The Walt Disney Studios closed out studio presentations at the 2026 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, offering an expansive look at its upcoming theatrical releases. Stars and filmmakers representing titles from Disney Live Action, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures were on hand to screen exclusive footage and make several announcements.
Alan Bergman, chairman of Disney Entertainment Studios, took to the stage at the Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace and opened with a sizzle reel highlighting upcoming titles. He thanked the industry for its continued partnership and highlighted that the three biggest Hollywood movies of 2025 came from the studio: “Zootopia 2,” which has grossed nearly $1.9 billion at the global box office, becoming the biggest Hollywood animated film of all time; “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” which grossed $1.5 billion, pushing the “Avatar” franchise past $6.7 billion globally; and “Lilo & Stitch,” which surpassed the billion-dollar mark. The studio has ranked No. 1 at the global box office for nine of the past 10 years, bringing in close to $6.6 billion globally in 2025 — more than $2 billion ahead of its nearest competitors.
“Disney will continue to deliver must-see theatrical experiences that bring audiences to your cinemas,” Bergman told exhibitors. “At all seven of our studios, it’s about high-quality storytelling with heart and humor that resonates around the world and stands the test of time, and there’s nobody that does it like Disney.”
Andrew E. Cripps, head of theatrical distribution for Walt Disney Studios, and Matthew J. Kalavsky, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Entertainment Studios, emphasized Disney’s storytelling capabilities. The two highlighted that Disney’s seven studios are behind 37 billion-dollar grossing titles — four times as many as any other studio — and that Disney keeps its films in theaters an average of 57 days.
“Cinemas matter — it’s something you can’t get anywhere else,” Cripps said, previewing Infinity Vision, Disney’s new certification initiative for premium large-format screens.
Already in 2026, the studio has released two original films: 20th Century Studios’ “Send Help” and Disney and Pixar’s “Hoppers,” both hits with critics and audiences. “Hoppers” recently crossed $350 million globally after posting the biggest domestic debut for an original animated film since “Coco” in 2017.
In two weeks, 20th Century Studios’ “The Devil Wears Prada 2” — the sequel to the 2006 film — will open exclusively in theaters May 1. Twenty years after their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to New York City and the offices of Runway Magazine. The film is directed by David Frankel and written by Aline Brosh McKenna.
Cripps then invited director, co-writer and producer Jon Favreau to the stage to discuss Lucasfilm’s “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” opening exclusively in theaters May 22. It is the first “Star Wars” film in nearly seven years. Favreau announced that advance tickets go on sale Friday before debuting the final trailer and the film’s first 18 minutes.
The film stars Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver and Jeremy Allen White. Din Djarin (Pascal), a legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter, and his young apprentice Grogu are enlisted by the fledgling New Republic to help protect everything the Rebellion fought for. The film is written by Favreau, Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor and produced by Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Filoni and Ian Bryce, with music composed by Ludwig Goransson.
Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” opens in theaters June 19. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen — reprising their roles as Woody and Buzz Lightyear — joined Cripps on stage and screened an exclusive clip. Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang face a challenge when a new tablet device named Lilypad arrives with her own ideas about what is best for their kid, Bonnie. The film is directed by Andrew Stanton, co-directed by Kenna Harris, produced by Lindsey Collins, and features an original score by Randy Newman.
Dwayne Johnson joined Cripps to discuss “Moana,” Disney’s live-action reimagining of the animated film, opening exclusively in theaters July 10. Catherine Lagaaia, who makes her big-screen debut as Moana, also joined the stage and will receive CinemaCon’s Rising Star of 2026 Award later that evening. Moana answers the ocean’s call and voyages beyond the reef of her island with the demigod Maui (Johnson). The film is directed by Thomas Kail and produced by Johnson, Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Kalavsky previewed 20th Century Studios’ “The Dog Stars,” opening exclusively in theaters Aug. 28. Directed by Ridley Scott, the post-apocalyptic thriller stars Jacob Elordi as Hig, a young pilot who ventures into the unknown after a mysterious radio transmission. Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Allison Janney, Benedict Wong and Guy Pearce also star. The film is based on Peter Heller’s novel and written by Mark L. Smith.
Brolin also stars in 20th Century Studios’ and Imagine Entertainment’s “Whalefall,” opening in theaters Oct. 16. Directed by Brian Duffield, the survival thriller follows Jay Gardiner (Austin Abrams), who is swallowed by a massive sperm whale while diving off the central California coast in search of his deceased father’s remains. Elizabeth Shue, John Ortiz, Jane Levy and Emily Rudd also star.
Searchlight Pictures’ “Wild Horse Nine,” written and directed by Martin McDonagh, opens exclusively in theaters Nov. 6. Set shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, the dark comedy stars John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits and Parker Posey. Other upcoming Searchlight releases include “Super Troopers 3” on Aug. 7, as well as Tony Gilroy’s “Behemoth!” starring Pascal and “Sweetsick” starring Cate Blanchett, both in post-production.
Cripps announced that Hailee Steinfeld and Rashida Jones have joined the voice cast of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Hexed,” opening exclusively in theaters Nov. 25. Steinfeld voices Billie, an impulsive teenager who discovers secret magical abilities that send her into a witch realm called Hexe, where she teams with her cautious mother, Alice (Jones), to uncover family mysteries. The film is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn and Jason Hand.
Ray Romano, Queen Latifah and Denis Leary joined Cripps on stage to discuss “Ice Age: Boiling Point,” opening Feb. 5, 2027. The animated sequel takes Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Scrat and the rest of the herd to unexplored corners of the Lost World in a dinosaur-and-lava-filled adventure. Queen Latifah will receive CinemaCon’s Cultural Impact in Film Award later that evening.
The presentation closed with Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday,” opening Dec. 18. To mark the occasion, Disney introduced Infinity Vision, a new certification program for premium large-format theaters. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, announced that “Avengers: Endgame” will return to theaters in September as an Infinity Vision release. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo then took the stage, followed by Robert Downey Jr. — in Doctor Doom’s signature green — who screened exclusive footage before bringing Chris Evans to the stage.
In the film, heroes from three distinct universes face an existential threat. Directed by the Russo brothers and written by Stephen McFeely, the film stars Downey, Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Pascal, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Wyatt Russell, Channing Tatum, Simu Liu, Ian McKellen, Tom Hiddleston, James Marsden, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Quinn, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Letitia Wright, Lewis Pullman, Kelsey Grammer and others. The film is produced by Feige, Louis D’Esposito and Jonathan Schwartz.
The presentation ended with a countdown clock on screen marking the days to the film’s December release.
