CinemaCon 2017: Disney Panel – The Last Jedi, Thor Ragnarok, Wreck-It Ralph

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Well, if there's one thing I hate it's a tease. On the other hand, if there's one thing I love, it's a tease. And that's pretty much what the Disney panel/presentation was at CinemaCon this year, which was more of a slideshow of info and a sizzle reel that slightly satiated our hunger for all things Star Wars and Marvel, namely in the form of THOR: RAGNAROK and STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Ultimately, it fell way short of what Marvel/Disney would typically bring to Comic Con, but at the same time they also had it book-ended with a screening of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES. Now, while we can't say anything about PIRATES 5 as it's under embargo, we can talk about the tidbits in the brief, yet oddly satisfying panel.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI – It was the biggest tease of all, but not without a reveal that left everyone there ravenous for more. During the sizzle reel (where they highlighted their films of 2016) they saved the best for last as we got a mere few seconds of THE LAST JEDI that had Daisy Ridley's Rey, still decked out in her traditional garb from the last time we saw her in THE FORCE AWAKENS, swinging her (or, Luke's, if you prefer) blue light saber, while at a very familiar island location where we last saw her. Rey's face was full of intensity and struggle and my immediate feeling was that we were seeing her undergoing some good ol' fashioned Jedi training, courtesy of a Jedi Master once trained by Yoda himself. And that was it, but man, was it a glorious tease (and the first footage we've seen anywhere from THE LAST JEDI). Just hearing a lightsaber turn on would've been enough, but seeing Rey in action again just gets those midichlorians in my blood pumping.

THOR: RAGNAROK – Yet another film we're all dying to see more of was also part of the Disney burlesque show. We saw a new image of Chris Hemsworth's Thor, running and looking generally intense (and rocking the short hair), as well as some concept art (much like the stuff we've already seen on merchandising) and then, during the sizzle reel, we saw a quick bit of Thor putting on his helmet and pulling down a piece of it to cover the side of his face, like a gladiator entering the ring (and that's most likely exactly what he's doing there). We also got a quick shot of him standing in the arena, preparing to do battle. And that was when our quarters ran out and they closed the curtain, but man, oh, man, was it cool to finally see some moving pictures from THOR: RAGNAROK. Again, not life changing, but still very cool and a good indication that Marvel is getting closer to unveiling more from the November release.

WRECK-IT RALPH sequel – It was announced that John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch would all be returning for the long-awaited sequel to 2012's smash hit and that the title would be (wait for it): RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET. Why they don't have the word "wreck" in there instead of "break" is beyond me, but there you have it. No details on story or concept, but it will be released in March 2018. In a statement released earlier today, director Rich Moore said:

“To take these characters we love and have them enter the enormous world of the internet has given us so much to explore. Our production team has been hard at work designing a world that takes something we all think we know – the internet – but shows it in a whole new, imaginative way.”

UPCOMING SLATE – Disney showed off a release slate through 2019 that highlighted a few titles that we've heard rumbled about before. Seeing them on the screen is a good indicator that they're truly in the works, though. Titles like THE INCREDIBLES 2 (slated for summer 2018), MULAN (live action, late 2018), ANT-MAN & THE WASP (summer 2018, following THE AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR), an UNTITLED DISNEY LIVE-ACTION FILM (summer 2018), MULAN (fall 2018) and, strangely, an UNTITLED FAIRY TALE MOVIE set for this summer (not sure what that would be, but it's possible that could be an error on the schedule).

From there, Disney pulled out the rug from under us and launched right into the screening of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES, leaving us with visions of lightsabers and Hulk smash in our head, but no further trailers or teases. Ah, the torture! We'll get there guys, but if anything it's an indication that footage is most certainly on the way for these highly anticipated pics. Keep your eyes peeled for more from CinamaCon as we make our way through the presentations and bring you all the news that's…well, news.