Disney+ and Disney Television Animation are headed to the famed festival by the lake to reveal details of new projects in the Work in Progress sessions, as well as screen in the official TV competition; event runs June 21-27.
Disney+ and Disney Television Animation will once again use the Annecy Festival spotlight to share first looks and other goodies on upcoming animated shows coming to the streamer.
At this year’s fest, which runs June 21-27, Disney Television Animation will showcase projects that span both official competition and high-profile festival events:
An exclusive first look and panel for Cars: Lightning Racers, a new preschool series inspired by Disney and Pixar’s award-winning Cars films, will be featured in the festival’s Work In Progress series. Produced by Disney Television Animation in association with Pixar, the series is set to debut on Disney+ in 2027 under the Disney Jr. preschool umbrella. It follows Lightning McQueen, Mater and new teammates in all-new racing adventures in Radiator Springs. Executive producers Travis Braun and Frank Montagna, and supervising director Nathan Chew will discuss the creative development journey of the series and the collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios and Disney Jr. Pixar producer Mary Alice Drumm, whose Cars credits include Tales from Radiator Springs and Mater's Tall Tales, will also join the panel to discuss the evolution of the Cars franchise from the original film, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in June. The Cars: Lightning Racers Work In Progress session takes place at Pierre Lamy on Thursday, June 25 at 9 :00 a.m.
The Doomies has been chosen as part of the 2026 official selection in the TV and Commissioned Films category, where the episode “Night of the Fishing Dead” will be screened alongside other official selections. Premiering this year on Disney+, The Doomies is a supernatural comedy-adventure series, where best friends Bobby and Romy accidentally open a portal to evil and their tranquil coastal town transforms into a hotspot for terrifying creatures of doom. It is produced by Disney Television Animation in collaboration with Xilam Animation and was previously featured at Annecy’s 2024 festival as part of the Work In Progress series.
Dragon Striker, a new 2026 Disney+ series produced by La Chouette Compagnie in association with Disney Television Animation, will feature a live drawing session with co-creator and director Charles Lefebvre, and concept artist Claire Sun. Held June 23 at 2:45 PM at Salle 4, the session will offer audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process behind the series set at an elite academy where students hone unique skills and compete in the magic-fueled sport of Goratama. In the show, when farm boy Key discovers a rare natural power that could make him a legendary “Dragon” striker, he teams with fierce goalkeeper Ssyelle and joins a scrappy underdog team determined to take on the school champions.
More information on the festival can be found here.
Source: Disney Television Animation
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
