Disney+ continues to expand its Bluey offerings with new content arriving this month and later this summer. Announced today, Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show, a special televised version of the popular touring theatrical production, will premiere Monday, March 16. Additionally, a collection of Bluey Minisodes, previously only available online and in Australia, will also be available for the first time on Disney+ beginning Wednesday, May 20. Global phenomenon Bluey was 2025’s No. 1 most-streamed program in the U.S. for the second year in a row, with 45.2 billion minutes streamed.*

• Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show is a special televised version of the popular touring theatrical production, featuring live performances of fan-favorite Bluey characters brought to life by world-class puppeteers. Bluey’s Big Play – The Stage Show is an adaptation of the multiple Emmy^® Award-winning animated series, with an original story by Bluey creator Joe Brumm and music specially composed by Joff Bush. The special is produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family Productions in association with Ludo Studio, Andrew Kay, and Windmill Theatre Co, and is distributed internationally by BBC Studios, with executive producers Tom Cousins and Anna Perowne.
• It was also announced today that a previously released collection of 10 Bluey Minisodes will be available for the first time on Disney+. The bite-sized short-form series is a collection of one- to three-minute minisodes and is produced by Ludo Studio. The shorts highlight funny and sweet moments featuring Bluey and Bingo leaning into playful interactions and games that further explore the characters and world of Bluey. The collection includes: Humpty Dumpty, Green Bottles, Flying Saucer, Tea Party, Pea Pod Sausages, Old Macdonald, Honk, Lollipop Song, Cinderella, and Make Mum Laugh. All previously released Bluey Minisodes are currently available to stream on Disney+.

More Bluey Offerings:

• BBC Studios and Walt Disney Studios, in partnership with Ludo Studio, announced that the feature-length Bluey movie will be released in cinemas August 6, 2027.

• Bluey is joining Disney Experiences as part of Disney’s global relationship with BBC Studios, with the producers of Bluey, Ludo Studio, collaborating on special fan activations.

• Beginning March 22, 2026, and continuing through the year, “Bluey’s Best Day Ever!” will invite Disneyland Park guests to a fun-filled celebration of favorite episodes of the animated series at the reimagined Fantasyland Theatre. Now transformed into a beautiful Fun Fair at Bluey’s School, Bluey and her sister Bingo appear throughout the day alongside a lively group of comedic performers and musicians, plus some very familiar friends. Together, they bring to life the unmistakable, familiar feeling that the best day ever has officially begun.

• Bluey and Bingo are on their way to Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort! Starting May 26, 202 —6 and staying beyond Cool KIDS’ SUMMER — guests can play games and dance with Bluey and Bingo at Conservation Station. Once guests hop off the Wildlife Express Train, it’s time for fun. Play special games directly from Bluey episodes, grab a photo with Bluey and Bingo themselves, and even discover animals native to Bluey’s home country, Australia, at “Jumping Junction.”
• Earlier this year, Bluey and Bingo set sail on Disney Cruise Line for greetings, dance parties, and more. Visit disneycruise.com for more details on where Bluey and Bingo are sailing in 2026.

Beginning this week, Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. can find a new place on their mobile app to discover stories with Verts, marking the first phase of bringing vertical video content to the platform. This new dynamic feed on Disney+ helps users quickly find their next favorite watch and is just the start of what will be an ongoing evolution of Verts.

Learn more about what fans can look forward to in the future as part of this new mobile-first experience:

What is Verts on Disney+?

First announced at Disney’s 2026 Global Tech & Data Showcase, vertical video on Disney+ opens up an entirely new way for fans to connect with the stories they love. With a tap of the new Verts icon in the navigation bar on mobile, users enter a vertical video feed and can swipe through a stream of scenes and moments from movies and shows on Disney+, and seamlessly add to their Watchlist or jump directly into playback.

With the latest streaming hits and an incredible catalog spanning more than 100 years of storytelling, we’re making it easier for fans to discover what to watch next. Verts offers a fun, fast way to explore that catalog right from the moment users open the app. It brings the magic of Disney’s storytelling into a format that feels modern, engaging, and tailor-made for how fans already enjoy discovering video on mobile devices.

What kind of user engagement are you seeing with Verts to date?

In both early experiments on Disney+ as well as since launch on ESPN in August, Verts has driven additional engagement.

Much of this can be attributed to our new advanced algorithm that powers the recommendation engine for the experience to ensure that Verts feels uniquely relevant and personalized to each individual user.

What’s next for Verts on Disney+?

This launch is just the beginning — the first scene of the first episode in a multi-season series. What fans see today on Verts was built with user utility and scale in mind. Already, though, the team is exploring and experimenting with ways to expand far beyond content discovery.

Over time, Verts will play a key role in fans’ everyday experience on Disney+. At launch, this includes driving discoverability across Disney’s entertainment catalog, with opportunities in the future to add content from creators that reflects our fandoms, plus other storytelling formats, content types, and personalized experiences.

Since 1929, the Academy Awards^® — also known as the Oscars^® — celebrates outstanding artistic and technical merit in the film industry. This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences^® (AMPAS) will recognize achievements across 24 competitive categories.

Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the 98th Oscars:

When are the 98th Oscars?

The Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026.

What time do the Oscars start?

The Oscars will air at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Where can I watch the 98th Oscars?

The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu for all subscribers.

Where are the 98th Oscars being held?

The Oscars will be held at the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

How and when can I watch the Oscars pre-shows?

Good Morning America‘s coverage will kick off Thursday, March 12, when Lara Spencer interviews O’Brien. The following day, Chris Connelly will share his predictions on GMA.

ABC News Live’s coverage will begin on Wednesday, March 11, with Rocsi Diaz when O’Brien rolls out the red carpet. Leading up to the ceremony, ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis will continue its monthlong “Oscars for the First Time…” series before it streams live from the Dolby Theatre red carpet on Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT with a preview show featuring Kelley Carter. Coverage will continue with a roundtable airing Saturday, March 14, hosted by Will Ganss and featuring TikTok creators Tefi Pessoa, Caroline Vazzana, and Monse Gutierrez discussing film, fashion and this year’s nominations.

ABC News and ABC Owned Television Stations will present a star-studded preshow, On the Red Carpet at the Oscars, on Sunday, March 15, airing across ABC Owned Television Stations and affiliates and streaming on ABC News Live, beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT. Spencer, along with Whit Johnson and Linsey Davis, will interview this year’s Oscar nominees and presenters alongside George Pennacchio, Joelle Garguilo, and Connelly. Meanwhile, Roshumba Williams and Joe Zee will break down all the red-carpet fashions.

Who is hosting the 98th Oscars?

Emmy^® Award-winning television host, writer, producer, and comedian Conan O’Brien returns as host for the second time. He previously hosted the Academy Awards in 2025.

Who is presenting at the 2026 Oscars?

Will Arnett, Adrien Brody, Javier Bardem, Rose Byrne, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kieran Culkin, Disney Legend Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Anne Hathaway, Chase Infiniti, Nicole Kidman, Jimmy Kimmel, Delroy Lindo, Mikey Madison, Ewan McGregor, Paul Mescal, Demi Moore, Wagner Moura, Kumail Nanjiani, Gwyneth Paltrow, Pedro Pascal, Bill Pullman, Lewis Pullman, Maya Rudolph, Channing Tatum, Sigourney Weaver, and Zoe Saldaña will present onstage at the 2026 Oscars.

Who are the 2026 Oscar nominees?

Actors Danielle Brooks and Lewis Pullman announced the Academy Award nominees on Thursday, January 22. There are 24 competitive award categories this year, including the brand-new Best Casting category. The Walt Disney Company received four Oscar nominations, including two for 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash (Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects). It also received nominations for Pixar Animation Studios’ Elio and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2, which are up for Best Animated Feature.

Who is performing at the Oscars?

A KPop Demon Hunters moment will begin with a fusion of traditional Korean instrumentalists and dance, celebrating the folklore and cultural inspiration that anchors the story behind the film. As part of this experience, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, the singing voices behind HUNTR/X, will perform the Oscar-nominated original song “Golden.”

A Sinners moment will explore the role music plays in the film’s storytelling, translating it into a cinematic live moment onstage. Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq will perform the Oscar-nominated original song “I Lied to You,” and they will be joined by Misty Copeland, Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Brittany Howard, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Jayme Lawson, Li Jun Li, Bobby Rush, Shaboozey, and Alice Smith in an homage to the film’s singular visual style.

Additionally, Josh Groban and the Los Angeles Master Chorale will appear during the show.

How do I play Oscars Pick ‘Em?

Oscars Pick’em is a free to play game on ESPN.com/ABC.com, the ESPN App, and the ESPN Fantasy App that serves as a second screen experience on Oscars night. Players compete by predicting who they think will win in all 24 categories. During the live broadcast, selections will be scored in real time as each winner is announced. The grand prize is a trip for two to Los Angeles for the 2027 Oscars Watch Party and $5,000, and 10 first prize winners will receive an Oscar prize pack. (See complete rules for details.)

Where can I watch Disney’s Oscar-nominated films?

Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2 are now in theaters. Elio and Zootopia 2 are streaming on Disney+. Hulu has an Oscars hub featuring current nominees, as well as past winners.

Who received this year’s Governors Awards?

In June 2025, AMPAS announced that its Board of Governors voted to present Academy Honorary Awards to Debbie Allen, Tom Cruise, and Wynn Thomas, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Dolly Parton. They received their Oscars on Sunday, November 16, 2025, during the 16th Governors Awards at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Ovation Hollywood.

When do the Oscars post-shows air?

On Monday, March 16, the live GMA Oscars Monday After Party, co-anchored by Michael Strahan from Los Angeles, will feature Spencer sharing her backstage interviews with winners, along with a live performance from the Good Morning America studio in New York.

Then, Disney Legend Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos return to host Live’s After the Oscars Show on Monday, March 19, at 9 a.m. ET/PT (check local listings). The episode will include interviews with nominees and winners; performances by Wyclef Jean and Andra Day; commentary by Carson Kressley and Leanne Morgan; and impressions by Matt Friend.

When Conan O’Brien hosted the 97th Oscars^® on ABC and Hulu in 2025, critics said the comedian was at his “acerbic best” (Variety). And, because he helped bring the telecast to a five-year ratings high, it should come as no surprise that he was asked to return for this year’s show.

“That experience was fun for me,” O’Brien said. “My old rule is that if it’s fun for me to do it, it might be fun for people to watch it. There’s a lot of chatter about how it’s a thankless task to host one of these shows, and I didn’t find that to be true. I found it to be a fun gig; I enjoyed it.”

Still, O’Brien admitted he’s learned from past mistakes.

“Last year, I ate a massive Italian meal just before going onstage. Huge! Multiple cutlets of veal parmesan, mountains of meatballs, spaghetti carbonara, and then I drank a huge glass of warm cream. Those things weighed me down a bit,” he joked. “This year, I’m not going to do that. I’m going to have a very simple Japanese bento box — a little bit of raw fish, maybe some edamame — and then I’ll hit the stage. It’s going to be a bit lighter this year.”

Meal prep aside, O’Brien and the team of writers are also prepping jokes for the ceremony, which will be held on Sunday, March 15, at the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. “I don’t care how long someone has been in the business of making people laugh: getting a laugh is as exciting now at my age as it was when I was 12,” O’Brien said. “It’s the same endorphins, the same chemicals, the same sense of ‘Oh, my God! I’m so glad that worked!’”

Finding the humor in the unexpected can be “very humbling,” O’Brien continued. “You’re always looking for that moment when you can get everyone to agree that something’s funny, or something’s ironic, or something’s weird… If you can get that laugh, and you feel like everyone else in this room is agreeing with you in this very primal way, it’s delightful.”

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

What if you could talk to animals and understand what they’re saying?

That’s the premise behind Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film Hoppers, in theaters March 6. In the animated comedy, directed by Daniel Chong, scientists at Beaverton University discover how to transfer human consciousness into lifelike robotic wildlife, allowing people to communicate with animals as animals. They call this process “hopping.”

But, as Dr. Sam explains in the film, “This is not like Avatar!”

For the filmmakers, it was important to establish ground rules — “pond rules,” rather — about the differences between animals and humans, as well as the mechanics of “hopping.”

“We wanted to dig into nature and be honest about how intense it can be,” screenwriter Jesse Andrews said. “Early on, we had conversations about, ‘If we’re going to do another animated movie about animals, how can we make it different? What territory feels relatively unexplored?’ Instead of conceiving animals that are simply furry people, we tried to keep them as animalistic as possible, while still making them funny, relatable, and identifiable.”

Enter Mabel Tanaka (voiced by Piper Curda), a passionate, 19-year-old animal lover who is outraged to discover that Mayor Jerry Generazzo (voiced by Jon Hamm) plans to build a new stretch of highway through the tranquil glade she frequented with her grandmother. If she can repopulate the glade with a keystone species, she can thwart Mayor Jerry’s plans — but that’s easier said than done. So, Mabel uses Dr. Sam’s top-secret technology to “hop” her mind into the body of a robotic beaver. Now part of the animal world, Mabel befriends the jovial beaver King George (voiced by Bobby Moynihan), leader of the pond and king of the mammals, who shares three simple rules that help keep nature in balance:

• Pond Rule No. 1: “Don’t be a stranger.”
• Pond Rule No. 2: “When you gotta eat, eat.”
• Pond Rule No. 3: “We’re all in this together.”

According to producer Nicole Paradis Grindle, “We didn’t want [the animal characters] to feel like humans in animal suits, and that’s often what storytelling with animals involves. That’s where Pond Rule No. 2 comes from: ‘When you gotta eat, eat.’ We had to address that issue; animals do eat other animals, which makes sense when you explain it as a way of coexisting. I also love that all the animals are really benevolent. Per Pond Rule No. 1, if you know someone’s name, it’s hard to be mad at them. It’s hard to be mad at Diane [a shark, voiced by Vanessa Bayer]. She’s just doing her job. Once you know her name, she’s nice. That’s true of human society. If you get to know individuals, there may be some things that they have to do in order to survive that you might not agree with — but give ’em a chance.”

Indeed, many of the animals — King George included — subvert Mabel’s expectations, forcing her to reconsider who they are and how they interact. “King George is in charge, but he’s not, like, a true king; he doesn’t believe he should rule over all,” Moynihan said. “He believes that everyone should be equal. He might be naïve, but he is a good beaver.”

Human Nature

Mabel cares for creatures big and small, but she occasionally loses patience with people. So, while it’s easy for her to empathize with the little guys… Mayor Jerry? That’s a tall order, especially for a beaver. “Mabel is a spitfire,” Curda said. “She wants to make the world a better place, and she’s frustrated with all the things that are stopping her from doing that.”

Conversely, Mayor Jerry “is a very happy guy,” Hamm said. “He’s very good at his job. He’s well-loved by his constituents. He loves his gig. He loves family. You think, ‘OK, this guy has probably got a lot of great ideas.’ Unfortunately, one of them is diametrically opposed to [Mabel’s].” And yet, in some ways, they’re two sides of the same coin. “The arc of their journey is very similar, just from opposite directions,” Hamm explained. “The good thing about that is that they both come to understand that they’re part of a bigger community.”

It takes a while for either of them to realize that, of course.

Early on, as a beaver, Mabel successfully rallies the leaders of various animal councils, which includes King George, Bird King (voiced by the late Isiah Whitlock Jr.), Amphibian King (voiced by Steve Purcell), Fish Queen (voiced by Ego Nwodim), Reptile Queens (voiced by Nichole Sakura), and Insect Queen (voiced by Meryl Streep). But getting them to see Mayor Jerry as a major, imminent human threat is more difficult than she predicted.

“I think her biggest surprise is their lack of outrage, because she is filled with so much rage at the injustices that have been put towards this community of animals,” Curda said. “She’s expecting them to also be filled with that rage, and they’re just… not. They’re just kind of happy to be there and making it work. I think that confuses her for a little bit, but she does end up learning from that — because rage can’t be the only thing fueling your fight, you know? There’s got to be something else in there. There’s got to be a little compassion, there’s got to be a little understanding. She definitely learns that from George, for sure.”

According to director Daniel Chong, “Thematically, the movie is about questioning power. Mabel has no power. Jerry has all the power… But when Mabel hops, she enters a world where she suddenly has some power. Once she goes to the council, she gets even more power. Then the question becomes: ‘Once you have that power, what do you do with it?’ We combat some of the heaviness of all that through comedy. We’re having fun with the absurdity of the situation, with all these wild characters who have interesting personalities.”

Another major theme in Hoppers is “the importance of connection,” Andrews noted.

“Because this is about nature now, in this present moment, I knew this story would also be about change,” Andrews said. “Mabel is finding her way through it. It makes the movie emotionally richer.”

Lush Landscapes

Just as rich as the storytelling are the settings, which required multiple departments to collaborate and develop an all-new technological pipeline. The natural world can create a lot of visual noise, so to find the right balance, the lighting and effects artists created a custom workflow that allowed them to put brushstrokes on their models. This, in turn, allowed them to simplify backgrounds without losing the rich texture of the environments.

“The natural world environment is so visually complex,” visual effects (VFX) supervisor Beth Albright said. “There’s so much detail — and it’s beautiful — but it’s a lot. If you put characters into that, and they’re moving, it’s hard to focus the eye. It’s too much to look at.”

Paradis Grindle elaborated, saying, “We had these very stylized characters, and they needed to fit into a natural world that can’t be busy. We wanted to give people the feeling of being in nature without the harsh reality of what a 3D environment can look like. Ultimately, it was about the emotion. We wanted people to feel relaxed, to feel connected, and we wanted the characters to pop in that. We wanted your eye always to follow the characters.”

Once the “cute, chubby, and fuzzy” character designs were done, Albright said, they were able to home in on getting the settings right. “We needed everything to speak the same visual language,” she said. “We also needed to maintain the scale of nature, because if you simplify things too much — or if you make things too cartoony — you can lose the stakes.”

To ensure each environment had “an artistically tactile, handcrafted look,” the compositing, lighting, modeling, shading, and VFX teams collaborated to create the new technological workflow. “I think the quickest way to figure out how to do something crazy is to tell someone smart that they can’t do it,” Albright said. “All of a sudden, things are happening!”

Once completed, they were able to take each individual leaf, turn it into a point, and then replace it with a painted brushstroke. “We’re preserving all that really saturated, really vibrant color detail, and all the shading and lighting work that went into it, and then putting an artistic texture on it,” Albright said. “Ultimately, that helps to ‘quiet’ the setting.”

All that effort was worth it, according to Hamm.

“I’m really impressed with the incredible amount of artistry that went into making this, from the animation and the sound effects to the writing and directing,” Hamm said. “It’s a tremendous team effort. It took a long time to create this, but the proof is in the pudding.”

On Monday, April 27, in celebration of National Deaf History Month, Disney+ will proudly debut Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language, three animated musical sequences from recent Walt Disney Animation Studios features, newly reimagined and animated in American Sign Language (ASL).

Directed by veteran Disney animator/director Hyrum Osmond, the featured songs are “The Next Right Thing” from Frozen 2, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Encanto, and “Beyond” from Moana 2. Osmond, along with producers Heather Blodget and Christina Chen, worked in collaboration with artistic director DJ Kurs and the team at Los Angeles’ Tony^® Award-winning Deaf West Theatre to create the new versions of these beloved songs. A special behind-the-scenes featurette will accompany the songs, taking viewers into the collaboration that made these reimagined songs possible.

Osmond led a team of more than 20 animators who worked with sign language reference expressly created for Disney Animation’s Songs in Sign Language. Kurs, artistic director for Deaf West Theatre, working with sign language reference choreographer Catalene Sacchetti, and a group of eight performers from Deaf West Theatre, carefully reimagined and choreographed lyrics into ASL by focusing on concepts and emotion instead of a word-for-word transcription.

“In the majority of cases, we created entirely new animation,” Osmond said. “There were a lot of adjustments that we had to do within the animation to be true to the original intention.”

Osmond, whose father is Deaf, cited two important reasons for wanting to do this project.

“One, sign language is one of the most beautiful ways of communication on Earth. If ever there was a medium to showcase sign language, it was animation,” Osmond said. “The other big reason for doing this project is to connect with the Deaf community. Growing up, I never learned sign language, and that barrier prevented me from really connecting with my dad. This reimagining of Disney Animation musical numbers helps bring down barriers and allows us to connect in a special way with our audiences in the Deaf community. I’m grateful that the Studio got behind making something so impactful.”

Kurs said, “When Hyrum approached me with a potential collaboration involving the integration of ASL into the fabric of Disney storytelling, it was an immediate ‘yes’ for us. Disney stories are the universal language of childhood. The chance to bring our language into that world was a historic opportunity to reach a global audience. Working on this project was very emotional. For so long, we have known and loved the artistic medium of Disney Animation. Here, the art form was adapting to us. I hope this unlocks possibilities in the minds and hearts of Deaf children, and that this all leads to more down the road.”

The world can’t get enough of Zootopia.

Released theatrically in November 2025, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 — starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, and Ke Huy Quan; written and directed by Jared Bush; directed by Byron Howard; and produced by Yvett Merino — broke multiple box office records in its opening weekend. It went on to become the No. 1 domestic and international release of the year and the highest-grossing animated MPA film of all time. Beloved by audiences and critics alike, it is now nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 98th Academy Awards^®.

“It’s a great honor to be nominated,” said Howard. “It sounds cliché to say, but to be a part of the conversation is really great. It’s also been nice to get a chance to meet the other filmmakers from around the world and celebrate really great storytelling from a bunch of different, diverse sources.”

Getting to talk shop with living legends — as Merino did when she was sandwiched in between Steven Spielberg and Chloé Zhao during the 98th Oscars “Class Photo” last month — has been the cherry on top of a fruitful and promising awards season run. “I wanted to go out and buy a lottery ticket, because it was my lucky day!” Merino said. “It was such an honor to talk with them about their films, and for them to talk about our film.”

Outside of industry events, Merino said, “One of my favorite things is to get a text from a friend that says, ‘I just saw the movie! I loved it. It was so funny. It meant so much to me.’ Hearing from so many different people who’ve connected with the film has been amazing.”

In the Q&A below, Howard and Merino open up about their Zootopia 2 experience.

Before Zootopia 2 was released last year, you spoke about how you hoped audiences would receive the movie. Zootopia 2 just won a BAFTA Award and became the top-grossing movie of 2025 — and the Oscars are weeks away. How are you feeling now?

Byron Howard: The Oscars will be a big, glittery wrap-up for us on this wild Zootopia 2 journey. It’s been a joy doing this with Yvett and Jared; I absolutely love working with them.

What made seeing Zootopia 2 in theaters such an important communal experience?

Yvett Merino: The magic of the world of Zootopia is that it reflects our human world, but it’s not our human word; it’s the animal world. That allows people to come in with a sense of openness. Knowing that some people have seen this movie over and over again has been amazing, because they’ve built a community. People are seeing it in full theaters, and maybe they haven’t had that experience before. For some kids, this movie was the first time they’ve ever been inside a movie theater. Being able to laugh together with strangers — having that shared experience — is something truly magical that you only get in theaters.

Byron Howard: Yvett mentioned standing next to Steven Spielberg, and I’m so jealous of her, because growing up, Jared and I were really influenced by Amblin films — those great Spielberg films from way back when. Whether it was E.T., or one of the Indiana Jones films, or Close Encounters, you would go to the theater and experience those movies together. They gave you something to share and to talk about. Once home video became available, you had a way to experience it again and again. Movies are a way to bring people together.

Yvett and I were in Santa Barbara a couple of weeks ago, and they had 2,000 kids in a packed theater watching Zootopia 2, and their reactions made me cry. It was so amazing to see an audience so deeply invested in the movie and enjoying it so much. Those kids, who are probably 10 or 11, will have that for the rest of their lives to talk about. They will remember when they went and experienced that together. That’s amazing to be a part of.

With Zootopia 2 now available on digital and streaming March 11 on Disney+, fans can really take the time to appreciate some of the movie’s finer details. Which elements do you believe deserve a closer look?

Yvett Merino: We have no real-life reference for a place like the Marsh Market; that all comes from our artists and their imaginations. If you pause and look at the bite marks, for example, you’ll see how much work and thought went into creating that environment to make it look and feel like it’s been lived in for years. It’s just incredible to see all that detail.

Byron Howard: I just learned about Merino’s Café — yes, Yvett’s got a café in Marsh Market! The film is the most detail-packed movie that we’ve ever made, and the fact that people can now watch it in their homes, pause it, and walk up to the screen to look at the tiny details of this world is really, really remarkable. It is an incredibly immersive world, with thousands of characters and amazing environments. No matter where you put a camera, there’s a new story. I’m excited to hear from the public and see what else they might notice.

Zootopia is a world within a city. It’s an amazingly tempting challenge to show more of it, because the potential is endless. I think that’s why audiences love going back to it. To Yvett’s point, the detail and thought that our designers, technicians, filmmakers, and animators put into this movie is really unprecedented. They’re all giving 150%, all the time.

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

This spring, The Walt Disney Company builds on powerful momentum from a record-breaking 2025, with an exciting slate that fans across Lucasfilm, Pixar Animation Studios, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures won’t want to miss.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 is now the No. 1 domestic release of 2025, also ranking as the No. 1 MPA animated film of all time worldwide. This milestone marks the second consecutive year that The Walt Disney Studios has delivered the top domestic release — and in 2025, Disney claimed three of the top four domestic films overall with Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Avatar: Fire and Ash.

That strength extends to streaming. 20th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands debuted as the No. 1 film premiere on Hulu since Prey, drawing nearly 9 million global views in its first five days across Disney+ and Hulu. In total, audiences have streamed more than 300 million hours of the Predator franchise globally on Disney’s streaming platforms.

Disney enters 2026 on a remarkable run, backed by a daring slate poised to captivate audiences around the world.

Here’s what’s coming to theaters this Spring 2026:

• Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers — March 6
• Searchlight Pictures’ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come — March 20
• 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2 — May 1
• Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu — May 22

Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers

Release Date: March 6

Disney and Pixar’s next original animated comedy follows a young animal lover who “hops” her consciousness into a robotic beaver to communicate with animals and protect their habitat. The all-star ensemble features the voices of Piper Curda (Mabel), Bobby Moynihan (King George), Jon Hamm (Mayor Jerry), Meryl Streep (Insect Queen), Dave Franco (Titus), Kathy Najimy (Dr. Sam), and more. Hoppers delivers heart, humor, and a wholly original world to fans of all ages.

Searchlight Pictures’ Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Release Date: March 20

Let the game begin! Moments after surviving an all-out attack from the Le Domas family, Grace (Samara Weaving) discovers she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish game — and this time with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) at her side. Grace has one chance to survive, keep her sister alive, and claim the High Seat of the Council that controls the world. Four rival families are hunting her for the throne, and whoever wins rules it all. The unpredictable sequel raises the stakes on the deadly game that made the first film a breakout hit. Radio Silence’s Ready or Not 2 also stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, with David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood.

20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2

Release Date: May 1

The Devil Wears Prada 2? This spring? Groundbreaking. After two decades, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in the eagerly awaited sequel to the 2006 phenomenon that defined a generation.

Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu

Release Date: May 22

After more than 6 years since Star Wars was in theaters, the galaxy’s favorite duo is about to make their debut on the big screen. When dangerous warlords threaten a peaceful galaxy, the New Republic calls upon legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his young apprentice Grogu to protect everything the Rebellion fought for. Directed by Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian and Grogu also stars Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White and is produced by Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Dave Filoni, and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Göransson.

Following a record-setting year in theaters, Disney’s 2026 lineup raises the bar with fresh storytelling, fan-favorite worlds, and big-screen experiences designed to bring audiences together.

This summer, Disney and Pixar return with Toy Story 5 on June 19, followed by Disney Live Action’s highly anticipated reimagining of Moana on July 10. Searchlight Pictures keeps the energy high with the comedy Super Troopers 3 on August 7, before 20th Century Studios closes out the blockbuster season with Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars on August 28.

The Walt Disney Company has won 22 Children’s & Family Emmy^® Awards across its content brands and studios: Disney Branded Television and The Walt Disney Studios (including Lucasfilm, Marvel Animation, National Geographic, and Pixar Animation Studios). Disney+ is the ultimate streaming destination for kids and families, home to 21 awards.

Descendants: Rise of Red and Win or Lose tied for the most wins, with five each, while Star Wars: Skeleton Crew — this year’s most-nominated program — won Outstanding Young Teen Series.

A complete list of all The Walt Disney Company wins follows:

Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+/Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
5 Wins

• Outstanding Fiction Special
• Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design
• Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup
• Outstanding Original Song for a Children’s or Young Teen Program – “Red Christmas”
• Outstanding Choreography

Win or Lose (Disney+/Pixar Animation Studios)
Streaming on Disney+
5 Wins

• Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series
• Outstanding Writing for a Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series – “Pickle”
• Outstanding Directing for an Animated Series – “Home”
• Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program – “Mixed Signals”
• Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation – Storyboard – Esteban Bravo, Storyboard Artist

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+/Lucasfilm)
Streaming on Disney+
4 Wins

• Outstanding Young Teen Series
• Outstanding Editing for a Young Teen Live Action Program – “The Real Good Guys”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program – “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates”
• Outstanding Visual Effects for a Live Action Program

A Real Bug’s Life (National Geographic)
Streaming on Disney+
2 Wins

• Outstanding Informational Program
• Outstanding Editing for a Preschool or Children’s Live Action Program – “Love in the Forest”

BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Hulu
1 Win

• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Multiple Camera Live Action Program – “Happy Trails”

Dream Productions (Disney+/Pixar Animation Studios)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program

Rise Up, Sing Out (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program – “Grow Your World”

RoboGobo (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Voice Performer in a Preschool Program – Ana Gasteyer

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Disney+/Lucasfilm/Disney Jr.)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program – “The Battle of Tenoo”

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney+/Marvel Animation)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Win

• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series – “If This Be My Destiny…”

A fifth installment of the hit Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES franchise has been greenlit for Disney+ and Disney Channel, with Malachi Barton and Freya Skye set to return to their breakout roles as Victor and Nova. Franchise stars Milo Manheim and Meg Donnelly return to executive produce, while Trevor Tordjman returns as Bucky, the beloved cheer captain and cousin of Addison from the original trilogy. The film begins production this spring in New Zealand. An official title will be announced at a later date.

Following the events of ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires, the newfound peace between the Daywalkers and Vampires is put to the test when a band of fierce mermaids arrives in Rayburn, making waves and casting a persuasive siren song to lure in new allies. Nova and Victor must unite their groups once more to discover what the mermaids are really after in order to protect the fragile harmony they worked so hard to build.

The returning cast includes Malachi Barton as Victor, Freya Skye as Nova, Swayam Bhatia as Vera, Julian Lerner as Ray, and Mekonnen Knife as Vargas from ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires. New to the franchise are a trio of mysterious mermaids: Diaana Babnicova as cool-girl Pearl, Taylor Oliver as bad-boy Fin, and Olive Mortimer as tech-wiz Sandy. Emily Costtrici joins the cast as zombie Izzy, Zed’s zombie cousin and new transfer student.

DGA Award-winner Paul Hoen, director and executive producer of the entire ZOMBIES franchise, will return for this latest installment. Also returning are executive producers Jane Fleming, Mark Ordesky, Joseph Raso and David Light and producer Skot Bright, alongside Manheim and Donnelly. The movie features next-level dance sequences, choreographed by Dondraico Johnson, and an original score composed by Tom Howe. Joining the creative team are writers Chris Hazzard, Michael Fontana and Eydie Faye.

“ZOMBIES has become a defining franchise for the current generation,” said Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “With each movie, we intentionally push the story somewhere new. Introducing mermaids in ZOMBIES 5 opens up a completely different dynamic, while staying true to the music, characters and themes of unity and acceptance that are at the heart of these films.”

The ZOMBIES franchise has become one of the most popular Disney Channel Original Movie franchises, with cable telecasts for the first three films ranking No. 1 among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14 in their premiere years,* and garnering 385 million-hours watched across linear and streaming in the U.S. (including series and shorts).** The summer 2024 premiere of ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires garnered 9.3 million views globally in its first nine days streaming, amassing 43 million views in less than 6 months.***

The ZOMBIES 5 greenlight news comes during a landmark year for Disney Channel fans, as 2026 celebrates the milestone anniversaries of High School Musical and Hannah Montana, leading into the premieres of new franchise installments Descendants: Wicked Wonderland and Camp Rock 3 this summer. Last summer’s smash hit Descendants/ZOMBIES Worlds Collide Tour now includes a concert special streaming on Disney+, and it was just announced that the Worlds Collide Tour will return this year with talent from Descendants, ZOMBIES and Camp Rock franchises.

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES 2, ZOMBIES 3, ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires, and ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series are now streaming on Disney+ and can be found in the ZOMBIES Collection on the service. The all-new short-form series Locker Diaries: ZOMBIES is now available on Disney+, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok with additional episodes rolling out every Saturday until mid-April.

Every pixel of Avatar: Fire and Ash is a visual spectacle — right down to the bespoke costumes and accessories created by Oscar^® winner Deborah L. Scott, whose work in the groundbreaking film is nominated for Best Costume Design at the 98th Academy Awards^®.

“I was very surprised by this nomination,” Scott said. “My work on this film was outside the box. I’m really proud of the costume design branch of the Academy, because this nomination is proof that we can design costumes in all sorts of ways, in all sorts of places. That’s the most exciting thing — cracking the door open a bit. That’s what I’m proudest of.”

Scott is one of Disney Legend James Cameron‘s stalwart collaborators, having designed the costumes for Titanic (1997) before reuniting with him to work on Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) — four of the most successful films of all time. Scott’s designs are singular, as her work in the Avatar franchise imaginatively and sinuously blends artistry with technology — a modus operandi that mirrors Cameron’s.

“Things have changed a lot,” Scott said. “With the first film, we were still figuring out a lot of the technology in real-time. That’s when it became clear that we needed to make physical samples. The VFX houses had a hard time with it; they would sort of shudder if you gave them a feather, or anything else that was soft. But they rose to the challenge. With the second film, the technology was better, so it was almost like, ‘Forget what we did before. Maybe there’s a cleaner, better way to do things — without sacrificing the design.’ We created a smoother pipeline to avoid troubleshooting with the VFX team down the line. That was important, because there were more costumes, and they were far more detailed.”

Impressive Improvement

Avatar: Fire and Ash is once again set on the moon Pandora, home to the Na’vi people. For this film, Scott and her team spent years developing intricate textiles, beading, and embroidery for nearly 1,000 costumes. While Scott’s designs were rendered digitally by Wētā FX, everything was fabricated as real, tangible items. In fact, midway through production, Scott improved efficiency by creating a “lending library” — a digital and physical archive of accessories, costumes, and props for the Wētā FX artists to reference.

“It can be hard for people to understand the design from just a drawing, which is why the initial concept was to make the costumes, and then we would put them into the digital pipeline. I would never dumb a design down; that’s not an option,” Scott said. “The only option is to create each piece to the best of my ability and then turn it over to the VFX artists and recreate it with them. I get to guide them in their process. With a real, actual sample, nothing is left to guesswork. Previously they’d receive an item, scan it, and photograph it — but the wonderful artists didn’t ever have the real thing in front of them.”

“So, I would go over to Wētā Workshop, and I would put the items on mannequins,” Scott continued. “I wanted the artists to see them, to feel them, to look at them — to really get the details down. If you’ve ever been in a workshop, or if you’ve ever made a garment, you know it’s a very particular process. We can have long discussions about the width of the seam or what kind of bead to use. I do the same thing with the digital artists, just in a different way. We discuss things like, ‘How does it move in the wind? How heavy is it? Does it press to the body or is there space?’ It’s a very detailed, very long, but rewarding journey.”

Ceaseless Creativity

Whereas Avatar introduced audiences to the rainforest-dwelling Omatikaya Clan and Avatar: The Way of Water introduced the shoreline-inhabiting Metkayina Clan, Avatar: Fire and Ash doubled the number of clan introductions. Part of Scott’s responsibility was to create clothing, accessories, and props that would distinguish the Tlalim Clan, aka the Wind Traders, and the Mangkwan Clan, aka the Ash People, from the two established Na’vi clans.

“I knew the two clans had to be remarkably different while still following the same rules of all the clans: they weave, they make their own garments, etc.,” Scott said. “You stay within the framework, so the real fun was getting to customize things based off of their stories.”

The Tlalim Clan “mostly flies around in a gondola,” she continued. “It’s a higher elevation, so it’s colder and windier. How did they cover up their bodies? In talking to Jim, I thought, ‘They’re happy-go-lucky. They travel around and spread gossip and bring wares, so they should be much more colorful.’ Then I thought, ‘What colors haven’t we done?’ I settled on some very saturated jewel tones. For their weaving, we loomed cloth; it has a lot of variations. My idea was, ‘When they’re up in the sky, what are they looking at? The sky, the clouds, the earth. What does it look like when they look down?’ I put that into the design.”

Meanwhile, the Mangkwan Clan — whose culture and lifestyle were dramatically altered after a volcanic eruption destroyed their home — have striking look inspired by their wrath.

“These are people who are really masochistic and sadistic,” Scott said. “We knew that the environments always play an important role in the costuming, and their environment is a burnt-out volcanic landscape. They have less materials. They’re not traveling around in a gondola collecting things; they’re living in a pretty yucky situation. Jim gave me the idea for the first headdress that Varang [Oona Chaplin] wears, as well as the idea of minimal clothing; that’s how many first peoples started. You’ll notice that in the supporting players — not with Varang so much, because she’s pretty high ranking and gets whatever she wants. These people don’t have a lot of time to make a lot of stuff, so they decorate their bodies, which is another incredibly common thing indigenous peoples do. The red color scheme, Jim was pretty set on. We talked a lot about, ‘Is it matte? Is it shiny? Is it granular? Is it ink? Is it paint?’ I started doing designs on paper of different ways to put stripes on the body. What does it mean? Does the lowest guy have one stripe? The masochism and the sadistic part comes in through the piercings and the scarification. It’s a way to show that their bodies — and their body ornamentation — are almost more important than clothing.”

For Scott, being able to play in the Avatar sandbox has been a dream come true.

“That’s the gift, right? You get to continually go to new places with Jim; he’s not doing a repeat,” Scott said. “We follow the characters through the script and think, ‘What’s the most exciting way to present this?’ The world’s our oyster. We can come up with anything.”

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Beginning today, Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. will have access to ABC Owned Television Station’s eight local market 24/7 livestreams from New York (WABC-TV), Los Angeles (KABC-TV), Chicago (WLS-TV), Philadelphia (WPVI-TV), Houston (KTRK-TV), San Francisco (KGO-TV), Raleigh-Durham, NC (WTVD-TV), and Fresno, CA (KFSN-TV).

The 24/7 local news streams feature live, market-specific newscasts, breaking news, important weather updates and special community events and celebrations. The streams are available in the ABC News Hub and the Live Hub. Over time, subscribers located in one of the eight markets will also see their local-market station featured in other locations on Disney+.

The new ABC local news programming joins national news coverage on Disney+ including World News Tonight with David Muir, ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis, 20/20, Good Morning America, Nightline, This Week with George Stephanopoulos, and What You Need to Know. The programming adds value for millions of subscribers and bolsters the ever-growing Disney+ content offering including movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic, all in one place.

On an early morning in late January, the filmmakers behind Disney and Pixar’s Elio were over the moon to learn that the cosmic misadventure — about an 11-year-old boy who desperately wants to be abducted by aliens — had been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards^®. It marks the second nomination for director Madeline Sharafian; the third for director Domee Shi, who previously won an Oscar^® for Bao (2018); and the first for director Adrian Molina and producer Mary Alice Drumm.

“It’s great that the Academy has recognized Elio,” Shi said. “Being nominated has almost given this movie a second life — a chance for even more people to discover it and enjoy it.”

And there’s plenty for people to discover, whether it’s their first or fiftieth time watching the movie. But, for Sharafian and Shi, its horror and sci-fi references rank high on their list.

“It was fun to start Elio off with the warm familiarity you get from a classic [Steven] Spielberg film and then twist it to surprise the audience,” Shi said. “I remember how much fun I had watching E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial [1982], but I also remember being scared by it, too. At Pixar, our films tend to make people cry or laugh, so we thought this could be a great opportunity to get some thrills, some tension, and some gasps out of the audience.”

“This movie is a love letter to the sci-fi movies we grew up with, and we put our own spin on the genre,” Shi continued. “We hope it can fit into the library of classic sci-fi films like Contact [1997] and E.T., or that it could even be like a kid’s introduction to John Carpenter.”

“Elio is step one,” Sharafian said. “A few more steps later, you can watch The Thing [1982].”

Because they “had never worked on anything sci-fi” prior to Elio, Sharafian said she and Shi rewatched “all the classic Spielberg movies” for inspiration. “There’s a nostalgic romance to them,” she said. “They’re about aliens and space, where things are unsettling but also beautiful, and I wanted to capture that feeling. All the settings on Earth were drawn from movies like E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind [1977]. There’s something about watching those classics with a new eye that I enjoyed and tried to weave into our own film.”

Because Elio is an original story, it was important to “lay the track” for the audience by including familiar references, Shi said. “We wanted to get them settled in so that they expect one thing and then give them the exact opposite. In that sense, it was really helpful for us to draw on those sci-fi tropes and homages.”

However, Sharafian noted, they were mindful not to overstuff the movie with so many references that it might risk taking people out of the story. “Elio has a sort of pushed design, and the world is crazy. The audience needs something to rest their feet on. If it’s all psychedelic and wacky, if nothing makes sense and you don’t have anything to ground yourself, you can easily fall out of the movie.”

“The base of the story, which originally came from Adrian, is about a little boy who makes his first best friend in an alien. That E.T. core has always been there and has never changed,” Sharafian said. “As we began to flesh the story out, we weren’t itching to be like, ‘Let’s put The Thing in this scene.’ You’re just sort of searching for what the movie wants. You realize, ‘Oh, we need another clone scene. We’re a sci-fi movie. What do we both like? The Thing. Let’s draw upon what we love from that and make our own scene.’ It’s all about execution.”

Intergalactic Inspiration

When Elio calls out to the universe, the universe calls back.

But what should that call sound like?

“There’s something about Close Encounters‘ tone that makes you lean in; you want to know more, even if it’s a little unnerving and eerie,” Sharafian explained. “We wanted the first act of the movie to almost feel like a thriller, so that you’re wondering, ‘What is calling [to Elio]? Is it good or is it bad?’ When the spaceship finally arrives, you’re still sort of unsure.”

The directors worked with sound designer Jeremy Bowker to craft the perfect melody, which was influenced by the work Disney Legend John Williams did for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. “The first time Elio hears it, he only hears half of it, so it is a little ambiguous if it’s a friendly or not-so-friendly tone,” Shi said. “Jeremy played us many versions, and some sounded way too scary: ‘Don’t go to the light, Elio!’ We needed a melody that was simple, that you remember, that was mysterious, that was inviting. Once Elio finally arrives at the Communiverse, Rob Simonsen, our composer, takes Jeremy’s melody and finishes it.”

The Communiverse itself was inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Muppets, Sharafian said: “There’s this absurdity, this silliness, but also this pompousness.”

Another trio of ’80s films — Richard Donner’s The Goonies (1985), Walter Murch’s Return to Oz (1985), Disney Legend Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986) — inspired some of the other story elements. “As kids, those films helped teach us how to power through scary moments, because there’s a reward at the end — like a cute little worm, who’s going to be your best friend,” Shi said, referencing Elio‘s Glordon. “You just have to power though all those teeth!”

Ultimately, Sharafian said, what makes the sci-fi and scary scenes “so amazing” is knowing “how many departments have to work in concert to make them happen, and how every single one of them has to take it farther than they usually go. We’re really lucky to work in a place where everybody can be together in the same room and hear the same notes and talk to each other in person. I think those scenes came together so well because of that.”

Cosmic Cast

Zoe Saldaña, who voices Elio’s Aunt Olga, has played aliens across the Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Trek franchises — and casting her in Elio was anything but coincidental.

“It’s all intentional,” Sharafian said with a laugh.

Star Trek’s Kate Mulgrew, who voices the museum exhibit narrator, is another such casting example. “My mom and I grew up watching Star Trek: Voyager,” Shi shared. “Being an immigrant, my mom really attached herself to Janeway, and I think she picked up on a lot of English from watching Voyager as well. That was a fun nod to the sci-fi I grew up with. Plus, Kate’s voice is so soothing but also so commanding. Of course, we have her talking about the Voyager 1 space probe. It’s a fun Easter egg for people who recognize her voice.”

From Disney Legend James Cameron‘s The Terminator (1984) to ALF (1986-1990), Elio contains plenty more references and Easter eggs — more than Sharafian or Shi can count. “Our graphics team heads most of that up. Domee and I were so focused on the story that a lot of Easter eggs were snuck into the movie without us even knowing about it,” Sharafian said. “We said to them, ‘We like Easter eggs. Go ahead!’ There is a PDF that has every single Easter egg listed, and I remember looking at it once and being like, ‘What? No way!’”

Hosted by Conan O’Brien, The Oscars will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on Sunday, March 15, at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT from the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

20^th Century Studios’ Predator: Badlands — the latest chapter in the iconic sci‑fi franchise — debuted last week as the #1 film premiere on Hulu since Prey, drawing nearly 9 million global views in its first five days on Disney+ and Hulu.

That momentum extends well beyond Predator: Badlands. Viewers have now streamed more than 300 million hours of the Predator franchise globally across Disney+ and Hulu. Fans can explore the Predator Creators Collection, now available on both platforms in the US, which includes 15 new videos that deepen the experience with creator‑led insights and perspectives.

The streaming success of Predator: Badlands follows an equally impressive theatrical run. The film became the highest‑opening and highest‑grossing Predator movie in the franchise’s 37‑year history and earned a 95% “Verified Hot” audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, signaling strong fan enthusiasm from theaters to living rooms.

With the Predator franchise having generated more than $925 million in total box office worldwide to date, Predator: Badlands represents the latest evolution of a legacy that continues to grow — reaching new audiences, deepening fan engagement, and showing how this legendary hunter remains as formidable as ever.

Today, it was announced that the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special is coming to Disney+ on Tuesday, March 24. The special will celebrate the iconic series that defined a generation — exactly two decades after its Disney Channel debut.

The special will be filmed in front of a live studio audience and will feature an exclusive, in-depth interview with Disney Legend Miley Cyrus, hosted by Alex Cooper. The conversation will offer an intimate look at the creation of one of pop culture’s most iconic characters and the lasting impact the show and character have had on fans around the world. With heartfelt nostalgia and fresh perspective, Cyrus will revisit the moments, music, and memories that defined an era. Viewers will be treated to never-before-seen archival footage, while some of the most memorable sets from Hannah Montana are brought back to life — including the Stewart family living room and the legendary Hannah Montana closet. There will also be some familiar *notes* that find their way back into the spotlight…

With one of Disney’s most passionate fandoms, Hannah Montana became a global phenomenon, reshaping kids’ television, influencing music and fashion, and launching a generation-defining pop star. The Emmy^Ⓡ-nominated series spawned 14 platinum and 18 gold albums worldwide, as well as two feature films.

“Hannah Montana will always be a part of who I am. What started as a TV show became a shared experience that shaped my life and the lives of so many fans, and I’ll always be thankful for that connection,” Cyrus said. “The fact that it still means so much to people all these years later is something I’m very proud of. This ‘Hannahversary’ is my way of celebrating and thanking the fans who’ve stood by me for 20 years.”

“Hannah Montana opened the door for so many fans to dream big, sing loud, and embrace every side of themselves, which is why its legacy continues to shine across generations,” said Ayo Davis, President, Disney Branded Television. “Partnering with Miley on this special is a dream, and we want it to be a love letter to the fans, who remain as passionate today as they were when the series debuted almost 20 years ago.”

The special is produced by HopeTown Entertainment and Unwell Productions. Ashley Edens serves as showrunner, with Cyrus, Tish Cyrus-Purcell, Cooper, and Matt Kaplan as executive producers. Cooper will also host the special, guiding Hannah Montana fans through the nostalgic and highly-anticipated anniversary celebration.

Fans can relive their favorite Miley moments ahead of the anniversary special with the Hannah Montana Collection on Disney+. And, starting Thursday, February 19, they can dive even deeper with a dedicated non-stop Stream featuring all four seasons of Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana: The Movie, and Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert. Demonstrating the franchise’s enduring popularity, the Hannah Montana catalog has amassed more than half a billion hours streamed globally on Disney+ to date.

The recent special event, The Muppet Show, delivered nearly 8 million total viewers (7.58 million) across ABC and Disney+ through eight days of multiplatform viewing, underscoring the enduring popularity of the beloved franchise.

And the momentum didn’t stop there — fans have now spent more than 125 million hours watching The Muppets franchise on Disney+, demonstrating deep engagement with Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the entire ensemble.

The Muppet Show has also earned critical acclaim. The special is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, boasting a near‑perfect 98% Tomatometer Score.

Watch this message from Kermit the Frog, which is also available on Instagram, about the smash-hit special event.

The Muppet Show premiered February 4, and features the iconic Muppets alongside executive producer Seth Rogen and special guest stars Sabrina Carpenter and Maya Rudolph.

Today, Disney revealed the first teaser for the highly anticipated Camp Rock 3, coming to Disney+ and Disney Channel in Summer 2026. The teaser includes a first look at the Jonas Brothers’ return as Connect 3 and the new generation of campers joining the iconic franchise.

The story picks up when Connect 3 loses their opening act for a major reunion tour, returning to their beloved Camp Rock to discover the next big thing. As campers vie for the chance to open for their favorite band, tensions rise and friendships are tested, leading to unexpected alliances, revelations, and romances.

Camp Rock’s all-new campers include bold and determined Sage (Liamani Segura) and her easygoing brother Desi (Hudson Stone); camp bad boy Fletch (Malachi Barton); cello prodigy Rosie (Lumi Pollack); drummer with his own beat Cliff (Casey Trotter); choreo queen Callie (Brooklynn Pitts); and intimidating influencer Madison (Ava Jean). Sherry Cola also joins the franchise as Lark. Returning cast members include Joe Jonas as Shane Gray, Nick Jonas as Nate Gray, Kevin Jonas as Jason Gray, and Maria Canals-Barrera as Connie.

Directed by Veronica Rodriguez and written by Eydie Faye, the Camp Rock 3 is produced by Disney Branded Television and features choreography by Jamal Sims. Tim Federle executive produces, along with Joe, Nick, Kevin, Demi Lovato, Betsy Sullenger, Spencer Berman, and Gary Marsh. A special thanks to Alan Sacks for his contribution to the Camp Rock franchise.

Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010) are among the Top 10 Disney Channel Original Movies of all time and were the No. 1 Cable Movie Premiere in their years of premiere.* With chart-topping music and standout musical numbers, the Camp Rock franchise launched superstar talent and continues to permeate pop culture over 15 years after its debut, inspiring viral moments on social media.

*With persons 2+ and teens 12-17. Source: NMR Ranked on Live+7 delivery 000s among all movies on cable for the years of 2008 and 2010.

20th Century Studios’ Send Help — opening in theaters on Friday, January 30 — is a psychological survival thriller from director and producer Sam Raimi that tracks the escalating twists and turns that unfold after Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), an awkward and overlooked employee at a consulting firm, and her arrogant boss, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), survive a plane crash and wind up stranded together on a deserted island.

The “rivetingly bonkers” (The Hollywood Reporter) screenplay is by screenwriting duo Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, who pitched it to producer Zainab Azizi, President, Raimi Productions. “When it comes to developing projects with Sam, it’s all about the character,” Azizi said. “When Damian and Mark pitched the idea of Linda Liddle, I knew Sam had to hear it right away.”

Raimi — renowned for his masterful blend of comedy and horror, which includes his signature gonzo visual style — was immediately taken by the story and all its moral ambiguities. “By setting the story on a deserted island with only two people, it allowed Damian and Mark to really get deep with these characters,” Raimi said. “With no one else to interrupt them, it’s easier to lie to each other or try to pull something over on the other.”

In that way, Send Help is “a devilish treat” (Deadline). Indeed, it’s a true-two-hander, with McAdams and O’Brien each showcasing their limitless range as Raimi continually subverts the viewers’ expectations. “When we were developing the script, we always wanted to make sure that we were ahead of the audience,” Azizi said. “Audiences today are so smart, but what Mark and Damian wrote is full of twists and turns and surprises. It’s totally original.”

Raimi added, “We thought it would be really interesting for the audience to go through this transformation of identification. That was one of the unique things about the script, and the actors and I really ran with that. We didn’t know if it had been done before in movies; there’s probably a reason why they don’t do it, because you risk never getting the audience back. So, there were a lot of fears in my head, but the excitement of the possibility of creating something original in that way, if we were successful, far outweighed all my fears.”

Raimi needn’t have worried, as he “knows precisely which buttons to push” (Variety).

“I tried to keep ‘Sam Raimi’ in the box he belongs in, as I was trying to service the script and the characters,” Raimi said. “Yes, when there’s an outrageous moment, that’s where I let ‘Sam’ do his thing and make it a little more outrageous than maybe it should be. But I also wanted to make an entertaining movie. That’s why we’re in this — to give the audience a thrill. I hope the movie stirs people’s imaginations and causes them to talk about ‘what if.’”

Marvel Television’s Wonder Man — premiering Tuesday, January 27, with all eight episodes on Disney+ — introduces Simon Williams (Emmy^® Award winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an aspiring actor looking for his big break. Though he’s ambitious, resourceful, and talented, Simon can’t get out of his own head. During a chance meeting with Trevor Slattery (Oscar^®, GRAMMY^® Award, and two-time Golden Globe^® Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley) — an out-of-work actor haunted by his infamous role as the terrorist known as the Mandarin — Simon learns that legendary director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić) is remaking the superhero film Wonder Man. It would be the role of a lifetime for Simon, and he works hard to get cast as the titular hero — all while keeping his own superpowers hidden.

In the Q&A below, Wonder Man series co-creator and head writer Andrew Guest opens up about what inspired his take on Simon Williams; fleshing out Trevor’s backstory following appearances in Iron Man 3 (2013) and Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings (2021); and giving fans a peek behind the curtain of the entertainment industry while showcasing the different facets of Hollywood.

What sets Wonder Man apart from other films and series in the MCU?

We really tried to make a show that felt different, that is still in the umbrella of the MCU, that still has a lot of the same DNA at its heart in terms of storytelling, comedy, and character, but is accessible to a different kind of audience. Hopefully people who love the MCU will still love this show, but people who think maybe the MCU is not for them might find Simon Williams as somebody they can root for and fall in love with. That’s the hope.

What inspired you to introduce Simon to the MCU in this way?

We’re trying to tell stories about the entertainment industry, really. And, to me, that’s about people who have stories to tell, who are facing the odds of a very difficult industry and still pursuing their dream — no matter what. I like the idea of Simon being an outsider, because Trevor’s an outsider, and seeing how they find each other and find a friendship in spite of everything.

Speaking of Trevor, what made you want to revisit and elevate that character?

One of the great resources we had was Sir Ben Kingsley, both in terms of him committing to being in the show, and in his understanding of this character that he’s lived with for 13 years. [Wonder Man co-creator and director Destin Daniel Cretton] and I had conversations with Sir Ben about who Trevor was, about what Trevor’s mother was like, about where his love of acting came from. The more I talked to him about it, the more I wanted to put all that into the show. I felt a real sense of responsibility writing for someone like Sir Ben; I wanted to give him material that was up to snuff and wouldn’t disappoint. Any page of dialogue you give him, he’s going to knock it out of park. We all raised each other’s game.

Trevor also finds himself mixed up with the Department of Damage Control…

Trevor often seems like the victim of circumstance. In Iron Man 3, he got caught up in this big cabal of bad guys who were using him. In Shang-Chi, he got caught up with the good guys — but he was still caught up. I liked the idea that we could take this character who — the moment he gets off the plane in LA — once again gets caught up in something big. But, for the first time, we see him decide to take ownership and action and realize that he can’t just blame circumstance anymore. He needs to step up and figure out what’s important to him and make some sacrifices. Even though he’s not putting on a cape and flying around, Trevor’s doing something selfless and sacrificing. And, to me, that’s heroism.

Why was it so important for you to set Wonder Man in real and recognizable Hollywood locations, whether it’s in restaurants like Clark Street Diner and Mother Wolf or at locations like the TCL Chinese Theatre?

Our incredible production designers, Cindy Chao and Michele Yu, are LA natives. When they presented to us, they showed us not only the kind of Hollywood that many people are familiar with, but they showed pictures of Thai Elvis and the House of Davids — all these quirky, eccentric sides of LA that aren’t often explored. That was really fun for us in the writer’s room. So, getting to shoot in LA, for LA, with an LA-based crew was really a gift. It really made the show feel different, and I don’t think you could replicate it in any other way.

You have Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano playing versions of themselves, and there are also references to Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Glenn Howerton. Between casting and locations, how else did you ensure that the series would feel authentically Hollywood?

Part of making things feel real is being specific and using touchpoints that we all understand. I don’t want Simon acting on a random TV show in the pilot; I want it to be American Horror Story. I want to mention actors we all know. That’s hard to do in the MCU, because there’s so many people who are already in it… We tried hard. The tentacles of the MCU are all over this town.

Speaking of American Horror Story, Wonder Man includes countless other references and story points that span the various studios and content brands within The Walt Disney Company. As a writer, what was it like having that wealth of IP at your disposal?

Well, one of the tricky things we came up against in the pilot was which show that Simon was going to be on. Luckily, when we reached out to Ryan Murphy, he was on board. We had full agreement with him — and we even got to name check him, which was really fun. That’s an iconic show, and we felt confident would still be in the zeitgeist. All those things make it feel real.

What are you most excited for fans to take away from Wonder Man?

I’m excited for audiences to hopefully relate to and root for these two weirdos. And I’m excited for all the people who put so much time and effort into this project — our crew, every department head, every accountant — to finally see all the fruits of their labor onscreen, because that’s what we’re all in it for. We all work really hard, and we want people to see the work and appreciate the work. Hopefully, people connect with the show.

The Walt Disney Company proudly announces four Academy Award^® nominations across The Walt Disney Studios (20th Century Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios). Plus, Disney+ subscribers across the UK and Europe can stream the nominated shorts A Friend of Dorothy (Best Live Action Short Film) and Retirement Plan (Best Animated Short Film).

The Oscars^® will air live on ABC, stream live on Hulu, and air live in more than 200 territories worldwide on Sunday, March 15, from the Dolby^® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood. Emmy^® Award-winning television host, writer, producer, and comedian Conan O’Brien will return to host The Oscars for a second consecutive year; Emmy Award winners Raj Kapoor and Katy Mullan will return as executive producers for a third consecutive year; and Jeff Ross and Mike Sweeney will return as producers for a second time, with Sweeney also serving as a writer.

Congratulations to this year’s nominees:

Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)
2 Nominations
Now in Theaters

• Best Costume Design – Deborah L. Scott
• Best Visual Effects – Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon, and Daniel Barrett

Elio (Pixar Animation Studios)
1 Nomination
Premiered in Theaters, Streams on Disney+

• Best Animated Feature Film – Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, and Mary Alice Drumm

Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
1 Nomination
Now in Theaters

• Best Animated Feature Film – Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Yvett Merino

Zootopia 2 is now the highest-grossing animated Motion Picture Association (MPA) film of all time, having just surpassed Inside Out 2. This milestone also makes Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 the #9 biggest film in history worldwide.

“This milestone belongs first and foremost to the fans around the world whose enthusiasm made it possible. We’re incredibly proud of our filmmakers Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Yvett Merino and the entire team at Walt Disney Animation Studios for creating a film that connects so deeply with audiences everywhere. Zootopia 2 is an extraordinary achievement, and we’re grateful to everyone who helped bring it to life,” said Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment.

Additional Highlights:

• $1.703 billion global gross to date ($390 million domestic / $1.313 billion international)
• #1 global MPA release of 2025
• #1 global MPA release of all time in China ($619 million to date)
• #1 international MPA release of 2025
• #9 global film of all time
• The Walt Disney Studios have released the top three animated MPA releases with Zootopia 2 (#1), Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (#2) and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen 2 (#3)
• The two Zootopia films have delivered a combined global box office total exceeding $2.73 billion to date
• “Verified Hot” Rotten Tomatoes 96% Audience Score and an A “Cinema Score”
• Opened on November 26, 2025 to a record-breaking $559.5 million in five days, becoming the highest global animated opening of all time, the highest global debut of 2025, and the highest global opening for any animated film in Disney history
• Fastest animated MPA — and fastest PG-rated — film to reach $1 billion

Zootopia 2 continues its theatrical run in theaters worldwide.

About Zootopia 2

In Zootopia 2, rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) find themselves on the twisting trail of a great mystery when Gary De’Snake (voice of Academy Award® winner Ke Huy Quan) arrives in Zootopia and turns the animal metropolis upside down. To crack the case, Judy and Nick must go undercover to unexpected new parts of town, where their growing partnership is tested like never before. The Oscar®-winning team of Jared Bush and Byron Howard (directors) and Yvett Merino (producer) are the principal filmmakers.

When the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical premiered on January 20, 2006, it ushered in the start of something new — a wave of music-driven film franchises that would define childhoods, mint superstars, and inspire audiences all around the world.

Directed by Disney Legend Kenny Ortega, the movie starred Zac Efron as Troy Bolton, Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez, Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans, Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans, Corbin Bleu as Chad Danforth, and Monique Coleman as Taylor McKessie — all up-and-comers, save for Tisdale, star of Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

In its premiere weekend, High School Musical delivered 7.7 million Total Viewers* in the U.S. — record ratings for the network. Its success extended offscreen, becoming the first-ever TV movie soundtrack to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as the No. 1 album, No. 1 soundtrack, and No. 1 Kids album of 2006. The following year, 18.6 million viewers tuned in for the premiere of High School Musical 2, making it the No. 1 cable TV movie of all time. The sequel’s soundtrack was certified triple platinum. In 2008, Walt Disney Pictures released High School Musical 3: Senior Year theatrically — a franchise first. It broke multiple records and ultimately grossed over $250 million at the global box office.

The franchise continued when the meta mockumentary comedy High School Musical: The Musical: The Series premiered on Disney+ at launch in 2019. Created and executive produced by Tim Federle, it introduced a new generation of megastars: Olivia Rodrigo as Nini Salazar-Roberts, Joshua Bassett as Ricky Bowen, Matt Cornett as E.J. Caswell, Sofia Wylie as Gina Porter, Larry Saperstein as Big Red, Julia Lester as Ashlyn Caswell, Dara Reneé as Kourtney Greene, Frankie Rodriguez as Carlos Rodriguez, and Joe Serafini as Seb Matthew-Smith. Stars from the original films — Bleu, Coleman, Grabeel, Bart Johnson, Alyson Reed, and Kaycee Stroh — also made cameos throughout the series’ four seasons.

Twenty years later, High School Musical remains one of Disney Channel’s most popular franchises — one that continues to attract generations of new viewers, with more than 1.2 billion lifetime hours across streaming and linear.** All three films continue to rank among the top Disney Channel Original Movies on Disney+ in 2025, globally and domestically**. But the numbers only tell part of the story, as High School Musical helped establish Disney’s music-driven model, powering hit franchises such as Descendants (nearly 1 billion hours viewed to date across streaming and linear), in addition to Camp Rock and ZOMBIES.

In celebration of High School Musical‘s 20th anniversary, Disney Branded Television’s Charlie Andrews, EVP, Live Action, and Steven Vincent, SVP, Music and Soundtracks, explain how the franchise’s massive success paved the way for their division to develop more music-driven franchises that span generations and geographies.

No one expected High School Musical to become a global hit when it premiered on Disney Channel in 2006. Why do you think the movie became such a phenomenon?

Charlie Andrews: Gary Marsh [former President of Disney Channels Worldwide] and his team knew how to build stars, and they found the absolute best talent to bring these characters to life. I also think High School Musical was very relatable. What the audience found through these characters were really transcendent coming-of-age experiences of wanting to be who you are. Figuring out how to find your voice and find out who you are through your friendships is so universal. In addition to that, when you tack on incredible music, it brings people together. The songs were so special and so of the moment, and it was one of the most effective ways to drive pop culture and to bring these kids together.

Steven Vincent: It reached you emotionally, but it was also fun and cool. And, of course, it had great music. The songs were so important to people. As I watched the movie go global, I remember thinking, “How is this working just as well in Japan, in India, in Germany?” No matter where they are, teenagers are going through the same types of experiences. The story is about identity: “Who do I want to be? Who are people saying I’m supposed to be?”

Steven, the High School Musical soundtrack features multiple musical genres and styles. Why did you go that route, and how did it open things up to a wider audience?

Steven Vincent: Our audience is very diverse, but the music is only there to help tell the story. As we started working through the script, we knew it would be in part based on the pop music of the day. That felt like a nice entry point for our lead kids. The show within the show was written by Kelsi Nielsen [Olesya Rulin], so a lot of the songs are not full blast with everybody dancing; we start with the piano, because that was her instrument. Because this was about theater kids, it made sense to have some Broadway-sounding songs, like “Stick to the Status Quo” and “Bop to the Top.” What feels like Troy and Gabriella? Mainstream pop music. What feels like Ryan and Sharpay? Showtunes. And then we needed an anthem, and that became “We’re All in this Together.” It stands the test of time.

What’s the secret to creating and growing a franchise like High School Musical?

Charlie Andrews: It’s about meeting audiences where they are, creating authentic portrayals of a teenage experience, and then plussing it up with great music, costumes, spectacle, and wish fulfillment. High School Musical is the perfect combination of all that.

High School Musical made superstars out of its six leads, whose projects spanned films, music, and television. How is Disney setting today’s young stars up for similar success?

Charlie Andrews: If you look at Malachi Barton, he’s blown up in the past year with the Descendants/ZOMBIES: Worlds Collide Tour. He’s going to be a lead in Camp Rock 3 this summer. Right after that, he’s one of the leads in our new series, Coven Academy. As he ages, finding those roles for him to grow up within our ecosystem is so important. And we talk about that with all of our talent, from Malachi and Freya Skye to Kylie Cantrall and Malia Baker. It’s always top of mind for us.

Look at Milo Manheim, who just cast as Flynn Rider in the live-action Tangled for the movie studio. We are incredibly proud of him, and we’re so lucky we get to keep him in house and continue in the ZOMBIES franchise. It’s the same with the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, who play a huge part in rebooting the Camp Rock franchise. Oftentimes, when those kids would grow up, they would go elsewhere to find other roles. But now, with Disney+ and Hulu and FX being a part of the same ecosystem, they can continue to grow within. It’s been a real gift for us to be able to keep them within the broader Disney family.

From music and merchandise to concert tours and social media content creation, how does High School Musical serve as a blueprint for how you sustain hit franchises today?

Charlie Andrews: High School Musical proved that when kids truly connect with a story, they want to experience it in every part of their lives. Kids are rewatching the content over and over again on Disney+. The engagement is huge. But it’s not just their love of the movie — it’s their love of the characters and of the actors. It’s an incredible fandom. They are singing the songs on the way to school, after school, during school. They are wearing the costumes from Descendants and ZOMBIES, but they’re also modeling their outfits after what the actors are wearing in real life. It’s all-encompassing.

I brought my 9-year-old niece to the final show of the World’s Collide Tour in Dallas, and it’s so interesting because she is a huge fan of Red, but she’s also been re-watching the first three Descendants movies over and over. It’s one example of how we are constantly bringing in new fans to our franchises because of what Disney+ offers. That’s something we didn’t have before, when you’d have to wait for repeat airings or buy the DVD. With Disney+, we are constantly allowing new generations to discover these amazing movies.

From a strategic point of view, what impact has High School Musical had on Disney Branded Television’s business today

Charlie Andrews: We’re always inspired by all the creatives who brought the franchise to life. When I started here, Ayo Davis [President, Disney Branded Television] said our No. 1 goal was to build the next generation of Disney stars, much like that generation had done for Disney Channel. It’s been really incredible to reboot the Descendants franchise, to pass the baton to the next generation with the ZOMBIES franchise, and to see these incredible kids — like Malachi and Freya, Kylie and Malia — turn into huge stars over the past two years.

And this summer, Liamani Segura will play Red’s little sister, Pink, in Descendants: Wicked Wonderland, and then she plays our female lead in Camp Rock 3. We are really investing in building these kids into stars and building a fandom behind them. That goes all the way back to High School Musical, of course, as well as The Cheetah Girls, Descendants, and ZOMBIES.

From High School Musical to Camp Rock 3, why is Disney uniquely positioned to tell impactful, music-driven stories on a huge global scale?

Charlie Andrews: Music doesn’t just unite teenagers; it brings the entire family together for a shared experience. Whether it’s a Pixar movie, a Walt Disney Animation Studios movie, or an incredible DCOM, music is powerful. Disney does music better than anyone.

Steven Vincent: High School Musical is now one of the jewels in the Disney crown. It’s considered timeless, sitting proudly next to other music classics like Mary Poppins and The Lion King on Disney+. Working with artists to create the next new chapter of the Disney songbook has been awesome. I’m most proud of having made a great impact on kids’ lives. I get to spend every day making positive energy and helping to create stuff that’s going to last forever. Working with young talent, I feel such a responsibility to help them grow. It’s been fun to see so many of them become GRAMMY^®-winning artists, great actors, you name it.

Today, The Walt Disney Company received 10 Actor Award® nominations across its content brands and studios. Winners of the 32nd Annual Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA will be announced at the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 1, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. As previously announced, Disney Legend Harrison Ford will receive the guild’s highest honor, the SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award, for his career and humanitarian achievements.

Congratulations to this year’s nominees:

The Beast in Me (20th Television)
2 Nominations
Streams Externally

• Outstanding Performance by Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series – Claire Danes
• Outstanding Performance by Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series – Matthew Rhys

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu Originals/20th Television)
2 Nominations
Streams on Hulu

• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series – Martin Short

Abbott Elementary (ABC/20th Television)
1 Nomination
Premieres on ABC, Streams on Hulu

• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Andor (Lucasfilm Ltd.)
1 Nomination
Streams on Disney+

• Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series

The Bear (FX/Hulu)
1 Nomination
Streams on Hulu

• Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Dying for Sex (FX/Hulu/20th Television)
1 Nomination
Streams on Hulu

• Outstanding Performance by Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series – Michelle Williams

Nobody Wants This (20th Television)
1 Nomination
Streams Externally

• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series – Adam Brody

Paradise (Hulu Originals/20th Television)
1 Nomination
Streams on Hulu

• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series – Sterling K. Brown

Kathleen Kennedy to Step Down as Lucasfilm President and Return to Full-Time Producing

Dave Filoni to Lead Lucasfilm as President and Chief Creative Officer Alongside Lynwen Brennan as Co-President

The Walt Disney Studios announced today that, after nearly 14 years of leading Lucasfilm, President Kathleen Kennedy is stepping down from her role and will transition back to full-time producing, including the studio’s upcoming feature films The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter. Going forward, Dave Filoni will take on creative leadership of Lucasfilm as President and Chief Creative Officer, Lucasfilm, and Lynwen Brennan will serve as Co-President, Lucasfilm, with each having held senior executive roles at the studio for more than 15 years. The two will report to Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman, and their close collaboration will carry Lucasfilm into its next chapter of storytelling, with a strong foundation of creative vision and operational leadership guiding the studio forward.

“When we acquired Lucasfilm more than a decade ago, we knew we were bringing into the Disney family not only one of the most beloved and enduring storytelling universes ever created, but also a team of extraordinary talent led by a visionary filmmaker – someone who had been handpicked by George Lucas himself, no less,” said Bob Iger, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “We’re deeply grateful for Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership, her vision, and her stewardship of such an iconic studio and brand.”

“Kathleen Kennedy has been a tremendous force in the industry for 50 years, and it’s been our privilege to have her here at Disney leading Lucasfilm for nearly 14 of them,” said Bergman. “She has steered Star Wars to incredible box office heights and brought a new generation of fans into the fold. We appreciate having her on board to produce our next couple of films, and the studio remains in extraordinarily capable hands with Dave Filoni, who’s a brilliant storyteller, and Lynwen Brennan, an avid innovator and business leader. They are deeply passionate and experienced executives who will continue to drive the studio and Star Wars forward in exciting new directions.”

“When George Lucas asked me to take over Lucasfilm upon his retirement, I couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead,” said Kennedy. “It has been a true privilege to spend more than a decade working alongside the extraordinary talent at Lucasfilm. Their creativity and dedication have been an inspiration, and I’m deeply proud of what we’ve accomplished together. I’m excited to continue developing films and television with both longtime collaborators and fresh voices who represent the future of storytelling.”

“My love of storytelling was shaped by the films of Kathleen Kennedy and George Lucas,” said Filoni. “I never dreamed I would be privileged to learn the craft of filmmaking from both of them. From Rey to Grogu, Kathy has overseen the greatest expansion in Star Wars storytelling onscreen that we have ever seen. I am incredibly grateful to Kathy, George, Bob Iger, and Alan Bergman for their trust and the opportunity to lead Lucasfilm in this new role, doing a job I truly love. May the Force be with you.”

“Lucasfilm has played such a meaningful part in my life,” said Brennan. “It’s a community of inspiring storytellers with a rebel spirit like no other, and I am honored to join Dave Filoni in leading us forward. I have been so fortunate to learn from George Lucas, Kathy Kennedy, and Alan Bergman and have unwavering faith in Dave’s creative vision for the next chapter in this storied studio’s legacy.”

Filoni joined Lucasfilm in 2005 and has played a pivotal role in shaping the creative direction of the Star Wars universe. Working closely with George Lucas, Filoni was instrumental in establishing the company’s animation studio and has since expanded the franchise into new and compelling territory. His storytelling contributions span acclaimed series such as Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels, and The Mandalorian, earning multiple Emmy Awards and nominations. Filoni currently serves as showrunner for Ahsoka, now in production for its second season, and is teaming with Jon Favreau on The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Brennan has been with Lucasfilm since 1999, beginning at Industrial Light & Magic where she rose through the ranks to become its leader in 2009. She was appointed General Manager of Lucasfilm in 2015 and President & General Manager of Lucasfilm Business in 2024. During her tenure, she has guided the company through transformative technological shifts with a clear strategic vision and a commitment to innovation, and her industry leadership has been recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Visual Effects Society and the honor of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

Since being named head of Lucasfilm in 2012, Kennedy has guided a new era of storytelling, expanding Star Wars and Indiana Jones while championing bold creative directions and exciting new voices. She oversaw the record-shattering release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first in a new trilogy of billion-dollar Skywalker Saga films, as well as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which also grossed over $1 billion worldwide and led to the creation of the Emmy-winning Andor series. She also led Lucasfilm’s foray into live-action Star Wars series, including three seasons of The Mandalorian as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka, and others, alongside popular animated shows such as Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Star Wars: Visions. Kennedy is currently producing the feature film The Mandalorian and Grogu and director Shawn Levy’s Star Wars: Starfighter, set for theatrical release in 2026 and 2027, respectively.

As Kennedy transitions back to producing, broadening her portfolio with new collaborations across genres and platforms, she builds on a remarkable 50-year career as one of the most accomplished producers in film history. As co-founder of Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall, she helped bring to life iconic films including E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Schindler’s List, The Sixth Sense, and Lincoln. Her 70+ films have earned 25 Academy Awards® among more than 120 nominations, along with billions at the global box office. She was honored with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ coveted Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 2018 and the Producers Guild of America’s Milestone Award in 2022.

The Walt Disney Studios announced on Sunday that 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash has officially surpassed $1 billion at the global box office, cementing another monumental achievement for James Cameron’s groundbreaking franchise and underscoring its unparalleled connection with audiences worldwide.

The milestone makes Avatar: Fire and Ash the third film in the franchise to surpass $1 billion globally, establishing Avatar among the most elite franchises in cinema history — and one of only a select few whose three films have each crossed the billion-dollar threshold. It is also the third $1 billion title released by The Walt Disney Studios in 2025 alongside Zootopia 2 and Lilo & Stitch.

Avatar: Fire and Ash has demonstrated the franchise’s signature theatrical staying power, building its global total through sustained performance driven by premium-format demand, and extended international play — hallmarks that have defined the Avatar phenomenon since 2009.

Key Highlights:

• $ 1.083 billion global gross to date ($306 million domestic / $777.1 million international)
• No. 2 MPA global release of 2025
• No. 2 among the year’s top-grossing MPA international releases with standout results across multiple markets including China ($138 million and the second highest-grossing MPA film of 2025), France ($81 million), Germany ($64 million), and Korea ($44 million)
• Franchise power with three Avatar films delivering a combined global box office total exceeding $6.35 billion to date

Avatar: Fire and Ash continues its theatrical run in theaters worldwide.

About Avatar: Fire and Ash:

James Cameron takes audiences back to Pandora in an immersive new adventure with Marine turned Na’vi leader Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Na’vi warrior Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the Sully family. The film, which is directed by James Cameron and features a screenplay by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver, and a story by James Cameron & Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver & Josh Friedman & Shane Salerno, is produced by James Cameron, p.g.a., and Jon Landau, p.g.a., with Richard Baneham, Rae Sanchini, and David Valdes serving as executive producers. The film also stars Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Britain Dalton, Jamie Flatters, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Brendan Cowell, Bailey Bass, Filip Geljo, Duane Evans, Jr., and Kate Winslet.

Breaking all records and dominating the industry, and setting a new company record, The Walt Disney Company today received 103 Children’s & Family Emmy^® Award nominations across its content brands and studios: Disney Branded Television and The Walt Disney Studios (Lucasfilm, Marvel Animation, Marvel Studios, National Geographic, Pixar Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Animation Studios).

Disney+ is the ultimate streaming destination for kids and families, home to 102 nominations. Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Skeleton Crew is most-nominated series with 17 nods, including Outstanding Young Teen Series.

“We are deeply honored by these nominations, which reflect the enduring connection our stories and characters have with children and families around the world,” said Ayo Davis, President, Disney Branded Television. “Congratulations to our incredible talent and creative partners who help us bring Disney magic to life every day, and congrats to all of today’s nominees!”

Disney Branded Television fuels Disney+ and the Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Jr. linear networks with live-action and animated content geared toward preschoolers, kids, tweens, teens, and families.

A complete list of all The Walt Disney Company nominations follows:

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+/Lucasfilm)
Streaming on Disney+
17 Nominations

• Outstanding Young Teen Series
• Outstanding Lead Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Jude Law
• Outstanding Younger Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Ravi Cabot-Conyers
• Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Series – “This Could Be a Real Adventure”
• Outstanding Directing for a Live Action Series – “This Could Be a Real Adventure”
• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Single Camera Live Action Program – “This Could Be a Real Adventure”
• Outstanding Editing for a Young Teen Live Action Program – “The Real Good Guys”
• Outstanding Editing for a Young Teen Live Action Program – “We’re Gonna Be in So Much Trouble”
• Outstanding Editing for a Young Teen Live Action Program – “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program – “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates”
• Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design – “You Have a Lot to Learn About Pirates”
• Outstanding Costume Design / Styling – “Way, Way Out Past the Barrier”
• Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup – “Zero Friends Again”
• Outstanding Show Open
• Outstanding Visual Effects for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Casting for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Live Action Program

Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+/Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
11 Nominations

• Outstanding Fiction Special
• Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Dara Reneé
• Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design
• Outstanding Costume Design / Styling
• Outstanding Hairstyling and Makeup
• Outstanding Original Song for a Children’s or Young Teen Program – “Red”
• Outstanding Original Song for a Children’s or Young Teen Program – “Red Christmas”
• Outstanding Casting for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Choreography

Goosebumps: The Vanishing (Disney+/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
11 Nominations

• Outstanding Young Teen Series
• Outstanding Lead Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – David Schwimmer
• Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Series – “Stay Out of the Basement, Part I”
• Outstanding Directing for a Live Action Series – “Stay Out of the Basement, Part I”
• Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program – “Welcome to Camp Nightmare”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program – “The Girl Next Door”
• Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design – “Welcome to Camp Nightmare”
• Outstanding Show Open
• Outstanding Visual Effects for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Casting for a Live Action Program
• Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Live Action Program

Dream Productions (Pixar Animation Studios)
Streaming on Disney+
8 Nominations

• Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series
• Outstanding Single Role Voice Performer in a Children’s or Young Teen Program – Maya Rudolph
• Outstanding Younger Voice Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Kensington Tallman
• Outstanding Directing for an Animated Series – “Part 4: A Night to Remember”
• Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for an Animated Program – “Part 4: A Night to Remember”
• Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program – “Part 4: A Night to Remember”
• Outstanding Show Open
• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program

A Real Bug’s Life (National Geographic)
Streaming on Disney+
8 Nominations

• Outstanding Informational Program
• Outstanding Writing for a Preschool or Children’s Series – “Love in the Forest”
• Outstanding Directing for a Live Action Series – “Love in the Forest”
• Outstanding Music Direction and Composition for a Live Action Program – “Love in the Forest”
• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Single Camera Live Action Program – “Love in the Forest”
• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Single Camera Live Action Program – “Tiny Heroes Down Under”
• Outstanding Editing for a Preschool or Children’s Live Action Program – “Love in the Forest”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Live Action Program – “Once a Pond a Time”

Win or Lose (Disney+/Pixar Animation Studios)
Streaming on Disney+
7 Nominations

• Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series
• Outstanding Younger Voice Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Chanel Stewart
• Outstanding Writing for a Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series – “Pickle”
• Outstanding Directing for an Animated Series – “Home”
• Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program – “Mixed Signals”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for an Animated Program – “Home”
• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program

RoboGobo (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
5 Nominations

• Outstanding Voice Performer in a Preschool Program – Ana Gasteyer
• Outstanding Single Role Voice Performer in a Children’s or Young Teen Program – Cynthia Erivo
• Outstanding Younger Voice Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Ja’Siah Young
• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program – “The Show Will Go On”
• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program

An Almost Christmas Story (Disney+/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
4 Nominations

• Outstanding Animated Special
• Outstanding Single Role Voice Performer in a Children’s or Young Teen Program – John C. Reilly
• Outstanding Editing for an Animated Program
• Outstanding Casting for an Animated Program

Kiff (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
4 Nominations

• Outstanding Animated Special – “Kiff: The Haunting of Miss McGravy’s House”
• Outstanding Animated Special – “Kiff: Lore of the Ring Light”
• Outstanding Multiple Role Voice Performer in a Children’s or Young Teen Program – H. Michael Croner as Barry Buns, Rat, Chubbles Wubbington, Soda Jerk and Buffalo Security
• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series – “Up All Night | Rotten Banana”

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Disney+/Lucasfilm)
Streaming on Disney+
4 Nominations

• Outstanding Voice Performer in a Preschool Program – Dee Bradley Baker
• Outstanding Directing for a Preschool Animated Series – “The Battle of Tenoo”
• Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program – “The Battle of Tenoo”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program – “The Battle of Tenoo”

Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel/Marvel Animation/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
3 Nominations

• Outstanding Writing for a Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series – “Crushed”
• Outstanding Directing for an Animated Series – “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”
• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series – “Shoot for the Moon”

Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends (Disney Jr./Marvel Studios/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
3 Nominations

• Outstanding Younger Voice Performer in a Preschool, Children’s or Young Teen Program – Alkaio Thiele
• Outstanding Editing for a Preschool Animated Program – “Moon Girl and the Dino Dilemma | Hulk’s Squirrely Switch”
• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for a Preschool Animated Program – “Moon Girl and the Dino Dilemma | Hulk’s Squirrely Switch”

Disney Jr.’s Ariel (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
2 Nominations

• Outstanding Voice Performer in a Preschool Program – Amber Riley
• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program – “One Colorful Ocean”

Wizards Beyond Waverly Place (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
2 Nominations

• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Multiple Camera Live Action Program – “Nigh Is Now”
• Outstanding Art Direction / Set Decoration / Scenic Design – “Everything Is Not What It Seems”

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Disney+/Marvel Animation)
Streaming on Disney+
2 Nominations

• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series – “If This Be My Destiny…”
• Outstanding Show Open

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip (Disney+)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Fiction Special

Big City Greens (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Children’s or Young Teen Animated Series

BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Hulu
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Cinematography and Technical Arts for a Multiple Camera Live Action Program – “Happy Trails”

Harlem Ice (Disney+/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Informational Program

How Not to Draw (Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Short Form Animated Program

Kindergarten: The Musical (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program – “I Want to Go Home”

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy (Disney+/Lucasfilm)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Sound Mixing and Sound Editing for an Animated Program – “Part Two”

Rise Up, Sing Out (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Original Song for a Preschool Program – “Grow Your World”

Road Trip (Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Short Form Animated Program

StuGo (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Voice Directing for an Animated Series – ​​”Francis Wants to Be Alone | The Sash”

SuperKitties (Disney Jr./Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Voice Performer in a Preschool Program – Pamela Adlon

ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series (Disney Channel/Disney Branded Television)
Streaming on Disney+
1 Nomination

• Outstanding Original Song for a Children’s or Young Teen Program – “It’s Okay”

20^th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ash rolled out with an estimated box office gross of $347.1 million around the world this weekend, returning audiences to the visually stunning and immersive 3D world of Pandora.

Directed, written, produced, and edited by James Cameron, Avatar: Fire and Ash was the No. 1 film at the box office both domestically, grossing $89 million, and internationally, grossing $258.1 million.

Including the opening of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the three films in the Avatar franchise have now grossed $5.6 billion to date.

The film was the No. 1 Motion Picture Association (MPA) release in all material markets except Japan this weekend, with an especially historic start in China. In China, Avatar: Fire and Ash brought in $57.6 million, making it the second highest MPA opening of 2025, behind only Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2.

Not only are audiences coming out in droves to see the film, but once seated, they’re enjoying the quality of the third installment in this multi-Academy Award-winning series as well. The movie holds a 91% Rotten Tomatoes Verified Moviegoers score, 4.5/5 PostTrak score, and an “A” CinemaScore.

“I don’t know if you say the big screen exists for this movie or this movie exists for the big screen — but it is the reason to go to the movies,” Steve Asbell, President, 20th Century Studios, previously said.

Domestic audiences have been enjoying the film on the biggest and most advances screens possible, with Premium Formats delivering an overall 66% of the opening weekend, and 3D showtimes contributing 56% of the box office.

The Avatar films have now delivered three of the top ten December openings of all time, and The Walt Disney Studios now account for five of the top ten domestic opening weekends of 2025.

Fans of Avatar can immerse themselves in the franchise beyond the movie theater, by visiting Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort, a land that celebrates the power of nature through immersive, innovative attractions and experiences.

“I always think of the films as aspirational in the sense that, ‘I’d love to go there!’” Cameron said.

Avatar: Fire and Ash wasn’t the only Disney film connecting with audiences at the box office this weekend. Zootopia 2 continues its historic run, now standing over $1.276 billion worldwide.

The animated sequel has grossed $283.1 million domestically and $993 million internationally, maintaining its status as the No. 1 MPA global release of 2025. The film stands at the No. 2 MPA release of all time in China with an estimated $539 million to date, behind only Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame.

Zootopia 2 is also currently the No. 5 MPA global animated release of all-time, as Disney now accounts for four of the top five MPA global animated releases ever.

Avatar is an otherworldly franchise with global appeal.

Disney Legend James Cameron‘s Avatar was released theatrically in 2009 and went on to gross more than $2.9 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing film of all time. Adored by audiences and critics alike, the film went on to receive nine Academy Award^® nominations, winning for Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Visual Effects, and was also honored with two Golden Globes^® Awards, for Best Film – Drama and Best Director. Thirteen years later, Avatar: The Way of Water captivated moviegoers again, grossing more than $2.3 billion worldwide and winning the Oscar^® for Best Visual Effects.

“Avatar represents everything that makes cinema one of the most enduring and powerful art forms of the last 100 years,” Steve Asbell, President, 20th Century Studios, said in the video (above). “It’s got spectacle, it’s got world creation, it’s got action, it’s got humor, and at the center of it, it has a deeply emotional story about a family that we can all relate to.”

The third installment in the franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, opens in theaters on Friday, December 19, and continues the story of the complex and dynamic Sully family on Pandora.

Cameron — the director, writer, producer, and editor behind the blockbuster film franchise — said, “I always think of the films as aspirational in the sense that, ‘I’d love to go there!’”

Since 2017, guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort have been able to do just that at Pandora – The World of Avatar, a land that celebrates the power of nature through immersive, innovative attractions and experiences.

The goal was to create a “sense of awe and wonder,” Chris Beatty, Portfolio Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering, said. “Avatar and Disney’s Animal Kingdom both share a common thread — that we are all connected by nature. That is one of the core tenants, or pillars, of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, making Avatar the perfect brand for this park.”

Avatar will expand its presence across Disney Parks, with the current Hollywood Backlot area at Disney’s California Adventure becoming home to a new Avatar destination. This project is still in early development, and additional details will be revealed at a later date.

But first, the world of Avatar will expand onscreen when Avatar: Fire and Ash — starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin, Edie Falco, David Thewlis, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, Britain Dalton, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Jack Champion, Brendan Cowell, Bailey Bass, Kate Winslet, and others — is released in theaters.

As Asbell said in the video above, “I don’t know if you say the big screen exists for this movie or this movie exists for the big screen — but it is the reason to go to the movies.”

Avatar: Fire and Ash — an immersive new adventure in Disney Legend James Cameron and 20th Century Studios’ groundbreaking film franchise — opens in theaters December 19, transporting audiences back to the breathtaking world of Pandora. The story picks up shortly after the events of Avatar: The Way of Water (2022), with the Sully family still living amongst the Metkayina Clan while mourning Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), who was killed in a fierce battle with the “Sky People” from the RDA (Resources Development Administration).

Jake Sully, aka Toruk Makto (Sam Worthington), and Neytiri (Academy Award^® winner Zoe Saldaña) are dealing with the loss in their own way, which breeds tension. “Both characters go back to their default,” Worthington said. “Neytiri goes back to Eywa [the All-Mother of Pandora] and Jake goes back to soldiering. They’re both just trying to find a path through.”

Despite his strength, Jake now realizes “how vulnerable he is,” Worthington added. “He may not be able to protect his family or his chosen family — meaning all the Na’vi clans.”

Neytiri, meanwhile, “is in such a dark place, and she can’t control herself,” Saldaña said. “Obviously, [her grief] is impacting her relationships with her family, because she doesn’t have a will to do anything. She’s losing purpose and she’s starting to question everything.”

Saldaña continued, “Neytiri is a mirror to so many stories that we hear in our lives and throughout history. When someone experiences a great deal of loss at the hands of a community or an entity, that pain is calcified, and it turns into absolute hate and aberration… It’s almost like violence begets violence, and so does pain. If you experience pain, you unconsciously want others to experience the same pain as you, because you feel so miserable and alone in it. Neytiri is at the precipice of really falling and becoming what will eventually be Varang… If not for the love that she has with Jake, and inherently her children, I think Neytiri would’ve joined someone like Varang with the Mangkwan people.”

Playing with Fire

Varang — a formidable, unpredictable shaman played by Oona Chaplin — is the leader of the Mangkwan Clan. After a volcanic eruption destroyed her clan’s Hometree, they transformed its charred remains into their new home, forsaking Eywa and nature itself.

“Varang comes from a place that has been devastated by natural disaster,” Chaplin said. “Her people have suffered this great trauma. She figured out a way to harness the power of that pain and grief and desperation and really turn it into her strength. So, really, her weakness is her strength, and that gives her a very interesting relationship with fear and power. Very early on, Jim [Cameron] said to me, ‘Everything that makes her afraid — anywhere she sees that there’s power — she goes right for it, and she tries to destroy it.”

She finds an unlikely ally in Quaritch (Stephen Lang), the Colonel in charge of an elite team of soldiers resurrected as recombinants, a breed of transgenic human/Na’vi hybrid warriors created by the RDA. “His relationship with the parent company, the RDA, has soured,” Lang said. “As a result, that opens him up to other possibilities. He needs a path.”

That path inevitably leads him to Jake.

“The juxtaposition of admiration and contempt that the two feel for each other is a very dynamic, volatile combination,” Lang said. “It seems to be a recipe for all kinds of drama.”

Worthington added, “They’re in perfect mirror reflections of each other… Whether they’re conscious of it or not, they recognize themselves in the other. Also, they’ve come from Earth to this planet. A lot of the characters we meet were born on Pandora. These guys, they’re immigrants… We’re seeing the power that Pandora has on these characters and how it can transform one from a dumb grunt in a wheelchair to a leader — and the other from a steadfast, solid rock of a colonel to a mercurial man who’s unsure of where his destiny lies.”

Quaritch is also grappling with the revelation that Spider (Jack Champion) — a human child who was orphaned by war raised alongside the Sully children — is his biological son. “It’s confusing to him, but at the same time, it presents possibilities for him to explore the avenue of being a father, which he’s never experienced,” Lang said. “He’s not good at it; it doesn’t come native to him at all. But it’s what’s happening. He’s flexible enough to adapt.”

The Ties That Bind

Spider, likewise, has complicated feelings about his newfound lineage. Yet, even as Neytiri ostracizes him — blaming him and the “Sky People” for Neteyam’s death — he grows closer to Kiri (Sigourney Weaver), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton), and Tuk (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss). “[The children] come up against so many challenges,” Weaver said. “The kids are separated from their parents: ‘This time dad and mom aren’t gonna come in and rescue us. We’ve got to figure it out for ourselves. We have to learn to rely on each other, trust each other, take care of each other.’ You see all the kids coming into their own in a way they haven’t before.”

Just as it’s always been, family is at heart of the Avatar films.

“This is about their growth,” Saldaña said. “This family is recovering from a great loss and reconnecting and individualizing themselves but solidifying their bond as a family. Together, they’re unbreakable. They’re inseparable. They can do anything. They can survive anything.”

2025 is coming to a close, but we can’t stop talking about the stories that brought us together.

This year, we voyaged beyond with Moana, uncovered secrets in Paradise, returned to Arlen with the Hills, and joined the rebellion alongside Cassian. We surfed with Stitch, sang with Zombies, bat-flipped with the Savannah Bananas, and danced with the Stars.

We also brought ABC News and ESPN into Disney+, creating one streaming destination for the best in entertainment, news, and sports. We introduced the Hulu brand internationally for the first time and invited new audiences to experience its award-winning general entertainment. We ran nearly 1,000 experiments (double the amount from 2024) to help improve our services and gave the Disney+ app the biggest refresh since its launch.

With over 55,000 hours of content to explore, Disney+ and Hulu were the place for unforgettable moments — and fans embraced every one of them.

And the numbers tell the story: from record-breaking streams to can’t-miss premieres, here’s how Disney+ and Hulu made 2025 a year to remember…

Today, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 will cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office after only 17 days in release, having earned $986.1 million globally thus far ($232.7 million domestic and $753.4 million international). The hit film will be the second Motion Picture Association (MPA) $1 billion title of 2025 after Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, and will reach the global milestone in the shortest amount of time among all animated MPA releases and all PG-rated films.

This milestone also marks the first back-to-back billion-dollar releases for Walt Disney Animation Studios, following last year’s Moana 2. The studio now counts five billion-dollar titles since 2013: Frozen, Frozen 2, Moana 2, Zootopia, and Zootopia 2.

“Everyone at Disney Animation put their heart, soul and passion into this film to tell a story full of joy, imagination, and incredible thoughtfulness,” said Jared Bush, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios. “This milestone means the world to us, because more than anything, it means audiences are coming to theaters for a shared experience of watching this movie on the big screen, everyone together, from all walks of life around the world — and that is a Zootopia dream come true.”

With a Certified Hot audience score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and an A CinemaScore, Zootopia 2 opened on November 26 to a record-breaking $559.5 million in five days, becoming the highest global animated opening of all time, the highest global debut of 2025, and the highest global opening for any animated film in Disney history. In addition, it stands as the No. 1 international MPA release of the year.

Amid its stellar international performance, Zootopia 2 has broken a number of historic records in China. It is the country’s highest animated opening of all time for a non-local title — with a massive $272 million — and the highest-grossing non-local animated film of all time, which was achieved in only five days. Today, the film stands as the No. 2 MPA release of all time in the country, behind Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, with an estimated $447 million to date. The Walt Disney Studios now also holds three of the top five highest-grossing MPA titles ever released in the Chinese market.

While Zootopia 2 continues its phenomenal worldwide theatrical run, its box office success has also reignited interest in the franchise, driving record viewership of Zootopia and Zootopia+ on Disney+, where they’ve been viewed for more than 725 million hours globally on the platform.

From Academy Award^®– and Emmy Award^®-winning writer, director, producer, and Disney Legend James L. Brooks comes 20th Century Studios’ Ella McCay, a heartwarming family film made in tribute to the screwball comedies of the 1950s. Releasing exclusively in theaters on Friday, December 12, Ella McCay features an all-star ensemble that includes Emma Mackey (in her first American starring role), Oscar^® winner and Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Lowden, Kumail Nanjiani, Ayo Edebiri, Spike Fearn, Julie Kavner, Rebecca Hall, Becky Ann Baker, and Joey Brooks, with Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson.

An uplifting story brimming with hope, Ella McCay marks Brooks’ first original feature film in 15 years. “The truth is I’ve never stopped working,” the prolific multihyphenate said. “I’ve produced two films, and The Simpsons is always there for me to work on. But this story, well… I was going crazy not writing! I started writing, but it took me a long time because while the characters happened very easily, the story to put them in was more of a search.”

Ella is a capable, idealistic woman from a dysfunctional family — one whose childhood dream of becoming governor comes true, just as her personal life comes crashing down. While the movie touches upon Ella’s teenage trauma and its long-lasting effects, it’s ultimately a hopeful story about family and all of the beautiful mess that comes with it.

“I come from a fractured family due to an errant dad; that has something to do with the guy in this movie,” Brooks said of Harrelson’s character, whose multiple indiscretions sour his relationship with his daughter, Ella, and his son, Casey (Fearn). “When you have an errant dad, and when you have that kind of background in your life, it’s as the narrator says in her opening remarks: ‘When you see people living happy, normal, smiling lives, it’s a knife through the heart.’ The ambition to join a ‘normal’ family is very much a part of this film.”

Thankfully, Ella has always been able to rely on her fiercely loyal Aunt Helen (Curtis).

“There are these moments in her life — these key checkpoints, if you will — and Aunt Helen is at every single one of them, right by her side, guiding her, coaxing her, believing in her, seeing her,” Mackey said. “Aunt Helen is the foundation of this family in a very big way.”

Curtis, however, was quick to credit Brooks and Mackey for doing the heavy lifting on set.

“The movie’s called Ella McCay, and it could only happen if the person playing Ella McCay was Emma Mackey,” Curtis said. “She is Ella McKay, and without her performance taking you there, it doesn’t matter about the rest of us. I’m telling you right now, it’s her. It’s her!”

As for Brooks, Curtis said, “You wait for whole life for James L. Brooks to write you a note that says, ‘Will you come play Aunt Helen in this script that I wrote?’ The movie is so light [and hopeful], but the process was [interesting], because it’s from his head, and he’s a constant editor. He is fascinating. It was a wrestling match for me, because my instinct didn’t take me where he wanted me to go. I had to let go of that, which is very scary as an artist, because you feel very naked. At the end of the day, I’ve seen the movie, and it feels light. That was all him.”

As such, the character-driven comedy is “very truthful,” Mackey said. “I think people will be able to see themselves, the good and the bad, in all of these characters, to some extent.”

Brooks added, “I don’t know who said it, but the best thing — and I believe this — that popular culture can do for you, that a movie can do for you, is to tell you you’re not alone.”

Percy Jackson and the Olympians electrified audiences when it debuted in 2023 — and with Season 2 arriving soon on Disney+ and Hulu, it’s about to make an even bigger splash.

Inspired by Rick Riordan‘s bestselling book series from Disney Hyperion, Season 1 was a hit with audiences and critics alike, receiving a 95% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes^® and winning eight Children and Family Emmy^® Awards, including Outstanding Young Teen Series. Beyond that, it was one of the top five most-watched original series across all streaming platforms after its launch in December 2023, according to Nielsen.*

“We were all blown away by how well it did,” said Riordan, who co-created and executive produces the series. “The underlying premise of Greek mythology is always popular, but it’s just a fun story, too. There are not many other shows that you can sit down to watch with your family where everyone likes it: the parents like it, the teens like it, and the kids like it.”

Walker Scobell, who plays the titular character, said the show’s appeal is simple: “I think the reason so many people watch is because there’s somebody for everyone to relate to.” Aryan Simhadri, who plays the satyr Grover, agreed, saying, “Greek mythology inherently was made to reflect humans and the struggles we all go through in larger-than-life ways.”

According to co-creator and executive producer Jon Steinberg, “That was the goal from the beginning: to tell this story in a way that isn’t just universal in its themes, but in its experience and in its emotional impact. The fact that families are watching it together —and are then watching it together again — is an indication that we got close to the mark.”

And the positive response to Season 1 was instantaneous. On social, the #percyjackson hashtag earned over 1 billion views** on TikTok in the U.S. in the first month of its first season run, while series-owned social handles amassed a cumulative 4.6 million followers.

“I saw a crazy statistic [about the first season],” said Charlie Bushnell, who plays Luke Castellan, the demigod son of Hermes. “It had like 3 billion minutes streamed*** [in 2024]. I did the math, and that breaks down to about 6,000 years, which is insane to think about.”

Deep Bench

Based on The Sea of Monsters, the second book in Riordan’s series, Season 2 premieres Wednesday, December 10, with two episodes on Disney+ and Hulu, with a new episode rolling out weekly through January 21, 2026. After Camp Half-Blood’s protective border is breached, Percy Jackson (Scobell) embarks on an epic odyssey into the Sea of Monsters in search of his best friend, the satyr Grover Underwood (Aryan Simhadri), and the one thing that may save the camp — the legendary Golden Fleece. Aided by demigods Annabeth Chase (Leah Sava Jeffries) and Clarisse La Rue (Dior Goodjohn), along with his cyclops half-brother Tyson (Daniel Diemer), Percy’s survival becomes the key to preventing Luke and the Titan Kronos from bringing down Camp Half-Blood — and, ultimately, Olympus.

“Season 1 started with the three [lead characters], Percy, Grover, and Annabeth. They went on an epic journey together and met amazing, iconic characters,” executive producer Dan Shotz said. “The books are written in first person, so you’re seeing everything through Percy’s eyes. In this medium, we get to step outside of that. We get to be with Clarisse, we get to be with Luke — we get to expand the entire world. I think that’s going to be really exciting for audiences, because they will be able to invest more in all of these characters’ arcs rather than just hearing from one POV. We took advantage of all those opportunities.”

“I can’t wait to see the entire thing come to life,” Jeffries said. “We have so many different characters now, and even though you saw Charlie and Dior’s characters in the first season, you’ll get to see them so much more, and we also have Daniel. They did a phenomenal job.”

Clarisse, for example, goes on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Sea of Monsters — and her expedition forces her to team up with Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson.

“She believes that ‘second is the first to lose’ — that if you do anything with help, you didn’t actually do it,” Goodjohn said. “It’s beautiful to see her say, ‘I’m just going to be honest and open and vulnerable with somebody for once. I’ll talk to Percy and make a genuine connection.’ You see her grow and develop and learn that it’s okay to ask for help.”

Luke, meanwhile, is on a quest to usher in what he calls “a golden age for demigods.” Having betrayed Percy in Season 1, Bushnell said, “He definitely has a new demeanor about him. He’s much more of a confident, charismatic guy this season… He’s definitely on a quest for freedom and liberation for himself, but also for everyone else. He’s still holding onto hope that in an ideal world, Percy, Annabeth, and every demigod [will join his movement].”

Tyson is a kind and gentle giant, but make no mistake: “With all his strengths, he’s pretty dangerous,” Diemer said. “Along the quest — especially as they get into bigger fights — Tyson gets specific opportunities to save everybody because of how soft and loving he is.”

Bigger and Bolder

Season 2 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians ups the stakes exponentially.

For example, Sea of Monsters reintroduces chariot races at Camp Half-Blood — a huge endeavor that necessitated nearly two weeks of filming. “Right from the top, you go, ‘All right! We need horses! We need a chariot! We need kids to do death-defying stunts!’” Shotz said. “It was a tall order, but everybody rallied. We have an incredible stunt team. All of it was done practically; no CG horses were used. I think it made it feel more visceral and alive. That was one of the biggest sets any of us have ever worked on. It’s like six or seven minutes of the episode, and I think we shot it over 13 days. But it was worth it, because it’s such a signature moment and we knew that fans were going to be desperate for that piece.”

As a longtime fan of the novels, Scobell was especially looking forward to filming an epic battle involving a sunken warship that Ares raises from the depths of the sea. “I’m really excited for people to see the Ironclad sequence,” Scobell said. “That whole fight versus Scylla and Charybdis is so huge — and they made it even bigger than the book somehow!”

And no one’s happier than Riordan to see these sequences translated for television.

“The production team is good-naturedly cursing me every season,” he said. “They’re like, ‘You didn’t make it easy! Every book is more involved than the one before.’ And it’s true. Everyone is upping the stakes, upping the level of spectacle. All I can tell you is that the team rose to the challenge. They said, ‘Let’s get under the hood and figure out how to make this happen.’ And boy, they did! They did make everything bigger. Everything is faster, more epic, and more cinematic.”

While he was “excited to see the big spectacles” come to life, Riordan confessed, “What I found myself enjoying the most is the character work — the quieter moments when we have Percy and Annabeth and they’re in a shipwreck. They’re exhausted, they’re feeling defeated, and [you see] the way they support each other and get to know each other and trust each other. Those are some of the most interesting, sweetest moments. I love those.”

And in Season 3 — which is currently in production in Vancouver — the action will get bigger and the stakes will get more personal. “Talk about expansion of characters!” executive producer Craig Silverstein laughed. “Season 2 almost feels small in comparison.”

*Source: Nielsen, Live Streaming Content Ratings Connected TV only; 12/19/23 – 2/4/24 with reach based on 1 min qualifier; series rankings based on week start date of 12/18/23-2/4/24

**Source: TikTok for Business

*** Source: Luminate Film & TV’s 2024 Year-End Report

The Walt Disney Company received 27 Golden Globe Award^® nominations across its content brands and studios, including ABC, Disney’s FX, Disney+, Disney Television Studios’ 20th Television, ESPN, FX Productions, and Hulu and Hulu Originals; and The Walt Disney Studios’ 20th Century Studios, Disney Live Action, Lucasfilm Ltd., Pixar Animation Studios, Searchlight Pictures, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Disney’s streaming platforms are home to a total of 15 nominations. Disney+ received nods for Lucasfilm’s Andor and Disney and Pixar’s Elio. Hulu garnered nominations for Hulu Originals’ Only Murders in the Building, Paradise, and Chad Powers, along with FX series The Bear and Dying for Sex.

20th Television also garnered 15 nods across multiple series this season including best series Only Murders in the Building, Abbott Elementary, Dying for Sex, The Beast in Me, and Nobody Wants This. Lead performances were also recognized: Sterling K. Brown (Paradise); Disney Legend Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building); Adam Brody and Disney Legend Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This); Matthew Rhys and Claire Danes (The Beast in Me); Michelle Williams (Dying for Sex); and Glen Powell (Chad Powers).

The Walt Disney Studios earns eight nominations across Andor (Lucasfilm), Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios), Elio (Pixar Animation Studios), Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century Studios), The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures), and Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios).

A complete list of all The Walt Disney Company nominations follows below. (As some of the nominations overlap, these are grand totals for each entity.)

Winners will be announced on Sunday, January 11, 2026.

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu Originals/20th Television)
4 Nominations
Streams on Hulu

• Best Television Series (Musical/Comedy)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Disney Legend Steve Martin
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Martin Short
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Selena Gomez

The Bear (FX/Hulu)
3 Nominations
Streams on Hulu

• Best Television Series (Musical/Comedy)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Jeremy Allen White
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Ayo Edebiri

The Beast in Me (20th Television)
3 Nominations
Premiered and Streams Externally

• Best Television Limited Series, TV Anthology or Motion Picture
• Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television — Matthew Rhys
• Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television — Claire Danes

Nobody Wants This (20th Television)
3 Nominations
Premiered and Streams Externally

• Best Television Series (Musical/Comedy)
• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Adam Brody
• Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Disney Legend Kristen Bell

Avatar: Fire and Ash (20th Century Studios)
2 Nominations
Premieres in Theaters December 19

• Best Original Song, Motion Picture – “Dream as One” by Disney Legend Miley Cyrus, Simon Franglen, Mark Ronson, and Andrew Wyatt
• Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

Dying for Sex (FX/Hulu/20th Television)
2 Nominations
Streams on Hulu

• Best Television Limited Series, TV Anthology or Motion Picture
• Best Lead Actress in a Television Limited Series, TV Anthology or Motion Picture – Michelle Williams

Zootopia 2 (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
2 Nominations
Premiered in Theaters

• Best Animated Feature
• Cinematic and Box Office Achievement

Abbott Elementary (ABC/20th Television)
1 Nomination
Premieres on ABC, Streams on Hulu

• Best Television Series (Musical/Comedy)

Andor (Lucasfilm Ltd.)
1 Nomination
Streams on Disney+

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Drama) – Diego Luna

Chad Powers (Hulu/20th Television/ESPN)
1 Nomination
Streams on Hulu

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Musical/Comedy) – Glen Powell

Elio (Pixar Animation Studios)
1 Nomination
Premiered in Theaters, Streams on Disney+

• Best Animated Feature

Kumail Nanjiani: Night Thoughts (Hulu)
1 Nomination
Streaming on Hulu December 19

• Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television – Kumail Nanjiani

Paradise (Hulu Originals/20th Television)
1 Nomination
Streams on Hulu

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Drama) – Sterling K. Brown

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century Studios)
1 Nomination
Premiered in Theaters

• Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama – Jeremy Allen White

The Testament of Ann Lee (Searchlight Pictures)
1 Nomination
Premieres in Theaters December 25

• Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy – Amanda Seyfried

When Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia was released in 2016, the comedy-adventure welcomed audiences to a modern mammal metropolis where an optimistic bunny and a sly fox proved that with perseverance and teamwork, anyone can be anything. The film went on to become a box office phenomenon, grossing over $1 billion worldwide and winning the Oscar^® for Best Animated Feature, in addition to other industry accolades.

Zootopia 2, which opened this past weekend to record box office numbers, builds upon the hopeful and relatable message of its predecessor. The sequel picks up directly after the conclusion of the first film, with rookie cops Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman) willing to “try everything” to make their new partnership work.

Jared Bush — the co-director/co-writer of Zootopia — returns for the sequel as both its screenwriter and director (directing alongside Byron Howard). He has been with Disney Animation since 2011, receiving the Academy Award^® in 2022 for Encanto, for which he was both director and a writer, in the same year in which he was executive producer for the Oscar-nominated Raya and the Last Dragon. Bush was also wrote Moana (2016) and Moana 2 (2024), the latter of which he also executive produced, and won an Emmy^® for Zootopia+.

In the Q&A below, Bush — who was named the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios in September 2024 — reflects on the Zootopia franchise’s global appeal, sets up Judy and Nick’s journey in the sequel, and teases what’s next for the studio.

After Zootopia was released in 2016, it earned more than $1 billion at the global box office. Why do you think this particular franchise has such a strong, universal appeal?

There’s something about animals that people can relate to. That’s one of the really fun things about Zootopia: you can identify with an animal. That’s you, that’s your friend, that’s your teacher, that’s a guy you saw at the DMV. There’s something very universal about that.

I also think that the themes we talk about [across the entire Zootopia franchise] are real human themes: “How do we get along with one another?” “Are our differences too much?”

No matter who you are or where you are in the world, you can see your story onscreen.

The world fell in love with Judy and Nick in the first film, and their adventures continued over the years through Disney’s theme parks, cruise ships, and consumer products. What inspired you to expand their story even further onscreen in Zootopia 2?

I know Judy and Nick as characters; I know them really well. And in the first film, they only really got to hang out for about 48 hours. Stepping into the next story, the big question was: “What happens to them next?” As a storyteller, that’s really exciting to think about.

We spent a lot of time looking into Judy and Nick’s pasts and [imagined] what they would do moving forward: Will they actually make a good team, or are they a one-hit wonder? Judy and Nick are always our true north. More than anything else, with all of Zootopia’s bells and whistles, what you really care about is this duo and what’s going to happen next.

What makes Zootopia 2 a must-see in theaters?

In 100 years, it’s our most ambitious film that we’ve ever created at Disney Animation. And it is the most immersive environment you can imagine; the cinematography takes you to places we have never put onscreen before. But, more than that, it is filled with absolute joy.

It’s been 14 months since you were named Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation. From Hexed to the Frozen sequels, what are you most excited for in the coming years?

It takes about five years to make one of our films, so we have to have ideas that we are so passionate about — ideas that we want to stick with as they’re going through all of their different iterations. I know what the next 10 years of Disney Animation looks like, and it’s really exciting. The variety is honestly spectacular, and it all comes from filmmaker passion.

The world of Zootopia returned in spectacular fashion this weekend as Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia 2 delivered a $559.5 million global opening, including $158 million domestically over five days and $401.5 million internationally.

This milestone cements the film as a global phenomenon and underscores Disney’s leadership in animated creativity and storytelling.

“The incredible response to Zootopia 2 reflects both its worldwide appeal and the remarkable work of our filmmakers and cast,” Alan Bergman, Co-Chairman, Disney Entertainment, said. “It’s a proud moment for Disney Animation and all of us at Disney, not to mention a great way to start the holiday season.”

Zootopia 2, which includes the voice talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Ke Huy Quan, and a slew of celebrities in cameo roles, represents the fourth highest global opening of all time, the biggest global debut of 2025, and the largest global animated film opening ever at current rates and same suite of markets (The Walt Disney Company holds the top three and four of the top five).

“There’s something about animals that people can read themselves into,” Jared Bush, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and the writer and director of Zootopia 2, said. “The real fun thing about Zootopia is that you can identify with an animal. That’s you, that’s your friend, that’s your teacher, that’s a guy you saw at the DMV. There’s something very universal about that.”

The film, which was also directed by Byron Howard, achieved the highest global opening for any animated title in Disney history, 6th highest opening of all-time in China, and set a new benchmark with the largest animated non-local debut ever in China. Additionally, it ranks as the second-biggest non-local film opening of all time in China, trailing only Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame in 2019.

Building on the success of the original film — which earned over $1 billion globally in 2016 and won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature — Zootopia 2 surged to a global opening 239% ahead of its predecessor. This performance underscores the enduring strength of the franchise and the universal popularity of its characters and world, which extends across multiple segments of Disney’s business, including Experiences and consumer products.

Zootopia 2’s record-breaking debut now anchors the holiday theatrical season, setting the stage for an unforgettable finish to 2025. With Avatar: Fire & Ash from 20th Century Studios arriving on December 19, Disney is positioned for a powerful one-two punch to close out the year.

When Toy Story was released in theaters on November 22, 1995, it not only won over audiences around the world, but it put Pixar Animation Studios on the map. As the first fully computer-animated feature film, it was considered a gamble — one that paid off, as it opened at No. 1 and went on to become the highest-grossing movie of the year, earning $192 million domestically and $362 million worldwide. Toy Story went on receive a Special Achievement Academy Award^® and earned Oscar^® nominations for Best Original Song, Best Original Score, and Best Original Screenplay, marking the first time an animated film had been recognized for screenwriting.

Andrew Stanton — Pixar’s second animator and ninth employee — was one of four screenwriters to receive an Academy Award nomination for his contribution to Toy Story. In addition to this, on the original Toy Story film Stanton is also credited as a character designer and story artist, and provided an additional character voice. He went on to receive credit as a screenwriter on many subsequent Pixar films, in addition to directing Finding Nemo (2003), WALL•E (2008), and Finding Dory (2016). He currently serves as Vice President, Creative, overseeing all feature projects at the studio, and he is writing and directing Toy Story 5, opening exclusively in theaters on June 19, 2026.

As the Toy Story 30th anniversary celebration continues this week — the Buzz Lightyear balloon returns to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday — Stanton reflected on Toy Story‘s origins and legacy.

Before Toy Story, Pixar had never produced a feature-length film before striking a three-picture deal with Disney. What set the studio apart back then — and what still sets it apart today?

Everything was very character-based, even then, and story-based — even though we didn’t know much about how to write or make a feature film. We knew how to tell a good yarn, how to make you laugh, how to make you be entertained. And that was the driver behind everything we did, whether it was a short film or a commercial. And that’s stayed consistent ever since.

The same thing sets us apart today: story, story, story.

How we’ve chosen to evolve technology, how we’ve chosen to explore it, [and] how we’ve chosen to operate it has all been driven by the stories we want to tell. Even when we were making commercials, we would bid on things that we couldn’t do because we loved the idea so much that it gave us fuel to want to figure out how we could do it. And we are the very same way now. We just wait until there’s a story and a situation and characters that excite us so much that [we feel motivated] to want to figure out how to make something.

What are the hallmarks of a quintessential Toy Story story?

As a writer and a filmmaker, I don’t like making guardrails. Although, over 30 years of making up to five Toy Story movies now, there have been some clear lanes or parameters.

One, of course, is that it’s about toys. But the other thing is that [each film] deals with some truth about growing up… There’s always some new aspect of toy life that you’ve never seen, from a different perspective, that we like to add to the quilt of the world. And there’s always some new type of toy that you can add to the cast of characters. The world is so vast… Every household’s a little different, every kid’s a little different, every style of play is a little unique to the thumbprint of the owner and to that toy’s experience. Nobody played with exactly the same things growing up, so you could compare notes forever; it’s like comparing record collections. There’s some overlap, but there’s so much variety.

How has Pixar continued to raise the bar creatively and technologically in the 30 years since Toy Story‘s release? 

Nobody’s ever said, “What should we figure out? What should we conquer?” Those are always just byproducts of the next story we want to tell. All I’ve ever been in conversations with is: “What would you like to see that you haven’t seen before with Woody or Buzz? What would you like to see with Andy’s life or Bonnie’s life? What scenario have you not experienced yet?” It can be something as simple as we left an RC car out in the rain. Leaving a toy out in the rain had never been touched after three [Toy Story] movies. The thing that people expect or assume is that we have to do to something more [spectacular].

But, if you think about it, a kid’s life with toys is anywhere from 5 to 10 years, and that’s a lot of that’s a lot of time in the house being played with. All those in-between moments, all those simple moments — like a toy being left outside or forgotten behind a couch — are life’s moments for these toys that we can make narratively interesting. They don’t have to sound sexy to the outside world. They just have to be viscerally authentic to [each character]. That’s the real juice of a Toy Story movie — the truth of what it’s like to be a toy.

You’ve been a co-writer on every Toy Story film. What makes the world you’ve created so rife for storytelling, and how were you able to evolve with the audience over time?

I’m surprised myself how much we can continually get out of the Toy Story world. Not every film and subject matter can do this. I think the main reason is that we can embrace time. We can grow old with the kids… Let Andy grow up. Let the toys be handed off. Let one of them separate. Let them somebody be forgotten. These are all things that really happen. The minute you are in a flea market and you buy a used toy, or you lend a toy to somebody else and they never remember to give it back, that’s a whole ‘nother movie right there! You can embrace time, and we have… Time has moved forward with all of these characters, and that’s the key. The key is not putting them in amber and trying to honor them. The key is letting them change, like life changes.

When Walt Disney Animation Studios released Zootopia in 2016, audiences around the world fell in love with Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), the city’s first bunny police officer, and Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), a con artist fox. The unlikely duo teamed up to solve the case of missing otter — and, in doing so, stumbled upon an even bigger mystery. The film went on to become a box office sensation, grossing more than $1 billion worldwide and winning the Oscar^® for Best Animated Feature, among other awards.

The reason the film resonated across generations and geographies is because it includes “real human themes,” Jared Bush, who co-wrote and co-directed Zootopia, said in the video below. “How do we get along with one another? Are our differences too much? There’s something [about] no matter where you are in the world, you can see your story onscreen.”

“As a city, it really is a melting pot for characters and points of view from all different angles,” added Byron Howard, who directed the film. “And that’s why it’s such an easy way for us to talk about ourselves, as human beings, and what we experience in our own lives.”

Zootopia 2 reunites directors Bush and Howard with veteran Disney Animation producer Yvett Merino, who last collaborated on the Academy Award^®-winning feature film Encanto. In exclusive interviews, the trio discussed how the highly anticipated sequel shows Judy and Nick’s “relationship grow” as the world of Zootopia gets bigger — literally and figuratively.

Plus, Bush, Howard, and Merino revealed how Zootopia and Zootopia 2 have inspired immersive, memorable, and tangible experiences in Disney’s theme parks — from the world’s first Zootopia-themed land at Shanghai Disney Resort to the new show Zootopia: Better Zoogether! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort.

“There’s something about animals that people can read themselves into,” said Bush, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios. “The real fun thing about Zootopia is that you can identify with an animal. That’s you, that’s your friend, that’s your teacher, that’s a guy you saw at the DMV. There’s something very universal about that.”

Zootopia 2 premieres November 26, only in theaters. Zootopia is streaming on Disney+.

What was once a place built by animals, for animals, has become so much more.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award^®-winning film Zootopia (2016) is set in a modern mammal metropolis where, as one young bunny put it, “Predator and prey live in harmony.” That young bunny, Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), grew up to become the city’s first rabbit police officer, sworn to protect the citizens of its districts: Bunnyburrow, Little Rodentia, the Rainforest District, Sahara Square, Savanna Central, and Tundratown. But after a few citizens “go savage,” Judy reluctantly teams up with a con artist fox named Nick Wilde (voiced by Jason Bateman), who shows her corners of Zootopia she never knew existed — and, along the way, helps her realize “we all have a lot in common.”

Because fans couldn’t get enough of the original film’s wildly imaginative characters and environments, a series of six shorts, titled Zootopia+, premiered in 2022 on Disney+. Meanwhile, Walt Disney Imagineering was busy building the world’s first Zootopia-themed land — a celebration of new heights reached in storytelling made possible only through Disney’s groundbreaking creativity and innovation. It opened in 2023 at Shanghai Disney Resort, after animators and Imagineers from around the world spent years collaborating to construct a dynamic land that immerses guests in a holistic experience at every touchpoint.

“One of the most exciting things, to me, is that about 70% of what you see in that land is taken from the film; the other 30% comes from the incredible Imagineers who ran with their own ideas and created new places and characters that felt like they would fit within the world,” Jared Bush, the writer and co-director of Zootopia, said. “To visit a part of Zootopia that wasn’t in the film — but feels 100% like it could be — is incredibly exciting.”

Bigger and Better

The world of Zootopia is constantly growing.

Zootopia 2 continues the adventures of rookie cops Judy and Nick as they get twisted up in a mystery involving Gary De’Snake (voiced by Oscar^® winner Ke Huy Quan), whose sudden arrival in Zootopia turns the city upside down. Bush wrote and, along with Byron Howard, directed the highly anticipated sequel, opening in theaters on Wednesday, November 26.

“With any new environment, it’s always fun to meet new characters,” producer Yvett Merino said. “Gary has such an innocence to him. He really, truly believes that the world can be a better place and that he can right the wrongs of the past. And he grounds Judy.” That’s because Quan brings a natural “heart and optimism” to his role, Howard said: “We often say that Gary is more of an optimist than Judy. So, he’s a great character to mix up Judy and Nick’s dynamics as they try figure out what this world of reptiles is really about.”

Zootopia 2 features 178 unique characters representing 67 different species — and naturally, a bigger story necessitates a bigger cast. In addition to Goodwin and Bateman, Idris Elba, Nate Torrence, and Shakira reprise their roles as Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, and Gazelle, respectively (among others). New additions include Fortune Feimster as Nibbles Maplestick, Andy Samberg as Pawbert Lynxley, Patrick Warburton as Mayor Winddancer, and Quinta Brunson as Dr. Fuzzby. And several members of the Disney Animation family — including Disney Legends Josh Gad and Anika Noni Rose — make scene-stealing cameos.

“Zootopia is close to our world, but it’s not our world, so we had the ability to do anything,” Merino said. “We asked ourselves, ‘Who are the actors and musicians that we would love to work with?’ Danny Trejo is someone I personally wanted, and I love that we were able to bring in such an icon to come in and play one of our new characters [Jesús, a basilisk lizard].”

With new characters and a new mystery, filmmakers seized the opportunity to expand the bustling metropolis to include all-new environments. One such example is Marsh Market, where Zootopia’s semi-aquatic animals reside and reptiles are rumored to hide out. “We want to give audiences something new to get excited about. A new environment like Marsh Market, along with the kind of animals who live there, satisfies that,” Carrie Liao, head of story, said. “How do these new characters fit into this world that we already know?”