Taraji P Henson joins 'Wreck-It-Ralph 2'

Taraji P. Henson will voice an algorithm called Yesss in Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Rich Moore and Phil Johnston’s follow-up to the 2012 hit.

Attendees at Disney’s annual D23 Expo in Anaheim, southern California, saw first footage of a scene that pays homage to the Disney princesses.

Next, Disney orchestrated an unprecedented gathering of princesses as Auli‘i Cravalho from Moana, Kristen Bell from Frozen, Kelly MacDonald from Brave, Mandy Moore from Tangled, Anika Noni Rose from The Princess And The Frog, Irene Bedard from Pocahontas, Linda Larkin from Aladdin, Paige O’Hara from Beauty And The Beast, and Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid took to the stage.

Sarah Silverman returns as Vanellope von Schweetz, and Clark Spencer, who most recently collaborated with Moore on the global smash Zootopia, produced Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (see first-look image), which is scheduled to open on November 21, 2018. 

Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer John Lasseter said The Incredibles 2 was still in production but that did not stop director Brad Bird from taking to the stage to show early footage. Bird said the film will put the family in an expanded universe when it opens on June 15, 2018. He and Lasseter were joined by voice cast Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, cast newcomer Huck Milner, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Lasseter said he will not co-direct Toy Story 4 as Josh Cooley assumes the reins. The pair presented a peek at a day in the director’s life at Pixar’s northern California studio. Jonas Rivera produces the film, set to open on June 21, 2019. 

Anthony Gonzalez, who voices Miguel, and Benjamin Bratt, voicing Ernesto de la Cruz in Coco, sang Remember Me on stage and were joined by more than 160 performers.

Lee Unkrich directs the November 22 release and Darla K. Anderson produces the story of an aspiring musician from a family where music is banned who befriends a trickster voiced by Gael Garcia Bernal in the Land Of The Dead.

Kristen Bell introduced the upcoming 21-minute Frozen featurette Olaf’s Frozen Adventure featuring the voice of Josh Gad, who delivered a surprise rendition of a song. The film launches in front of Coco in November. Idina Menzel reprises her role as Elsa and Jonathan Groff returns as Kristoff. Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton direct and Roy Conli produces.

Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee direct Frozen 2 (title TBA), which is scheduled to open on November 27, 2019. Peter Del Vecho directs the follow-up to the 2013 cultural phenomenon that sees Bell, Gad, Menzel and Groff reprise their roles.

Lasseter kicked off the presentation by announcing Disneytoon Studios’ original new animation Untitled DTS Film. Klay Hall and Bobs Gannaway are directing the April 12, 2019, release that explores the future of aviation. Ferrell Barron produces.

Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) talked up his untitled Pixar adventure film that is in production and centres on two teenage elf brothers who set out to spend one final day with their late father. Kori Rae produces. 

D23 continues through July 16.