Disney has taken the success ofThe Jungle Book,Maleficent, andAlice in Wonderlandto heart if their new release date schedule is any indication. Though none of the following dates have hard titles attached to them, this will certainly change before long. Basically, Disney is marking its territory well before it has any final decisions about which movies will occupy which slots, daring any other studio’s film to try and compete with it.
Here’s a look at the new release dates revealed by Disney today:
This comes in addition to the already-scheduledAlice Through the Looking Glasson May 27th,Pete’s Dragonon August 12th, andBeauty and the Beaston June 23, 2025. Here’s more on the films that are currently in development that will eventually be matched up with the release dates above:
Cruella- As previously reported,Emma Stonewillstar in the title rolewith a script byKelly Marcel(Saving Mr. Banks,Fifty Shades of Grey). Stone was in early negotiations for the role just this past January whileMarcel was reworking a scriptpreviously written byAline Brosh McKenna(The Devil Wears Prada). While it’s all well and good for your fairy tale villains to curse pretty princesses or plot to kill heroic princes, it’s another thing entirely to have your protagonist be a puppy-killing-and-skinning fashionista in the modern world. They may just succeed in developing Cruella de Vil’s prequel story into something interesting, but I can’t imagine too many viewers will find sympathy for arguably Disney’s most reviled villain.
A Wrinkle in Time
A Wrinkle in Time- WithAva DuVernay(Selma) attached to direct andJennifer Lee(Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Zootopia) writing, you can best believe this is one of my more anticipated Disney non-Marvel live-action films. The classic story byMadeleine L’Englefollows a young girl’s search for her government scientist father–who was working on a tesseract…not that tesseract–after he goes missing. This journey takes her across space and time in a story that’s been destined for the big screen since its debut in 1963. With talent like DuVernay and Lee behind the camera, all that’s left is to find the perfect cast to bring this classic to life.
Jungle Cruise
Jungle Cruise-Dwayne Johnsonhimselfconfirmed a few months backthat he’s set to star in the 1920s-set adventure picture scripted byFocuswriters/directorsJohn RequaandGlenn Ficarra. All we know at this point is thatJungle Cruiseis inspired by Disney’s theme park ride by the same name, it’ll be set slightly after the World War I era during which its previously reported inspirationThe African Queenwas set, and it will be cast in the mold of Disney’s blockbuster franchise,Pirates of the Caribbean.
Here’s The Rock’s latest update on the film:
Dumbo- DirectorTim Burtonand writerEhren Kruger(Transformers: Age of Extinction) willattempt to tackle the live-action taleof Disney’s famous flying baby elephant. Slightly more specifically than that, “the new take involves the adaptation of the original movie adding a unique family story that parallels Dumbo’s story.” Kruger’s rough screenwriting track record aside, I’m most interested to see how Burton handles the adaptation ofMiss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, due out September 30th. The performance of that film will determine just how optimistic I am for aDumboremake, but at the moment, they have a lot of convincing to do.
‘Mary Poppins’ Sequel
Mary Poppinssequel - DirectorRob Marshallhas the benefit of a perfect casting pair inEmily BluntandLin-Manuel Miranda. Blunt has long been making the most out of her starring and supporting roles in films as disparate asThe Devil Wears Prada,Edge of Tomorrow, and the upcoming thrillerThe Girl on the Train. Despite her action-packed filmography, Blunt could also make this generation’s perfect Mary Poppins, just as Broadway’s hottest thespian Miranda is primed to make a memorable character as Jack the Lamplighter, in the vein ofDick Van Dyke’sBert the Chimney-Sweep. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for this one but it’ll be tough to top the original.
Maleficent 2
Maleficent 2-Angelia Jolieis set to return in the title role of Disney’s anticipated sequel, scripted by returning screenwriterLinda Woolverton. The first film took in over three-quarters of a billion dollars before its theatrical run was all said and done, so having the talent back for a second go-round is already a big win. Can lightning strike twice for theSleeping Beautyteam? We’ll find out soon enough!
The Nutcracker and the Four realms
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms- DirectorLasse Hallström(Chocolat) and writerAshleigh Powellwill take on a live-action retelling ofThe Nutcrackerfor Disney, as reported earlier this year. The adaptation ofTchaikovsky’sendlessly pleasing ballet andE.T.A. Hoffmann’sThe Nutcracker and the Mouse Kingthat accompanies it,The Nutcracker and the Four Realmstells the story of a young girl who receives a nutcracker toy for Christmas, a toy which comes alive at the stroke of midnight. She’s then swept away into a land populated by dolls where she finds herself at the center of a war between gingerbread soldiers and a mouse army. This one’s tailor-made for Disney and the big screen, and you can bank that it’ll be dropping around the holidays.
The Jungle Book 2
The Jungle Book 2- DirectorJon Favreauand writerJustin Markswill return for the sequel, a movie that became inevitable when the currently-in-theaters film quickly tallied over $500 million in its first two weekends. The film’s success didn’t just encourage Disney to continue with the franchise, but also spurred Warner Bros. towards reconsidering their ownJungle Bookproject that has motion-capture masterAndy Serkisat the helm, but also hasAlfonso Cuarónon board as a “consultant.“WB’s picture is currently slated for June 27, 2025, meaning that Disney’s mysterious calendar could have its August 11, 2025 date carved out to get the jump on the otherJungle Book. However this all shakes out, there’ll be no shortage ofJungle-themed shenanigans in the near future.
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell- A project withReese Witherspoonset to star andVictoria Strouse(Finding Dory) writing, which is somethingwe reported on back in May of 2015but haven’t heard much about since. This latest take on Tinker Bell is said to “play with the idea and timeline of the well-knownPeter Pannarrative,” and will follow in the footsteps of other similar prequel stories to tell the previously unheard story behind some of Disney’s most beloved characters.
Disney seems bullish on moviegoing audiences' desire for unending live-action fairy tale stories, but time (and box office performances) will tell if the studio regrets that decision or makes absolute bank on their intellectual property. My bet’s on the latter.
Out of these announced movies, which ones are you most interested in checking out? Let us know in the comments!
