MOSCOW, December 30 (Sputnik) — Walt Disney Studios has announced a 12-film lineup for next year, including offerings from Marvel, Pixar, and the next chapter of the Star Wars saga.
As entertainment magazine Variety has explained, the lineup does not veer far from the company's established business strategy of following up on past successes via sequels, live action features, and action blockbusters from established brands including Marvel and Lucasfilm.
The list includes a new 'creature feature', Monkey Kingdom, another sports film, "McFarland, USA", and two live action versions of Disney classics: Cinderella and The Jungle Book.
Disney will end the year with the launch of J.J. Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens in December, a film which is widely expected to become a commercial success.
Two new animated offerings by Pixar, Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur, are set for release in 2015, along with a new Lucasfilm animated film entitled Strange Magic. An as-yet untitled DreamWorks Cold War spy thriller, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, is also set for release in mid-October.
In 2014, Walt Disney Studios's 13 movies generated $3.4 billion in box office revenue worldwide, including $1.37 billion in the US market, Variety notes.
The list:
January 23 — Strange Magic (Lucasfilm)
February 20 — McFarland, USA (Disney)
March 13 – Cinderella (Disney)
April 17 – Monkey Kingdom (Disneynature)
May 1 – Avengers: Age of Ultron (Marvel)
May 22 – Tomorrowland (Disney)
June 19 – Inside Out (Pixar)
July 17 – Ant–Man (Marvel)
October 9 — The Jungle Book (Disney)
October 16 – The untitled Steven Spielberg Cold War spy thriller (DreamWorks)
November 25 – The Good Dinosaur (Pixar)
December 18 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Lucasfilm)
