Disney finished the year strong with the juggernaut that is Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But as is typical for the Mouse House, they have many other big projects coming down the pike. To highlight the slate we have to look forward to in 2016, Disney has released new images from several of their upcoming films. These include some highly anticipated films as well as ones expected to make big splashes at the box office and with critics.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
Tim Burton returns to produce the sequel to the $1 billion+ 2010 film Alice in Wonderland, directed this time by James Bobin (The Muppets). Though now without Burton, the sequel brings back the familiar faces of Mia Wasikowska’s Alice, Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway’s White Queen, and Helena Bonham Carter’s Red Queen. Joining them are Sacha Baron Cohen as the villain Time and Rhys Ifan as the Mad Hatter’s father.
The sequel finds Alice having to return to the world of Underland and travel back in time in order to save the Mad Hatter. And sure enough, the new image features both, especially highlighting Depp’s Hatter, as the actor continuously proves to be gold for the studio. You can check out the trailer here.
Alice Through the Looking Glass arrives in theaters May 27, 2016.
The Jungle Book
Disney also is continuing its trend of adapting its classic animated stories into live-action versions. The first to follow last year’s critical and successful Cinderella is The Jungle Book. An all-star voice cast will accompany the CGI animals, all of which overseen by director Jon Favreau (Iron Man). The voice actors include Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Lupita Nyongo’o and Giancarlo Esposito as the Wolf Mother and Father, and Scarlett Johansson as Kaa. Mowgli will be played by newcomer Neel Sethi.
The movie will tell the story many are familiar with of the Mancub Mowgli, as he is adopted by wolves and grows up in the jungle, but must return to the Man village to escape the looming Shere Khan. The new image features Mowgli and Bagheera walking in the jungle as the herd of elephants approaches. And you can check out the trailer here.
The Jungle Book will be released April 15, 2016.
The Light Between Oceans
We don’t know all that much about The Light Between Oceans, as there has been very little in the way of images, and no trailer or release date revealed yet. However, the film holds much promise. It is based on the well-received novel of the same name, and is directed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine). Cianfrance yet again brings together a great cast consisting of Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs) and Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), who play an Australian lighthouse keeper and his wife, who one day rescue a baby from an adrift rowboat.
We recently got our first look at Vikander’s character, and now the new image features the happy couple relaxing on a porch. The film is said to be released sometime this year.
Zootopia
Disney has been aggressively marketing their next animated film, Zootopia, which makes sense as it is less than two months away, and features adorable anthropomorphic animals. The story is set in the “modern mammal metropolis” full of all kinds of animals and follows Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), a sly con-artist fox who finds himself framed for a crime he didn’t commit. Rookie cop bunny Judy Hops (Ginnifer Goodwin) is tasked with tracking him down, but when both end up framed for the crime, they are reluctantly forced to team up to crack the case. Lending their voices alongside Bateman and Goodwin are Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Octavia Spencer, Jenny Slate, and Shakira.
The new image features the fox Nick Wilde and bunny cop Judy Hops, and it’s likely he will be as annoying and she will be as annoyed as they look. There have been several teaser trailers to feast your eyes on, and you can find them here, here, here, and here. Also check out our article on 20 things to know from the film.
Zootopia arrives in theaters March 4, 2016.