Disney hopes for box office recovery based on sequels, prequels and pixie dust

When Disney CEO Bob Iger took the stage at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., on Friday night, and the crowd erupted. About 12,000 Disney fans stood and applauded, leaving the 73-year-old executive smiling broadly as he tried to shush them.

“I was going to say hello and thank you for the warm welcome, but it was more than a warm welcome,” Iger told attendees at Disney’s first showcase at its biennial D23 Expo.

It’s the first time in five years that Iger has attended the showcase event for Disney’s biggest fans, after briefly stepping back from his role as CEO for nearly two years before returning to the helm in November 2022.

His absence coincided with a downturn in Disney’s movie business, which, like other studios, has been rocked by pandemic-related shutdowns and twin strikes by Hollywood workers. However, the company’s post-pandemic box office has also been plagued by executives’ decisions to ramp up content production to feed its fledgling streaming service Disney+. Iger himself has admitted on numerous occasions that Disney has sacrificed quality for quantity and it was his goal upon his return to right the ship.

On Friday, he kicked off an explosive (sometimes literally, as Disney loves to use fireworks) three-hour presentation, detailing a slate of theatrical films, television series and stage productions coming out in the coming years.

As the company tries to rebuild its reputation and recapture its box office magic, it’s leaning heavily on existing, beloved franchises. And when it ventures into new territory, it’s tapping into proven talent in front of and behind the camera.

At the start of D23, Disney had two major box office hits under its belt, stemming from two prominent franchises.

His latest Pixar film, “Inside Out 2,” is now the highest-grossing animated film of all time, surpassing $1.5 billion at the global box office. His first R-rated Marvel Cinematic Universe film, “Deadpool & Wolverine,” broke opening weekend records for an R-rated film and is expected to surpass the $1 billion mark this weekend.

To open Friday’s entertainment lineup, Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson joined a troupe of Polynesian dancers and drummers to perform a song from the upcoming “Moana 2.” The highly anticipated sequel to 2016’s “Moana” hits theaters around Thanksgiving and is expected to become Disney’s third billion-dollar film to be released in 2024, according to box office analysts.

While the first film generated just under $700 million at the global box office, audience enthusiasm for more “Moana” content is expected to drive strong ticket sales in November. After all, it was the most-streamed film of 2023.

Sequels and prequels are a theme for Disney and Hollywood in general. While Iger has warned investors in the past that the company will be more selective about which past stories it continues to explore, its entertainment showcase has featured numerous additions to popular franchises.

This was especially evident at both animation studios. Of the seven film titles Disney touted during Friday’s presentation, five were from existing franchises: “Moana 2,” “Toy Story 5,” “Zootopia 2,” “Frozen III” and “The Incredibles 3.”

It’s no surprise that Disney is going back to the well with these films. The Toy Story franchise has generated $3.2 billion at the global box office, the two Frozen films have surpassed $2.7 billion worldwide, the two Incredibles films have combined for $1.8 billion globally, and “Zootopia” hit $1 billion worldwide during its 2016 run.

Fans got a glimpse of Disney’s two original titles, “Elio” and “Hoppers,” which had two drastically different tones. One follows a young boy in space who is mistaken for Earth’s leader, while the other centers on a young girl who “jumps” into the body of a robotic beaver to go undercover in the animal world.

Of course, there’s some star power behind these titles. “Elio” is directed by Adrian Molina, who co-wrote 2017’s “Coco,” and will star Zoe Saldana (“Avatar,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”). “Hoppers” has Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) and Bobby Moynihan (“Saturday Night Live”) voicing the characters.

It is clear that Disney’s strategy across all of its studios is to offer audiences a selection of beloved and well-known titles, along with a handful of newcomers.

Lucasfilm is eyeing its first Star Wars feature since 2019’s “The Rise of Skywalker” in 2026, titled “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” The film will follow the beloved duo from “The Mandalorian.” Footage from Friday’s panel showed Mando and Grogu on an ice planet battling stormtroopers and AT-ATs.

Lucasfilm will also release the second season of “Andor,” a series set before “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” that follows reluctant hero Cassian Andor as he journeys across a world overrun by the Galactic Empire.

Among these popular stories is “Skeleton Crew,” which was billed as a “Goonies”-style adventure series. It stars Jude Law along with a cast of four kids who accidentally launch themselves into space and get lost among the stars.

There are two more Star Wars feature films on the schedule, dated December 2026 and December 2027, but it’s unclear who will direct them or what storyline Disney will focus on. Star Wars remains one of the biggest franchises at the global box office, having generated more than $10 billion in ticket sales since 1977’s “A New Hope” hit theaters.

Other sequels Disney is set to release on the big screen in the coming years include a third Avatar film titled “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” a sequel to “Freaky Friday” titled “Freakier Friday,” and a third “Tron” film titled “Tron: Ares.” There will also be a live-action remake of “Snow White” hitting theaters in March and a live-action “Lilo & Stitch” movie coming out later in 2025.

At Marvel Studios, there’s a shakeup going on. The studio is trying to balance stories that focus on existing characters while trying to bring new heroes (and villains) into the mix.

It was always going to be difficult for Marvel to follow up on “Avengers: Endgame,” but few predicted the fall from grace that would befall the beloved studio. In the wake of Thanos’s defeat, Disney released 10 television series (some with multiple seasons) and a dozen theatrical films. The glut of content seemed like a task for audiences who once embraced all things Marvel, and worse, much of what was released was not well-received.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe reached its nadir with 2023’s “The Marvels,” which generated the franchise’s lowest domestic gross ($46.1 million) and lowest worldwide gross ($200 million or less) ever.

Going forward, the studio looks to limit the number of series it produces for Disney+ and keep its focus on the big screen. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige, who stunned audiences at San Diego Comic-Con just a few weeks ago with the reveal of a new film title and the shocking announcement that Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., would be returning to play Doctor Doom, still had something to share with the D23 crowd.

In addition to “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Thunderbolts*,” “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” “Blade,” “Avengers: Doomsday” (formerly titled “Avengers: Kang Dynasty”) and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” Marvel will release three television series on Disney+ in the coming years.

“Agatha All Along” premieres in September and focuses on the villainous Agatha Harkness from 2021’s “Wandavision” as she attempts to regain her powers alongside a coven of other witches. Kathryn Hahn reprises her role as the titular Agatha and joins a cast that includes Aubrey Plaza and Patti LuPone.

“Ironheart,” starring Riri Williams’ character who previously appeared in 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” will be released in 2025 alongside the “Daredevil: Born Again” reboot. Notably, the Daredevil series features the entire main cast who starred in the Netflix series “Daredevil.”

D23 audiences applauded Marvel’s slate announcements, a sign that interest in the superhero genre hasn’t waned. That excitement, combined with the studios’ new strategy, could put the MCU back on track.

Of course, Ryan Reynolds might want to take some of the credit, considering his recent performance in “Deadpool & Wolverine.” In a pre-recorded video for Friday’s presentation, Reynolds thanked Disney and Marvel for allowing the film to poke fun at the studio.

“It’s my way of showing love,” he said. “And of course, saving the studio.”

Since the first MCU film was released in 2008, the franchise has generated more than $30 billion at the box office. The MCU is the highest-grossing film franchise of all time and one of the most consistent drivers of ticket sales in film history.

“There’s nothing we love more than to entertain you, thrill you, surprise you and fill your hearts with joy and wonder,” Iger said Friday. “And we know that when we do that, we’re doing our job well.”