10 Disney Movies You Need To Rewatch Before Their Upcoming Sequels

Disney has spent much of the last decade discovering that nostalgia alone cannot guarantee a hit. When audiences genuinely want to return to a particular world, however, the numbers can be enormous. Zootopia 2 earned more than $1.8 billion worldwide, while Disney's 2025 live-action Lilo & Stitch crossed the $1 billion mark.

The company's upcoming slate suggests there are few corners of its enormous catalog that are permanently closed. Frozen 3, Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 are all on the calendar, while Zootopia 3 has entered development. Disney also has decades of familiar characters to draw from, including some of the most important Disney princesses in the studio's history.

Some of the most surprising returns come from much older properties. Another Simpsons movie is headed to theaters 20 years after the first, Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino will reunite for Romy & Michele 2, and Anne Hathaway is preparing to return to Genovia for The Princess Diaries 3. Then there is National Treasure 3, which finally appears to have escaped development limbo after nearly two decades.

Some of these movies remain years away, while others do not yet have release dates. Either way, their predecessors suddenly deserve another look.

Ice Age: Collision Course

Ice Age has been around long enough that remembering exactly where Manny, Sid and the rest of the herd ended up is no small task. That makes Collision Course, the fifth theatrical installment, a useful refresher before Ice Age: Boiling Point arrives in theaters February 5, 2027. Disney has officially locked in that date.

The new movie brings back Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah and Simon Pegg, with the herd venturing into the Lost World for an adventure involving dinosaurs and volcanic activity. Collision Course may not be the franchise's strongest entry, but it establishes where these characters were left before their long theatrical absence.

The Simpsons Movie

Release Date

July 27, 2007

Runtime

87 minutes

Director

David Silverman

Writers

Jon Vitti, Mike Reiss, Al Jean, John Swartzwelder, David Mirkin, Matt Groening, matt selman, George Meyer, James L. Brooks, Mike Scully, Ian Maxtone-Graham

Producers

Al Jean, Claudia Katz, Felicia Nalivansky, Jay Kleckner, Matt Orefice, Mike Scully, Richard Sakai, Amanda Moshay

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  Homer Simpson / Itchy / Barney / Abe Simpson / Stage Manager / Krusty the Clown / Mayor Quimby / Mayor's Aide / Multi-Eyed Squirrel / Panicky Man / Sideshow Mel / Mr. Teeny / EPA Official / Kissing Cop / Bear / Boy on Phone / NSA Worker / Officer / Santa's Little Helper / Squeaky-Voiced Teen (voice)

• 

  Marge Simpson / Selma Bouvier / Patty Bouvier (voice)

It has somehow been nearly 20 years since Homer Simpson nearly destroyed Springfield by dumping a silo full of pig waste into Lake Springfield. The family will finally return to theaters when the still-untitled second Simpsons movie opens September 3, 2027, a date Disney confirmed during its 2026 D23 showcase.

Plot details remain under wraps, making The Simpsons Movie the obvious place to start preparing. Disney has a surprisingly deep catalog of older movies that have been forgotten despite aging remarkably well, but this is one theatrical hit that never really disappeared from pop culture. Two decades of additional Simpsons history should give its successor plenty to work with.

Frozen II

Release Date

November 20, 2019

Runtime

103 minutes

Director

Chris Buck

Writers

Jennifer Lee

Producers

Byron Howard

Frozen 2 substantially expanded the mythology of Arendelle, revealing more about Elsa's powers and her connection to the Enchanted Forest. Most importantly, it ended with Anna becoming Queen of Arendelle while Elsa remained in the forest. That new status quo will continue when Frozen 3 opens November 24, 2027.

The first look at Frozen 3 has already offered clues about where the franchise is heading next. Anna and Kristoff are preparing to marry, while a mysterious new threat appears poised to challenge Elsa. With the sisters now living different lives, Frozen 2 has become essential viewing rather than merely the bridge between sequels.

Romy And Michele's High School Reunion

Release Date

April 25, 1997

Runtime

92 Minutes

Director

David Mirkin

Writers

Robin Schiff

One of Disney's most unexpected upcoming sequels has nothing to do with superheroes or animation. Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino are returning for Romy & Michele 2, which will debut exclusively on Hulu sometime in 2027. Disney has not announced a specific day or month yet.

The original remains an easy movie to underestimate. Beneath the ridiculous outfits and the lie about inventing Post-it Notes, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion is about two women realizing they do not need their former classmates' approval. Alan Cumming, Janeane Garofalo and Camryn Manheim are also returning, making a rewatch even more worthwhile.

Lilo & Stitch

Release Date

May 23, 2025

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

Dean Fleischer Camp

Writers

Mike Van Waes, Chris Kekaniokalani Bright

Producers

Dan Lin

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Disney's live-action Lilo & Stitch did something increasingly difficult for a remake: it became a phenomenon in its own right. The movie surpassed $1 billion worldwide, and Disney quickly committed to another installment. Lilo & Stitch 2 will open in theaters May 26, 2028, with production set to return to Hawaii.

The success is also a reminder that, while plenty of Disney classics should probably be left alone, there are still animated Disney movies that genuinely deserve a live-action remake. Chris Sanders, who co-created and co-directed the 2002 original and has continued to provide Stitch's voice, will direct the sequel. D23 also revealed that Angel will enter the live-action universe.

Incredibles 2

Release Date

June 15, 2018

Runtime

118 minutes

Producers

John Lasseter, John Walker

• 

  Craig T. Nelson

  Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible (voice)

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  Holly Hunter

  Helen Parr / Elastigirl (voice)

14 years separated the first two Incredibles movies, but the Parr family will not make audiences wait quite that long this time. Incredibles 3 is scheduled to reach theaters June 16, 2028, with Elemental director Peter Sohn taking over as director and Brad Bird remaining involved as writer and producer.

The first images from Incredibles 3 have already confirmed the return of the Parr family, Edna Mode and Frozone. Incredibles 2 left superheroes legal once again and the Parrs operating as an active crime-fighting family, finally giving the third movie room to move beyond another debate over whether superheroes should exist.

Coco

Release Date

October 27, 2017

Runtime

105 minutes

Director

Adrian Molina, Lee Unkrich

Writers

Lee Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich

Few Pixar movies seemed to need a sequel less than Coco. Miguel's journey through the Land of the Dead reached an unusually complete emotional ending, but Pixar is going back. Coco 2 is scheduled to arrive in theaters in November 2029, although Disney has not yet announced an exact day.

The sequel will find Miguel as a teenager and reunite original director Lee Unkrich with co-director Adrian Molina. Even more surprisingly, Benjamin Bratt's Ernesto de la Cruz will reappear, sending Miguel on another journey into the Land of the Dead. Exactly how Ernesto returns after the original movie's ending is already a compelling reason to revisit Coco.

The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

Release Date

August 6, 2004

Runtime

113 Minutes

Writers

Shonda Rhimes, Meg Cabot, Gina Wendkos

Mia Thermopolis has been away from Genovia for more than two decades, making The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement considerably more important than many fans may remember. The Princess Diaries 3 is officially in development with Anne Hathaway returning, but Disney has not announced a release date as of August 2026.

The second movie left Mia as Queen of Genovia after she successfully challenged the law requiring her to marry before taking the throne. Director Adele Lim has said the next story will focus on Mia as a mature woman in her full power as queen, meaning the third movie should be a continuation rather than a nostalgic reset.

Zootopia 2

Release Date

November 26, 2025

Director

Byron Howard, Jared Bush

Writers

Jared Bush

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  Ginnifer Goodwin

  Judy Hopps (voice)

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  Jason Bateman

  Nick Wilde (voice)

Audiences have barely had time to forget Zootopia 2. After becoming a massive worldwide hit, the sequel turned an already-successful property into one of Disney's biggest active animated franchises. Disney officially announced Zootopia 3 during D23, although no release date has been announced.

That makes Zootopia 2 the freshest rewatch here, but potentially one of the most useful. The movie expanded the city's history through Gary De'Snake while further developing Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde's partnership. With Judy and Gary already confirmed to return, Disney is clearly building directly from the sequel rather than starting another largely standalone case.

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets

Release Date

December 21, 2007

Runtime

124 minutes

Director

Jon Turteltaub

Writers

Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Wibberley, Charles Segars, Jim Kouf, Oren Aviv, Gregory Poirier, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio

Producers

Jerry Bruckheimer

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• 

  Diane Kruger

  Abigail Chase

For years, telling fans to rewatch National Treasure: Book of Secrets in preparation for another Nicolas Cage movie felt wildly optimistic. That changed in August 2026 when director Jon Turteltaub revealed that National Treasure 3 finally has a script he and Disney are happy with. No release date has been announced.

Book of Secrets also left behind the franchise's biggest unresolved mystery. President Henry Woodward asks Ben Gates to examine Page 47 of the President's secret book, and Ben later calls what he found "life-altering." Nearly 20 years later, the third movie finally has an opportunity to explain what was on that page.

There is still some caution warranted here. Disney itself has not formally announced National Treasure 3, and Turteltaub described the project as "Hollywood real," acknowledging that circumstances can change before production begins. Even so, a Disney-approved script represents the most concrete progress the long-awaited sequel has made in years.