CinemaCon 2025 has officially wrapped up and Walt Disney Studios had the honor of closing out the week with one of the most highly anticipated presentations of the convention. Disney stepped up as the final act, and delivered some pretty fantastic reveals.
We knew we were in for a special treat when they let us know ahead of time that pictures could be taken of what would be shown on screen. No other studio allowed the audience to do that during their presentation.
Disney’s 2025 slate included a mix of legacy sequels, fresh new entries, and major franchise moments from across their massive portfolio—Disney Live Action, Marvel Studios, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures.
Titles like Lilo & Stitch, Elio, Zootopia 2, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Freakier Friday, Predator: Badlands, Avatar: Fire & Ash, and more made major waves during the presentation.
Surprise appearances lit up the coliseum with talent including Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Jared Leto, Jeff Bridges, Elle Fanning, Jeremy Allen White, Zoe Saldaña, Ke Huy Quan, and the cast of Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*. In a heartfelt moment, legendary filmmaker James L. Brooks was honored with this year’s Cinema Vérité Award.
We’ve got a full breakdown of everything shown. This includes trailer reactions and behind-the-scenes footage from Disney’s 2025 slate below.
Highlights from The Walt Disney Studios CinemaCon 2025 Panel:
The Amateur – April 11
Attendees were treated to a scene from the espionage thriller starring Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan, and Laurence Fishburne. Malek plays a cryptographer pulled into a deadly world of secrets and revenge.
Lilo & Stitch – May 23
The live-action reimagining of the beloved 2002 animated film opened the presentation. Directed by Dean Fleischer Camp and featuring Maia Kealoha as Lilo and Zach Galifianakis, the new film promises heart and hilarity set in Hawaii.
Freakier Friday – August 8
Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis hit the stage to premiere a trailer for the sequel to the iconic body-swap comedy, Freaky Friday. Directed by Nisha Ganatra, the follow-up brings Tess and Anna back for another generational switch-up — this time with kids of their own.
The Roses – August 29
Olivia Colman and Benedict Cumberbatch star in this dark comedy reimagining of “The War of the Roses,” directed by Jay Roach and written by Tony McNamara.
Ella McCay – September 19
Jamie Lee Curtis and Emma Mackey introduced the new political comedy from legendary filmmaker James L. Brooks, who also received CinemaCon’s Cinema Vérité Award.
TRON: Ares – October 10
Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges surprised the crowd to debut a high-energy trailer for this tech-heavy third entry. Directed by Joachim Rønning, the film explores humanity’s first real-world contact with AI — starring Leto as Ares, an advanced digital being.
Predator: Badlands – November 7
Elle Fanning joined the show to unveil a tense teaser for the newest entry in the franchise, directed by Dan Trachtenberg. Set on a remote planet, the story follows a rogue Predator and his unlikely human ally.
Deliver Me From Nowhere
Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong dropped by to preview this Springsteen-inspired biopic directed by Scott Cooper, based on the making of the “Nebraska” album.
Marvel & Pixar Bring the Heat
Thunderbolts* – May 2
Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Wyatt Russell, and others dropped by to debut footage from Marvel Studios’ gritty antihero team-up. The footage shown teased intense action between the group and some playful team banter. We also got a few more plato details on why all these characters are in the same place.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps – July 25
Kevin Feige joined virtual to reveal a sneak peek into Marvel’s First Family. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach go up against Galactus and Silver Surfer in a ‘60s-style cosmic tale. We got a really clean look at Julia Garner as the character. We also got confirmation that Sue Storm is pregnant, which has big implications for the future.
Elio – June 20
Zoe Saldaña introduced new 3D footage from Pixar’s upcoming cosmic misadventure, which follows a misunderstood kid mistaken as Earth’s ambassador by aliens. The 3d was truly outstanding. Will definitely have to see that in 3D when it hits theaters this summer.
Zootopia 2 – November 26
Ke Huy Quan revealed his new character, a lovable pit viper, in this animated sequel that reunites Judy and Nick for another mystery-packed adventure in the animal metropolis. Almost superstar Quinta Brunson was confirmed to have joined the cast.
Wrapping with Pandora
To close things out, James Cameron delivered a message from the set of Avatar: Fire and Ash (releasing December 19), followed by Zoe Saldaña returning to premiere a sneak peek.
We put on the 3D glasses to view the footage. I don’t know how, but my vision improved when we stepped into the world. The third installment promises more breathtaking visuals and a deeper look into the Sully family as tensions rise on Pandora.