Remember him?
A sequel to the Pixar animated film “Coco” is officially on the way, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced Thursday during a shareholder meeting.
“While the film is just in the initial stages, we know it will be full of humor, heart and adventure, and we can’t wait to share more soon,” Iger said.
Released in 2017, the original “Coco” centered on a young aspiring musician named Miguel, who travels to the Land of the Dead. The film received critical acclaim, grossed over $800 million at the worldwide box office and won two Academy Awards: best animated film and best original song for “Remember Me.”
Anthony Gonzalez voiced Miguel in the original movie, and the voice cast also included Gael García Bernal
and Edward James Olmos.
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When will ‘Coco 2’ be released?
A social media post on Pixar’s X account Thursday said that “Coco 2” will hit theaters in 2029. But the post was later edited to not mention a year, and a press release provided by Disney did not specify when the film will debut. USA TODAY has reached out to Disney for clarification.
The announcement came on the heels of Pixar achieving massive success in 2024 with “Inside Out 2,” which grossed over $1.6 billion worldwide and became the highest grossing animated film in history at the time. The record was later broken by “Ne Zha 2.” This was seen as a return-to-form for Pixar, which released three consecutive movies, from 2020’s “Soul” to 2022’s “Turning Red,” directly on Disney+ during the COVID-19 pandemic, without a theatrical release in the United States.
The studio returned to theaters in 2022 with the “Toy Story” spinoff “Lightyear,” which disappointed at the box office. Coming off “Inside Out 2,” the “Coco 2” announcement indicated that Disney is doubling down further on sequels to its Pixar titles, several of which are already on the way.
The non-Pixar sequel “Moana 2” was also a hit for Disney in November, grossing more than $1 billion worldwide after achieving the biggest Thanksgiving weekend opening in history.
Review: Joyful ‘Coco’ breaks from the Pixar pack as a Mexican musical spectacular
Who’s making ‘Coco 2’?
Disney said the team behind the original “Coco,” including director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina, are returning for the sequel, which will be produced by “Toy Story 4” and “Inside Out 2” producer Mark Nielsen. Unkrich previously directed “Toy Story 3,” while Molina co-directed Pixar’s upcoming “Elio,” an original film slated for June.
‘Coco 2’ logo unveiled by Disney
Information about the cast and plot of “Coco 2” was not revealed on Thursday, but Pixar did share the movie’s official logo.
What other Pixar sequels are on the way?
Pixar’s next major sequel after “Inside Out 2” will be “Toy Story 5,” set for release on June 19, 2026. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are returning for the film by “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E” director Andrew Stanton.
Pixar is making ‘Incredibles 3,’ teases ‘Toy Story 5’ first look at D23
“This time around it’s Toy meets Tech,” and “Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and the rest of the gag’s jobs get exponentially harder when they go head to head with this all new threat to playtime,” per the official plot synopsis.
“Incredibles 3” is also in the works at Pixar, though a release date hasn’t been announced. And while a third “Inside Out” hasn’t been confirmed, it seems all but certain after the success of the second entry.
Outside of Pixar, Disney will debut “Zootopia 2” in time for Thanksgiving 2025, “Ice Age 6” will arrive in 2026, and “Frozen 3” will hit theaters in 2027, with a fourth “Frozen” also announced.
“We’re leaning a little bit more into sequels and franchises,” Iger said last year in an earnings call. “Given the environment, and given what it takes to get people out of their homes to see a film, doing that, leaning on franchises that are familiar, is actually a smart thing.”
How to stream ‘Coco’
The original “Coco” is available to stream on Disney+.
