Disney Launches Bold New Projects in an Effort to Reconnect With Fans

Disney’s clearly in fight-or-flight mode right now. After a couple of rough years watching projects tank and fans drift away, they’re coming back swinging with a film lineup that’s honestly pretty wild. The big question: Will this actually work, or are we witnessing a company in real-time panic?

When Disney Fans Fight Back

Let’s talk about The Hunt for Ben Solo first, because it’s kind of the perfect example of what’s going on here. Adam Driver pitched this Star Wars redemption story with Steven Soderbergh back in 2021, and Disney just… said no. Fast forward to now, and fans have gone absolutely feral—putting up billboards in Times Square, literally flying planes over Disney Studios with banners demanding they make this movie.

It would follow Ben Solo after Rise of Skywalker, and the fan campaign makes one thing crystal clear: people are hungry for more thoughtful Star Wars stories. Yet Disney keeps dragging its feet, essentially leaving cash on the table.

The Unexpected Comeback Tour

Some of the other things they’re teasing are genuinely interesting, though. Sigourney Weaver might come back to Alien after nearly three decades away. She’s apparently reading Walter Hill’s screenplay about someone who saves humanity but ends up becoming the problem everyone wants to lock away.

Then there’s Chris Hemsworth possibly playing Prince Charming in a Paul King movie that has nothing to do with Cinderella—which is such a weird concept it might actually work. Paul King made the Paddington films work beautifully, so who knows?

Disney also acquired the rights to Katherine Rundell’s “Impossible Creatures” books, with Bob Iger himself outing them as their potential next big franchise. And Scarlett Johansson’s supposedly in talks for Mother Gothel in a live-action Tangled, which was almost axed after Snow White bombed, but is now being reconsidered.

What’s Actually Coming

The confirmed stuff is where things get really ambitious. Avatar: Fire and Ash drops December 19, 2025, riding the wave from The Way of Water’s massive success back in 2022. Then 2026 just explodes: The Devil Wears Prada 2 on May 1, The Mandalorian & Grogu on May 22, Toy Story 5 on June 19, live-action Moana on July 10, Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31, and Avengers: Doomsday wrapping up the year on December 18.

The train keeps rolling in 2027 with Ice Age: Boiling Point in February, Star Wars: Starfighter in May, Frozen III in November, and Avengers: Secret Wars in December. Throw in The Simpsons 2 in July and Bluey the Movie in August. Looking even further out, Incredibles 3 is set for 2028, while 2029 brings Avatar 4 and Coco 2. They’re even developing Camp Rock 3 for the millennial nostalgia crowd.

The Method Behind Disney’s Madness

Here’s what Disney’s really doing—they’re throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Mix some guaranteed moneymakers, like Toy Story 5 and Frozen II, with actual risks, like Impossible Creatures and that weird Prince Charming movie. It makes sense when you consider their current location.

Live-action remakes have been super hit-or-miss. The MCU’s Phases 4 and 5 haven’t exactly blown anyone away. Star Wars works well on Disney+ with shows like The Mandalorian and Andor, but what about theatrical releases? That’s been rough. For the first time in forever, Disney actually looks vulnerable.

Will Any of This Work?

Honestly? Maybe. Some movies are essentially critic-proof—Toy Story 5 and Frozen III will likely make a profit simply because parents will take their kids, regardless of the reviews. The real test is everything else. If Impossible Creatures hits, Disney’s got a fresh franchise to build on. If the live-action Moana succeeds where Snow White failed, they’ve finally figured out how to do these remakes right. But if these experiments flop, they’ve just spent hundreds of millions learning what we probably already know.

The Ben Solo campaign at least shows Disney is paying attention to what fans actually want. Their lineup strikes a balance between playing it safe and taking real chances. However, none of this matters if the movies themselves are merely average. They need people buying tickets, critics giving thumbs up, and most importantly, filmmakers telling stories that actually deserve to exist instead of just cashing in on nostalgia. We’ll find out pretty soon if Disney still has the magic touch or if this is just another round of big promises that don’t deliver.