If San Diego Comic-Con is a swirling maelstrom of chaotic mixed bag geekery, one minute Tom Hiddleston in full Loki costume regaling Hall H, the next Ryan Reynolds reciting the Green Lantern oath, Disney’s D23 is its more corporate, controlled cousin. No pesky fans asking awkward questions here (at least at the main studio panels), but plenty of super-smooth sneak peeks at movies and TV shows to come, all delivered up from the 7,000 capacity D23 hall at Anaheim Convention Centre with the sort of sparkling production and star power you’d expect from the studio that currently rules Hollywood.
Attendees for Friday afternoon’s panel for Disney and Pixar were warmed up for a packed two-hour panel with Cynthia Erivo, aka the blue fairy in the studio’s new live action take on Pinocchio, singing When You Wish Upon a Star. A couple of hours later, West Side Story Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose saw us out with a never-before-heard song from newly announced Disney Animation Studios film Wish, ‘More For Us’ (cue standing ovation).
