There is no studio out there right now with the brand recognition and pop culture power of Disney. It doesn’t matter if it’s the house Disney brand, Marvel, Pixar, or Star Wars, it seems like every movie they make has the chance to be a monster hit. This year, the studio has already grossed almost $6.5 billion at the global box office, and it still has a few movies set to drop during the holiday season. Amazingly, next year could be even more of a monster for the House of Mouse, with the conclusion to the Avengers storyline, three different live-action adaptations of classic animated films, and a number of anticipated sequels. Let’s look ahead at what Disney movies are being released in 2019.
CAPTAIN MARVEL (March 8, 2019)
Five years after its initial announcement, Captain Marvel will finally be making her way to the big screen. The film will focus on the Kree/Human warrior’s origins, but not in the conventional superhero sense. By the time we catch up with Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in March of 2019, she’ll already be kicking butt, taking names and fully equipped with her long list of powers. This spells trouble for the returning Ronan the Destroyer (Lee Pace), and any other foe that makes the mistake of getting in Captain Marvel’s way. The movie’s job will be illustrating to viewers why Nick Fury trusts Carol Danvers to be the cavalry that stands up to Thanos in the untitled AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR sequel, but that’s a pretty easy task, considering Captain Marvel’s crazy, space-warping powers.
DUMBO (March 29, 2019)
It’s been almost eighty years since Dumbo first flew into our hearts. The darling, big-eared elephant will return in March of 2019, presumably with all of the heart and charm of the original animated Disney classic. Taking a crack at a live-action version of the film will be director Tim Burton, meaning that the elephants on parade will likely be a whole new kind of weird. But, whether it leans into Burton’s spookier visions or stays more true to the original, it will surely be a spectacle.
AVENGERS 4 (April 26, 2019)
The road to this final chapter of the currently untitled Avengers 4 has been filled with many laughs and even more tears. Though we know it won’t actually be the end of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, we do know it will be a final goodbye to several of the World’s Mightiest Heroes. There’s obviously no list outlining who those casualties will be, but the build-up is electric in the best and worst ways. On the one hand, we can’t wait! On the other, Mr. Stark, we don’t feel so good…
ALADDIN (May 24, 2019)
Though this reimagining of the Disney classic isn’t far off, we don’t know a whole lot about the film just yet. Like the majority of their live-action remakes, Aladdin will likely keep it relatively close to their original story with a few tweaks to make it more fitting for today’s audience. Despite not knowing much, the thought of Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott) and Aladdin (Mena Massoud) in a film made in 2018 is an exciting premise in and of itself.
TOY STORY 4 (June 21, 2019)
Toy Story’s Woody and Buzz Lightyear
Remember in Toy Story 3 when you cried so hard you had a headache for double the runtime of the actual film? What about trying to explain to kids who didn’t grow up with the Toy Story franchise why you were bawling while trying to understand why they weren’t having the same emotional reaction? Well, get ready to do it all over again, because Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz (Tim Allen) are back in Toy Story 4! The gang returns in June of 2019 to re-up the strange attachment it gave you to inanimate objects as a child, and to shatter your heart in all the best ways once more.
THE LION KING (July 19, 2019)
Live-action remakes take up a surprising percentage of Disney’s 2019 offering, but The Lion King may be the most intriguing of the lot. DUMBO also has a ‘cast’ made mostly of animals, but not to the extent of The Lion King’s ensemble. Whether they’ll scale down to keep things within reason, or go out with a whole pride of lions, pack of hyenas, and rest of the animals of the African plains remains to be seen. No matter what, it’s unlikely that the film will be boring, and if anyone can make us fall in love with CGI animals, it’s Disney.
ARTEMIS FOWL (August 9, 2019)
Eion Colfer’s series of novels has captured the imaginations of young adults for years. The story follows Artemis, a teenage genius who manages to capture a fairy and exploit the creature and her kind for his bidding (for a good reason, at least in his own mind). When the second book comes around, Artemis works with the fairies to help rescue his father from a dire situation. The first two Artemis Fowl books will be covered in the film releasing in August of 2019, meaning we should get a solid look at the title character’s growth before all is said and done.
NOELLE (November 8, 2019)
We always hear about Mr. and Mrs. Claus, but what about their children? Disney’s Noelle will head to their exclusive streaming service to help kick the holidays off right. Following the story of Noelle Claus (Anna Kendrick), the film features a hilarious cast that includes the likes of Bill Hader, Billy Eichner, Michael Gross and more. We don’t know much more about the plot outside of the fact that it follows the Claus family but, with a cast like that, it’s sure to be filled with laughs.
FROZEN 2 (November 27, 2019)
Elsa and Anna in “Frozen”
Do you wanna build a snowman? The sequel to Disney’s smash hit Frozen will skate its way to theaters right before the holiday season. With Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa’s (Idina Menzel) relationship now mended after all that messy Southern Isles business, it will be interesting to see the direction the film’s sequel takes. Anna managed to find her true love, so perhaps it’s Elsa’s turn? Either way, here’s hoping Frozen 2 leans into the magic of sisterhood as heavily as the first. We’re sure that, regardless of which way the plot goes, there will be plenty of warm hugs and mesmerizing songs.
STAR WARS: EPISODE IX (December 20, 2019)
It’s strange to think that the final chapter of this part of the Star Wars saga is coming to a close. It feels like just yesterday we were all counting down the minutes to ensure we got opening-night tickets to The Force Awakens. Now, here we are again with another end to another trilogy in Star Wars: Episode IX. Rey (Daisy Ridley), Poe (Oscar Isaac) and Finn (John Boyega) will return for their final chapter as they continue their mission to stop the First Order led by Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), but that’s about all the information we have for the time being. Disney and Lucasfilm will likely keep as many details of their epic’s conclusion under wraps as they can, and for good reason. But, no matter how things end, we’re excited to be along for the ride.
No matter what you’re into, Disney has a movie for everyone next year. Which one are you most excited to see?
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