The Little Mermaid - May 26, 2023


The live-action The Little Mermaid finally has a release date after finally wrapping production in July 2021 and will likely make a splash when it hits theaters on May 26, 2023. The plot will follow the Disney formula by sticking to the original animated The Little Mermaid for the most part, making various tweaks and modernizations along the way. Directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by Jane Goldman and David Magee, The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, Awkwafina, Javier Bardem, and Melissa McCarthy. Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel in the remake, and her singing voice in the trailer already proves she's perfect for the role, with McCarthy playing the banished villain Ursula.


Elemental - June 16, 2023


The next upcoming Pixar movie is the original movie Elemental, which is pinned for a 16th June, 2023 release. Elemental already has all the hallmarks of a classic Pixar heartwarmer despite no trailers being available yet. The movie follows a modern city full of Elementals – beings made entirely of fire, water, earth, or air, respectively – as they learn to co-exist in their quartered settlement. A water elemental played by Mamoudou Athie and a fire elemental voiced by Leah Lews will be the main focus though, and Elemental has The Good Dinosaur director Peter Sohn at the helm.

Indiana Jones 5 - June 30, 2023


It was long believed that Indiana Jones 5 would happen at some point after Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, and that belief came true when the studio announced in 2016 plans to produce another Indiana Jones movie. Unfortunately, it's been delayed multiple times since then – first from 2019 to 2020, and then again to 2021. The film seemed to keep a firm release spot in 2022, but it's since been delayed until 2023. Indiana Jones 5 sees James Mangold writing and directing and Harrison Ford returning to the title role.

The Haunted Mansion - August 11, 2023


Despite the 2003 Eddie Murphy movie adaptation of this Disneyland ride being considered a flop, Disney is once again turning the beloved Haunted Mansion into a film. Releasing in March 2023, the new Haunted Mansion movie has a star-studded cast including horror heavyweights Winona Ryder (Stranger Things, Alien Resurrection), Jared Leto (Morbius, American Psycho), and Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween, The Fog). Rosario Dawson, Lakeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, and Danny DeVito are all also starring. Much like its 2003 predecessor, The Haunted Mansion is a horror comedy rather than Amityville or Paranormal Activity level haunted house fright-fest. The plot has a simple premise, with Gabbie (Dawson) and her 9-year-old daughter moving into the titular haunted mansion after buying it at a dirt-cheap price.

Wish - November 22, 2023


Wishing upon a star has been a mainstay of Disney meta-lore since Pinocchio, and in 2023 the House of Mouse is finally giving stars and wishes their own animated movie. Wish will see Princess Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) meet the literal star upon which so many Disney princesses wish, and she must rope in its help to save her home, the fantasy Kingdom of Rosas. The art style combines watercolor, hand-drawn classic Disney style, and CGI, and it will likely be one of the most intriguing animated Disney movies to date.