Let’s Discuss Disney’s 2024 Film Schedule
Okay, 2023 has mercifully ended. For Walt Disney Pictures, the end couldn’t come fast enough.
Throughout 2023, film after film frustrated Disney fans and executives alike.
Now, we can start anew with a smaller slate of upcoming releases. Here are Disney’s 2024 films.
The First Omen – April 5th
Let’s start with the obvious. Disney has dramatically dialed back its theatrical plans for 2024.
Perhaps the company would have adopted this approach anyway in the wake of 2023.
However, the writer and actor strikes during 2023 delayed all productions, leading to a threadbare 2024 release schedule.
Some of these titles don’t exactly scream Disney, either, which frankly might be a good thing at the moment.
Disney is finally ready to monetize some of its other assets from the Fox acquisition in 2019.
One of them is The First Omen, a prequel to the horror classic, 1976’s The Omen.
The premise here hits all the right notes, as an American woman moves to Rome to work for the church system there.
While performing her job duties, she stumbles upon evidence of a plot to bring the antichrist into existence.
This is probably not a healthy career path for her.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – May 24th
During the first quarter of 2023, Disney will provide theatrical releases for its Pixar pandemic-era films for the first time ever.
I suspect that Soul, Luca, and especially Turning Red will perform well. But let’s be realistic that Disney’s 2024 release schedule doesn’t start in earnest until May.
Disney needs a blockbuster hit right now, and the Planet of the Apes franchise seems like a good place to start.
The reboot of the Charlton Heston franchise proved stunningly successful in terms of quality and box office. Its sequels have done well, too.
Now, the first trailer for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has dazzled social media with its promise of two entirely different societies, one of which is more militant.People want to watch these movies, and the power of Disney marketing should help.
Importantly, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is also a Memorial Day release. That’s usually an excellent box office week.
Disney typically dominates this holiday as well, as it did with The Little Mermaid in 2023.
Inside Out 2 – June 14th
The next two titles are sure to put a smile on your face, both now as you read this and again in the summer when you watch them.
The joy started in 2015, when Pixar released Inside Out to pure adulation.
As I type this, the film is 98 percent fresh at Rotten Tomatoes and may be ranked on IMDb’s Top 250 movies ever, depending on when you read this.
With a current score of 8.1 out of 10, it’s right on the cusp.
Inside Out resonated with audiences for its charming exploration of adolescence and the maturation process.
A girl named Riley learns to control her emotions while she says goodbye to some of the last vestiges of youth…before learning how to deal with change and loss.
The whole thing is incredibly emotional, and I can prove this by saying two words: Bing Bong. You got a little choked up, didn’t you?
Well, after nine years, we finally get a sequel to Inside Out 2, and it’s the one promised by the delightful Inside Out short. Remember this?
Yeah, we’re gonna get a lot more of that in June, and it’s as close to a surefire hit as Pixar could produce right now. Now hold that out…
Deadpool 3 – July 26th
Last year, Disney’s 2023 schedule looked ideal on paper. But the universe had other ideas.
Unpredictability remains a basic aspect of our existence, which is to say that a new Star Wars trilogy may sound like a good idea.
Then, the fans watch in horror as an actor goes rogue and plays the villain of the film as beyond redemption, which is news to the director. It happens.
Admittedly, that sort of nonsense is rare on tentpole films, but we saw it with Adam Driver in Star Wars. Nothing is certain in life.
That’s the caveat I’m making before I say that Deadpool 3 looks like a perfect project on paper.
The film reunites real-life besties Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as Deadpool and Wolverine.
A virtual who’s who cast of other former comic book characters/A-list celebrities will appear as well.
On top of all the other glowing positives, this project presents itself as the introduction of Fox’s X-Men characters into Disney’s MCU.
That’s reason enough to watch. And I suspect all will be forgiven with Marvel in the aftermath of Deadpool 3.
Disney’s Alien – August 16th
No, that’s not the title. It’s technically Alien: Romulus, at least for now. We’re waiting to see whether the name sticks.
Still, the significant point here is that some of Disney’s greatest potential hits in 2024 have little to do with Disney.
We’re finally seeing the byproducts of the Fox acquisition become fully Disney in their presentations.
I suspect the timing of this change works in Disney’s favor. Right now, anything with the Disney brand on it faces a firestorm of right-wing criticism.
Something like Planet of the Apes or Alien isn’t the least bit Disney in tone or presentation, which is a good thing at the moment.
Disney has already shown that it can take a high-quality Fox product and elevate it that much more. Avatar: The Way of Water proved that.
Fede Alvarez, the director of the underrated Don’t Breathe, will helm this project, and that’s about all we know about it.
The film shouldn’t have any overt connection to Prometheus or Alien: Covenant.
At this point, the only established fact about Alien: Romulus is that its timeline slots between Alien and Aliens.
So, I’m taking a lot on faith here, but I like the director and believe in Alien as a concept that’s challenging to mess up, Alien: Covenant notwithstanding.
The Amateur – November 8th
Here’s another non-Disney feature that the studio has produced.
In 1982, the great Christopher Plummer starred in a movie written by Robert Littell…and I mean he wrote it about two ways.
In the same year, Littell wrote the book, The Amateur, and the film based on it.
The plot involves a man whose wife dies during a terrorist attack. Once he realizes the government won’t take revenge, he seeks it himself.
Specifically, the antihero of the story blackmails federal government officials to train him in the field.
Later, the would-be John Wick finds himself behind enemy lines as he pursues his wife’s assassin…and that’s when the story really takes a turn.
Frankly, when this film came out in 1982, it was too late for the spy thrillers of the 1970s but 20 years ahead of its time as a twisting, turning plot full of surprises.
The remake has loaded the deck by casting Mr. Robot, Mali Ramek, and The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Rachel Brosnahan, as the leads.
They’re just the tip of the iceberg as well. Laurence Fishburne, Julianne Nicholson, Holt McCallany, and Caitriona Balfe also co-star.
That’s a LOT of great actors in one espionage thriller. I have high hopes for this one, although I would have said the same about 2023’s The Creator, so…
Mufasa: The Lion King – December 20th
Finally, we have what looks like a certain hit on paper, but I’m still somewhat dubious.
I’m not one of the people who complains about Disney live-action remakes.
In fact, I took offense when a friend listed a recent project on his Bottom 10 list for the year.
He doesn’t like Almost Famous either, so he and I are very different people.
Anyway, the point is that I’ve enjoyed virtually every Disney live-action remake to date…except The Lion King.
The special effects in the movie, while impressive, struck me as artificial to the point that they took me out of the story.
When I heard that Disney was creating a prequel based on Mufasa, I felt conflicted. I mean, who doesn’t love Mufasa?
Still, in the realm of unnecessary franchise reboots, this one stands high on the list. Disney wants to monetize the still-lucrative Lion King franchise.
Is a Mufasa origin story the best method to achieve that goal? I have concerns. Then again, betting against The Lion King is a sucker play.
Hopefully, Disney will turn Mufasa into an even bigger star and create strong symmetry with his son, Simba, whose story we know and love.
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Feature Photo: IMDB