New Disney Plus movies: the top new films to stream in February 2023
This is where you’ll find the top new Disney Plus movies that have been recently added to the platform. Disney’s streamer is a real powerhouse, offering a vast vault of titles you’ll need to whittle down to find your next watch – and that’s where this list comes in handy.
We will update this page regularly with our pick of the films that land on Disney Plus so you’ll never miss out on the freshest content. Since Disney has deals with Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic, 20th Century Fox, there’s a diverse range of entertainment on offer – and the constant updates mean you’ll never run out of new titles. Though we must admit things have been a little dry recently, better times are just around the corner and there’s still enough here to keep you busy.
So, keep reading to find out the new Disney Plus movies on offer right now, which includes picks from the last few months of releases. If you’d like a list of films that aren’t new to the streamer, see our pick of the best Disney Plus movies instead.
New Disney Plus movies
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release date: February 1
Arguably the biggest release to hit Disney in many months, the sequel to Black Panther has just landed – and it’s a triumph. Picking up a year after the first film ended, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever handles the unexpected loss of Chadwick Boseman by playing out the death of King T’Challa – resulting in a beautifully touching funeral scene.
In the wake of T’Challa’s death, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), Shuri (Letitia Wright), M’Baku (Winston Duke), Okoye (Danai Gurira) and the Dora Milaje (Martin Freeman) must step up to protect themselves from intervening world powers, pressuring Wakanda to share its vibranium. After a chaotic period, a new Black Panther is created and battle ensues.
This much-anticipated sequel strikes all the right notes, a tricky task when it had such big shoes to fill.
Strange World
Release date: December 23
Strange World may not have set the box office alight and hit Disney Plus a lot sooner than anticipated, but it’s a visual delight and has enough adventure to entertain the whole family. Centred on a family of adventurers on a mission to save the planet from a mysterious ecological crisis, Strange World is co-directed by Raya and the Last Dragon directors Don Hall and Qui Nguyen, and features some beautiful animation and glowing colour palettes.
Full of action and fantastical creatures, there’s a lot to like about Strange World, which features famous voices like Jake Gyllenhaal and Lucy Liu. It has a great script, but was just a little too formulaic for some tastes.
If These Walls Could Sing
Release date: December 16
A documentary film directed by Mary McCartney (Paul’s daughter), If These Walls Could Sing delves into the history of Abbey Road Studios and the iconic musicians who have recorded there. With extensive interviews and footage from the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, Ringo Starr, Noel and Liam Gallagher, Cliff Richard and Roger Waters, we find out just how special Abbey Road is, and the important place it played in the British music scene.
Critics enjoyed the romp through British music, with one calling it “charming but not revealing”, while another pondered what a more accomplished documentarian would have drawn out with this much access to this many legends. Still, it’s an entertaining watch, especially for music buffs.
Ocean’s Breath
Release date: December 9
Disney has been focusing on its National Geographic releases recently, and this is one of the best. Ocean’s Breath explores the past, present and future of coral reefs – the ‘lung’ of the ocean, at a time when many reefs are facing mass extinction. But who is killing the coral? In this film, three scientists try to find out what is going wrong using the latest technology (like 3D scanning drones).
It isn’t as bleak as it sounds, there is a way to save the coral reefs – buried in the vastness of the Dolomites.
Night at the Museum: Kahmunrah Rises Again
Release date: December 9
The fourth instalment of the Night at the Museum franchise is the first to be animated. In the film, Nick Daley, Larry Daley’s son, takes over as the night guardian at the museum and, at first, things seem to be going well. But the villain from the first movie, Kahmunrah, returns – and things quickly take a turn for the worse.
The response to this film has been wildly inconsistent, with some declaring the magic has been brought back to the series with the fast-paced animation and character humour. Others, though, aren’t convinced, criticising the nonsensical plot and stiff dialogue. Luckily, the runtime is only one hour and 17 minutes so it won’t take too much time out of your day to give it a good go.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Release date: December 2
Though this Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie is adapted from the second book of the series, it is actually the sixth film in the franchise (and the second to be made in CGI). Disaster-prone Greg is back, and this time the focus is on his relationship with his older brother, Rodrick. A lazy rock musician (he’s in a high school band), Rodrick loves to torment his younger brother – but will they ever bond?
With a straight-down-the-middle score of 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, is it worth your time? Well, yes, but only if the kids want to watch it. The plot is a bit all over the place and it certainly doesn’t live up to Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules. But it is remarkably short. Which is something.
Not up for a movie? Try our pick of the best Disney Plus shows.
