Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks will return to Disney+ with a second season of “The Imagineering Story,” the company announced at its D23 Entertainment Showcase, extending a documentary series that has become one of the platform’s most closely watched deep dives into how Disney builds its theme parks.
Iwerks joined Walt Disney Imagineering president and chief creative officer Bruce Vaughn onstage during the “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress” presentation to confirm the new season is already in production, with episodes set to arrive on Disney+ in early 2028. The original six-part series, narrated by Angela Bassett, premiered in November 2019 and traced the roughly 67-year history of Imagineering, the research and design division Walt Disney founded to develop the company’s parks, attractions and cruise ships largely outside normal corporate oversight.
Iwerks told the crowd the idea for a follow-up grew out of conversations that began once Disney revealed a wave of new park projects were moving forward, adding that what started as talk of a single new chapter turned into several. Vaughn used the panel to trace Imagineering’s roots back to the small creative team Walt Disney assembled to build the original Disneyland and to recognize Disney Legends who shaped the division over the decades. Iwerks, whose grandfather Ub Iwerks and father Don Iwerks are both Disney Legends in their own right, said growing up around the division left a lasting mark, noting she was effectively raised by Imagineers.
A teaser released alongside the announcement pointed to subjects the new season will likely cover, including the company’s Frozen-themed land and upcoming Disney Cruise Line ships. Disney has not released a formal episode count, premiere date beyond “early 2028,” or details on returning crew.
The announcement comes as Iwerks has kept a heavy release schedule this year. Her documentary “Disneyland Handcrafted,” which used archival photography to reconstruct the roughly year-long sprint to open the original Disneyland in 1955, debuted earlier in 2026, and her latest project, “Disney Worldbuilders,” arrives on Disney+ on August 20.
