Disney Will Release Both ‘Zootopia’ and ‘Moana’ in 2016

Disney has set release dates for its two 2016 releases: Zootopia, directed by Byron Howard (Tangled, Bolt) will be released on March 4; and Moana, directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, will arrive in theaters on November 23, 2016.

According to Variety:

In its opening weekend, Zootopia will compete against the sequel to Prometheus and the Tim Burton fantasy film, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. Moana will square off against the second weekend of the Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in what is typically a fiercely competitive Thanksgiving period.

This marks the first time in over a decade that Walt Disney’s feature animation department has released two animated features in the same calendar year; the last time was in 2002 when the studio released Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet.

While Disney’s sister studio Pixar will release only one feature, Finding Dory, in 2016, they will release two films in 2015: Pete Docter’s Inside Out (June 19) and Peter Sohn’s The Good Dinosaur (November 25). Meanwhile, Disney Animation does not have a 2015 release planned.