Disney announces Disney + streaming launch date, cost, movies and TV lineup

Disney will launch it’s new Disney + direct-to-consumer streaming service on Nov. 12 at a cost of $6.99 per month or $69.99 a year (that comes to $5.83 a month).

Disney made the announcement at its Investor Day on April 11. During the presentation, Disney unveiled the look of the new service.

Here is a look at the new streaming service:

What is Disney +?

This is the exclusive Disney streaming service app. Think of it as Disney-only Netflix. This new app will be ad-free, Walt Disney Co. Direct-to-Consumer and International Chief Kevin Mayer said. The streaming service will have Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic original content as well as access to the vast libraries of film and television content from each of these brand. This will also include new theatrical releases starting with a 2019 slate of movies and new content that is listed below. You will also be able to download the content and watch if off line as long as you are a subscriber.

In year one, audiences will also have access to family-friendly Fox titles like “The Sound of Music,” “The Princess Bride,” and “Malcolm in the Middle.”

This content will join an impressive collection of more than 7,500 television episodes and 500 films including hits from 2019 and beyond.

When will Disney+ launch?

The new app will launch on Nov. 12, 2019, in the U.S. and then will go global.

Here is the global schedule.

• Western Europe over Q1 and Q2 of fiscal 2020.
• Eastern Europe coming in the first part of fiscal 2021
• An Asia Pacific launch will take place on a rolling basis throughout fiscal 2020.

How much will Disney+ cost?

The cost will be $6.99 a month. The annual subscription will be $69.99 or $5.83 a month.

The Simpsons on Disney +

If you are a Simpsons fan, be aware that Disney + will be the exclusive home of “The Simpsons.” Episodes from the first 30 years of the show will be on the platform.

What Disney content will be on Disney+?

In addition to its full film and TV library, Disney is planning a lot of original content. including:

• Phineas and Ferb: An original animated movie. Candice is abducted by space aliens and Phineas and Ferb must rescue her.
• Into the Unknown: The making of Frozen 2: A documentary on the behind the scenes on how Frozen 2 was made.
• Noelle: A holiday movie from writer/director Marc Lawrence (Miss Congeniality) stars Anna Kendrick as Santa Claus’ daughter Noelle. The cast also includes Bill Hader as Santa’s son, Julie Hagerty as Mrs. Claus, and Billy Eichner and Shirley MacLaine.
• Lady and the Tramp: Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux will provide the voices for Lady and Tramp in this live-action remake of the Disney classic. The human cast will include Kiersey Clemons and Thomas Mann as Darling and Dear, as well as Yvette Nicole Brown, Adrian Martinez, and Arturo Castro. The dog characters will be voiced by Janelle Monae, Ashley Jensen, Benedict Wong, and Sam Elliott.
• Stargirl: Based on a book by Jerry Spinelli about a rule-breaking Arizona girl who goes from homeschool to high school and shakes things up along the way. Grace VanderWaal leads a cast that includes Graham Verchere, Maximiliano Hernandez, Giancarlo Esposito, Karan Brar, and Darby Stanchfield.
• Timmy Failure: Based on a book series by Stephan Pastis, this film stars Winslow Fegley as 11-year-old detective Timmy Failure. Timmy runs the Total Failure, Inc. detective agency alongside his imaginary polar bear. Ophelia Lovibond, Chloe Coleman, Craig Robinson, and Wallace Shawn also star. Directed by Spotlight’s Tom McCarthy, Timmy Failure shot from June to September 2018.
• Togo: Willem Dafoe stars in this drama film about the 1925 serum run to Nome, which saved the small Alaskan town from an outbreak of disease. Ericson Core (2015’s Point Break) directed the film from a script by Tom Flynn (Gifted).
• High School Musical: The Musical: This 10-episode docu-style show follows the students of East High as they put on a literal high school production of High School Musical. The series stars Joshua Bassett, Olivia Rodrigo, Kate Reinders, and Sofia Wylie.
• Flora & Ulysses: This family story is based on Kate DiCamillo’s novel about a cynical girl and a squirrel with superpowers. The film, directed by Lena Khan (The Tiger Hunter) with a script by Brad Copeland (Ferdinand), is rumored to go into production in June 2019.
• Magic Camp:Adam DeVine plays a magician who returns to his childhood magic camp in the hopes of rejuvenating his career. Gillian Jacobs co-stars along with Jeffrey Tambor, who plays DeVine’s magic mentor. J.J. Totah, Cole Sand and Nathaniel Logan McIntyre play magic campers.
• Sister Act 3: A third Sister Act film from Regina Hicks (Insecure) and Karin Gist (Star). The film will most likely feature an all-new cast, although Whoopi Goldberg has expressed interest in coming back for an appearance.
• The Sword in the Stone: A live-action remake of the 1963 animated film.

What Pixar content will be on Disney+?

The entire Pixar library will be on the service with the following additional new content:

• Forky Asks a Question: A 10-part series in which Forky asks all the important questions like “What is cheese?”
• Lamp Life: A series following Bo Peep and her adventures between when we first saw her in the early Toy story movies and Toy Story 4.
• Monsters at Work: Six months after the events of Monsters, Inc., the city of Monstropolis is now fueled with the sound of laughter. Tylor Tuskmon, a mechanic on the Facilities Team, dreams of working alongside his idols Mike and Sulley.

What type of Marvel content will be on Disney+?

The entire Marvel Cinematic Universe will be available. In addition there will be new content, including:

• Falcon and Winter Soldier: Anthony Ma returns as Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier we follow the two on various adventures.
• WandaVision:  Elizabeth Olsen returning as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany reprising his role as The Vision.
  
• What If: An animated series looking at what happens if there was a change in a Marvel story. For example, what would have happened if Peggy Carter became a super soldier and Steve Rodgers remained a scrawny soldier.
• Loki: Tom Hiddleston reprises his role as Loki and travel through time to key parts.

What type of Star Wars content will be on Disney+?

The entire Star Wars movie collection will be on the service as well as:

• The Mandalorian: The first live-action Star Wars eight-episode series, written and produced by Jon Favreau is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. It follows a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.
• A prequel to Rogue One: This live-action series stars Diego Luna. The series will follow the adventures of Rebel spy Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion and prior to the events of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”  The spy thriller will explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions. Luna will reprise the role of Andor, which he originated in the 2016 film.
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 7: The fan-favorite animated Star Wars series has been saved again. A new season of 12 episodes, previously left incomplete from when the series was canceled the first time in 2013, will arrive on Disney+. The new season, which picks up from the abbreviated Season 6 released via Netflix in 2014 (a.k.a.”The Lost Missions”) will reportedly focus on Ahsoka Tano’s journey after leaving the Jedi Order.

What type of National Geographic content will be on Disney+?

A large portion of the National Geographic library will be on the streaming service, including:

Free Solo: Academy Award-winning film

World According to  Jeff Goldblum: A new documentary series. Each episode pulls back the curtain on familiar items such as speakers and ice cream and looks at the history and science of the topics.

Magic of the Animal Kingdom: A documentary series looking behind the scenes with an all access pass on what happens with the animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park and Epcot’s Sea Base aquarium.  

Non-fiction lineup

There is a slate of non-fiction lineup being created for the service, including:

• Marvel 616 (working title): This documentary series explores the historical, cultural, and societal context that has become congruous with Marvel’s legacy stories.
• Earthkeepers (working title): In this documentary series, we will follow conservationists and the animals they spend their lives studying. We’re sure this will be a beautiful cinematic experience that shares the tough and tremendous moments of saving earth’s most endangered species!
• Be Our Chef: Shot at the Walt Disney World Resort, Be Our Chef invites families from diverse backgrounds to compete in a friendly competition to create the next great Disney Parks dish. The show will challenge two families to come up with a dish that best represents their family’s Disney traditions. The winning dish will be served at Walt Disney World.
• Cinema Relics: Iconic Art of the Movies (working title): This series focuses on the props and costumes that are iconic in some of our most beloved Disney films. Among the first episodes are artifacts from Mary Poppins, Tron, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Muppet Movie, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? We can’t wait to see what we’ll discover.
• Encore!:The very wonderful Kristen Bell executive produces Encore!, a series about former castmates of a high school musical who are tasked to re-create their original performance in what we can only image will be a hilarious spectacle. We’re already in love with this!
• Marvel’s Hero Project:Get ready. This one really pulls at the heartstrings! Marvel’s Hero Project shares the inspiring stories of young kids who dedicate their lives to being true Super Heroes and making positive change in their communities.
• (Re)Connect:In (Re)Connect, families being torn apart by things like too much technology or workaholic parents embark on a unique journey to confront their problems and bring their families back together.
• Rogue Trip:In this series, Bob Woodruff and his son Mack embark on a father-son adventure. The two will journey to the overlooked corners of the world and we can’t wait to see where they end up!
• Shop Class (working title): This is a competition show where teams of inventive students will be tasked with designing, building, and testing new contraptions.
• Untitled Walt Disney Imagineering Documentary Series:Created by Academy Award and Emmy-nominated director and producer Leslie Iwerks, this docu-series covers the 65+ year history of Walt Disney Imagineering and will include exclusive interviews and never-before-seen Disney Parks footage.