Disney has confirmed the return of the Rivera family. Coco 2 is officially slated for release in November 2029.
The announcement came during the studio’s D23 fan event on Friday night. Actor Benjamin Bratt took the stage to reveal he will reprise his role as the charming antagonist Ernesto de la Cruz. The sequel picks up a few years after the events of the original film, with protagonist Miguel now navigating life as a teenager.
Bratt shared details about the plot, noting that his character seeks retribution. "To some, he’s a little menace who ruined a career and destroyed a legacy," Bratt said of Miguel. "Ernesto de la Cruz is back for revenge, sending Miguel on an adventure back to the Land of the Dead."
"Ernesto de la Cruz is back for revenge, sending Miguel on an adventure back to the Land of the Dead."
— Benjamin Bratt, Actor
The creative team behind the 2017 original is reuniting for the project. Director Lee Unkrich and co-director Adrian Molina are returning, with Mark Nielsen producing. Nielsen previously worked on Toy Story 4 and Inside Out 2. Former Disney CEO Bob Iger first teased the project last year, noting it was in early development. "While the film is just in the initial stages, we know it will be full of humor, heart and adventure, and we can’t wait to share more soon," Iger said at the time.
The original Coco premiered in 2017 and became a cultural touchstone. It followed a 12-year-old boy named Miguel who accidentally travels to the Land of the Dead to find his musician great-great-grandfather. The film won two Academy Awards: Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for "Remember Me."
Beyond the sequel, the studio is expanding the Coco universe. A Coco attraction is planned for Disney California Adventure. Additionally, a new original Pixar film titled Ghost Market was revealed. Expected in 2028, the story follows a content creator who visits Hawaii and discovers a crossroads between the living and the dead. A clip showed a teenager wandering around a store as ramen bowls float into the air and crash down.
