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The animators at Walt Disney Co's Pixar unit will explore dinosaurs and the inner workings of the human mind in two upcoming movies, studio executives told a gathering of fans on Saturday.

UPDATE: Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios have set a July 26, 2013 release for the sequel to Thor, with Chris Hemsworth reprising the title role. Kenneth Branagh is not returning to direct the follow-up to the film, which has earned $437 million worldwide, though he may produce.

Pixar’s “Cars 2” overcame surprisingly negative critical reviews to overperform at the weekend box office, selling an estimated $68 million at North American theaters. That No. 1 finish extends Pixar’s perfect box-office track record — all 12 of its feature films have opened in first place. How sales hold up, however, will be watched carefully. “Cars 2,” directed by John Lasseter, chief creative officer at Pixar, represents an end to the studio’s perfect critical track record; only about 34 percent of reviews were positive, according to RottenTomatoes.com, by far the worst for any Pixar title.

The Wall Street Journal's headline says it all: " 'Cars 2' Is a Dollar-Driven Edsel." OMG! Pixar's amazing critical winning streak is over. And in a big way. Until now, Pixar had released 11 movies, none of which had ever dipped below 70 on the Rotten Tomatoes fresh rating scale, which aggregates reviews from around the country. In fact, except for the original "Cars," none of Pixar's 11 films had ever ended up with less than a 90 score at Rotten Tomatoes, with the "Toy Story" threesome all earning either a 99 or a 100.

One of the most high-profile media courtships may soon be consummated: Katie Couric is closing in on a deal with Walt Disney Co.'s ABC to host an afternoon talk show.

The Walt Disney Company has agreed to pay a $3 million settlement stemming from charges that online virtual worlds once operated by Playdom, now a Disney subsidiary, violated the Federal Trade Commission rules designed to protect the online privacy of children under age 13. According to the FTC, several Playdom sites that were aimed at young audiences illegally collected and then disclosed personal data in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). These sites included Pony Stars, 2 Moons, 9 Dragons, Age of Lore, and My DIva Doll.

When the world discovered that a group of Navy SEALs called "SEAL Team 6" was responsible for killing Osama bin Laden, it's not likely that many of them thought, "how can we trademark 'SEAL Team 6' to make money off of it?" Fear not, though: the Walt Disney Company did think just that.

Katie Couric is moving closer to a deal with Disney's ABC that would give the former "Today" host her own syndicated talk show in the fall of 2012, as well as a role within ABC News.

Walt Disney Pictures is in negotiations with actress Rachel Weisz for the Sam Raimi-directed “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” According to Deadline, the actress would play Evanora, the older and wicked sister of Theodora. The film is a prequel to “Wizard of Oz,” which revolves around the Oz’s arrival to a distant land and his encounters with the witches. Weisz was last seen in last year’s “The Whistleblower.” She has starred in several films including “The Lovely Bones,” “Definitely, Maybe,” “The Fountain,” and “The Mummy.” Other confirmed cast includes James Franco and Mila Kunis.

Boardwalk Empire actress Kelly Macdonald has replaced Reese Witherspoon as the lead voice actress in this upcoming animated adventure.