Lets' start with the major convention winners:
Star Wars
Certainly much more of a presence here this time than 2 years ago, Lucasfilm was given a major portion of the presentation. But what wowed fans wasn't the film news, but the announcement Disney would be giving 14 acres at Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios to a Star Wars Land was definitely exciting. We might not see it open for a while, but its a cool announcement.
In addition to that, J.J. Abrams revealed an exclusive poster by the original artist of the Star Wars movies, Drew Struzan. While the poster wasn't anything groundbreaking, it more or less provided a homage to what came before it. In my opinion, I think that is a very smart move.The cast members for The Force Awakens (Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita N'yongo and Harrison Ford in a surprise appearance) came out on stage and excited all fans in the audience.
The other major announcement during this part of the live-action panel was that Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World) would be directing Episode IX, the concluding chapter of this trilogy set for sometime in 2019. Trevorrow joins an increasingly strong list of directorial talent, including Abrams, Gareth Edwards (Godzilla), Rian Johnson (Looper) and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The LEGO Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) to helm movies in this new trilogy of movies (this also includes spin-offs). If only now Brad Bird could get the last remaining directorial job in the saga (the third and final anthology spin-off). Please?
The Jungle Book
Thanks to a trailer and poster reveal and appearances by 3 cast members (Ben Kingsley, Lupita N'yongo [again] and Neel Sethi), Disney's next live-action adaptation of one of their animated classics earned a standing ovation at the end of its part of the presentation. It has a strong talent behind the camera as well, with Jon Favreau (Elf, Iron Man and Zathura) at the helm. Earning a lot of buzz for this, Jungle Book could very well turn into a strong hit when it debuts April 16, 2016. I'm definitely seeing this opening weekend, and if the trailer's as great as the audience believes it is, it could make my Top 10 most-anticipated list.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales
Filming just finished for the July 2017 release. But, while there was no footage, this turned into a winner thanks to two major factors. One, new Disney Legend inductee Johnny Depp appeared in character (Jack Sparrow) to talk for a few minutes. Two, Disney confirmed the return of Orlando Bloom as Will Turner. Audiences went crazy. Look for this to make huge waves starting when its first trailer launches, likely sometime in summer 2016. I'm not a huge Pirates fan, but I may end up seeing it if critics (and my friends) like it.
Gigantic
The major reveal of the animation panel was the announcement of the Jack and the Beanstalk adaptation, Gigantic, set for release sometime in 2018. Disney Animation has Nathan Greno (one of the directors of Tangled) set to direct, with Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Frozen, Winnie the Pooh) set to do the songs. The Lopezs came out on stage and sang one song (which I wish they would have posted on YouTube so I could have heard it). A concept art was released, revealing a Hispanic take on the tale, showing Disney's growth in terms of having ethnically-diverse characters.
Moana
Disney's next fairy tale, a Polynesian-set tale, earned lots of buzz. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements (who directed The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and The Princess and the Frog) debuted some footage, which earned strong applause. The musical team was announced, which included Tony-winner Lin Manuel-Miranda and frontman for the island band Te Vaka, Opetaia Foa'i, as well as the film's composer, Mark Mancina. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who voices Maui in the film, made an appearance.
While I wish Randy Newman or Alan Menken could have been a part of this production (and I also wish the voice for Moana herself was announced), I am intrigued about the idea of trying new musicians. The feel of this movie so far reminds me of Lilo and Stitch mixed with Hercules, which could prove a winning combination when Thanksgiving 2016 arrives. This is definitely a strong shot for my Top 10 anticipated list for 2016.
Finding Dory
Finding Dory was Pixar's main attraction, thanks to appearances from Ellen De'Generes, as well as other voice talent announced for the movie (Ed O'Neill, Ty Burrell and Kaitlin Olson), and some footage, made this another big winner during the presentation. A new voice actor (Hayden Rolence) was announced for Nemo, as Alexander Gould is too old for the part. I can't be more excited for this movie, as Finding Dory stands a strong chance at being my most anticipated-movie of 2016. Lets just hope its as good as the first one, even 13 years later.
Now the ones that were down the middle:
Alice Through the Looking Glass
This was really close to a winner, but the one thing that tripped it up was that there wasn't much revealed. The cast was talked about, and Mia Wasikowska (Alice) did appear (but Johnny Depp didn't, probably due to his make-up on Jack Sparrow taking quite a bit of time). In the end, audience reception was only decent, though there were some elaborate costumes on display. This stands a good chance at making my Top 10 anticipated list for 2016, but considering the mixed audience reception for the first Alice, I'm not sure about commercial prospects (it opens Memorial Day Weekend).Pete's Dragon
Not much was revealed here either. The cast was mentioned, and there was a brief tease at some of the characters (but the dragon wasn't shown apparently). Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World) came out on stage to talk about the film some. Pete's Dragon isn't very well-known by Disney standards, as the 1977 original film was only a mild success and had mixed critical reception. Opening in August, it could either be a major late-summer hit (no superhero films will help), or could misfire (especially considering its the third live-action fairy tale [of sorts] Disney is releasing that year). I am interested in seeing what its' like, however.
Captain America: Civil War
Marvel's presentation was shorter than both Disney and Lucasfilm, as they only talked about two films. Civil War had a trailer reveal that wowed fans, but out of the film's ensemble cast, only Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie appeared. Now those facts alone would be enough to make it a winner, but here's the thing. The trailer didn't include Spider-Man (according to various reports), and didn't reveal much beyond what's already known thanks to internet leaks. Hopefully the trailer shown will be released soon, because this is already a contender for my Top 10 anticipated list for 2016.
Zootopia
Byron Howard and Rich Moore (directors of Bolt and Wreck-it Ralph, respectively) came out on stage, as did the voice of Judy Hopps, Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time). There was a clip for the movie shown, which made audiences chuckle. There was one reveal, but it was one that I'm not very excited about. Pop singer Shakira will be lending a voice and singing a song called "Try Anything". Shakira did act in Wizards of Waverly Place, but I don't know if she would fit in a Disney animated movie (though Miley Cyrus was in Bolt, to be fair). This is still something I will see, as it approaches its March 4, 2016 release.
Toy Story 4
The lone movie of the bunch of ones teased that I'm not sure should be made. The Toy Story franchise ended right with the 3rd movie. However, on the positive side, John Lasseter is directing, and Randy Newman is returning to score (he sang "You Got a Friend in Me" to close the animation panel). However, the story (which is more of a romance than a continuation of the previous films) isn't showing to be engaging so far. Lets hope the overall film is better than it sounds when it releases in June 2017.
The Good Dinosaur
Opening the closest to the D23 expo (November 25), The Good Dinosaur has had a troubled production history, and may be Pixar's riskiest bet yet (it was supposed to launch last summer, before getting moved due to Bob Peterson being fired). There was some footage revealed, but no cast members appeared on stage. I honestly thought the trailer released a couple of weeks back was more exciting.
Doctor Strange
Filming hasn't started for this one yet, which is currently slated for November 4, 2016. Marvel's second entry in their third phase of their cinematic universe did have a slideshow of concept art. Meanwhile, star Benedict Cumberbatch appeared via Skype to talk briefly about the film. I would have liked maybe the director appearing, but again, there wasn't a lot that Marvel could reveal. More info on future Phase 3 movies (Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and Thor: Ragnarok) would have also been nice.
And now the movies that didn't really score.
Beauty and the Beast
It saddens me, because this is already an early strong favorite for me in 2017. But there wasn't anything revealed. There were a couple of cast videos, and a highlight of the cast in the movie, but there was really no footage revealed (save for a shot of Emma Watson as Belle in a sizzle reel, which wasn't released to the general public). However, I should note that since filming just finished, that I don't believe Disney would have anything ready for D23 quite yet. March 2017 can't come soon enough (it opens just over 25 years since the animated movie launched). I remain excited for Alan Menken returning to score, as well as new songs with Tim Rice.
Rogue One
The Star Wars panel was mostly winning, with one exception. The only thing revealed about the spin-off Rogue One was a cast photo. In addition to that, Disney didn't reveal anything major about the film until a press release came out after the convention. Also, what's with calling it "A Star Wars Story?" I think Anthology would fit the feel of the Star Wars movies better. But its the major release of Christmas 2016, which should point towards more strong grosses.
Coco
Pixar's major reveal, their long-in-development "Mexican Day of the Dead" tale, Coco, suffered from having too short of a section. Director Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) did talk about the film a little bit, and there was one short clip revealed. However, based on early shots released, this feels too similar to another animated movie that came out recently, The Book of Life. That movie was a pretty decent, fun and colorful flick that got very good reviews. But, on the positive end, I am glad Pixar talked about another original flick to balance out the sequels. Coco was announced for a Thanksgiving 2017 release shortly following the convention.
The Finest Hours
The movie that opened the live-action panel didn't have anything to reveal either. There already has been a trailer, as well as the cast announced. Chris Pine made a brief appearance on stage, but there was no footage. The January 29 release was originally scheduled for October of this year to take advantage of awards season. However, I'm still looking forward to it.
The Queen of Katwe
Based on a true story, Disney announced this flick along with its director and two stars (Lupita Nyong'o, for the third time in the convention, and David Oyelewo from Selma). Katwe didn't have a long segment, and generated the least amount of overall buzz from the D23 panel. Nyong'o did return to the stage for a minute to talk about the film. But no release date was announced nor footage was released, which was disappointing.
In addition to that, there was nothing talked about concerning the Steven Spielberg-directed The BFG, which is set for next July. No Disneynature films were announced. And despite releasing posters, Pixar never talked The Incredibles 2 or (an apparent) Cars 3. Disney Animation wouldn't release details on Frozen 2, only stating, they are "hard at work on a sequel". But, that one probably wasn't in production enough to really be talked about anyway (my educated guess is that it will probably follow Gigantic).
