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Disney Shares New Footage and Release Dates for Major Upcoming Films

At last week’s CinemaCon, the studio unveiled its theatrical calendar for highly anticipated features from Pixar, Marvel, and 20th Century Studios, and offered an early look at some scenes.

Walt Disney Studios gave its presentation at CinemaCon 2022 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas last week. The company’s head of theatrical distribution, Tony Chambers, led the big reveal of its 2022 theatrical release schedule, alongside Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Avatar producer Jon Landau.

Disney’s presentation included an exclusive preview of titles from Marvel Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and 20th Century Studios.

20th Century Studios’ three upcoming releases included The Bob’s Burgers Movie, the new film from David O. Russell entitled Amsterdam, and James Cameron’s long-awaited sequel to his sci-fi action epic Avatar.

Amsterdam - a romantic crime epic about three friends entangled in “one of the most shocking secret plots in American history” - is scheduled to open November 4. The film’s stacked cast includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Alessandro Nivola, Andrea Riseborough, Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Rock, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Shannon, Mike Myers, Taylor Swift, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldana, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro. Russell will write, direct, and produce the film, which blends elements of fact and fiction.

Avatar’s sequel is officially titled Avatar: The Way of Water, and is slated for a December 16 theatrical release. The story skips ahead to over 10 years since the events of the first film unfolded, and follows the Sully family’s struggle to keep each other safe from harm, the battles they fight survive, and the hardships they weather along the way. Directed by Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, the film stars Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, Giovanni Ribisi, and Kate Winslet. The studio also announced that it will re-release Avatar in theaters on September 23.

Convention attendees were shown the first six minutes of The Bob’s Burgers Movie, which opens in theaters nationwide May 27. The animated musical comedy-mystery-adventure stars voice actors H. Jon Benjamin, Dan Mintz, Eugene Mirman, Larry Murphy, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Zach Galifianakis, and Kevin Kline. 

For its portion of the presentation, Marvel Studios showcased new footage from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is set for a May 6 stateside theatrical release. According to the film’s synopsis, the film is a “journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.”   

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams.

Pixar offered attendees an early look at footage from Lightyear, its upcoming Buzz Lightyear origin story, in advance of its June 17 release date. Directed by Angus MacLane (Finding Dory), Lightyear stars Chris Evans as the voice of Spance Ranger Buzz Lightyear, Uzo Aduba as his commander and best friend Alisha Hawthorne, and Peter Sohn as Sox. The film follows Lightyear’s quest to find his way back home after he and his crew are stranded on a deadly planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth.

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Max Weinstein is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He is the Editor-at-Large of 'Dread Central' and former Editorial Director of 'MovieMaker.' His work has been featured in 'Cineaste,' 'Fangoria,' 'Playboy,' 'Vice,' and 'The Week.'