Pixar’s acclaimed 2017 fantasy feature Coco (pictured) is the latest movie franchise from the Disney vault to have a sequel in the pipeline.
CEO Bob Iger teased the project as being “in the initial stages” during yesterday’s annual shareholders meeting, which was otherwise quite standard and light on any big reveals (in stark contrast to last year’s boardroom battle instigated by investor Nelson Peltz).
Several key members of the Coco team are returning for the sequel due out in 2029—including director Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3), co-director Adrian Molina (Elio) and producer Mark Nielsen (Inside Out 2).
The first pic told the story of a boy who tries to return home from the land of the dead with a little help from his deceased great-great-grandfather—a concept that drew inspiration from the Mexican holiday Dio de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Earning nearly US$815 million in its theatrical run, Coco also won two Oscars (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song) and was recognized as the Best Animated Movie of 2017 by the National Board of Review.
During yesterday’s meeting, Disney shareholders also rejected a proposal that the company withdraw itself from an index established by the Human Rights Campaign that rates LGBTQ+ corporate equality. Notably, Disney has received a perfect score on this index since 2007—although it has made headlines of late for reshaping its DEI strategy.
In a prerecorded statement, Iger also highlighted plans that are already underway to “turbo-charge” the Disney Experiences business segment, noting ongoing projects like the largest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom, the addition of a Monsters Inc. themed land to Hollywood Studios, and plans to double the size of the Avengers campus. Disney is expected to face some competition in this market soon as Universal gears up to open the doors to its Epic Universe park in Florida this May.