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D23 Expo’s Top 5 EPIC Movie Announcements (With Photos!)

So many amazing announcements came out of D23 Expo this past weekend. If you follow me on Twitter (@MamasGeeky) then you likely saw them all. I was tweeting and retweeting as fast as my little fingers would let me! And I am not ashamed to admit that a few times I teared up just reading all the announcements (and I was over 2,500 miles away!). I may have let out a few gasps and screams as well – yes, my husband was very annoyed with me. But all that is besides the point. What I want to focus on are my favorite movie announcements that came out of D23 Expo – even though they were all amazing.

Avengers Infinity War

Avengers Infinity War

OK, if you didn’t know this was going to be at the top of my list than you are dead to me. I am a total comic book geek – especially when it comes to Marvel Comics (sorry DC). What I would have given to be at the live action panel to see the footage and cast – probably both my kids (just kidding – well, maybe…). I was basically jumping up and down at my house while I was reading all of the news on Twitter. Lucky for me, I had 25 good blogger buddies that were there so I knew who to stalk for announcements!

In a surprise that brought the house down, talent from the film made a grand entrance, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan and Pom Klementieff. To top it all off, the thrilled fans got an exclusive early look at footage from the movie, introduced by Joe Russo, one of the directors.

An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.  Anthony and Joe Russo direct the film, which is produced by Kevin Feige. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Michael Grillo and Stan Lee are the executive producers. Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely wrote the screenplay.

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR opens in theaters everywhere on May 4th, 2018!

Star Wars The Last Jedi

ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 15: (L-R) Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Director Rian Johnson, actors Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio del Toro of STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI took part today in the Walt Disney Studios live action presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2017 in Anaheim, Calif. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI will be released in U.S. theaters on December 15, 2017. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) *** Local Caption *** John Boyega; Daisy Ridley; Rian Johnson; Kelly Marie Tran; Laura Dern; Benicio del Toro

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Star Wars is my second love, next to Marvel, so it should come as no surprise that this was my second favorite announcement of the weekend. At the live action panel, Alan Horn welcomed Rian Johnson, the writer and director of the latest chapter in the Skywalker saga, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Johnson thrilled the audience by introducing talent from the film, including Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro. The attendees were then shown some behind the scenes footage – and I was extremely jealous. But at least Star Wars was nice and went ahead and released that footage for us (we are not on good terms Marvel Studios – I NEED that Infinity War footage!). It is amazing, just watch!

In Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of THE FORCE AWAKENS join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past. The movie stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro. STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI is written and directed by Rian Johnson. Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman are producing, with J.J. Abrams, Tom Karnowski and Jason McGatlin serving as executive producers.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI opens in theaters everywhere on December 15th!

incredibles 2

Incredibles 2

Incredibles is one of my all time favorite Pixar films. I mean, clearly I have a thing for super heroes right? So this should be no surprise to you. I have been anxiously awaiting Incredible 2 news. For YEARS. And I finally got some at this past weekend’s D23 Expo. John Lasseter shared with fans a look at what the fashion world thinks of super-suit stylist Edna Mode – the petite-but-powerful character introduced in Pixar Animation Studio’s 2004 Oscar®-winning feature. Showcasing fashion phenoms from Heidi Klum and Kendall Jenner to Zac Posen and Rachel Zoe, check out the video below.

INCREDIBLES 2 director Brad Bird – who lends his voice to Edna – joined Lasseter on stage to welcome to the festivities the voices of Mr. and Mrs. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter), Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (newcomer Huck Milner) and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson). Bird revealed details of the upcoming caper, which puts the family into an expanded universe that includes new allies and a brand-new villain. “‘Incredibles 2’ is really a family film, it’s just that the family happens to have super powers,” said Bird. “They may have super speed or super strength, but they experience the same problems as any family.” “Bob’s actually home with the kids this time and I’m the one out fighting crime,” added Hunter. She joked, “I’ve been working out 13 hours a day!

Disney•Pixar’s INCREDIBLES 2 hits theaters everywhere on June 15th, 2018!

Disney's D23 EXPO 2017

ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 14: Paige O’Hara; Irene Bedard; Mandy Moore; Auli’i Cravalho; Sarah Silverman; Kristen Bell; Kelly Macdonald; Anika Noni Rose; Linda Larkin; Jodi Benson; John Lasseter

Ralph Breaks the Internet

Wreck it Ralph is a favorite in our home. We watch it a lot – like A LOT. When we were on our Disney Cruise, my girls were so excited to visit Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats shop. We also have fond memories of meeting Ralph and Vanellope during their first trip to Disney World a few years back.

Directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston hit the stage at D23 Expo 2017, introducing Emmy®-winning actress and comedian Sarah Silverman, who returns as the voice of Vanellope von Schweetz. Fans were the first to see the global debut of a scene from the film that pays hilarious homage to the Disney Princesses (another one I NEED TO SEE!!). Lasseter revealed that filmmakers had asked the original voice actresses behind the Princesses featured to reprise their roles for the sequence, and in a moment no Disney fan will forget, Auli‘i Cravalho (“Moana”), Kristen Bell (Anna in “Frozen”), Kelly MacDonald (Merida in “Brave”), Mandy Moore (Rapunzel in “Tangled”), Anika Noni Rose (Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog”), Irene Bedard (“Pocahontas”), Linda Larkin (Jasmine in “Aladdin”), Paige O’Hara (Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”) and Jodi Benson (Ariel in “The Little Mermaid”) were welcomed on stage for the largest gathering of Disney Princesses in history.

Vanellope's Sweets and Treats

On the Disney Dream, Vanellope’s Sweets and Treats satisfies the sweet tooth of cruisers of all ages, with handmade gelato and ice cream, an assortment of candy, and delectable novelty treats for purchase. Inspired by the whimsical candy land of the Sugar Rush race car game in “Wreck-It Ralph,” the sweet shop offers new flavors of gelato and ice cream daily, along with a wide selection of toppings. (Kent Phillips, photographer)

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ follow-up to 2012’s WRECK IT RALPH leaves the arcade behind, venturing into the expansive universe of the internet – which may or may not survive Ralph’s not-so-light touch. Outcasts-turned-BFFs Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and Vanellope von Schweetz are reuniting with Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer) and Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch). Filmmakers revealed a new character, Yesss, an algorithm who plays an important role in Ralph and Vanellope’s journey within the internet. Golden Globe®-winning actress Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”) lends her voice to the character. “Yesss is a new character who owns the website Buzzaholic,” said Henson. “Yesss knows about everything cool and on trend. And she does spell her name with a triple ‘s.’ Yesss is very savvy, smart and sexy.”

Produced by Oscar® winner Clark Spencer, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: WRECK-IT RALPH 2 hits theaters on Nov. 21st, 2018!

Toy Story 4

ANAHEIM, CA – JULY 14: Director Josh Cooley of TOY STORY 4 took part today in the Walt Disney Studios animation presentation at Disney’s D23 EXPO 2017 in Anaheim, Calif. TOY STORY 4 will be released in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

Toy Story 4

I love all three Toy Story movies that are out already. I cry at all of them. Don’t even get me started on the end of Toy Story 3. I have vivid memories of watching it for the first time, while about 6 months pregnant, and sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. My niece came over to give me a hug, telling me it was OK because they have found a new kid now. I admit, I am tearing up even writing this right now.

During the Animation panel, John Lasseter invited Pixar’s Josh Cooley (“Riley’s First Date?” short) to the stage, revealing that Cooley has assumed full director responsibilities for TOY STORY 4. The pair brought with them a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the director’s life at the Northern California studio.

TOY STORY 4 is slated for release on June 21st, 2019!

Honorable Mentions

Those are just my top 5 announcements, but as I said before, basically everything that came out of the D23 Expo was incredible. We are getting a live action Aladdin (one of my all time favorites as a kid) that will be directed by Guy Ritchie. With Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Will Smith as the Genie – WILL SMITH! We learned a little bit more about COCO, which hits theaters November 22nd. This is one that I know my whole family will love!

Coco Family Photo

FAMILY REUNION ©2017 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Myself and my girls are obsessed with Frozen – still. We love it and are really looking forward to Olaf’s Frozen Adventure and Frozen 2! We got a date for Frozen 2 this past weekend – November 27th, 2019! That seems really close to me for some reason and I am beyond excited! Olaf’s Frozen Adventure will be in theaters ahead of COCO on November 22 this year.

Last but certainly not least, we learned more about A Wrinkle in Time. This is one of my favorite books so I cannot wait to see what Disney does with it. The official trailer was released at D23 Expo and it looks AMAZING! I am counting down the days for this film!

Meg Murry (Storm Reid) is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who is desperate to fit in. As the daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), but she has yet to realize it for herself. Making matters even worse is the baffling disappearance of Mr. Murry (Chris Pine), which torments Meg and has left her mother (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) heartbroken. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) to three celestial guides – Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) – who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they set off on their formidable quest. Traveling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are soon transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must look deep within herself and embrace her flaws to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness closing in on them.

A WRINKLE IN TIME opens in theatres everywhere on March 9th, 2018!

What movie(s) are you looking forward to most?

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Mommy Rockin' In Style

Wednesday 26th of July 2017

We can't wait for the Avengers Infinity War and Star Wars. We have watched all their episodes. Thanks for sharing!

betzy cuellar

Friday 21st of July 2017

What an amazing experience!

Anosa

Thursday 20th of July 2017

Wow, can't imagine the happiness you have! If I were too, I can't contain my happiness for the experience. I love the Avengers, Toy Story and Wreck it Ralph.

Jennifer L

Thursday 20th of July 2017

Omg I'm just so excited for every single one of these movies coming out. Can't believe we've waited years for Incredibles 2 to finally be made, but yas!

Tiffany

Thursday 20th of July 2017

Totally wish I was at D23!! I love Tangled and I saw they had a parade! haha