In a splashy 20-minute introductory phase at Disney‘s annual shareholder assembly, CEO Bob Iger touted a handful of movie and TV initiatives as the corporate appears to keep up current studio momentum.
Avatar: Hearth and Ash, Lilo & Sew and Alien: Earth had been three titles given a excessive profile, together with some new footage of the latter two. (A replay of the assembly shall be posted Thursday afternoon on Disney’s investor relations web site, with movie and TV initiatives detailed between the 8-minute and 12-minute marks.)
Iger mentioned he has seen “an early reduce” of the upcoming third installment of director James Cameron’s billion-dollar Avatar franchise. “I can let you know that it’s completely breathtaking,” he mentioned.
Whereas no new photographs or footage was revealed from the three-hour-plus Cameron epic, which can bow December 19, a “particular prolonged look” at Lilo & Sew was proven throughout the livestreamed assembly. It was a roughly 90-second sequence together with scenes not featured within the movie’s lately launched trailer.
Equally, whereas FX’s Alien: Earth (derived from the long-running sci-fi thriller franchise) has lately been showcased in a teaser, Iger launched a “particular sneak peek” of it. The creepy clip exhibits a member of the house station’s crew typing on a pc. “Let me in!” his colleague cries to him from the opposite aspect of a sealed door. As he retains his again turned towards, an alien assaults her, with thrashing noises and screaming audible even via the thick glass. “Crew standing?” the pc display screen asks. “Crew lifeless” comes the chilling reply.
After the ominous clip, Iger consoled three small BDX droids (designed by the corporate and because of be seen within the 2026 movie The Mandalorian and Grogu), who had been shuddering and beeping agitatedly. “Sorry, guys – scares me too,” Iger quipped.
The highest exec additionally famous throughout the tour of recent initiatives {that a} sequel to Pixar’s Coco is within the works, slated for launch in 2029. Like Inside Out and Moana, two animated titles from the 2010s that grew to become huge attracts on Disney+, 2017’s Coco has been a gradual performer in streaming.
The movie and TV operations at Disney, after a bumpy stretch, rebounded strongly in 2024 and Iger mentioned these titles are “foundational to all we do” throughout different components of the media big.
The movie studio, Iger famous, underwent a reorganization final 12 months, which he mentioned “put creativity on the middle of our studios.” The efficiency of mega-grossing animated titles Inside Out 2 and Moana 2, shored up a key a part of Disney’s profitable theatrical enterprise, whereas Deadpool and Wolverine bought Marvel again on the nice foot. The three had been the highest three points of interest on the U.S. field workplace in 2024.
Whereas Iger listed different releases due out this 12 months, he lingered on Avatar. The franchise, whose first two installments have mixed to gross greater than $5.2 billion worldwide, has helped allay at the very least some criticism of Disney’s $71.3 billion acquisition of most of twenty first Century Fox. The deal introduced properties like The Simpsons, X-Males and Avatar into the Disney fold.
“Our renewed deal with high quality over amount has additionally resulted in excellent crucial success,” Iger mentioned. As proof of that, he pointed to Disney’s TV operation, which captured a record-breaking 60 Emmy Awards for exhibits together with Shōgun and The Bear.
