2017 Walt Disney Pictures Preview

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

With an astounding $3 billion at the box office in 2016, Disney is once again the top dog of the Hollywood studios. Thanks to their live action takes on their own classic animated films to the hits from Lucasfilm, Pixar and Marvel Studios, Disney raked in a quarter of all the box office grosses for the entire calendar year. With only nine films on their slate in 2017, Disney looks to top that box office record on the backs of the eagerly anticipated new films in the STAR WARS, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY and CARS franchises. Can Disney do any better?

Check out the full slate of Disney films coming in 2017 and let us know which ones you want to see most in the talk backs below.

STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (December 15th)

The eight chapter in the Skywalker saga and sequel to THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis in returning roles. New cast members include Benicio del Toro, Laura Dern, and Kelly Marie Tran. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (LOOPER).

COCO (November 22nd)

COCO follows a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who sets off a chain of events relating to a century-old mystery, leading to an extraordinary family reunion.

Starring the voices of Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Renée Victor and Ana Ofelia Murguia. Written by Adrian Molina. Directed by Lee Unkrich (TOY STORY 3).

THOR: RAGNAROK (November 3rd)

After the events of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, Thor, imprisoned on another world without his hammer, must outlive a gladiatorial duel against his old friend — the Hulk — in order to return to Asgard in time to stop the villainous Hela and the impending Ragnarök.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins. Written by Eric Pearson. Directed by Taika Waititi (HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE).

CARS 3 (June 16th)

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen pushes himself beyond his limits and crashes at the Los Angeles International Speedway, resulting in forced removal from his racing career to recover from his injury. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young female race technician, Cruz Ramirez. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet, he will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage against his new rival, Jackson Storm.

Starring the voices of Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Cristela Alonzo, Armie Hammer, Bonnie Hunt, Cheech Marin, Michael Wallis and Paul Dooley. Written by Robert L. Baird and Dan Gerson. Directed by Brian Fee.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (May 26th)

Captain Jack Sparrow is pursued by an old rival, Capitán Salazar, who along with his crew of ghost pirates has escaped from the Devil’s Triangle, and is determined to kill every pirate at sea. Jack seeks the Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that grants its possessor total control over the seas, in order to defeat Salazar.

Starring Johnny Depp, Geoffrey Rush, Kevin McNally, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario and Orlando Bloom. Written by Jeff Nathanson. Directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (KON-TIKI).

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (May 5th)

Set two months after the first film,[1] the Guardians of the Galaxy travel throughout the cosmos and struggle to keep their new-found family together, while helping Peter Quill learn more about his true parentage.

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Sean Gunn, Glenn Close, Pom Klementieff, Elizabeth Debicki, Chris Sullivan, and Kurt Russell. Written and directed by James Gunn.

BORN IN CHINA (April 21st)

DisneyNature’s latest Earth Day release follows a family of Pandas through a magical journey through the mountains of China.


Narrated by John Krasinski. Directed by Lu Chuan.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (March 17th)

Belle is a young woman who is taken prisoner by a Beast in his castle in exchange for the freedom of her father Maurice. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s exterior to recognize the true heart and soul of the human Prince within just as a hunter named Gaston is on the loose to take Belle for himself and hunt down the Beast at any cost.

Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen and Emma Thompson. Written by Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos. Directed by Bill Condon (CHICAGO).

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Alex Maidy has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. A Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of Chicago Indie Critics, Alex has been JoBlo.com's primary TV critic and ran columns including Top Ten and The UnPopular Opinion. When not riling up fans with his hot takes, Alex is an avid reader and aspiring novelist.