‘The Lion King’ Films by Reuters

By Dawn Chmielewski, Lisa Richwine, and Danielle Broadway

ANAHEIM, California – Walt Disney recently celebrated its return to the top of the summer box office with the success of Pixar’s "Inside Out 2" and Marvel’s "Deadpool & Wolverine." The company showcased an exciting lineup of upcoming films during a three-hour presentation that featured musical performances and star appearances.

The D23 fan convention kicked off with the stars of the anticipated animated film "Moana 2." Dwayne Johnson and Auli’i Cravahlo took the stage, performing with Hawaiian dancers. Johnson humorously mentioned his return as Maui, promising to sing "in keys that don’t exist." The film is set to debut in theaters on November 27.

Disney CEO Bob Iger welcomed the crowd, exclaiming, "Who else but Disney could pull off a weekend like D23? Our deep bond with fans, forged over a century of storytelling, is stronger today than ever before."

Director James Cameron also made a guest appearance, alongside "Avatar" stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington, to unveil artwork from the next sequel titled "Avatar: Fire and Ash."

Also announced was a new "Inside Out" series, "Dream Productions," which will explore main character Riley’s dreams and is set to premiere in 2025. Additionally, Pixar announced a third installment of "The Incredibles," with Brad Bird returning to direct.

Musical highlights included performances of popular songs from Disney Broadway hits like "Frozen" and "Aladdin," coinciding with the announcement of several recorded live stage performances that will be available on Disney+. Jennifer Lee, Disney Animation’s chief creative officer, announced that the hit musical "Frozen," filmed on stage, will premiere in 2025. Lee added that a Broadway musical based on "The Greatest Showman" is in development.

The event offered a preview of the upcoming Disney+ series "Skeleton Crew," a coming-of-age science fiction story set in the Star Wars universe created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford. Director Jon Favreau also provided a sneak peek of “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” a film adaptation of the popular series set for release in 2026.

Marvel showcased highlights from last month’s San Diego Comic-Con, including trailers for "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Fantastic Four," as well as upcoming Disney+ series "Daredevil Born Again" and "Ironheart." A trailer for the horror series “Agatha All Along,” based on "WandaVision," was also revealed, featuring original songs from the creators of "Frozen" and "Coco."

The "Percy Jackson" series is returning for a second season titled “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters,” adapted from Rick Riordan’s popular book.

Walt Disney Studios presented a teaser for the live-action version of “Snow White,” featuring stars Rachel Zegler as the titular princess and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. Additionally, actor Jeff Bridges appeared with co-stars Jared Leto and Greta Lee to promote “Tron: Ares,” the third film in the futuristic franchise.

Perhaps the most enthusiastic response came when Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan announced their return in a sequel to the 2003 film “Freaky Friday.” The audience was treated to a performance of “The Circle of Life” from "The Lion King," promoting the upcoming film “Mufasa: The Lion King,” directed by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins, which tells the story of Mufasa’s early life and features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Recently, the company highlighted its strong movie performance during an investor call, marking a comeback after losing its title as the highest-grossing Hollywood studio in 2023. Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst, noted, "It’s never too late to have that big Hollywood comeback. And they’ve certainly had that."

"Inside Out 2" has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, achieving over $1.6 billion worldwide, surpassing the previous record set by "Frozen II." Following closely, "Deadpool & Wolverine" had the strongest domestic opening for an R-rated film, generating over $850 million globally.

Deutsche Bank analyst Bryan Kraft remarked on the variability in the film business but suggested that if Disney has indeed regained its box office success, more growth may be on the horizon with its strong theatrical lineup.