‘Coco 2’ is Coming to Theaters in 2029, Disney Confirms

Coco is one of the most beloved and successful animated Disney movies. The 2017 film follows 12-year-old Miguel as he is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he seeks out his great-grandfather who he believes is a famous singer to help convince his family to let him pursue his own dreams in music. Now, Disney has announced that Coco 2 is in the works and set to be released in 2029. On Thursday, March 20, Disney announced that a sequel to Coco is in the early stages of development at Pixar Animation Studios, confirming it as Coco 2 and saying it is set to release in theaters in 2029. Though details about the plot remain unknown, members of the original film’s creative team including director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina will be brought back for the sequel.

“While the film is just in the initial stages, we know it will be full of humor, heart and adventure, and we can’t wait to share more soon,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said at Disney’s annual meeting with shareholders.

Released on November 22, 2017, the film centers around Miguel, who dreams of being a musician and playing the guitar despite his family’s long-standing ban on music. On Dia de Los Muertos, he is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead, where he meets his deceased ancestors, embarks on a journey to look for his great-grandfather in order to convince his own family to let him pursue his dream, and learns the true story of what happened to his ancestors.

Coco grossed over $800 million at the global box office. It also went on to win a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, an Oscar, and a Critics’ Choice Award for animation as well as an Oscar and Critics’ Choice Award for the song “Remember Me.”

There is no word on casting yet but the original voice actors for the first film included a strong Latinx cast including Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Jaime Camil, Renée Victor, Edward James Olmos, and Cheech Marin.

At the time of its release, co-director Adrian Molina, who is Mexican American, spoke with Vanity Fair about his personal connection to the film and the importance of Latinx stories:

“I grew up in a multi-generational Mexican household… When I was in high school, my grandparents came from Mexico to live with us. Like the characters in the movie, my grandmother was wheelchair-bound, and both my grandparents spoke Spanish but not very much English,” Molina said. “This story is about celebrating our past—even as we look to the future. It shows the beauty of this culture…the beauty of music and its ability to connect across generations and, we hope, across cultures.”