Gallery: The 9 Most Exciting Upcoming Disney Movies, From Big Hero 6 to Tomorrowland
01Thor: The Dark World
“Disney, ABC, ESPN, Pixar, Marvel, and now Lucasfilm under one roof, even I have to admit that’s pretty cool,” proclaimed Disney chief executive Bob Iger, on stage in front of thousands of Disneyphiles at their recent D23 Expo on Friday. While Iger disappointed *Star Wars* fans by failing to offer any announcements--or as he put it, “We’re speechless at this expo about *Star Wars 7.*” But once the dull longing for a galaxy, far, far away had faded, it was easier to get psyched about the wide range of projects coming from Disney over the next couple years, with an animated slate that includes *The Good Dinosaur, Big Hero 6*, *Inside Out* and *Toy Story of Terror*, as well as live-action offerings like Marvel's *Thor: The Dark World* and *Captain America: Winter Soldier*, not to mention our personal favorite, *Tomorrowland*. Click through the gallery for more. Above: ------- *Thor: The Dark World* The D23 footage of *Thor: The Dark World*, which hits theaters November 8, looked good—especially Tom Hiddleston back as mostly no-good-but-fun-to-hate Loki, who also appeared on stage at D23 (to some audience swoons and catcalls). In one clip from the film, Loki is shown chopping off Thor’s hand, outstretched to catch his hammer. Anthony Hopkins, who plays Thor and Loki’s dad, Odin, complete with eye-patch, was also on stage at D23. (The audience stood and cheered for the good Sir.) We'd see the movie for nothing else but the star-power of the cast—Hopkins, Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings, and more—and the sights of the Nine Realms, even though it’s too bad Kenneth Branagh isn’t in the director’s chair. (It bears mentioning that Branagh is working on a different Disney project, a live-action imagining of *Cinderella* due March 2015. The best thing we heard about it at D23 is that Helena Bonham Carter plays the fairy godmother, and Cate Blanchett is the evil stepmother. Plus *Downton Abbey*’s Lady Rose, actress Lily James, as the princess, and Richard Madden, Robb Stark on *Game of Thrones* as her prince charming.) Update 8/15/13 6:15 PM: The *Guardians of the Galaxy* clip is a fan trailer, not an official release.
02Captain America: The Winter Soldier
*Captain America: The Winter Soldier* ------------------------------------- *Captain America: The Winter Soldier,* coming in April 2014, is Cap’s first full-time adventure in the modern day, where contemporary life remains confusing for the time-shifted, patriotic dude. As Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige put it, "it’s a little harder for him to figure out good and bad, and what is right, in the present day." Feige screened an awesome teaser, where crews of baddies get on an elevator at every floor, intent on doing the Captain harm. He’s on to them, though, and let’s just say his shield is effective even in cramped spaces. The scene they screened for the first time to D23 audiences, though still rough, showed The Captain parachuting down to a ship and taking out a bunch of armed guards with that shield. Like the elevator scene, it’s enough to make us almost like his vicious frisbee. Almost. But let’s be real, seeing Anthony Mackie as a badass Falcon has us excited about the movie.
03Guardians of the Galaxy
*Guardians of the Galaxy* ------------------------- Of all the Marvel films, the one we’re most eager to see is next summer's *Guardians of the Galaxy* about a diverse superhero team who unites to battle cosmic threats. Writer/director James Gunn described discovering this “excellent comic book with excellent characters that isn’t particularly well-known,” and falling in love. Who wouldn’t love an oddball gang of ex-cons on the run in space? Nobody we know. Star-Lord is a charming jerk American pilot (Chris Pratt), with an attitude akin to Starbuck on Syfy's *Battlestar Galactica*. His team consists of Groot, who looks a lot like a dead tree, Rocket Raccoon, who, yeah, is a raccoon, Gamora (Zoe Saldana is green in this one), and a few other appealing cons. It’s just the right antidote to a Marvel universe largely populated by somewhat shiny heroes. The teaser, shown at D23, was accompanied by a song we never get tired of dancing to, er, hearing: “Hooked on a Feeling.” (Note: Since there's no official footage out, all we've got is the excellent but totally unofficial fan trailer above, which we hope is at least as cool as the final product.) They’re only a month into shooting in London, but we’re already trying to pre-order our tickets. For a more official look, check out the image below from *Guardians* Director James Gunn's Instagram. 
04Tomorrowland
*Tomorrowland* -------------- Disney’s non-Marvel live-action slate ain’t too shabby,either. We've got Angelina Jolie as the title character in next summer’s *Maleficent* (of the horns, she said, “I miss them. I loved them.”), which is essentially *Sleeping Beauty*^1^ told sympathetically from the POV of the villain. There's also *Muppets: Most Wanted*, starring Ricky Gervais, Tina Fey, and Ty Burrell, and *Saving Mr. Banks* (this December), starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney himself, and Emma Thompson as cranky *Mary Poppins* author P.L. Travers. But the one we’re counting down for? *Tomorrowland,* written by Damon Lindelof and directed by Brad Bird, starring George Clooney as a grizzled inventor. The film was was introduced at D23 with some unlikely fanfare: a cardboard box. A Disney archivist reportedly found the box, labeled simply, :1952," in the basement morgue at Disney. The contents were so befuddling—a hoax photo of Walt with Amelia Earhart dated April, 1945, years after the flier disappeared, a 1928 issue of *Amazing Stories*, plans that suggest a twist to Walt Disney’s futurism, and other strange artifacts—that the archivist called a logical translator—*Lost* co-creator Lindelof. Lindelof and Bird opened the box on stage at D23, and unveiled some of the items, including an animation from the early 60s, "A History of Tomorrow." Lindelof introduced the screening with, "pay attention for insights into our movie." The animation began with a voiceover tale about the pursuit of progress, and included a story about Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Jules Verne, and Gustave Eiffel meeting at the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, and collaborating on a project together. Was the project real or fake? Tesla and Edison were bitter rivals, did this meeting even happen? What does it mean? Bird and Lindelof unveiled the contents of the box on the floor of the D23 Expo, and invite fans and interested theorists to check the mysterious objects out in more detail through a *Tomorrowland* app, available now in the iTunes app store. We’ve already spent considerable time poring over the contents, and we’re not sure what it all means, but if Disney, Brad Bird, and Damon Lindelof want to lead us down some dark stairs and into a mystery, we’re not gonna argue. Seems likely the teasing out of the story will continue to unfurl, as the film won’t be in theaters until December 2014. Stay tuned.
05The Good Dinosaur
*The Good Dinosaur* ------------------- John Lasseter now heads three studios—Pixar, Disney Animation, and DisneyToon Studio—and began his presentation with three magic words: "Pixar doing dinosaurs!" *The Good Dinosaur* (May 2014) is based on the premise that the world-obliterating asteroid missed earth lo those 66 million years ago, and dinos thrived. The movie may be good, but the clip, introduced by co-director Peter Sohn (a Pixar all-star who voiced Emille in *Ratatouille* and Squishy in *Monsters University*), showed beautiful dinosaurs tilling fields. It was a little heartbreaking to see dinosaurs as toiling agrarians, but then again, the clip didn’t include any carnivores, so we can maintain hope they’re not factory-workers. The voice cast is a doozy, though: John Lithgow, Frances McDormand, Bill Hader, Judy Greer, and Neil Patrick Harris.
Pixar06Inside Out
*Inside Out* ------------ The Pixar movie we’re most excited about is *Inside Out*, formerly *The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind*. Now this, ladies and gentleman, is a movie that could not have been made without animation. It stars Riley, age 11, who has moved with her family from Minnesota to San Francisco. Riley is not only the central character, she’s also the set. Much of the movie takes place inside Riley’s mind, in places like, “Long-term memories,” “Abstract Thought” (see Pixar’s version of a Picasso), “Imagination Land,” and “Dream Productions.” All these locations are connected by Riley’s “Train of Thought.” The characters within her mind are emotions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Sadness (Phyllis Smith from *The Office*). The rough clip debuted at D23 took viewers inside Riley’s mind, as well as those of her parents. Imagine the equivalent of the bridge in *Star Trek*, where the emotions at the bridge are guiding the mind of a young girl. What could possibly go wrong when Kaling, Hader, and Black are controlling her every mood? The only bummer? We have to wait until June 2015 to get inside out.
Pixar07Toy Story of Terror!
*Toy Story of Terror* --------------------- We only have to wait until October 16 to see *Toy Story of Terror* on ABC. Not sure how you feel about seeing Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang in a half-hour TV special? You’ll get over it when you hear the premise—they’re on the way to Bonnie’s grandma’s house when a flat tire waylays the gang at a roadside motel, in the rain. Cue spooky music. An unseen force picks the toys off, one-by-one. The short will be heavy on horror-movie homage, and features beloved *Toy Story* voice-actors Tom Hanks, Kristen Schaal, Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, and Tim Allen. Bonus: the one-and-only Carl Weathers as Combat Carl.
Disney08Zootopia
*Zootopia* ---------- If we were patient--we aren’t--we’d be fine waiting until 2016 to see Disney Animation's^1^*Zootopia*, about animals in an animal world, no humans. Imagine the world of *The Wind in the Willows*, or most of William Steig’s unbeatable children’s books. *Zootopia*, directed by Byron Howard (*Tangled*) features a city with different boroughs for each kind of animal: Sahara Square for desert animals; Tundratown for the cold ones; Little Rodentia is the mouse-y part of town; Burrow Borough for the bunnies, who travel by Rabbit Transit. It’s a buddy movie about Nick Wilde, a fox, and Lieutenant Judy Hoops, a rabbit. Though they’re natural enemies, the two must pair up to fight injustice. As with Pixar's *Inside Out*, we’re thrilled to see Disney creating new stories, new worlds, and new characters—especially those that couldn’t be realized in any other medium.
Disney09Big Hero 6
*Big Hero 6* ------------ *Big Hero 6* (November 2014) is the first animated Disney production to feature Marvel characters since Disney acquired the company in 2009. Directed by Don Hall (*Winnie the Pooh*), the film is set in San Fransokyo, and based on a Marvel superhero team you probably haven’t heard of. The hero is 14 year-old Hiro Hamada, a young robotics prodigy who’s lost his brother. Luckily he’s got Baymax, originally an inflatable nursing robot meant to heal and care for Hiro. But after some tweaking, Hiro turns Baymax into a “mech-ed out action hero,” as Hall put it. Hiro and Baymax and the gang, speedy GoGo Tomago, Wasabi No-Ginger (knife skills) Honey Lemon (chemist), and Fred (fanboy with extensive comic knowledge), team up to foil a criminal plot. The mix of Marvel and Disney, plus Japanese and western culture, will make this a ground-breaking, visually singular Walt Disney Animated Classic. We can’t wait. ^1^ Updated 1:23 p.m. Eastern to correct the name of the film that *Maleficent* riffs on and the studio making *Zootopia*.
