The release dates of upcoming series and films, including Marvel Studios’ Loki, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, and the second season of the High School Musical: The Musical series, were announced by Disney+ on Wednesday at the 2021 Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour.
After announcing over 20 new series and films weaved around the heroes and villains of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to premiere on Disney+ on Walt Disney Investor Day in December 2020, the streaming platform announced the release dates of some new series and new seasons. Marvel’s Wanda Vision released on Disney+ on January 15.
Listed below are the premiere date announcements for seven new upcoming series.
Big Shot– April 16: Big Shot is an upcoming American sports drama comedy streaming television series created and executive produced by David E Kelley, Dean Lorey and Brad Garrett. The story revolves around a hothead men’s basketball coach who must take a job at an all-girls high school after getting ousted from the NCAA. He soon learns that teenage girls are more than just X’s and O’s; they require empathy and vulnerability — foreign concepts for the stoic Coach Korn (John Stamos). By learning how to connect with his players, Marvyn starts to grow into the person he’s always hoped to be. The girls learn to take themselves more seriously, finding their footing both on and off the court. The series is a Disney+ Original produced by ABC Signature.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch- May 4 The upcoming series follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way into a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch are a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army – each possessing a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.
Loki- June 11: Featuring the ‘God of Mischief’, Loki steps out of his brother’s shadow in the upcoming new series that takes place after the events of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame. Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E Grant. Loki is directed by Kate Herron, with Michael Waldron as the head writer.
The Mysterious Benedict Society- June 25: Based on the bestseller by Trenton Lee Stewart of the same title, the series stars Emmy Award winner Tony Hale in the lead. Placed undercover at a boarding school known as The Institute, The Mysterious Benedict Stories revolves around a group of orphans who must foil a nefarious plot with global ramifications while creating a new family along the way.
Monsters At Work- July 2: The upcoming series is a sequel to the 2001 American computer-animated comedy film Monsters Inc. Monsters At Work takes place the day after the ‘Monsters, Incorporated’ power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis. It follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman), the eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer, until he lands a job at Monsters, Incorporated and discovers that scaring is out and laughter is in. Produced by Disney Television Animation, the series was developed and is executive produced by Disney animation veteran Bobs Gannaway.
Turner & Hooch- July 16: The upcoming series is a Disney+ original series produced by 20th Television created, written and executive produced by Matt Nix. The series narrates the story of an ambitious, buttoned-up US Marshal who inherits a big unruly dog and soon realises that the dog he didn’t want may be the partner he needs. Turner & Hooch stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner, son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1989 film of the same name.
Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life- July 23: Combining classic-style cartoon comedy with contemporary storytelling, Chip ‘N’ Dale: Park Life will premiere in 36 seven-minute episodes directed by Jean Cayrol and produced by Marc du Pontavice at Xilam Animation. Disney’s chipmunks, nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale make the perfect odd couple in the upcoming series. It follows two tiny troublemakers trying to live a good life in a big city park while having giant-sized, sky-high adventures who are best friends and drive each other “nuts”. In their perpetual pursuit of acorns, these “ultimate underdogs” are joined by Pluto, Butch and other iconic Disney characters as they face down bullies.
Disney+ also announced the second seasons for the series- Zenimation and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
Zenimation- June 11: The series is an animated soundscape experience of short films that “pays tribute to both the visual and sound artists of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ legacy of films”. Zenimation is returning with a second season that will feature moments from over eight decades of acclaimed films – including scenes from Disney’s first feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all the way through to the Studios’ latest, anticipated animated film Raya and the Last Dragon. Created and edited by David Bess. Executive produced by Amy Astley. From Walt Disney Animation Studios.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series- May 14: Inspired by the High School Musical film series, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is an American mockumentary musical drama created by Tim Federle streaming on Disney+. It is returning with a second season, in which the East High Wildcats, who are preparing to perform “Beauty and the Beast” as their spring musical, face off against rival school North High to win a prestigious and cutthroat student theatre competition. The season also features brand-new solos written by Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett.
The streaming platform had previously announced the premiere dates for two other series– The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (stars Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier- the pair who came together in the final moments of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame) premiering on March 19 and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changer premiering on March 26.
On February 23, Disney+ also announced the launching of Star in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Europe and Singapore with more content with the addition of the Star brand. The shows that premiere on Star include The Grey’s Anatomy, Atlanta, Scandal, among several others while the original series offered by Star include Rick and Morty, This is Us, Big Sky, among others.
