'Inside Out 2' Surprises Audiences At D23 Expo With Previews Of 'Wish' And 'Elio' Soompi

Walt Disney Animation's Chief Creative Officer, Jennifer Lee, spoke regularly about The Walt Disney Company's centennial during the studio's huge panel dedicated to upcoming feature films in the coming years. Innovation was the name of the game. Three years since the public last set foot in Concourse D23, both Walt Disney Animation and Pixar have touted a desire to change with the times. Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter said that, if anything, the pandemic has forced the studio to ask "what is our goal" and based on images from both studios, there is a desire to make that goal great storytelling and top-notch actors voicing iconic characters.

Unlike 2019, which had "Frozen 2" as the centerpiece of the event, complete with a musical performance and a music video, this year tackled several different shows with little footage. The big surprise was an appearance from Amy Poehler, who announced alongside Docter that a sequel to 2015's "Inside Out" had been greenlit. “The Good Dinosaur” director Kelsey Mann will take the helm, with Meg LeFauve returning to write the screenplay. The original film followed a pre-teen girl named Riley and the emotions that live inside her head.

The feature is in early production, but the feature will follow a now-teenage Riley and the old and new emotions that rule her world. Poehler reprises her role as Joy, the literal embodiment of happiness in Riley's head. Phyllis Smith played Sadness, with Bill Hader, Mindy Kaling and Lewis Black playing Fear, Disgust and Anger respectively. We don't know if everyone will come back. "Inside Out 2" will be released in the summer of 2024.

"Zootopia+"

This sequel to the 2016 feature of the same name seems to have been in development for a while, but all six episodes are finally coming to Disney+ on November 9th. This series resembles “Cars on the Road” and “Forky Ask a Question,” telling short stories about the residents of the animal-run zootopia. "The Godfather of the Bride," with the rodent voiced by Martin Scorsese looking to tell a new story. We also got a hilarious recreation of our current reality landscape with "The Real Housewives of Rodentia." It's unlikely that these shorts set the world on fire, but they should do a great job of expanding the world of "Zootopia".

"Strange World"

Disney

"Strange World"

Pixar's next animated adventure is actually inspired by the adventure series of yesteryear. “Strange World” hails from “Big Hero 6” director Don Hall and “Raya and the Last Dragon” screenwriter Qui Nguyen and follows Searcher Clade (voiced by Jake Gyllenhaal). Searcher hopes to leave a better world for his son, Ethan (...