Disney is arguably the most successful movie studio of all time, with its plethora of original movies and its Marvel and Star Wars IP dominating worldwide box offices. The company has several more movies that will be released over the course of the next few years. Over the last decade, Disney has seen considerable success with live-action remakes like Cruella and Maleficent, as well as animated properties like Frozen II, and they're continuing to push the envelope into the 2020s with Turning Red and more.
2021 saw Disney return to movie theaters full-force with multiple Marvel theatrical exclusives, culminating in the mega-hit Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the animated Encanto. The studio also released an unusual amount of adult-oriented titles, including Oscar contenders West Side Story and Nightmare Alley, which were largely a holdover from its acquisition of 20th Century Fox. The studio has also continued releasing new movies directly to its Disney+ streaming service, including Pixar features such as Luca.
What the future holds now that Disney is steadily releasing several of the films from its acquisition of 20th Century Fox — including surprise Disney+ mega-hit Prey — remains to be seen. Suffice it to say, movies released by Disney no longer adhere to such a close definition as they once did, given all the studios that operate under the entertainment giant's purview. But the upcoming release slate certainly includes a number of films that fit into that category, as well as a range that challenges it directly. Here's a rundown of every upcoming Disney movie releasing until 2025.
Hocus Pocus 2 - September 30, 2022
One of the most anticipated upcoming Disney movies is Hocus Pocus 2. Almost two decades in the making, Hocus Pocus 2 is a sequel to 1993's Hocus Pocus, which has gained a huge cult following over the years as the kids who grew up watching it showed it to their kids. Directed by Anne Fletcher with Jen D'Angelo on screenwriting, Hocus Pocus 2 stars Bette Midler as Winnie Sanderson, Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson. The trio return to Salem to cause mayhem and must be stopped by aspiring witch Becca (Whitney Peak), who accidentally summons them. The cast also includes RuPaul's Drag Race alumni Ginger Minj, Kornbread Jeté, and Kahmora Hall, who will portray Drag Queens that make an act out of impersonating the Sanderson Sisters. Hocus Pocus 2 is released on 30 September and comes straight to Disney+.
Strange World - November 23, 2022
Strange World is the next movie that will be released by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Strange World has been described as an action-adventure movie inspired by pulp novels and starring a legendary family of adventurers. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Searcher Clade, a space explorer trying to live up to his family's reputation for adventure and discovery. The movie is directed by Don Hall and written by Qui Nguyen, both of whom previously worked on Raya and the Last Dragon. Like most Disney animated outings, it's a family movie at its core that promises a heartfelt message wrapped in gorgeous animation and family-friendly humor. This will be one to take the kids to when Strange World hits theaters on 23rd November, 2022.
Disenchanted - November 24, 2022
Another upcoming Disney movie that's a long-awaited sequel, Disenchanted is a followup to the 2007 animated and live-action blend musical, Enchanted. Disenchanted releases on Disney+ on 11/24/2022, and the anticipation from fans of the first movie is palpable. Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey are reprising their roles as Giselle and Robert, with Idina Menzel and James Marsden joining them as King Edward and Nancy Tremaine. Maya Rudolph is joining the cast as the new villain Malvina, and Gabriella Baldacchino is replacing Rachel Covey as Morgan, Robert's daughter. Disenchanted promises even more musical numbers than the first, including the series' first number from Frozen and Glee star Idina Menzel.
Avatar: The Way Of Water - December 16, 2022
The release date for James Cameron's long-awaited sequel to 2009's Avatar has been moved around so much that it's hard to keep track of its progress. What was once a single sequel expanded to four, with multiple delays over several years to accommodate filming. However, Avatar: The Way of Water, the first of the planned Avatar sequels, finally wrapped in September 2020 and the film will be released in December 2022. Zoe Saldana's Neytiri and Sam Worthington's Jake and a host of other characters will return for Avatar 2, with the film being set 13 years after the original. The current plan is for further Avatar sequels to release every two years, with the third installment slated for December 20, 2024. Little is known about Avatar 3, 4, and 5, but more details about the potential stories will no doubt become apparent once Avatar: The Way of Water premieres on 16th December. Each sequel will focus on Jake and Neytiri's family, and they'll probably be more standalone than some other recent multipart franchises.