MOVIE fans are in for a mega treat after Disney announced a host of blockbusters.

At its biannual D23 event in the US this weekend, the studio showed off footage and characters from the Frozen sequel, the next Star Wars movie and said The Simpsons would return to the big screen.

12 This weekend, Disney held its biannual D23 event where it unveiled its exciting line-up Credit: AP:Associated Press

The studio’s heroes and villains are also getting a modern makeover – with its first Muslim superhero, first superhero with mental health issues and even a “punk” Cruella de Vil.

Grant Rollings feels The Force and gives the low-down on the plans – which include Disney Plus, a streaming channel to rival Netflix.



Cruella

101 Dalmatians backstory set in punk era of 1970s

LA La Land star Emma Stone has been spotted in London bringing some punk attitude to the One Hundred And One Dalmatians baddie Cruella de Vil.

The prequel to the 1996 movie starring Glenn Close sees Stone play a younger version of the dodgy dognapper.

12 In May 2021, fans will be able to see Emma Stone star as a 'punk' version of Cruella de Vil in a prequel to the 1996 movie Credit: Disney Studios

Sporting black and white frizzy hair, the normally red-headed Stone is almost unrecognisable in the wardrobe department’s leather Vivienne Westwood-type outfit.

The film is set in the late 1970s, punk’s heyday, and will also star Emma Thompson. It is directed by I, Tonya film-maker Craig Gillespie.

The title character was first seen in Disney’s 1961 animated classic One Hundred and One Dalmatians.

In cinemas: May 2021

Box office so far: £175million.

Star wars

The Rise Of Skywalker. Episode No9...and those robots are getting even cuter

THERE is an attack of the cuties in the new Star Wars film with three little droids.

R2D2 and BB8 will be joined by an even smaller robot called D-0 in the ninth and final episode of the Skywalker saga.

12 New Star Wars film The Rise Of Skywalker introduces a small robot called D-0 as well as a a 'shady' pal of rebel pilot Poe Dameron called Zorri Bliss Credit: Rex Features

12 Lead actors John Boyega and Daisy Ridley spoke at the event and Director JJ Abrams confirmed the return of Carrie Fisher using leftover footage Credit: Getty

Shaped a bit like a duck, with a single wheel in place of legs, it was one of two new characters introduced at the event – which saw lead actors John Boyega and Daisy Ridley speaking.

The other was a “shady” pal of rebel pilot Poe Dameron called Zorri Bliss, played by Keri Russell.

Director JJ Abrams confirmed the return of Carrie Fisher, who died in 2016, using leftover footage from The Force Awakens for her character Leia.

Abrams said: “We don’t know how to do it without her. So having her be a part of the movie in a way that I think she’d be proud of is very meaningful.”

In cinemas: December 19, 2019.

Combined Star Wars box office so far: £7billion.

Frozen 2

New songs and characters revealed for November’s long-awaited sequel

DIVERSE new characters await fans this winter when the Frozen sequel is released.

New songs All Is Found and Into The Unknown were unveiled in California, while a third, Things Never Change, was performed by Idina Menzel as Queen Elsa, Kristen Bell as princess Anna and Josh Gad as Olaf.

12 The highly anticipated Frozen sequel will be released this winter and will introduce Evan Rachel Wood as Iduna the princesses’ mum Credit: © 2019 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

12 We will also meet lieutenant Destin Mattias, voiced by Sterling K Brown Credit: Disney

Evan Rachel Wood joins the cast as Iduna the princesses’ mum.

Elsa must go on an adventure to learn the source of her icy powers and along the way meets lieutenant Destin Mattias, voiced by Sterling K Brown.

Black character Destin along with a young girl – who fans suggested could be Elsa’s girlfriend – are a reaction to criticisms of an earlier lack of diversity.

In cinemas: November 22, 2019.

Box office so far: £1billion.

Black Panther 2

Not until 2022...but ‘we’re really trying to get it right’

FANS of the incredibly powerful African comic book hero have been waiting for news about a sequel since the first film was a box office smash last year.

Now they know they will have to wait almost three years to see Chadwick Boseman pull on his panther suit again.

12 Black Panther 2 director Ryan Coogler says the team are taking their time to get it right, but fans should see Chadwick Boseman pull on his panther suit again soon Credit: Getty

But director Ryan Coogler, left, told them: “We’re not taking our time, we’re really trying to get it right”.

Little has been revealed about the film, not even its title, although its expected that the African king will find troubles beyond his homeland.

In cinemas: May 6, 2022.

Box office so far: £1.1billion.

Soul

Pixar ‘ghost story’ from the director who brought us Monsters Inc, Up and Inside Out

HAVING released a string of live action versions of its animated back catalogue, Disney is set to show off something original.

With a voice cast including comic Tina Fey and Oscar-winning actor Jamie Foxx, Soul follows a similar vein to 2015’s Inside Out.

12 Disney are also bringing us an original animation in the form of Soul

Joe Garner (Foxx) is an aspiring jazz musician whose soul becomes separated from his body following an accident.

He finds himself in the You Seminar where souls develop before being placed into a baby.

The film is directed by Pete Docter, the head of Disney-owned Pixar studios who has previously made Monsters, Inc, Up and Inside Out.

In cinemas: June 19. 2020.

The Eternals

A Brit takeover...Kit Harington, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan

BRITISH talent takes the lead in an original superhero movie called The Eternals, with Richard Madden, Kit Harington and Gemma Chan starring.

They appear alongside Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek in the action adventure about a race of immortal beings living on Earth.

12 Late next year we should see the release of original superhero movie The Eternals - a story about a race of immortal beings living on Earth Credit: Disney

12 It stars Game Of Thrones' Kit Harington as well as fellow Brits Richard Madden and Gemma Chan Credit: AP:Associated Press

Bodyguard actor Madden plays the all-powerful Ikaris, Jolie is a fierce warrior called Thena, Chan is the human-loving Sersi and Harington, inset, is a non-Eternal named Dane Whitman.

Disney’s Kevin Feige said the film will ask the question: “All of these myths and legends that we know from ancient times, were they inspired by the Eternals?”

In cinemas: late 2020.

Ms Marvel

Captain Marvel’s pal and first Muslim superhero...plus TV series for others

MARVEL will be getting its first Muslim super heroine Ms Marvel on both television and films.

Studio president Kevin Feige announced that the shape-shifting character will have her own TV series on Disney’s new streaming channel.

12 Marvel is mixing it up and plan to bring us a Muslim superhero and a superhero with mental health issues Credit: Sara Pichelli/Marvel Entertainment

By day Ms Marvel is Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in Jersey City and knows Captain Marvel, who was played by Brie Larson in this year’s cinematic hit.

The character will then be introduced into as-yet- unannounced Marvel movies.

Other comic book heroes who will get their own shows on the Disney Plus channel, which launches in the UK next year as a rival to Netflix, include She-Hulk and Moon Knight.

Moon Knight is a former CIA agent with a multiple personality disorder – Disney’s first superhero with a mental health condition.

On screens: Still in development.

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The Simpsons 2

At last, a sequel! Plus a spin-off series for TV

ONE of the biggest surprises of the Disney showcase was word of Homer Simpson’s return to the big screen.

It is 12 years since the dysfunctional family from the fictional town of Springfield last graced cinemas.

12 Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the return of The Simpsons in the form of a movie sequel and possibly a TV spin-off Credit: Disney

The rights to Matt Groening’s bitingly funny TV series are owned by 20th Century Fox, which was taken over by Disney this year.

Now the House of Mouse wants to develop not only a movie but also a spin-off series featuring one of the favourite characters for its Disney Plus channel.

In cinemas: Unknown

Box office so far: £400million.

Plus! Dwayne Johnson will follow his smash Jumanji with Jungle Cruise, another adventure deep into the undergrowth. The Rock will co-star with Emily Blunt. Out next summer.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Angelina Jolie battle for the affections of Sleeping Beauty in Maleficent sequel Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil. Co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor. Out in October.

Take a look at the new and official Frozen 2 teaser trailer

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