Disney News

Category: Movies & TV

  • ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Prequel Series With Josh Gad, Luke Evans in the works at Disney+

    ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Prequel Series With Josh Gad, Luke Evans in the works at Disney+

    No one’s got a swell cleft in his chin like Gaston and no one gets a new tv series like Gaston either. That’s right! A new Beauty & The Beast prequel series to the 2017 Disney live-action feature film, with stars Josh Gad and Luke Evans set to reprise their roles, could be coming to Disney+.

    Streaming service Disney+ is teaming with Once Upon a Time creators Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz as well as stars Josh Gad and Luke Evans for a Beauty and the Beast prequel limited series to the 2017 feature film in which the latter pair starred.

    The untitled limited series will be a six-episode musical event, with composer Alan Menken in talks to return as well. Sources say the project, which is currently in the early development stage, will take place well before the events of the film and also expand the Beauty and the Beast universe. No other stars from the film — like Emma Watson and Dan Stevens — are currently attached, though sources say there is a possibility that they could pop in for a guest spot.

    The 2017 Beauty and the Beast film, directed by Bill Condon, grossed more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Kevin Kline also starred.

    The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

  • First Look: Disney and Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Character Meet & Greet Coming to Disney Parks

    First Look: Disney and Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Character Meet & Greet Coming to Disney Parks

    In Disney and Pixar’s original adventure, “Onward,” teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot embark on an extraordinary quest after being given the chance to spend one more day with their late father and soon, they’ll be making another epic journey to see you at their new meet and greet! 

    On March 5, Ian and Barley will make their Disney Parks debut as part of the Disneyland After Dark: Pixar Nite special event, and beginning the next day – the same day “Onward” hits theaters – you’ll be able to meet them daily at Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure park. Soon, the elf brothers will also make their way to Hong Kong Disneyland, to meet guests and then join in the fun with the return of the Pixar Water Play Street Party! 

    Set in a suburban fantasy world, “Onward” introduces us to Ian Lightfoot, a 16-year-old elf who yearns for the father he lost before he was born. Ian is sweet and determined with the best of intentions, but his lack of confidence and nervous energy trips him up more often than not. Ian is convinced that if only he had his father’s guidance, his life wouldn’t be so complicated and messy. 

    Ian’s older brother Barley Lightfoot is a big, boisterous 19-year-old elf who loves magic and immerses himself in fantasy role-playing games. He’s a free spirit who may be slightly more passionate about the past than the present. When their late father inadvertently sends Barley and Ian on an epic quest together – one highlighted by mystery and magic – Barley fires up his beloved and mostly dependable van Guinevere and never looks back. 

    Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” releases in U.S. theaters on March 6, 2020, so make plans to see the movie and then head to Disney Parks to say “Hail, fellows!” to Ian and Barley! Before you go, be sure to check out the latest products inspired by the film, available now at shopDisney.com and at Disney Parks around the world. 

  • ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Zootopia 3’ Reportedly in the Works at Disney

    ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Zootopia 3’ Reportedly in the Works at Disney

    Disney is planning on returning to the metropolis of Zootopia for more adventures with two sequels reportedly in the works.

    Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister – who voiced fennec fox Finnick in the animation – has claimed that the movie, which won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars in 2017, is set to become a trilogy with Walt Disney’s Animated Studios reportedly throwing millions at the franchise.

    Lister spoke at a fan event in Ontario, Canada, recently, where he claimed: “I can tell you for sure I’m doing another ‘Zootopia’ with Disney. We doing three of them.”

    Lister continued, “We are the biggest film that Disney is producing. The last one was 240 million. This one I’m hearing will be 300 million. That’s what they spent on the budget, not the advertising. But the movie made 2.6 billion, with merchandising and the box office.”

    The first movie was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore and raked in over a billion dollars at the box office.

    The original movie reimagines a world in which humans have never existed, and starred Jason Bateman as friendly fox Nick Wilde and ‘Once Upon A Time’ actress Ginnifer Goodwin as Lieutenant Judy Hopps.

    The all-star cast also featured the likes of Shakira, Idris Elba, Kristen Bell and Octavia Spencer.

    A Zootopia land was recently announced for the Shanghai Disneyland in China, proving that the much-loved animation is still popular.

  • Disney’s Live-Action Pinocchio Remake Confirms Robert Zemeckis to Direct and Co-Write

    Disney’s Live-Action Pinocchio Remake Confirms Robert Zemeckis to Direct and Co-Write

    Oscar-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis has been tapped to direct and co-write Disney’s live-action remake of its animated classic Pinocchio.

    Tom Hanks was reportedly in talks to play Pinocchio’s “father” Geppetto in 2018; it’s unclear if he is still attached to the film.

     The original film centered around Geppetto who catches sight of a wishing star and wishes for Pinocchio to become a real boy. Once Geppetto fell asleep, his home is visited by the Blue Fairy, who brings Pinocchio to life. With his faithful friend Jiminy Cricket by his side, Pinocchio embarks on fantastic adventures that test his bravery, loyalty and honesty until he triumphs in his quest for his heart’s desire: to become a real boy.

    The original 1940 animated movie won two Oscars for best original score and the classic Disney tune, “When You Wish Upon a Star”. The movie based on the Carlo Collodi story follows the young puppet boy Pinocchio who yearns to be a real boy after being created by Geppetto.

    Production could possibly start by the end of the year. While no release date has been set for Pinocchio, Disney has several dates reserved for untitled live-action features as can see below:

    March 12, 2021; July 30, 2021; Oct. 8, 2021; Nov. 19, 2021; March 25, 2022; May 27,2022; July 8, 2022; Aug. 12, 2022; Nov. 4, 2022; March 10, 2023; May 26, 2023; July 14, 2023; Aug. 11, 2023; Oct. 6, 2023;  and Dec. 15, 2023. Their next live-action reboot of a classic animated title is Mulan on March 27.

  • ‘Bambi’ Live-Action Remake is in the Works

    ‘Bambi’ Live-Action Remake is in the Works

    Disney is remaking another classic into a live-action adventure and this time it’s Bambi that will be joining the herd.

    The film will employ the same photo-realistic CGI used on Disney’s remakes of “The Jungle Book” and “The Lion King” to tell the story of the titular fawn who befriends a rabbit and skunk before coping with the death of his mother at the hands of a hunter.

    The original movie, released in 1942, told the story of a young fawn named Bambi as he learns his place in the forest. With his two best friends, a rabbit named Thumper and a skunk named Flower, Bambi comes of age as he faces the joys and heartache — cue the loss of a parent — of growing up.

    Screenwriters Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Captain Marvel”) and Lindsey Beer (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”) will write the screenplay, with Chris and Paul Weitz’s Depth of Field producing.

  • New Delta and Disney+ Partnership Brings Exclusive In-Flight Entertainment to the Skies

    New Delta and Disney+ Partnership Brings Exclusive In-Flight Entertainment to the Skies

    Delta and Disney+ have struck a new deal that will allow passengers to access exclusive Disney movies while they travel at 30,000 feet.

    Delta customers can now enjoy a selection of movies and TV shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic thanks to the airline’s most recent partnership with Disney+.

    See the full list of Disney titles featured on the IFE Spotlight Collection in December below.

    TitleProduction Company
    Avengers: EndgameMarvel
    Captain MarvelMarvel
    CocoPixar
    Finding NemoPixar
    Free SoloNational Geographic
    FrozenDisney
    The Little MermaidDisney
    The Nightmare Before ChristmasDisney
    The Parent TrapDisney
    Remember the TitansDisney
    Star Wars: The Last JediStar Wars
    Toy Story 3Pixar
    UpPixar

    Additional Disney library titles are available within the movies and TV series pages on board.

    “We know how much our customers value entertainment on board,” said Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Director – Onboard Product and Brand Experience. “That’s why we have installed seat-back screens in over 700 aircraft and continue to forge partnerships with entertainment giants like The Walt Disney Company to bring more diversity and variety to the entertainment options we offer in flight.”

    Disney+ provides customers an unrivaled collection of Disney fan favorites, ranging from one of the highest-grossing films of all time “Avengers: Endgame” to timeless animated films like “The Little Mermaid.” A selection of content from the Disney+ library catalog joins the more than 3,000 movies, TV shows and music options already available through Delta Studio* – free of charge to all customers in all cabins. In addition to investing in seat-back entertainment, customers can choose to stream Delta Studio to their personal devices on the airline’s entire mainline fleet and most regional aircraft.

    This content partnership with The Walt Disney Company is the latest in Delta’s effort to bring new and innovative offerings to customers so they can make the most of their time in flight – from bringing Hulu Originals and Spotify podcasts on board, to debuting a next-generation IFE interface on the airline’s new A330-900neo, to taking steps toward free Wi-Fi and more.

  • ‘Frozen 2’ Sets Record as Disney’s Sixth Movie to Hit $1 Billion in 2019

    ‘Frozen 2’ Sets Record as Disney’s Sixth Movie to Hit $1 Billion in 2019

    After an already dominating year at the box office Disney’s “Frozen 2” is the companies sixth movie this year to hit $1 billion globally.

    Those ticket sales extend the benchmark Disney set over summer, with five other films — “Avengers: Endgame,” “Aladdin,” “Toy Story 4,” “The Lion King” and “Captain Marvel” — joining the billion-dollar club in a single year. “Frozen 2” is Disney Animation’s third movie to cross $1 billion and now stands as the seventh-biggest animated film ever.

    Earlier in December, Disney became the first studio in history to surpass $10 billion worldwide, and that’s before “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” arrives in theaters Dec. 20.

    “Frozen 2” is already the eighth-highest grossing movie of the year. In North America, the fantasy follow-up has generated $367 million. The film crossed $600 million overseas, powered by especially strong showings in China ($111.5 million), Korea ($85.4 million), Japan ($67.3 million) and the United Kingdom ($49.6 million).

    “Frozen 2” debuted to $130 million at the domestic box office ahead of Thanksgiving, setting a November record for an animated movie. It also become the first cartooned film outside of summer to hit triple digits in its inaugural weekend. The film continued its dominance through Turkey Day, cementing a new industry high-water mark with $123 million over the five-day holiday frame.

    Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, “Frozen 2” continues the adventures of Princesses Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell), who reunite with Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and Olaf (Josh Gad) and embark on an adventure beyond Arendelle to find out why Elsa was born with magical powers.

  • Disney Warns New Star Wars Movie May Pose Seizure Risk

    Disney Warns New Star Wars Movie May Pose Seizure Risk

    According to Walt Disney Studios, the highly anticipated film, “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” could trigger seizures in people with epilepsy.

    In a statement with the Epilepsy Foundation, the company warned viewers that the film contains “several sequences with imagery and sustained flashing lights.” The company said the features could affect people with photosensitive epilepsy.

    Disney has sent a letter to theater owners and operators worldwide with a recommendation that special steps should be taken to alert moviegoers about the visual effects and  flashing lights in the J.J. Abrams-directed interstellar adventure.

    Out of an abundance of caution,” the letter opens, “we recommend that you provide at your venue box office and online, and at other appropriate places where your customers will see it, a notice containing the following information: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker contains several sequences with imagery and sustained flashing lights that may affect those who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or have other photosensitivities.”

    Flashing lights at certain intensities and patterns can trigger seizures in nearly 3 percent of people with epilepsy, according to the Epilepsy Foundation.

    The foundation said the warning does not mean people with epilepsy cannot see the film. The Epilepsy Foundation recommends those impacted to ask a friend to watch the film first, then take the friend to see the film again to warn about the scenes before they happen.

    “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” is not the first Disney film to come with the warning. “Incredibles II,” contained a sequence of flashing lights that also could have triggered seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Notices were posted in theaters for that premiere after people on Twitter shared concerns.

  • Disney Releases New Full ‘Mulan’ Trailer

    Disney Releases New Full ‘Mulan’ Trailer

    Disney released a new trailer for the live-action “Mulan” film, which is set to premiere March 27, 2020.

    The movie, which stars Chinese-American actress Liu Yifei, is about a young woman who disguises herself as a man so that she can take the place of her elderly father when he’s drafted to join the Chinese military.

    Disney released a first look at “Mulan” last year, when it was revealed Liu had been cast following a yearlong search. Take w look at the new trailer below:

    The trailer opens on a similar note as the 1998 animated classic: Mulan’s elderly father is drafted to join the Chinese army, but Mulan takes his sword and disguises herself as a man to enlist in his stead.

    It continues, however, to introduce a new character, a witch. There is no mention of Mushu, played by Eddie Murphy in the original, although audiences get a peek of what appears to be an ancestorial dragon.

    The original animated movie premiered in 1998 and grossed $304 million worldwide.

  • First ‘Black Widow’ Trailer Finally Released by Marvel

    First ‘Black Widow’ Trailer Finally Released by Marvel

    Marvel Studios just released the much anticipated teaser trailer to Black Widow, the standalone adventure of Natasha Romanoff’s super spy-turned-Avenger and her blood-stained past.

    Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow in Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller Black Widow — the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    During “Avengers: Endgame” her character sacrificed her life to help save half of humanity, but “Black Widow” takes place between the events of “Captain America: Civil War” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” Take a look at the trailer below:

    “Black Widow” centers on what Natasha Romanoff was up to at the time: evidently, the ex-KGB agent reunites with some of her former comrades, fellow assassins from the “Black Widow program” that spawned an army of highly-trained agents like her.

    “I’m done running from my past,” she tells William Hurt, reprising his role as General-turned-Secretary of State Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross.

    Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei aka The Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Melina.

    Directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige, Black Widow hits U.S. theaters on May 1, 2020.