Preview the Full Slate of Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar and Walt Disney Movies in 2015

It may be the biggest year ever for Disney movies in 2015 - with two Pixar films, Marvel’s Avengers sequel, and the return of the greatest film series ever… Star Wars!  We thought it would be helpful to have a preview of the full slate of films distributed by the Walt Disney Studios with all the links in one handy place.  We’ll post this page on the sidebar of the site so you can find it easily.  Below you’ll find the descriptions, release dates, and links to our pages on all the Disney movies in 2015 including releases from Marvel, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, and Lucasfilm Ltd. (yay!).  We’ll continue to add images, news, and trailers to each film’s individual page as we get more information.  So take a look below and let us know what films you are you most looking forward to most for the coming year [it’s gotta be The Force Awakens, right?].

Walt Disney Studios 2015

Strange Magic - January 23, 2015

STRANGE MAGICSTRANGE MAGIC is a madcap fairy tale musical inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  Popular songs from the past six decades help tell the tale of a colorful cast of goblins, elves, fairies and imps, and their hilarious misadventures sparked by the battle over a powerful potion.  Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light & Magic, which created the CGI animation for 2011’s Academy Award-winning film “Rango,” bring to life the fanciful forest turned upside down with world-class animation and visual effects.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of STRANGE MAGIC.

McFarland, USA - February 20, 2015

McFARLAND, USAInspired by the 1987 true story, McFARLAND, USA follows high school coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), whose job-hopping leads him to predominantly Latino McFarland High School, located in an agricultural community in California’s farm-rich Central Valley.  Jim knows he has to make this school his last stop - he’s out of options, with both his career and his family and finds himself in a diverse, economically-challenged community that feels worlds apart from his previous hometowns.  Admittedly, the White family and the students have a lot to learn about each other - but when Coach White notices the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change.  Soon something beyond their physical gifts impresses White - the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic.  With grit and determination, Coach White’s unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well.  Along the way, Jim and his family realize that they finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of McFARLAND, USA.

Cinderella - March 13, 2015

CINDERELLAThe story of CINDERELLA follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother.  Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home.  But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family.  Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope.  Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honor her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.”  She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her.  And then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods.  Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul.  It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden).  Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress.  But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin and a few mice, changes Cinderella’s life forever.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of CINDERELLA.

Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom - April 17, 2015

Disneynature's Monkey KingdomSet in the storied jungles of South Asia, MONKEY KINGDOM showcases the adventures of new mom Maya, a clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey who’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world. MONKEY KINGDOM is the sixth theatrical release for Disneynature, the first new Disney-branded film label from The Walt Disney Studios in more than 60 years.  The label was launched in April 2008 to bring the world’s top nature filmmakers together to capture a variety of wildlife subjects and stories.  For every ticket sold opening week (April 17-23, 2015), Disneynature will make a donation to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species in their natural habitats.

Click here for all the trailers, images, and news for MONKEY KINGDOM.

Avengers: Age of Ultron - May 1, 2015

Marvel's THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRONWhen Tony Stark jump starts a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as they battle to save the planet from destruction at the hands of the villainous Ultron.

Marvel’s AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill and Stellan Skarsgård as Erik Selvig, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON.

Tomorrowland - May 22, 2015

TOMORROWLANDFrom Disney comes two-time Oscar winner Brad Bird’s riveting, mystery adventure TOMORROWLAND, starring Academy Award winner George Clooney.  Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as TOMORROWLAND.  What they must do there changes the world — and them — forever.

Featuring a screenplay by “Lost” writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof & Bird & Jeff Jensen, TOMORROWLAND promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of TOMORROWLAND.

Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out - June 19, 2015

INSIDE OUTGrowing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco.  Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions – Joy (Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith).  The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.  As Riley and her emotions struggle to adjust to a new life in San Francisco, turmoil ensues in Headquarters.  Although Joy, Riley’s main and most important emotion, tries to keep things positive, the emotions conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house and school.

From an adventurous balloon ride above the clouds to a monster-filled metropolis, Academy Award-winning director Pete Docter (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Up”) has taken audiences to unique and imaginative places.  In Disney•Pixar’s original movie “ INSIDE OUT, he will take us to the most extraordinary location of all—inside the mind.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of INSIDE OUT.

Marvel’s Ant-Man - July 17, 2015

Marvel's Ant-ManThe next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ ANT-MAN.  Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats.  Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Marvel’s ANT-MAN stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope Van Dyne, Corey Stoll as Darren Cross aka Yellowjacket, Bobby Cannavale as Paxton, Michael Peña as Luis, Judy Greer as Maggie, Tip “Ti” Harris as Dave, David Dastmalchian as Kurt, Wood Harris as Gale, Jordi Mollà as Castillo and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.  Directed by Peyton Reed and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s ANT-MAN delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 17, 2015.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of ANT-MAN.

The Jungle Book - October 9, 2015 April 15, 2016

THE JUNGLE BOOK

Update: release date has shifted to April 15, 2016

Directed by Jon Favreau (“Chef,” “Iron Man,” “Elf”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, THE JUNGLE BOOK is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johannsson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.

Click here for all the trailers, images, and news for THE JUNGLE BOOK.

DreamWorks Bridge of Spies - October 16, 2015

ST. JAMES PLACETom Hanks stars in Steven Spielberg’s BRIDGE OF SPIES thriller, which is the true story of James Donovan, an attorney who finds himself thrust into the center of the Cold War when the CIA sends him on the near-impossible mission to negotiate the release of a captured American U-2 pilot.

We’ll update and post more information trailers, images, and news for Steven Spielberg’s BRIDGE OF SPIES thriller as it becomes available.

Click here for our spoiler-free review of BRIDGE OF SPIES.

Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur - November 25, 2015

THE GOOD DINOSAURTHE GOOD DINOSAUR asks the generations-old question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In theaters November 25, 2015, the film is a humorous and exciting original story about Arlo, a lively Apatosaurus with a big heart. After a traumatic event unsettles Arlo’s family, he sets out on a remarkable journey, gaining an unlikely companion along the way - a human boy. THE GOOD DINOSAUR is an extraordinary journey of self-discovery full of thrilling adventure, hilarious characters and poignant heart.

Click here for all the trailers, images, and news for THE GOOD DINOSAUR.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - December 18, 2015

Star Wars: The Force AwakensAnd, of course, the movie event of the year comes on December 18, 2015 - STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. Episode VII will be directed by J. J. Abrams (Super 8, Mission: Impossible III, Star Trek) and is being scripted by Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan (Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi). The film re-unites the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker  and introduces new characters played by John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. John Williams returns to score STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.

Click here for all the trailers, images, and news for STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS.

We are also following news of the straight-to-video release of Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast, the continuation of the incredibly popular (and very well-done) Disney Fairies series from DisneyToon Studios.  Remember release dates for films are always subject to change.  For more family entertainment news, be sure to follow Adventures by Daddy on twitter and “like” our facebook page too.

About Dave Parfitt

Married, father of two girls, and living in the heart of the Finger Lakes. I'm a runner with a PhD in neuroscience and a passion for travel.