7 – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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Disney

Once the public face of squeaky-clean, harmless family entertainment, the Walt Disney Corporation has evolved into a widespread conglomerate known as much for the properties it controls as the films it produces. With subsidiaries including Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, National Geographic, A&E, 20th Century Fox, ESPN, Hulu, and Pixar, Disney has a commanding control of some of the world’s most lucrative franchises, plus an extensive library of film and TV classics. Its streaming service Disney+ signals a new interest in controlling its own online distribution, setting aside decades of licensing partnerships. Follow along with The Verge as we look at Disney’s new films and shows, and its strategies for dominating the box office and the streaming dollar.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Photorealistic Stitch isn’t real.

But Disney’s live-action/CGI Lilo and Stitch feature will hit theaters next summer.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Snow White is going to get herself poisoned.

If Rachel Zegler’s live-action Snow White wasn’t so busy humming and whistling while she worked in the film’s new trailer, she might notice that Gal Gadot’s Evil Queen is clearly trying to poison her.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Agatha’s on the (witches’) road.

Even though Marvel’s Agatha All Along Disney Plus series is going to be something of a comedy, its latest trailer is big on witchy vibes that’ll be perfect for its September 18th two-episode premiere.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew looks like space Goonies in first trailer.

We knew Disney Plus’ new Star Wars: Skeleton Crew series (out December 3rd) would feature Jude Law as clever Force user, but the show’s first trailer is all about the kids getting into Goonies-style space mischief.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Frozen 3’s story will need two films.

Disney chief creative officer and Frozen co-director Jennifer Lee took to the stage at this year’s D23 to announce that the Frozen 3 will debut some time in 2027, and be followed up by a subsequent film.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Incredibles 3 is a go.

Pixar closed out its D23 presentation with some solid news: Incredibles 3 is in the works.

Logo for ‘Incredibles 3’ movie shown onstage at the D23 event.
‘Incredibles 3’
Image: @Pixar (X)
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Toy Story 5 looks like a battle against screens.

Look like modern electronics (read: tablets) are going to be the hot new toys in Toy Story 5, which now seems to be coming out in “Summer 2026.”

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Pixar’s saving Elio for the summer.

Though Pixar’s Elio was initially slated to debut next March, during its presentation at this year’s D23 expo, the studio announced that it will now hit theaters sometime in the summer.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Inside Out is getting a dreamy Disney Plus series.

After spending two films knocking around Riley’s waking mind, Disney is taking the Inside Out franchise in a new direction with Dream Productions. It’s a Disney Plus series (out next year) about how dreams are kinda sorta like movies.

Avatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters next DecemberAvatar: Fire and Ash hits theaters next December
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Moana’s on her way to a family reunion.

Disney kicked off its big Entertainment Showcase at this year’s D23 with a new Moana 2 trailer that reveals more about how its titular wayfinder will set sail to reconnect the islands across Oceania.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy opens up a multiverse of possibilities.

A multiverse kinda feels like the last thing Star Wars needs right now, but the first trailer for Disney Plus’ LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy mini(fig)series actually makes its premise seem like the rare modern Luke Skywalker story that might liven up the franchise when it premieres on September 13th.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
Disney and Fortnite are announcing news inside Fortnite.

Visit the “Disney Horizons Live from D23” island in Fortnite (island code 7908-6413-2516) at 11:30PM ET on August 10th to catch the show. If you miss it live, the in-game island will be available until August 16th, where the presentation will be on a loop.

A promotional image for Epic Games and Disney’s Fortnite reveal island for D23.
If you attend for more than 10 minutes, Epic will give you this “Peelverine Plush” backbling.
Image: Epic Games
Emma Roth
Emma Roth
Disney’s Hulu buyout could cost it up to $5 billion more.

After Disney agreed to buy Comcast’s 33 percent stake in Hulu with an initial payment of $8.6 billion, the two companies entered arbitration to determine Hulu’s fair value. Now, Disney says in an SEC filing that it could end up paying up to $5 billion depending on the outcome of arbitration.

The price of Disney Plus is about to go upThe price of Disney Plus is about to go up
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Wes Davis
Wes Davis
Disney Plus now takes you to Iceland.

In the Apple Vision Pro, that is. Disney Plus has rolled out a National Geographic edition virtual environment for its visionOS app that lets you watch movies in a snowy corridor in Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park.

The environment uses “3D models captured on-site using photogrammetry,” according to Disney’s announcement. When you watch a movie, it turns dark and shows you the Northern Lights!

A GIF panning across the new environment.
Sadly, it only works in the Disney Plus app.
GIF: Disney Plus
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Joy is coming to Doctor Who this Christmas.

It’s probably going to be a while before we see some of Disney Plus’ new Doctor Who spin-off series, but Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor will be back this winter in a new Christmas special featuring Nicola Coughlan.

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Inside Out 2 is raking it in.

Disney says the movie has now passed $1.462 billion globally, making it the top-grossing animated film ever, passing the likes of Frozen II and the Super Mario Bros. Movie. It also remains the highest-grossing film of 2024 so far.

Deadpool & Wolverine is a desperate Hail Mary

Beneath the dick jokes and solid X-Men cameos, Deadpool & Wolverine feels like Marvel’s way of admitting how much of a mess its multiverse era has been.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Acolyte’s first season made Star Wars’ dark past feel like a bright future

Season 1 of The Acolyte was a master class in deepening Star Wars’ lore rather than just playing into its nostalgic past.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Russo Brothers are reportedly in talks to direct two more Avengers movies.

Though it seemed like the Russo brothers were ready to put the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind them, the duo are in early talks to direct both Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Los Angeles Red Carpet And Fan Screening For Prime Video’s “Citadel” - Arrivals
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
The Emmys might basically be a streaming awards show this year.

There will be plenty of traditional television series like Shōgun and The Bear in the running at the 76th Emmys in September. But given how many Netflix, HBO, Apple TV Plus, Disney Plus, and Amazon projects were just nominated for awards, this year’s competition seems like it could easily go to the streamers.

Emmys 2024: List of Nominees

[The Hollywood Reporter]

Andrew Webster
Andrew Webster
Bend it like Bob Iger.

The Disney CEO, along with Willow Bay, has purchased a controlling stake in NWSL club Angel City FC at a value of $250 million, which the team says makes it “the most valuable women’s sports team in the world.” (The club is no stranger to celebrity owners, with founders like Alexis Ohanian and Natalie Portman.) Now we sit and wait for the inevitable docuseries on Disney Plus.

Jay Peters
Jay Peters
The Netflix-ization of Disney.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Disney is trying to make its streaming platforms work and feel more like Netflix. For example:

New features in the works at Disney include a more-personalized algorithm to power content recommendations, customized promotional art for new shows and movies based on subscriber’s tastes and usage history, and emails sent to viewers who stop watching in the middle of a series reminding them to finish, according to people familiar with the matter.

There’s lots more in the full story.

Charles Pulliam-Moore
Charles Pulliam-Moore
Wanda Wilson? I haven’t heard that name in years...

Though there isn’t all that much new to see in Deadpool & Wolverine’s latest trailer, it features our best look yet at the film’s live-action takes on what seems to be the Deadpool Kid (a cowboy variant) and Lady Deadpool (a woman named Wanda with a sick-ass ponytail.)

Richard Lawler
Richard Lawler
Will David Zaslav try to stop Amazon’s Prime Video from getting NBA broadcasting rights?

As explained by Front Office Sports, the NBA is waiting to see if TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery will try to match any part of the reported $76 billion in offers from NBC, ESPN, and Amazon.

WBD’s (not-HBO) Max could try to match Prime Video, but with a smaller audience than Amazon’s service, matching might not be enough.