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D23 Expo 2022: Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and 20th Century Studios showcase upcoming offerings
Mumbai: At the recently concluded Disney fan event, D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim, California Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and 20th Century Studios made presentations.
The Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Bergman reflected on the 13-year history of D23 Expo—as well as the evolution of the Studios group. “That [first] year, none of the iconic studios you’ll hear from today were part of the company. It was just Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, and Pixar. We announced the Marvel acquisition just before our first expo in 2009. Then three years later, we added Lucasfilm, and in 2019, 20th Century Studios. I’ve been at Disney for 26 years, so it’s been incredibly exciting to welcome each of them to our studio family. And like Disney and Pixar, each of these studios has a phenomenal legacy of storytelling,” Bergman explained.
Lucasfilm: Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy introduced the content line-up. The movie “Indiana Jones 5” will be released next year on 30 June 2023. She welcomed the film’s director, James Mangold, who shared details and first-look footage from the upcoming fifth instalment of the “Indiana Jones” franchise. Kennedy and Mangold were joined on stage by the film’s stars, Harrison Ford and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. “Thank you for making these films such an incredible experience for all of us. I’m very proud to say that this one is fantastic, and [Waller-Bridge] is one of the reasons.”
“”Indiana Jones” movies are about fantasy and mystery, but they’re also about heart… I’m really, really happy that we have a really human story to tell, as well as a movie that will kick your [butt],” said an emotional Ford. This is the first “Indiana Jones” movie that will not be directed by Steven Spielberg.
Andor is a 24-episode spy thriller. The era featured in Andor—the five years before the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story—is filled with danger, deception, and intrigue, where Cassian Andor will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero. Much to the delight of the assembled crowd, Luna and his co stars unveiled a final trailer for the series.
The series presents Star Wars from a different perspective, focusing on everyday people whose lives are affected by the empire. The decisions they make have real consequences, and the stakes for them—and the galaxy—couldn’t be higher. The series debuts with three episodes on Disney+ on 21 September.
Meanwhile, Willow is a live-action fantasy-adventure series that returns to the world of Andowyne that we first met in the 1988 feature film (directed by Ron Howard and produced by Disney Legend George Lucas). Set in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, Willow is the story of an unlikely group of heroes who set off on a dangerous quest, facing their inner demons and coming together to save their world. An epic period fantasy told with a modern sensibility and plenty of humour and heart, Willow begins streaming on Disney+ on 30 November.
Kennedy welcomed Dave Filoni, who shared a host of Star Wars-related announcements. First, Filoni showed a new image from the upcoming 16-episode second season of the animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Months have passed since the events on Kamino, and the Bad Batch continue their journey, navigating the empire after the fall of the republic. They’ll cross paths with friends and foes, both new and familiar, as they take on a variety of thrilling mercenary missions that will take them to unexpected and dangerous new places. The series will begin streaming on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere on 4 January, 2023.
Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi comprises six brand-new animated shorts featuring parables built around Jedi from the prequel era. Journey into the lives of two very different Jedi—Ahsoka Tano and Count Dooku—who will be tested as they make decisions that will shape their destinies. Filoni delighted the audience by sharing an official trailer for the shorts. All six shorts will debut on 26 October on Disney+.
Filoni shared with Hall D23 how much the character of Ahsoka means to him—having crafted her story from her 2008 debut in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars through her live-action debut in The Mandalorian. Ahsoka is a new live-action series heading to Disney+, starring Rosario Dawson in the title role. Set after the fall of the empire, Ahsoka follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. The new series is slated for 2023 and will be exclusive to Disney+.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew coming soon on Disney+. Skeleton Crew tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home.
Meanwhile in the third season of The Mandalorian, the Mandalorian and Grogu have been reunited and continue their journey through the lawless galaxy. Season three is set to launch exclusively on Disney+ next year.
Marvel Studios: Marvel Studios producer, president Kevin Feige detailed several recent announcements, including the Multiverse Saga—the conclusion of Phase 4, the Phase 5 slate, and the Phase 6 titles that include “Fantastic Four” and two new “Avengers” films: “The Kang Dynasty” and “Secret Wars.”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” releases in theatres on 11 November.
Ironheart is a series that takes place after the events of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The new series is slated for Disney+ in 2023.
Feige then officially kicked off Phase five of the MCU with “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.” Hitting theatres on 17 February 2023, the film connects to “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty,” Feige announced.
Feige then announced Marvel Studios’ first-ever special presentation, created for this “Halloween: Werewolf by Night,” directed by music composer Michael Giacchino who Disney said is also an accomplished filmmaker. The special starts streaming on Disney+ this October 7.
Secret Invasion is a new event series that showcases a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating earth for years.
Loki season two picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. The new season streams on Disney+ next year.
Feige has also officially confirmed that Matt Shakman—who directed every episode of 2021’s WandaVision and who was in the Hall D23 audience—would be directing “Fantastic Four.” The film opens in theatres on 8 November, 2024.
Echo is a new series. In the show Maya Lopez’ ruthless behaviour in New York City (after the events in Disney+’s “Hawkeye”) catches up with her in her hometown.
Daredevil: Born Again is an 18-episode Disney+ series. Production has not yet started on the show.
A movie “Captain America: New World Order,” continues Sam Wilson’s journey as Captain America and comes to theatres in 2024. “Thunderbolts” opens in theatres on 26 July, 2024.
Finally, Feige wrapped the Marvel Studios portion by revisiting key moments in the MCU before welcoming to the stage director Nia DaCosta and The Marvels cast members Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel), Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau), and Brie Larson (Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel). Fans were given a look at scenes from the new movie, which opens in theatres on 28 July, 2023.
20th Century Studios: Bergman then returned to the stage to introduce—via Zoom from New Zealand—Oscar-winning producer/director Cameron, director of the upcoming “Avatar: The Way of Water.” He’s hard at work finishing the film—the highly anticipated sequel to the biggest film of all time, “Avatar”—so he couldn’t join the D23 Expo in person. But the film’s producer, Jon Landau, helped welcome returning cast members Sam Worthington (Jake Sully), Zoe Saldaña (Neytiri), Sigourney Weaver (Kiri), and Stephen Lang (Colonel Miles Quaritch)—plus new-generation cast members Jamie Flatters (Neteyam), Jack Champion (Spider), Bailey Bass (Tsireya), and Trinity Jo-Li Bliss (Tuk)—before the audience was treated to several scenes from the new film! Fans were invited to don a pair of Dolby 3D glasses (a Hall D23 first!) to get fully immersed in the brand-new footage.
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Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
