Disney Confirms Coco 2 for November 2029 at D23
Pixar's beloved Día de los Muertos adventure is getting a sequel — and its villain is hungry for payback. At Disney's D23 fan event, the studio confirmed that Coco 2 will arrive in theaters in November 2029, unveiling concept art of a teenage Miguel alongside his loyal dog, Dante, and announcing that Benjamin Bratt will return as the scheming Ernesto de la Cruz [1][2].
The reveal marks the most concrete details yet on a project that former Disney CEO Bob Iger first disclosed was in development, describing it at the time as being "in the early stages" with a theatrical target of 2029 [1].
A Teenage Miguel, a Vengeful Villain
The sequel picks up a few years after the events of the original film, with Miguel now navigating adolescence [1]. Bratt set the tone for the story onstage at D23, leaning into his character's grudge: "To some, Miguel is a little menace who ruined a career and destroyed a legacy," he said. "Ernesto de la Cruz is back for revenge, sending Miguel on an adventure back to the Land of the Dead. Proving fate has a sense of humor, Miguel must team up with a handsome superstar: me." [2]
The framing positions de la Cruz — exposed as a fraud and a murderer in the original — as the engine driving the new plot, forcing an unlikely alliance between antagonist and protagonist in the Land of the Dead [1][2].
Original Creative Team Reassembles
One of the more striking elements of the announcement is who is returning behind the camera. Director Lee Unkrich, who co-directed the original Coco and won an Academy Award for Toy Story 3, had retired from Pixar in 2019 to spend time with his family [2]. He is now coming back to direct the sequel alongside co-director Adrian Molina, who also directed Elio and contributed additional screenplay material to The Good Dinosaur [2].
Mark Nielsen, a Pixar veteran with producing credits on Toy Story 4 and Inside Out 2, is attached to produce [1][2]. The reunion of Unkrich and Molina in particular signals a deliberate effort to preserve the creative DNA of the first film rather than hand the franchise to a new team.
Standing on a Blockbuster Foundation
The original Coco, released in 2017 over the Thanksgiving holiday, was a cultural and commercial phenomenon. It grossed over $800 million at the global box office and won two Academy Awards: best animated feature and best original song for "Remember Me," written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez [1][2]. The film followed 12-year-old Miguel, who dreams of becoming a musician against his family's wishes and is accidentally transported to the Land of the Dead on Día de los Muertos, where he uncovers long-buried family secrets [1][2].
The voice cast for the original included Anthony Gonzalez as Miguel, Gael García Bernal, Bratt, and Edward James Olmos [1]. It has not yet been confirmed which additional cast members will return for the sequel.
Pixar's Sequel Strategy
Coco 2 arrives as part of a broader Pixar push to revisit its most successful franchises. The studio's recent sequels — Toy Story 5 and Inside Out 2 — both crossed $1 billion at the worldwide box office [2]. The Incredibles 3 is slated for 2028 and represents the studio's next sequel before Coco 2 lands the following year [2].
The studio is also developing a new original Pixar film called Ghost Market, expected in 2028, which centers on a content creator who travels to Hawaii and discovers a crossroads between the living and the dead. No cast or director has been announced for that project [1].
Beyond the multiplex, Disney is expanding the Coco universe into its theme parks, with a Coco-themed attraction planned for Disney California Adventure [1].
What to Watch Next
With a November 2029 release window confirmed and the original creative team in place, attention will now turn to casting announcements — particularly whether the full voice ensemble from the first film reassembles — and the first official trailer. Given Coco's track record and the built-in emotional stakes of bringing back both a beloved protagonist and a disgraced villain, the sequel enters development with considerable audience goodwill. Whether Unkrich and Molina can recapture the original's blend of humor, family drama, and visual spectacle will be the defining question heading into production.