You can sense a shift happening at Disney right now. After watching several of their projects underperform and fans becoming increasingly frustrated, they're rolling out a lineup that genuinely feels different—riskier, stranger, and more willing to try new things. Whether this is real creative growth or just expensive desperation is the question everyone's trying to figure out.
Disney is Listening to the Fans (Finally?)
The whole Hunt for Ben Solo situation tells you everything you need to know about Disney's current vibe. Adam Driver and Steven Soderbergh pitched this Star Wars story back in 2021, but Disney passed on it. Now, fans are losing their minds trying to make it happen—billboards, banner planes, the works.
They want to see Ben Solo's redemption journey after Rise of Skywalker, and the campaign proves there's real demand for deeper Star Wars storytelling. Disney's still on the fence, but ignoring this kind of fan energy seems like a massive mistake.
The Wild Cards in Play
Some of their teased projects are genuinely intriguing. Sigourney Weaver coming back to Alien after almost 30 years? That could be incredible, especially with Walter Hill's script about someone who saves the world but becomes the person everyone wants to forget. Chris Hemsworth as Prince Charming in a movie that's not about Cinderella is so bizarre it might actually work—Paul King knows how to balance heart and humor from his Paddington days.
Disney's also betting big on Katherine Rundell's “Impossible Creatures” books as their next franchise play, with Bob Iger personally hyping it up. And after pulling back on Tangled when Snow White tanked, they're reportedly giving it another shot with Scarlett Johansson rumored to play Mother Gothel.
The Actual Release Schedule
What's definitely happening looks pretty intense. Avatar: Fire and Ash kicks things off on December 19, 2025, banking on the momentum from The Way of Water back in 2022. Next year gets absolutely packed: Devil Wears Prada 2 in May, The Mandalorian & Grogu bringing Baby Yoda to theaters, Toy Story 5 in June, live-action Moana in July, plus Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday rounding out the year.
2027 doesn't let up—Ice Age: Boiling Point, Star Wars: Starfighter, Frozen III, Avengers: Secret Wars, Simpsons 2, and Bluey the Movie all dropping. Then Incredibles 3 in 2028, followed by Avatar 4 and Coco 2 in 2029. They're even working on Camp Rock 3 for everyone who grew up on Disney Channel.
What Disney is Really Doing
Disney's basically hedging every bet they can. Safe sequels like Toy Story 5 and Frozen III will generate revenue regardless—parents will still show up. Those movies are the safety net. The real question marks are the originals and live-action remakes. The MCU's been shaky lately. Live-action remakes keep bombing. Star Wars crushes on Disney+ but struggles in theaters. For a company that seemed untouchable for years, Disney now appears to be figuring things out.
The Bottom Line
Look, nobody really knows if this works until these movies are actually released. Toy Story 5 and Frozen III are basically guaranteed wins. Everything else? That's where it gets interesting if Impossible Creatures becomes their next big thing, great. If live-action Moana proves they've cracked the remake formula, even better. If these risks fail, though, Disney has just confirmed what many people already suspect—that audiences are tired of what they're selling.
At least the Ben Solo campaign shows they're finally listening. The slate itself suggests that they're trying to strike a balance between nostalgia and innovation. But it all comes down to execution. They need good movies, not just recognizable titles. They need storytelling that matters, not just brand exploitation. The pieces are there—the properties, the talent, the distribution power. Now we just wait to see if Disney can actually deliver on what they're promising, or if this ends up being another case of all talk, no follow-through.
