Wait. Stop scrolling for a second. If you’re looking for The Naughty Nine 2 trailer because you saw a thumbnail on YouTube featuring a high-definition Danny DeVito as a disgruntled elf or a "First Look" teaser that looked a little too polished to be real, I have some news. It’s probably a concept trailer. You know the ones. They use sleek editing, clips from older heist movies, and AI-generated voiceovers to make you think a sequel is dropping next month.
Honestly, it's frustrating.
The original The Naughty Nine, which premiered on Disney Channel and Disney+ back in late 2023, was a surprise hit for the "heist movie for kids" genre. It felt like Ocean’s Eleven met The Breakfast Club at the North Pole. Naturally, everyone wants to know where the sequel is. But as of early 2026, Disney hasn't officially pressed the green light on a televised trailer for a second installment. That doesn't mean the project is dead—far from it—but it means we need to separate the fan-made "wish-list" videos from actual industry movement.
Why Everyone Is Searching for The Naughty Nine 2 Trailer Right Now
Usually, when a movie does well on streaming, the algorithm starts hungry. The first film followed Andy, a fifth-grader who finds himself on the Naughty List and decides to rob Santa’s Village to get the presents he thinks he deserves. It ended with a bit of a redemption arc, but left the door wide open for more "naughty" adventures.
Social media is a big reason why the search for The Naughty Nine 2 trailer has spiked. TikTok creators often take "leaked" concept art or fan-made posters and present them as fact. You've probably seen the headlines: The Naughty Nine: Back in Action or The Naughty Nine 2: The Bunny Heist. Most of these are just creative exercises by fans who want to see Winslow Fegley and the rest of the crew return to the screen.
The reality of production cycles is a bit more boring. For a Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), the turnaround is usually 18 to 24 months. If a sequel was deep in production, we would see casting calls for new "naughty" kids or location scouts in Vancouver or Atlanta.
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The Status of the Cast and Crew
To understand why a trailer hasn't dropped yet, you have to look at the people involved. Danny Glover played a fantastic Santa Claus—kind of weary but wise. Getting a legendary actor like Glover back requires scheduling gymnastics. Then you have the kids. Child actors grow up fast. Winslow Fegley, who played Andy, is moving into that "teen" phase of his career where he might be looking at different types of roles.
- Alberto Belli, the director of the first film, has been busy with other projects.
- The writers, Jed Elinoff and Scott Thomas, are veterans in the Disney space (they did Raven's Home), so they know how to churn out a script, but the studio has to order it first.
- Disney’s budget shifts in 2025 and 2026 have favored established franchises over experimental sequels, though The Naughty Nine fits their "family heist" niche perfectly.
What a Real Trailer Would Actually Look Like
If Disney were to drop a teaser tomorrow, it wouldn't look like those blurry clips you see on unofficial YouTube channels. A legitimate The Naughty Nine 2 trailer would likely premiere during a major Disney+ release or a high-traffic Disney Channel event.
Think about the plot. Andy and his crew are older now. They aren't just kids trying to steal toys; maybe they're trying to save the North Pole from a corporate takeover, or perhaps they’re recruited by Santa himself for a "Reverse Heist"—putting something back rather than taking it. That’s the kind of narrative shift that makes a sequel worth watching.
Expertly speaking, Disney trailers follow a very specific "beat" pattern.
- The first 5 seconds: A high-energy "stinger" (usually a joke or a gadget).
- The middle: Quick cuts of the heist planning (the blueprint on the table).
- The end: A release date or "Coming Soon" tag.
If the video you’re watching spends three minutes showing clips of the kids from the first movie without any new footage, it’s a fake. Total waste of time.
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The "Naughty List" Formula and SEO Hype
The reason "The Naughty Nine" resonated wasn't just the heist; it was the idea that being "naughty" doesn't make you a bad person. It just means you're complicated. In the current entertainment climate, audiences love an anti-hero, even a pint-sized one. This is why the search volume for a sequel trailer remains so high. People want to see the "villains" win, or at least see them do something cool with grappling hooks.
Misinformation thrives where there is a vacuum of news. Because Disney has been quiet, "content farms" fill the gap with AI-generated thumbnails. They use keywords like The Naughty Nine 2 trailer to siphon views from younger fans who don't know how to check IMDb or official press releases.
When Should We Actually Expect News?
If we look at historical data for Disney Channel sequels—think Descendants or Zombies—news usually breaks at major fan events. D23 is a prime candidate. If there’s no mention of a heist sequel there, the chances of a 2026 release are slim.
We also have to consider the "streaming effect." Disney+ has changed how these movies are greenlit. They don't just look at TV ratings; they look at "completion rates" (how many people watched the first movie to the very end) and "repeat viewings." If The Naughty Nine is still getting heavy play in the "Holiday Favorites" section every December, a sequel is almost a mathematical certainty.
But a trailer? A trailer is the very last piece of the puzzle. You don't get a trailer until the movie is 90% finished.
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Common Misconceptions About the Sequel
Let’s clear some things up. I’ve seen rumors that the sequel will be a theatrical release. Highly unlikely. The Naughty Nine is a quintessential streaming/cable play. Another rumor says it will be a crossover with other Disney movies. Also unlikely. Disney tends to keep their live-action "worlds" separate unless it’s a massive project like Kingdom Hearts or a theme park tie-in.
What is likely? A slightly bigger budget. The first movie looked great, but you could tell they were working within the constraints of a TV movie. A sequel would likely expand the world of the North Pole. We might see the "Department of Records" or the "Naughty List Audit Division."
Actionable Steps for Fans Waiting for The Naughty Nine 2
Don't get tricked by the clickbait. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and be the first to see a real The Naughty Nine 2 trailer, follow these steps:
- Check the Disney+ Press Room: This is where the actual PR team posts PDF documents with release schedules. It’s not flashy, but it’s 100% accurate.
- Follow the Cast on Instagram: Actors like Winslow Fegley or Madalen Mills are likely to post "Behind the Scenes" (BTS) photos long before a trailer is edited. If you see them in parkas in the middle of July, they’re probably filming in a studio.
- Ignore "Concept" Channels: If the YouTube title says "Teaser Trailer" but the description says "This is a fan-made concept," move on. They are just gaming the algorithm.
- Watch the Trade Publications: Keep an eye on The Hollywood Reporter or Variety. If a sequel is greenlit, they will report on the "orders" and "production starts" months before a trailer exists.
The excitement is real because the first movie was genuinely fun. It had heart. It didn't treat kids like they were unintelligent. But for now, the only way to see the crew back together is to give the first movie another rewatch and wait for Disney to make the official move. The "Naughty" kids will likely return, but they’ll do it on their own timeline, not the timeline of a YouTube rumor mill.
Stay skeptical and keep an eye on the official channels. The moment a real teaser drops, it won't be a secret—it'll be everywhere.