CinemaCon 2022 Recap: Disney Film Presentation Highlights
Marvel Studios is spending this week developing the next 10 years of MCU plans, but it's not Marvel that completely stole the show at the Disney presentation.
First of all, there were quite a few disappointments: no new footage of 'Wakanda Forever ' was introduces, there was nothing on 'Thor: Love and Thunder ' or any Star Wars projects, and the only animated movie showcased was 'Lightyear ' – nothing from Disney Animation at all. Let's hope Disney's saving some juice bits for SDCC and D23 expo this year.
'Black Panther 2'… or not
'Wakanda Forever' didn't get any long-awaited new footage; just a nod to the original was shown at the beginning of Disney presentation via sizzle reel alongside other hotly anticipated titles. Viewers got to see a sequence featuring Shuri, Okoye, and Nakia, all three bracing for what looked like a pretty massive battle coming. However, at least some new info was shared after all: Disney confirmed 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' will premiere worldwide November 11, 2022.
'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'
After showing a sizzle reel, Disney previewed the first 15-20 minutes of 'Doctor Strange' sequel, effectively getting us ready to meet new superheroes and experience some top-notch action. The footage gave us a glimpse at what Wanda, Steven Strange and America Chavez were up to after the events of 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' and also showed how America ended up in MCU world as we know it.
'Lightyear'
Next one on the list was 'Lightyear', previewed by Chris Evans himself: ex-Captain America appeared via video, talking about an opportunity for the viewers to "finally learn the story behind Buzz Lightyear". Disney screened the first 30 minutes of the animated movie, premiering June 17, 2022. Fun fact: it's the first Pixar animated movie to actually premiere in theaters since the beginning of the pandemic era (previous Pixar titles, such as Soul and Turning Red, went straight to Disney+). No wonder Chris Evans promises "an epic cinematic experience that has to be seen on the big screen." Brace yourself for something a bit darker than expected (for instance, and without giving away too much, a death of someone important to Buzz in the first act).
'Amsterdam'
The new David O. Russell project's title was announced during the presentation. 'Amsterdam' is as big as it gets, at least cast-wise: Robert De Niro, Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek – the list goes on. And if you think you've seen everything, wait until you'll see Taylor Swift acting alongside Bale, Chris Rock and John David Washington. Jam-packed with big celeb names, 'Amsterdam' is set to premiere on November 4 this year.
'Avatar 2: The Way of Water '
Something we all have been waiting for finally happened: James Cameron ( via pre-recorded video message, still being in New Zealand himself) introduced us to the breathtaking world of Pandora once again.
Yes, everything is still beautiful, and yes, there were some new species (and bodies of water) shown, but, frankly, this was practically it. So while almost everyone once again applauded Cameron's technical genius, some fans were voicing their disappointment on Twitter, pointing out that there' just no way to emotionally connect with those characters or become invested enough to actually care – especially after we've been waiting for that sequel for maybe too many years.