Disney Branded Television revealed new projects and released never-before-seen content for its series and movies across Disney+, Disney Channel and Disney Junior during Disney’s Epic Entertainment Showcase: The Musical: The Extravaganza! at D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California.
“American Born Chinese” – first look at the exciting new Disney+ Original series coming in 2023
“Big Shot” – season two, all episodes streaming on Disney+ on Oct. 12
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” – debuts Feb. 10 on Disney Channel and shortly thereafter on Disney+
“National Treasure: Edge of History” – Disney+ Original series set to debut Dec. 14 with two episodes
“Prom Pact” – first look at new movie revealed
“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” – season two premieres February 2023 on Disney+ announced with all-new trailer
“The Santa Clauses” – Disney+ Original series debuts Nov. 16 with two episodes – first-look teaser released
Other key announcements during the showcase included the following:
Three new unscripted holiday specials announced for Disney+ streaming this holiday season: “Best in Snow,” an action-packed winter competition event hosted by Titus Burgess; “Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays,” following the superstar a cappella group as they work to find inspiration for their annual holiday album; and “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” a modern reimagining of a holiday classic that fuses the worlds of hip-hop and classical music to put a fresh spin on a beloved tale.
In season four of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” after an epic summer at Camp Shallow Lake, the Wildcats return to East High where they will prepare a stage production of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” On their first day back, the principal announces that Disney has decided to make the long-awaited “High School Musical 4: The Reunion” movie on location at their beloved high school, and our Wildcats will be playing featured extras in the movie. It’s season four, and it’s now or never.
New single “Can You Picture That?” from the upcoming Disney+ series “The Muppets Mayhem” released after The Electric Mayhem’s live performance of the musical number.
https://disneymusic.lnk.to/CanYouPictureThat
New details about “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” were shared with D23 Expo attendees about the upcoming series and two members of the lead voice cast – Jamaal Avery Jr. and Emma Berman – revealed.
“American Born Chinese”
Coming to Disney+ in 2023 (DBT and 20th Television)
Based on the genre-hopping graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, “American Born Chinese” tells the story of Jin Wang, an average teenager juggling his high school social life with his home life. When he meets a new student on the first day of the school year, even more worlds collide as Jin is unwittingly entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods. “American Born Chinese” stars Ben Wang as Jin Wang, Yeo Yann Yann as Christine Wang, Chin Han as Simon Wang, Ke Huy Quan as Freddy Wong, Jimmy Liu as Wei-Chen, Sydney Taylor as Amelia with Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong “The Monkey King” and Michelle Yeoh as Guanyin.
“Big Shot” Season Two
Premieres Oct. 12 on Disney+ (DBT and 20th Television)
Marvyn’s (John Stamos) latest plan toward relevance is to get his team broadcast on ESPN, and his method is to recruit an unlikely player: Ava (SaraEcheagaray), a gutsy beach volleyball phenom whose public tantrum got her ousted from her own sport. Between losing their assistant coach Holly Barrett (Jessalyn Gilsig) to a rival school, new friction amongst teammates, a sudden and unexpected proximity to boys, and off-the-court disasters that no one could’ve predicted this season, the Westbrook Sirens have even more to prove. “Big Shot” stars John Stamos (“You,” “The Little Mermaid Live”), Jessalyn Gilsig (Glee), Sophia Mitri Schloss (“Potato Dreams of America), Nell Verlaque (“Secrets in a Small Town), Tiana Le (“Just Add Magic”), Tisha Custodio, Cricket Wampler (“About A Boy”), Sara Echeagaray and Yvette Nicole Brown (“Community”). Executive producers and co-creators are David E. Kelley, Dean Lorey and Brad Garrett. Bill D’Elia also serves as executive producer. A Disney Branded Television series, “Big Shot” is produced by ABC Signature, part of Disney Television Studios.
“The Santa Clauses”
Premieres Nov.16 on Disney+, Two-episode premiere (DBT and 20th Television)
Scott Calvin is on the brink of his 65th birthday and realizing that he can’t be Santa forever. He’s suddenly starting to lose his Santa magic; and, more importantly, he’s got a family who could benefit from a life in the normal world, especially his two kids who have grown up at the North Pole. With a lot of elves, children and family to please, Scott sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in a life south of the pole.
“National Treasure: Edge of History”
Premieres Dec. 14 on Disney+, Two-episode premiere (DBT and 20th Television)
The Disney+ Original series “National Treasure” Edge of History” is an expansion of the “National Treasure” movie franchise told from the point of view of a young heroine, Jess – a brilliant and resourceful DREAMer in search of answers about her family – who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about the past and save a lost Pan-American treasure. “National Treasure” stars Lisette Olivera, Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”), Jake Austin Walker (“Rectify”), Jordan Rodrigues (“Lady Bird”), Zuri Reed (“Flatbush Misdemeanors”), Antonio Cipriano (“Jagged Little Pill”) and Lyndon Smith (“Parenthood”). Jerry Bruckheimer, Cormac & Marianne Wibberley, Jonathan Littman and KristieAnne Reed serve as executive producers on the series alongside Rick Muirragui, who also serves as a writer. Jon Turteltaub is also an executive producer. Mira Nair is directing and executive producing. A Disney Branded Television series, “National Treasure” is produced by ABC Signature, part of Disney Television Studios.
“Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur”
Premieres Feb. 10 on Disney Channel and streams shortly thereafter on Disney+ (DBT)
“Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” based on Marvel’s hit comic books, follows the adventures of 13-year-old super-genius Lunella Lafayette and her 10-ton T-Rex, Devil Dinosaur. After Lunella accidentally brings Devil Dinosaur into present-day New York City, the duo works together to protect the city’s Lower East Side from danger.
“Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur” stars Diamond White as Lunella (aka Moon Girl); Fred Tatasciore as Devil Dinosaur; Alfre Woodard as Lunella’s grandmother, Mimi; Libe Barer as Lunella’s best friend and manager, Casey; Sasheer Zamata as Lunella’s mom, Adria; Jermaine Fowler as Lunella’s dad, James Jr.; Gary Anthony Williams as Lunella’s grandfather, Pops; and series executive producer Laurence Fishburne in the recurring role of The Beyonder, a curious and mischievous trickster.
“Prom Pact”
Streaming Soon on Disney+ (DBT)
It’s the height of prom season, and high school senior Mandy Yang and her best friend and fellow outsider Ben are surrounded by over-the-top ’80s-themed promposals. However, Mandy keeps her eyes focused on a different goal: her lifelong dream of attending Harvard. When she finds out that she has been put on the waitlist, she is determined to do whatever she can do to get herself accepted, even if that means asking for help from the one person she abhors – popular all-star jock Graham Lansing, whose father is a powerful senator and Harvard alum. Once Mandy becomes Graham’s tutor, she begins to realize there’s more to him than she thought and perhaps something more to life than Harvard.
“Prom Pact” stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Mandy, Milo Manheim as Ben, Blake Draper as Graham, Monique Green as LaToya, Arica Himmel as Zenobia, Jason Sakaki as Charles, Margaret Cho as Ms. Chen, Wendi McLendon-Covey as Alyssa and David S. Jung as Tom.
“The Muppets Mayhem”
Coming to Disney+ in 2023 (DBT and ABC Signature)
The comedy series follows The Electric Mayhem Band — Dr. Teeth on vocals and keyboards, Animal on drums, Floyd Pepper on vocals and bass, Janice on vocals and lead guitar, Zoot on saxophone and Lips on trumpet — on an epic, music-filled journey to record their first-ever studio album. With the help of a driven, young music executive, Nora, the old-school Muppet band comes face-to-face with the current-day music scene as they try to finally go platinum. “The Muppets Mayhem” stars Lilly Singh (“Nora”), Tahj Mowry (“Moog”), Saara Chaudry (“Hannah”) as well as Anders Holm (“JJ”) in a recurring role.
“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder”
Season Two Premieres February 2023 on Disney+ (Disney Television Animation)
“The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” picks up the story of its central character, Penny Proud, and includes her madcap family: parents Oscar and Trudy, twin siblings BeBe and CeCe, and grandmother Suga Mama (and Puff!). Of course, it would not be “The Proud Family” without Penny’s loyal crew: Dijonay Jones, LaCienega Boulevardez, Zoey Howzer and Maya Leibowitz-Jenkins, among others.
New Unscripted Holiday Specials
“Best in Snow”
Coming This Holiday Season to Disney+ (Six West Media and Milojo Productions)
“Best in Snow” is a festive holiday special, hosted by Tituss Burgess, featuring teams from around the world transported to a magical snowy village, Snowdome, and thrown into a spirited competition to compete for the title of Best in Snow. With the help of Snowdome’s finest carvers, teams will transform their 10-foot, 20-ton blocks of snow into beautiful creations inspired by Pixar, Marvel, Walt Disney Animation, Walt Disney Studios and The Muppets Studio. The teams will take family favorites such as Moana, Coco and The Lion King, and bring the characters to life in a way you’ve never seen before – in snow! Spectacular snow sculptures and lively musical performances from Tituss Burgess, Kermit the Frog and DCappella make this an action-packed winter event for the entire family.
“Pentatonix: Around the World for the Holidays”
Coming This Holiday Season to Disney+ (Done+Dusted)
Superstar a capella group Pentatonix is struggling to find inspiration for their annual holiday album, and the clock is ticking. To make matters worse, their well-intentioned but misguided manager mistakenly locks them in a magic mailroom. But with the help of some Disney magic, we’re soon on a whirlwind tour around the world, discovering holiday traditions and inspiration from Pentatonix fans all around the globe: from Tokyo to Grenada, Ghana to Mexico and Iceland. The fun-filled journey leads the group to realize that wherever we find ourselves, the holidays offer the perfect opportunity to discover how much we have in common and that it really is a small world after all!
“The Hip Hop Nutcracker”
Coming This Holiday Season to Disney+ (Done+Dusted)
Run-D.M.C.’s Rev Run brings us along for a hip-hop reimagining of The Nutcracker ballet set in New York City. It’s the night of the annual New Year’s Eve block party and Maria-Clara’s (Caché Melvin) mom and pop (Allison Holker Boss and Stephen “tWitch’ Boss) aren’t getting along … and it’s bringing her down. Maria-Clara embarks on a holiday adventure to bring her parents back together, finding help along the way from the magical toymaker, Drosselmeyer (Comfort Fedoke), and the Nutcracker (Du-Shant “Fik-shun” Stegall) whom she brings to life.
Disney+:
“Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.”
Season Two Coming Soon to Disney+ (DBT and 20th Television)
After spending the summer apart, Lahela (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) is finally reunited with Walter (Alex Aiono), although he’s not the same boyfriend she said goodbye to months before. Their relationship has shifted and they’re no longer on the same page. Her head is spinning and even more so when she meets a new patient, Nico (Milo Manheim). Lahela’s life is full of decisions – Walter, Nico and choosing her medical specialty. In the end, who or what will she choose? Luckily, she has her family, coworkers and best friend (Emma Meisel) to support her along the way.
“Growing Up”
Now Streaming on Disney+ (Culture.House)
Created by Brie Larson and Culture.House, “Growing Up” is an innovative hybrid docu-series that explores the challenges, triumphs and complexities of adolescence through 10 compelling coming-of-age stories. The series uses narrative, experimental and documentary filmmaking to follow one casted individual, ages 18-22, as they tell their story. They represent a wide range of lived experiences, giving audiences emotionally powerful narratives that offer an engaging look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance. Each 30-minute episode features one young person or “hero” and their experience growing up. Each episode is anchored by a deeply personal interview that allows our heroes to walk us through their childhood and teenage years. Alongside these interviews, creative cinematic reenactments help bring their major inflection points to life.
“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”
Season Three Finale Streams Sept. 14 on Disney+ (DBT)
Season three of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is set at Camp Shallow Lake, a sleepaway camp in California, as the Wildcats and their fellow campers are primed for an unforgettable summer ripe with romance, curfew-less nights and a taste of the great outdoors. With a high-stakes production of “Frozen” on the horizon AND a drama-filled “docu-series” of the production, the Wildcats will attempt to show who is “best in snow” without leaving anyone out in the cold.
“ZOMBIES 3”
Now Streaming on Disney+ (DBT)
“ZOMBIES 3,” the third installment in the uber-popular “ZOMBIES” franchise, takes an interstellar turn as space aliens suddenly touch down in Seabrook, upsetting Zed and Addison’s final year at Seabrook High in the town that’s become a safe haven for zombies, werewolves and humans alike. Zed is anticipating an athletic scholarship that will make him the first zombie to attend college, and Addison is gearing up for Seabrook’s first international cheer-off competition when mysterious extraterrestrial beings appear around Seabrook, provoking something other than friendly competition.
Disney Channel:
Under Wraps 2
Premieres Sept. 25 on Disney Channel and Streams Sept. 30 on Disney+ (DBT and MarVista Entertainment)
“Under Wraps 2” picks up as Marshall, Gilbert and Amy are getting ready to attend Amy’s father’s Spooktacular Halloween-themed wedding. However, plans soon go awry when the three friends discover their mummy pal Harold and his beloved Rose may be in danger. Sobek, an evil mummy with a 1,000-year-old grudge against his best friend-turned-bitter-rival, Harold, is unexpectedly awakened and out for revenge. With help from his hypnotized lacky Larry, Sobek kidnaps Rose. Amy, Gilbert, Marshall, Buzzy and Harold must use their skills once again to save her and get back in time to attend the wedding.
Disney Junior:
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Premieres 2023 on Disney Junior and Disney+ (Lucasfilm and Disney Junior)
Set during the High Republic era, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” will follow a group of Younglings as they embark on missions where they will help people in need, discover exotic creatures, clash with villainous pirates, train with their masters, and ultimately learn the valuable skills needed in order to become Jedi: compassion, self-discipline, teamwork, patience and friendship.
“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” stars Jamaal Avery Jr. (“Abbott Elementary”) as Kai Brightstar, a Jedi Youngling who hopes to follow in the footsteps of his hero, the great Master Yoda, and become a Jedi Knight; and Emma Berman (Pixar’s “Luca”) as Nash Durango, a pilot who befriends Kai and his friends and joins them on their adventures across the galaxy.