Tuesday night in New York City belonged entirely to Disney — and they knew it. The company’s annual Upfront presentation at the Javits Center was less sales event and more full-scale concert production, with 183,000 pounds of lighting and speaker equipment rigged into place and a guest list that read like a who’s who of Hollywood’s biggest franchises.
New Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro kicked things off with a confident opening statement, poking fun at his rivals while making clear he isn’t interested in subtlety. He was introduced by Anne Hathaway, whose The Devil Wears Prada 2 has already crossed $433 million globally, which probably explains the smile on her face.
Here’s what actually matters from the night’s announcements. Ahsoka Season 2 finally has a release window: early 2027 on Disney+. Rosario Dawson appeared on stage alongside the fan-favourite droid Chopper to break the news, teasing that the battles are bigger and the stakes are considerably higher. VisionQuest — Paul Bettany’s Scarlet Witch follow-up series — got a concrete premiere date of October 14 on Disney+. And Robert Downey Jr. appeared after a Marvel hype reel, with Tom Hiddleston photobombing the moment to promote his Pompeii: Out of Time special for Nat Geo.
There was also a historic music announcement: the Grammy Awards are moving to ABC starting February 7, 2027 — the first time the ceremony will air on ABC since 1972. It’ll also stream live on Disney+ and Hulu.
And then there was the closing act. Jimmy Kimmel delivered a sharp, self-deprecating monologue, then brought out his 11-year-old daughter Jane to introduce Olivia Rodrigo, who performed a three-song set — including her new single “Drop Dead,” “good 4 u,” and “get him back!” In a moment nobody saw coming, Rodrigo pulled Jane on stage for a final sing-along that stopped the whole room. That one’s going to live on TikTok for a while.
