Disney Unveils Exciting Sequels at D23 with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan Revealing ‘Freakier Friday’

Familiarity was the theme at the D23 Disney Entertainment Showcase on Friday, where the company previewed its upcoming lineup of films and streaming content.

For those unfamiliar, D23 is the biennial gathering of Disney fans in Anaheim, California—a mix of cosplay convention and promotional celebration. For the 12,000 attendees packed into the arena for an evening of Disney trailers, teases, and star appearances, it felt like a pop culture revival filled with infectious fun.

The event featured sneak peeks of “Moana 2,” “Avatar 3,” “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” “Mufasa: The Lion King,” and more. The night was filled with confetti, pyrotechnics, a dazzling magic trick by David Blaine, and music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, giving the whole affair a thrilling vibe. It was as if Disney, echoing Russell Crowe’s famous line from “Gladiator,” asked, “Are you not entertained?”

Indeed, it was hard not to be.

Here’s a look at some of the new—and newly updated—titles from Disney’s various studios.

Walt Disney Studios and Animation Dwayne Johnson kicked off the showcase with a preview of the upcoming animated sequel, “Moana 2.”

“Maui’s singing again, hitting notes that don’t even exist,” Johnson joked. “And my hair looks fantastic in ‘Moana 2.’ I can’t wait.”

Johnson called the movie a “perfect escape,” set for release on November 27.

Later, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan took the stage to reveal the sequel to their 2003 hit, “Freaky Friday,” now titled “Freakier Friday.”

“It’s more fun, it’s more emotional, and it’s all for you guys,” Lohan told the audience. “We’re here because of your love. That’s why this sequel is happening.”

“It feels like picking up where we left off, which is really beautiful,” Curtis added.

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins debuted a scene and new trailer for the live-action prequel “Mufasa: The Lion King,” featuring original music by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film will hit theaters on December 20.

Director Jim Cameron took a break from production on “Avatar 3” in New Zealand to provide an update on the project.

“I can’t wait to show you what we’ve been creating,” Cameron told the crowd.

“The new film has very high emotional stakes,” he added. “It’s not what you’d expect, but it’s definitely what you want.”

“Avatar” stars Zoe Saldana and Sam Worthington were also at D23 to reveal the third installment’s official title, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

Other highlights included appearances by Ginnifer Goodwin for “Zootopia 2,” Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot for the live-action “Snow White,” and Jeff Bridges, Jared Leto, and Greta Lee, who shared first-look footage of the upcoming third “Tron” film, titled “Tron: Ares.”

Pete Docter, Chief Creative Officer for Pixar, celebrated the success of “Inside Out 2,” which this summer became the top-performing animated film of all time. He also previewed “Dream Productions,” an “Inside Out” spinoff series set in Riley’s mind between the two films, slated for release on Disney+ next year.

Docter revealed a plotline for the previously announced “Toy Story 5,” set to debut in summer 2026.

“Toys will go head-to-head with what kids are obsessed with today: electronics,” he teased. “This time, it’s toys versus tech.”

After sharing previews of the upcoming Pixar original films “Elio,” releasing summer 2025, and “Hoppers,” arriving in theaters spring 2026, Docter ended with more sequel news: “Incredibles 3” is in development.

Marvel Marvel President Kevin Feige—whom Ryan Reynolds jokingly referred to as the “Marvel Jesus” in a video introduction—took the stage to present a sequel-heavy slate, starting with “Captain America: Brave New World,” the fourth installment in that franchise.

Feige was joined by Anthony Mackie, who will officially debut as Captain America in the film.

A new preview showed more of his interactions with Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross—a role previously portrayed by William Hurt—as well as the menacing Red Hulk.

The other major Marvel highlight was the cast of “Agatha All Along,” led by Kathryn Hahn, who is reprising her role as Agatha Harkness from “WandaVision.”

Hahn, along with Aubrey Plaza, Broadway legend Patti LuPone, “Heartstopper” star Joe Locke, Okwui Okpokwasili, and Ali Ahn, performed a dark and eerie song from the series. “Agatha All Along” will premiere in October.

Other Marvel highlights at D23 included a message from the set of “Fantastic Four: First Steps,” a preview of the “Ironheart” series, and a look at the reboot series “Daredevil: Born Again,” which will welcome Charlie Cox into the Disney fold.

Star Wars The Star Wars universe also continues to expand, as showcased at the expo, with a new original series, the second season of a fan-favorite show, and a feature-length film based on a beloved series all making strong showings.

Jude Law introduced “Skeleton Crew,” a family-friendly series he said was inspired by “the Amblin coming-of-age films from the ’80s.” The show will premiere on Disney+ in December.

Diego Luna also appeared to discuss how his beloved series “Andor” has changed his life. He shared more details on the second season, set to premiere next year.

Finally, Star Wars creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni were at D23 to discuss “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” the first theatrical Star Wars movie in five years, set to release in 2026. Get ready for more Baby Yoda!