Disney’s D23 Expo held a combination animation and live-action film panel yesterday ahead of today’s panels for Marvel & Lucasfilm.
First of the animation panel saw Pixar confirming the earlier story of an impending sequel to its acclaimed “Inside Out” with Amy Poehler returning, writer Meg LeFauve back to pen the script and Kelsey Mann taking over directing duties from Pete Docter. It is scheduled for a Summer 2024 theatrical release.
Next up is “Elemental,” Pixar’s next big theatrical release arriving on June 16th 2023. Mamoudou Athie (“Jurassic World Dominion”) and Leah Lewis (“The Half of It”) take on the lead voice roles in the Peter Sohn-directed film.
In the movie, an unlikely pair named Ember (Lewis) and Wade (Athie) live in a city where fire, water, land, and air residents live together. The fiery young woman and the go-with-the-flow guy are about to discover something elemental: how much they actually have in common.
Next comes “Elio,” which will feature the eponymous boy (Yonas Kibreab) who finds himself transported across the galaxy and mistaken for the intergalactic Ambassador for our planet Earth. The voice cast also includes America Ferrera as Olga Solis, while Adrian Molina directs. The film is planning a Spring 2024 release.
Pixar’s final showcase was “Win or Lose,” its new long-form streaming series coming in 2024 which follows a co-ed middle school softball team in the week leading up to their championship game. Will Forte will voice Coach Dan in the show that is being written and directed by Carrie Hobson and Michael Yates.
Over at Disney animation, Ariana Debose has been cast as the lead in “Wish,” which hails from the team behind “Frozen”. Debose plays Asha, a 17-year-old who sees a darkness in her kingdom that no one else does. In a moment of desperation, she makes a passionate plea to the stars.
The answer to Asha’s wish is an actual star that falls from the sky to help on her journey. Alan Tudyk is also onboard as the voice of a goat named Valentino
Disney also revealed a new photo from “Strange World” which releases in theaters on November 23rd, and one from “Iwájú!” – a new original series set in a futuristic version of Lagos, Nigeria. That premieres sometime in 2023.
Source: Pixar
