Disney unveils sequels for hit franchises

"Past Lives" star Greta Lee to play main lead in "Tron: Ares," "Minari" director to direct new "Star Wars" series

"Avatar" series director James Cameron speaks during the D23 fan event held Friday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA. (Yonhap)

Disney unveiled an exciting slate of sequels for its popular franchises -- "Avatar," "Zootopia," "Moana," "Toy Story" and "Tron: Legacy” at the eighth D23, the official Disney fan club event held Friday night at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, where some 12,000 fans gathered for the biannual convention.

Among the announcements, the third installment of the global blockbuster "Avatar" series is set to hit theaters on Dec. 19, 2025. Titled "Avatar: Fire and Ash," the film will feature a new tribe of the Na'vi, called the Ash People. Oona Chaplin, recognized for her role as Talisa Maegyr on “Game of Thrones,” will portray Varang, the leader of the Ash People.

"There are new cultures and settings and creatures, and new biomes," said the "Avatar" series director James Cameron, who attended the event.

"You will see a lot more of Pandora, the planet, that you've never seen before," Cameron was reported to say.

In addition to the upcoming third installment, it was revealed that the fourth and fifth "Avatar" films are slated for release in 2029 and 2031, respectively.

"Avatar: Fire and Ash" (Disney D23 official X account)

Jennifer Lee, the director of the "Frozen" franchise, confirmed that two more films will be added to the beloved animation series.

The original "Frozen," which premiered in 2013, quickly became a blockbuster, earning $1.28 billion worldwide.

Disney announced that the third installment of "Frozen" is slated for release in 2027, although a release date for the fourth film has yet to be determined.

At the event, "Toy Story" star Tom Hanks appeared alongside the original film’s creators, including Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer.

It was announced that "Toy Story 5" will be directed by Andrew Stanton, known for writing several Pixar classics such as "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," and "Toy Story 2." It is scheduled for release on June 19, 2026.

The new installment will delve into the toy characters' challenges as they contend with technological devices, presenting a fresh obstacle to their role of providing playtime for children.

Disney also gave fans a sneak peek of "Zootopia 2," which is set to premiere in theaters on November 26, 2025.

The sequel to the Oscar-winning 2016 film will revisit characters like Arctic shrew Mr. Big and Flash the Sloth. It will also introduce a new character named Gary, a viper voiced by Ke Huy Quan, the Vietnamese American actor known for his Oscar-winning role in "Everything Everywhere All At Once."

Greta Lee speaks during the D23 fan event held Friday (US time) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, USA. (Yonhap)

Greta Lee, star of the Oscar-nominated film "Past Lives," and US actor Jared Leto also made an appearance at the event as the leads in "Tron: Ares," a sequel to Disney's long-standing live-action franchise "Tron: Legacy." Scheduled for release in 2026, the film will delve into the story of a computer program that makes its way into the real world.

Lee Isaac Chung, director of the acclaimed 2020 American drama "Minari," which received six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, has been announced as the director for the new "Star Wars" series "Star Wars: Skeleton Crew." The series is set to premiere on Disney+ this December.

By Lee Yoon-seo(yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)