Disney+ to Serve Up Major Premieres, Anniversaries, Summer Hits Like ‘The Acolyte, ‘The Bear,’ More
Disney+ to Serve Up Major Premieres, Anniversaries, Summer Hits Like ‘The Acolyte, ‘The Bear,’ More
The start of June is just around the corner, and with schools releasing for the summer all across the country, families will love the viewing options on Disney+!
With Memorial Day weekend officially in the rearview mirror, many in the United States have officially entered “Summer” mode. Disney+ wants to help you harness the summertime vibes, and its viewing list for summer 2024 features some hotly anticipated premieres, anniversaries of timeless classics, and plenty of shows and movies that offer the sun, friendship, and adventures summer is most beloved for. I’ve put together a list of top titles from each category, and steer you toward Disney+’s recommendations for other summertime shows and movies to stream until August!
Key Details:
- New seasons of “The Bear” and “Only Murders in the Building” will hit Disney+ for Hulu subscribers this summer.
- Two “Indiana Jones” movies celebrate big-time anniversaries this summer, as does the animated classic “The Lion King.”
- Titles like “Lilo and Stitch” and “The Sandlot” can help infuse summertime vibes into even the stormiest afternoon.
Top 3 Premieres Coming to Disney+ This Summer
‘The Acolyte’ | June 4
The newest live-action Star Wars series promises to be one of the franchise’s most unique installments. Viewers won’t see any Skywalkers in the show; it’s set 100 years before the events of the prequel trilogy, in a time when the Jedi Order was the unquestioned guardian of The Force throughout the galaxy. But evil hasn’t been defeated forever, and when it awakes, the Jedi are forced to confront their darkest fears…
“The Acolyte” will star Carrie-Ann Moss, Amandla Sternberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, and Rebecca Henderson. Star Wars fans are hopeful that the show can break out of the funk of recent shows from the franchise, as many are critical of what they perceive as obtrusive fan service in series like “The Book of Boba Fett.”
‘The Bear’ Season 3 | June 27
This one will only be available on Disney+ for viewers who also have a Hulu subscription. But considering that it only costs $2 per month extra to bundle Disney+ and Hulu’s ad-supported plans together, there’s not much standing in the way of customers subscribing to both services and gaining the ability to watch lots of Hulu titles on Disney+ from a budget perspective.
In Season 3 of “The Bear,” the crew of the titular restaurant has finally created the eatery of their dreams. Now, they just have to make it work. Sounds simple, right? It may not be as easy as Carmy, Sydney, Richie and the rest of the staff assumed, even with Carmy’s decision to leave romance behind and focus all of his energies on making The Bear a success.
‘Only Murders in the Building’ Season 4 | Aug. 27
Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez will all return for the newest season of “Only Murders,” along with new cast members Molly Shannon, Eva Longoria, Zach Galifianakis, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Kind, and Melissa McCarthy. Meryl Streep and Jane Lynch are also set to return for the new season. The stakes will be higher than ever in Season 4, as Charles’ apartment became the scene of a shocking murder at the end of Season 3.
Like “The Bear,” “Only Murders” is a Hulu original, so viewers will need to subscribe to Hulu and Disney+ to watch on the latter service. Not only is it incredibly easy to bundle the two services, but, it’s about to become even easier; Disney+ and Hulu will join with Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service Max this summer in a new bundle that will offer all three streamers at an as-yet-unannounced discounted price.
Other Major Premieres Coming to Disney+ This Summer
- May 23: “The Kardashians” Season 5
- May 24: “The Beach Boys”
- May 30: “Grey’s Anatomy” S20 Finale^
- June 4: “The Acolyte”
- June 7: “Big City Greens: Spacecation”
- June 27: “The Bear” S3^
- June 28: “Ariel”
- July 12: “Descendants: The Rise of Red”
- August 27: “Only Murders in the Building” S4^
{^} denotes title that will only be available via Hulu on Disney+
Top 3 Anniversaries to Celebrate on Disney+ This Summer
‘Up’ 15th Anniversary | May 29
Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life.
This anniversary will be bittersweet for many, and not just because of the tear-jerking nature of “Up.” It’s hard to believe that 15 years have gone by since the movie first floated into theaters, and as one of Pixar’s most beloved films, it will surely pile up the nostalgia views this summer.
‘The Lion King’ 30th Anniversary | June 24
One of Disney’s all-time animated classics will celebrate its 30th birthday this summer! A young lion prince is cast out of his pride by his cruel uncle, who claims the boy killed his father. While the uncle rules with an iron paw, the prince grows up beyond the Savannah, living by a philosophy: No worries for the rest of your days. But when his past comes to haunt him, the young prince must decide his fate: Will he remain an outcast or face his demons and become what he needs to be?
The 30th anniversary of “The Lion King” won’t be a bittersweet event so much as a slap in the face for many millennials who remember the movie as one of their first favorites. The march of time is cruel indeed, but at the very least fans can harken back to simpler times by watching the movie on its anniversary, and potentially share it with their own kids for the first time.
‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ 10th Anniversary | Aug. 1
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser. There’s much more to the orb than meets the eye, much like the team that Quill brings together to help guard it from Ronan and his evil master Thanos.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” was quite different from other Marvel movies of its day. Its delightfully sardonic tone and cynical point-of-view regarding heroism helped to turn the genre on its head a bit in a way that the Marvel Cinematic Universe needed at the time, and viewers can marathon the first movie with the other two installments in the franchise on Disney+ to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
Other Major Anniversaries for Disney+ Movies This Summer
- May 23: “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (40th)
- May 24: “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (35th)
- May 29: “Up” (15th)
- June 9: “Donald Duck’s 90th”
- June 18: “Tarzan” (25th)
- June 21: “Toy Story 4” (5th)
- June 24: “The Lion King” (30th)
- July 15: “Angels in the Outfield” (30th)
- Aug. 1: Guardians of the Galaxy” (10th)
- Aug. 29: “Mary Poppins” (65th)
Top 3 Titles That Deliver Summer Vibes on Disney+
‘Lilo & Stitch’
As Stitch, a runaway genetic experiment from a faraway planet, wreaks havoc on the Hawaiian Islands, he becomes the mischievous adopted alien “puppy” of an independent little girl named Lilo and learns about loyalty, friendship, and ʻohana, the Hawaiian tradition of the family.
‘The Sandlot’
If you can’t justify a Disney+ subscription to watch classics like this, you’re killing me smalls! During a summer of friendship and adventure, one boy becomes a part of the gang, nine boys become a team and their leader becomes a legend by confronting the terrifying mystery beyond the right field wall. Grab your bat and glove, and head down to the sandlot!
‘Teen Beach Movie’
Life’s a beach for surfers Brady and McKenzie – until a rogue wave magically transports them inside the classic ’60s beach party flick, “Wet Side Story,” where a full-blown rivalry between bikers and surfers threatens to erupt. There, amidst a sea of surfing, singing, and dancing, Brady and Mack accidentally change the storyline, and the film’s dreamy hero and heroine fall for them instead of for each other!
Other Summer-Themed Flicks to Enjoy on Disney+
- “Camp Rock”
- “Cruel Summer”
- “High School Musical 2”
- “LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation”
- “Luca”
- “Palm Springs”^
- “The Parent Trap”
- “Theater Camp”^
- “Vacation Friends”^
{^} denotes title that will only be available via Hulu on Disney+
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”