New Trailer for Latest Leslie Iwerks Doc, "Disney Worldbuilders" Arrives Ahead of D23 and Disney+ Debut

Set to make its world premiere at the upcoming D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, we now have our first official trailer for the new Leslie Iwerks documentary, Disney Worldbuilders.

What's Happening:

• A new trailer has been revealed for the new feature-length documentary from Academy Award- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, Disney Worldbuilders.
• In the new documentary, we see and hear from some of Disney’s most influential storytellers as they reflect on the memories, moments and creative breakthroughs that shaped their work, tracing how those stories come to life at Disney’s theme parks around the globe. 
• Their conversations reveal a creative practice that moves in every direction - where a story can inspire a place, and a place can then inspire the next story. It's a way of creating that dates back to Walt himself - a creative tradition that continues to shape every new story Disney tells. 
• Disney Worldbuilders pulls back the curtain on the creative minds behind these efforts, with candid conversations featuring Bob Iger, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, Jared Bush and Josh D’Amaro. Together they reveal how stories like Avatar, Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios become real places.
• Disney Worldbuilders captures the architects of these franchises in their own words, on what they've built together and where they're taking it next. Audiences will get a look at upcoming lands at Disney destinations around the world — a window into one of the most ambitious periods of creative expansion in the company's history, with more still to come. 
• Ahead of a debut on Disney+, Disney Worldbuilders will have its world premiere at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on Sunday, August 16, where attendees will be among the first to see the film in its entirety.  

• Leslie Iwerks has directed such acclaimed documentaries as The Imagineering Story, The Pixar Story, Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible, and most recently, Disneyland Handcrafted. 
• Disney Worldbuilders debuts on Disney+ on August 20, 2026.

What They're Saying:

• Leslie Iwerks: "I wanted to understand what ignites the imaginations of the storytellers behind some of the world's most beloved stories. As I sat down with each of them, I discovered a common thread: they often traced their creative journeys back to a single childhood moment—walking through the gates of Disneyland and realizing that impossible dreams could become real. It's a feeling I know well, and one that has shaped my own journey. My hope is that audiences leave with that same sense of possibility and inspiration." 

Leslie Iwerks:

• Iwerks is especially respected for making documentaries that combine historical research, rare archival footage, and interviews with the people who shaped the subjects she covers.
• Although she often explores Disney-related topics because of her family's history, her work also spans environmental issues, media history, esports, and technology.
• Some of her best known titles do cover those Disney topics, like The Pixar Story, The Imagineering Story, and a documentary about her grandfather's life and his contributions to animation and special effects, The Hand Behind The Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story.
• She has also celebrated other studios, including the four-part documentary series, 100 Years of Warner Bros.