Disney won't put out its next movie until October, but that doesn't mean its blockbuster summer is over.

If churning out five new additions to the billion-dollar box-office club wasn't enough, Disney kept its record-setting 2019 going over the weekend, hosting its 11th annual D23 Expo in Anaheim. The event is essentially Disney's very own version of Comic-Con, complete with its own roster of star-studded panels to update fans on what's coming next for the company's content and theme parks divisions.

In previous years, D23's production updates have been largely focused on Disney's theatrical offerings, but the small screen stole the show at this year's event.

The House of Mouse is just a few months away from unleashing Disney+ ⁠— the long-awaited streaming service that's been seemingly labeled a potential "Netflix killer" since before it was announced in September of 2017. Disney ($DIS) used D23 to put its original content slate in the spotlight and give audiences their best sense yet of what to expect when the platform goes live on November 12.

All of Disney's highly-lucrative properties will stream on the new service, from older classics (Disney+ will be the exclusive streaming home of the studio's entire theatrical library) to newly acquired ones (the Disney-Fox deal means "The Simpsons" are moving to Disney+) to the studio's current phase of extended cinematic universes (if you thought you were already suffering from Marvel and 'Star Wars' fatigue ⁠— you ain't seen nothing yet.)

Marvel Studios is working on at least eight episodic series for the streaming platform, with superproducer Kevin Feige revealing the latest three titles from the D23 stage ("She-Hulk," "Ms. Marvel," and "Moon Knight").

Lucasfilm, Disney's other prized acquisition, followed suit, premiering the trailer for "The Mandalorian," a new show set in the "Star Wars" galaxy that will serve as Disney+'s cornerstone original series when it launches this fall. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy also confirmed that the animated cult favorite "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" will be revived on Disney+ after going off the air in 2014.

Superheroes and Skywalkers aren't the only nostalgic entities getting new life on Disney+. The studio also confirmed rebooted versions of "High School Musical" and "Lizzie McGuire," with the latter featuring Hilary Duff's return to the show that made her a household name in the early 2000's. Viewers will also be able to stream other recognizable characters like Forky, the breakout star of this summer's "Toy Story 4," when the utensil toplines Pixar's new animated series "Forky Asks a Question."

Disney+ will also introduce a new type of content to the studio's slate: original movies distributed exclusively on the streaming platform. Disney's (very successful) strategy of remaking its animated classics will continue with a live-action version of "Lady and the Tramp" that premieres with the platform in November. Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn also used his time on the D23 stage to introduce "Noelle," a holiday comedy starring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader as Santa Claus's adult children.

So far, the early renderings of Disney's user interface are almost indistinguishable from Netflix's now-iconic landing page. But the platform will take at least one different approach compared to its main rival: According to TVLine, the entertainment giant will reportedly release new episodes of its streaming series weekly, which clearly differs from Netflix's signature full-season drops.

Let the next battle in the Streaming Wars begin.

Share:
More In Business
Kellogg’s Beats on Q4 Earnings Despite Supply Issues, Work Stoppage
Multinational food company Kellogg’s reported an earnings beat amid supply chain issues and an extended labor strike. Kellogg’s Chairman and CEO c joined Cheddar News to discuss overcoming the obstacles and what's to come for the company. "The first half of the year is really going to be one about rebuilding inventory, and into the second quarter, starting to reestablish promotional activity for our customers and our consumers," Cahillane said. "And then the back half of the year, obviously, we're really much more back in business, and we expect to exit the year with our business in cereal being just as strong as it's ever been."
Miller Lite Opens First Branded Virtual Bar in Metaverse for 2022 Super Bowl
Miller Lite is opening the first branded bar in the metaverse, by way of Decentraland, as a way to advertise during the Super Bowl this year without buying an expensive TV commercial slot. Sofia Colucci, global vice president of Miller Family of Brands, joined Cheddar to talk about the new marketing concept. "We have a lot of great partnerships with NFL teams throughout the year but were shut out of advertising during the Super Bowl game, so this pushes us to think creatively and also think of what feels really relevant right now," Colucci said. "There's no question that there's a lot of excitement with the metaverse, and we wanted to participate but in a way that felt right for Miller Lite."
Dave Chappelle Pushes to Cancel Affordable Housing Development in Ohio Town
Plans to add affordable housing to a development in Yellow Springs, Ohio, were squashed after comedian Dave Chappelle and other community members spoke out against the project. Chappelle threatened to pull the plug on his local comedy club and restaurant projects if the development had been approved.
Spirit-Frontier Merger Signals Major Changes for Airline Industry
The airline industry is seeing a major consolidation as Frontier and Spirit Airlines have agreed to merge in a deal valued at $6.6 billion dollars. Frontier will control just over 51% of the company, and Spirit will control the other 48%, creating what would become the fifth-largest airline in the U.S. The deal was approved over the weekend, with Spirit CEO Ted Christie saying that the merger aims to create an aggressive, low-fare competitor focused on consumer-friendly pricing. John Grant, Senior Analyst at OAG explains the gravity of the merger, and the wider impact it could have on competition and the airline industry as a whole.
Cheeze Wants to Work With Photographers to Re-Imagine Visual Storytelling With NFT’s
Cheeze, Inc. is a media platform that hopes to help photographers to tell stories through the use of NFT’s. Simon Hudson, founder and CEO of Cheeze, Inc. joined Cheddar News to explain the process as well as teasing its "Women of Authenticity" display for Women’s History Month. "We've made it very simple and focused very hard on reducing all of the friction to bring their items to the blockchain." Hudson explained. He also addressed reports that cloud software giant Salesforce could be getting into the NFT marketplace.
Load More