Disney Makes Big Splashes At Annecy Film Festival

By: Davyn Horton

The Walt Disney Company is no stranger to animation, with this year’s Annecy Film Festival being no different. However, this year is different. From a legendary filmmaker returning, to a new Pixar film announcement, and so much more. Disney knows their stuff, and Annecy Film Festival is the place for them to showcase everything they have working, and so much more.

A Legend Returns

A Disney legend will make his return home.

Ron Clements, known for directing Disney classics such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and the original Moana, made a surprise announcement on stage, saying that he will return to Walt Disney Animation. However, he is not returning to direct. Instead, he is coming back in a mentorship. In a statement, Clements said:

I really have been enjoying retirement, but I’m excited about just returning to kind of mentor. There aren’t as many old people around as there used to be, and there certainly are so many young people who want to work in animation.

In short, a world renowned filmmaker like Ron Clements returning to Walt Disney Animation in a mentorship capacity is excellent news. The next generation of filmmakers will benefit greatly from his knowledge and expertise, as the company enters into a new age of entertainment.

The Next Film From Pixar

As a matter of fact, Pixar’s recent films haven’t all been home runs. Aside from 2024’s Inside Out 2, the only Pixar film to gross over a billion dollars since the COVID-19 pandemic, the rest of Pixar’s slate the last few years hasn’t quite garnered the same attention as pre-COVID. However, the newest film announcement from Pixar might do wonders to reignite the fire.

The newest Pixar original film, Gatto, is releasing June 2027. The synopsis reads:

The new film returns to Italy, this time to Venice, where after years of maneuvering the canal-ridden, superstitious city, a black cat named Nero begins to question whether he’s lived the right lives. Indebted to a local feline mob boss, Nero finds himself in a quandary and is forced to forge a truly unexpected friendship that may finally lead him to his purpose—unless Venice gets the better of him first.

From what’s presented, it looks like a classic Pixar adventure is on our hands. This will excite the Pixar faithful in the fanbase, as they look to get things back on track in the near future.

A Look To The Future and Beyond

In addition to announcing Gatto, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation brought other exciting updates regarding previously-announced films on the calendar for the next few years.

For starters, the first two minutes of Toy Story 5 were shown to the audience. The footage description reads:

The opening scene begins with eyes opening to stormy weather on a beach. We see Buzz Lightyear in a package that has a label saying “High Tech Edition”. As we look around, we see dozens of Buzz’s in packaging all washed up on the beach. They begin to walk into the forest, walking like an army, and as they reach the end, they realize they’re on an island. It’s now night, and they are by the beach looking into the stars. One of the Buzz’s says “Star”, while another then proceeds to say “Command”. They start repeating before one of them says “Rendezvous”. They begin to start changing “Rendezvous with Star Command!” while making a boat and then sailing away. It pans to the stars, and they outline the Toy Story 5 logo.

In addition, a new villain, tech tablet Lily Pad, was revealed. Lily Pad was described as “a bit sneaky and prickly to be around. And because, in her mind, it’s a lot better to be socialized, and Bonnie needs to move on from toys.”

Finally, new updates were given for Zootopia 2, Hoppers, and Elio. Elio received 25 minutes of footage ahead of its release next week, promising an incredibly fun space-filled adventure. Hoppers is promising a weirdly unique look into how man-made projects and disasters affect the animals all around us. Meanwhile, Judy and Nick are on the run in Zootopia 2, as they’re looking to uncover who’s the true villain while they are deemed fugitives of the law.

Annecy Film Festival Shows The Power of Disney

In conclusion, this year’s Annecy Film Festival presentation from Walt Disney Animation and Pixar shows that they are committed to bringing unique and original stories. Through the power of animation, they show that nothing is impossible. Every new detail from every upcoming film gets fans more and more excited. It will be interesting to see how all these films develop. Regardless, a new era of animation, and filmmaking in general, is upon us. It is one that is proving to be extremely exciting for all, and one that will make fans happy for a long time to come.