Tons of new Disney movies are headed our way soon. There are live-action adventures like Indiana Jones 5 and The Little Mermaid to look forward to, as well as animated offerings like Turning Red and Toy Story spinoff Lightyear. With prequels, sequels, and reboots in the works, there's plenty to get excited about over the next few years. Next up on the release slate is Home Sweet Home Alone, the sixth entry in the Home Alone series of movies.
We've rounded up every single new Disney movie on the way from this year and onwards, including release dates, trailers, and what we know about the plots. Although, if you're looking for anything Marvel or Star Wars related, you won't find it here. Instead, check out our guides to Marvel Phase 4 and the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows to get up to date on those franchises. But for everything else the House of Mouse is cooking up, scroll on.
- The best movies on Disney Plus
- The best shows on Disney Plus
- The best Disney Plus bundles
New Disney movies: 2021
Home Sweet Home Alone
Release date: November 12, 2021
The sixth film in the Home Alone series, Home Sweet Home Alone is arriving to Disney Plus this November. Jojo Rabbit's Archie Yates will star as Max, while Rob Delaney, Kenan Thompson, Ellie Kemper, and Aisling Bea also all have roles in the movie. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Delaney and Kemper play a husband and wife who go up against a child who has stolen something precious.
Encanto
Release date: November 24, 2021
According to Disney, Encanto "tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto." It will feature original music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and will be directed by Zootopia's Byron Howard. It now has its first trailer, which you can watch above.
New Disney movies: 2022
Turning Red
Release date: March 11, 2022
Releasing on March 11, 2022, Pixar's Turning Red features a decidedly unique premise. As per Disney's press release, "Mei Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited she “poofs” into a giant red panda."
Turning Red will be directed by Bao's Domee Shi, so we have high hopes for this one. Bring tissues.
Lightyear
Release date: June 17, 2022
Well, now. This is interesting. Chris Evans is set to play Buzz Lightyear. No, not the toy. This is all to do with the in-universe astronaut on which the merchandise was based. Confused? Evans has cleared it up and it changes lore from the original Toy Story, over 25 years on.
Lightyear is releasing on June 17, 2022.
Indiana Jones 5
Release date: July 29, 2022
Indy's back! Harrison Ford will return as as the adventurer for a fifth (and presumably final) time. Ford vs. Ferrari director James Mangold will helm the project. The fivequel is currently in production, and Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Tobey Jones, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, and Shaunette Renée Wilson will all appear along with Ford. The plot is being kept under wraps, but set footage suggest Indy will once again be going up against Nazis.
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
Release date: 2022
Night at the Museum is coming back as an animated film on Disney Plus. The original director, Shawn Levy, is attached as producer.
Chip N' Dale: Rescue Rangers
Release date: 2022
Now, this came out of left-field. Rescue Rangers will be a hybrid live-action/animation film and will feature John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as the squeaky chipmunks. Seth Rogen is also set to cameo.
Cheaper by the Dozen
Release date: 2022
Coming in 2022, this reboot sees "a multiracial, blended family of 12, navigating a hectic home life while managing their family business." Gabrielle Union is attached to star.
Disenchanted
Release date: 2022
Amy Adams is back as Giselle in a Disney Plus sequel to Enchanted. Also returning is Patrick Dempsey as Giselle's husband Robert, James Marsden as Prince Edward, and Idina Menzel as Nancy Tremaine. Maya Rudolph will play the villain Malvina, while Jayma Mays will play Ruby, Nicole Brown will play Rosalyn, Kolton Stewart will play Malvina's son, and Oscar Nunez will appear in the movie in an unknown role. Meanwhile, Robert's daughter Morgan will be played by newcomer Gabriella Baldacchino.
Disenchanted is a musical directed by Adam Shankman, and will take place 15 years after the original movie, with Giselle, Robert, and Morgan living in the suburbs. According to Disney, Giselle "must juggle the challenges that come with a new home and discover what happily ever after truly means to her and her new family."
New Disney movies: Release dates TBA
Aladdin 2
Release date: TBA
Thought an Aladdin sequel was wishful thinking? Think again. The billion-dollar live-action hit is being primed for an original follow-up. The Hollywood Reporter let the genie out of the bottle, confirming that Disney are working on Aladdin 2. Not only is Guy Ritchie set to return as director, but a writers’ room has been working on new ideas for the sequel by reading through stories from One Thousand and One Nights, the source material upon which the original Aladdin was loosely based.
That means any Aladdin sequel, which is being penned by Real Steel’s John Gatins and Straight Outta Compton’s Andrea Berloff, is unlikely to take its cue from the direct-to-video Return of Jafar, which followed on from the original 1992 animated smash hit starring Robin Williams. At this early stage, the cast haven’t been confirmed, though Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith are "expected to reprise their roles."
Cruella 2
Release date: TBA
Cruella 2 is reportedly in the works already. Not much is known about the sequel yet, though director Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and screenwriter Tony McNamara are thought to be returning. Considering the Cruella post-credits scene, it's likely the sequel will bring us closer to the events of 101 Dalmatians – though that's just speculation at the moment. We can probably also expect Emma Stone back as the titular villain.
Hocus Pocus 2
Release date: TBA
Coming to Disney Plus in the near-future, the Hocus Pocus sequel will be directed by Hairspray's Adam Shankman. It's not yet known if Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, or Kathy Najimy will repreise their witchy roles from the 1993 original.
Lion King prequel
Release date: TBA
Surprise! The Lion King prequel is is in the works with with Moonlight's Barry Jenkins stepping in to replace Jon Favreau as director. As confirmed by Disney, Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams, and Nicholas Britell will provide the music.
Peter Pan and Wendy
Release date: TBA
It turns out that there's more of the Peter Pan story to tell, because Disney is making a brand new live-action version of the 1953 animated film. Director David Lowery, though, is confident that he can do something a little different with the remake, although it's not clear exactly how.
In an interview with Comicbook.com, producer Jim Whitaker said that "it'll be a big, rollocking adventure", which is kind of what you would hope for with a Peter Pan movie. Apparently, it's still very much in the script-writing stage though, so don't expect an official release date anytime soon.
News also broke (via Variety) that a Wendy was cast, with Ever Anderson stepping into the role, while Peter Pan will be played by Alexander Molony. Jude Law is playing Captain Hook and Yara Shahidi is Tinker Bell. Filming is set to begin in 2021.
Pinocchio
Release date: TBA
Another live-action movie in the works is Pinocchio. The story of the puppet-turned-real-boy is about to get a lot more real. This live-action remake has been in development for quite some time. Robert Zemeckis is directing and Tom Hanks will lead the cast. As per Deadline, Beauty and the Beast actor Luke Evans is heading for another villainous turn as the nefarious Coachman.
According to Variety, Guillermo del Toro is also currently producing, writing, and directing a stop-motion, musical version of Pinocchio exclusively for Netflix. Knowing del Toro's penchant for combining childlike wonder with the macabre, you can bet that his adaptation will follow the darker elements of the original 1883 novel much more closely. It's set in 1930s Italy for a start, during the rise of Mussolini's fascism, which certainly doesn't sound very Disney to me. Neither del Toro's take nor Disney's adaptation have release dates as yet.
Pirates of the Caribbean reboot
Release date: TBA
A potential Pirates of the Caribbean sequel/reboot/reimagining isn't out of the question, but a sixth entry in the popular Disney franchise remains moored for now.
Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were originally brought in to write the script but departed sometime in early 2019. Since then, THR reported that Ted Elliott and Chernobyl creator Craig Mazin, who will also be working on The Last of Us HBO series, have stepped in to replace the pair.
Pirates of the Caribbean (with Margot Robbie)
Release date: 2022
Arr, me mateys! We could be getting a double dose of rum-and-sailin' shenanigans if this Pirates report rings true.
Sources close to The Hollywood Reporter indicate that Margot Robbie will take the lead in a female-fronted original movie set in the Pirates universe, wholly distinct and separate from a likely sixth Pirates of the Caribbean mainline movie.
Speaking to Collider, Robbie was tight-lipped about plot details, but teased we're getting “Lot of girl power. No, it’s too early to talk about it… I love Christina, obviously. I’m not a producer on Pirates, so I’ll sit back and kind of wait for the process… No we’re really, really excited at the prospect of adding obviously a very key female element to that world.”
Sister Act 3
Whoopi Goldberg and Wendy Makkena are returning for Sister Act 3. Hallelujah!
The Little Mermaid
Release date: TBA
There's still no release date for the live-action The Little Mermaid remake, but there's casting details and a first look. US singer Halle Bailey will be playing Ariel, while original Game of Thrones prequel creator Jane Goldman will be penning the script. Awkwafina and Jacob Tremblay have also been cast as Scuttle and Flounder respectively, alongside Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Javier Bardem as King Triton.
Per Deadline, The Undoing's Noma Dumezweni will appear in a "brand new role" that wasn't in the 1989 animated film. New music will feature (and will be written by Lin-Manuel Miranda) and the old tunes will also be included. The film recently wrapped filming, and we got our first official look at Bailey as Ariel.
Three Men and a Baby
Release date: TBA
The '80s comedy featuring Ted Danson, Tom Selleck, and Steve Guttenberg was a surprise hit. So much so, that Disney is bringing it back for a reboot. The premise, which saw three bachelors receive a surprise 'package' in the form of a baby is likely to stay, but the cast will be shaken up. Zac Efron is confirmed to star in the Disney Plus release.
Tron 3
Release date: Unknown
Supposedly titled "Tron: Ares" thanks to a slip up from new lead Jared Leto, the third Tron movie is set to be directed by Garth Davis. Beyond that, we don't know much, but we are very much excited to see light cycles on the big screen once more.
Untitled Tower of Terror movie
Release date: TBA
Scarlett Johansson is set to star in this big screen imagining of the Disney theme parks ride Tower of Terror. Inside Out scribe and Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley is on board to write the screenplay, and Disney are reportedly hoping for a high profile director. Plot details are unknown, but the ride is connected to The Twilight Zone, and revolves around a group of people climbing into an elevator at the Hollywood Tower Hotel, plummeting 13 stories, and vanishing after the hotel is struck by lightning.
