fett” and “The Mandalorian” season 3 are on the way; however, upcoming projects such as the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Andor” series still have a lot of information not made public.
Despite some challenges Disney faced regarding the pandemic, there are still a lot of projects on the horizon. With its vast catalog, Disney+ is well-positioned to go head-to-head against other streaming services such as Netflix and HBO MAX. The so-called “streaming wars” is far from over and it will be interesting to see how it evolves in the near future.