Disney News

Category: Movies & TV

  • Disney Releases First ‘Cruella’ Trailer Starring Emma Stone

    Disney Releases First ‘Cruella’ Trailer Starring Emma Stone

    Disney has released the first trailer for Disney’s Cruella, the live-action adaptation of 101 Dalmations starring Emma Stone.

    Stone will portray Cruella de Vil circa the 1970s, and the film will delve into her life prior to her penchant for terrorizing the puppies of London, as was depicted in the 1961 animated original film.

    “The thing is, I was born brilliant. Born bad — and a little bit mad,” Stone’s Cruella says in the trailer as you can see below:

    The film also stars Paul Walter Hauser and Joel Fry as Cruella’s henchmen Horace and Jasper, and Emma Thompson as the Baroness, the head of a fashion house where our budding villainess gets a job. Having been announced in 2013 and cast its leading lady in 2016, the project has had a long journey to the screen, passing between multiple writers before Dana Fox and Tony McNamara wrote the final version of the screenplay.

    The Walt Disney Company releases Cruella on May 28.

  • First ‘Cruella’ Poster Arrives Ahead of Trailer Debut Tomorrow

    First ‘Cruella’ Poster Arrives Ahead of Trailer Debut Tomorrow

    Walt Disney Studios has released a teaser poster for Cruella, the company’s long-awaited origin story for the Dalmatians loving iconic villainess.

    Emma Stone, the 32-year-old actress, plays the iconic 101 Dalmatians villain in the highly anticipated film, which is a live-action prequel following a young Cruella de Vil as a designer who becomes obsessed with dogs’ skins.

    Stone rocks an ’80s look in the movie’s first poster, wearing dark lipstick and smokey eye makeup as you can see below:

    Cruella’s first trailer drops on Wednesday, and the film is scheduled to be released on May 28.

  • Walt Disney Company Receives 25 Golden Globe Nominations for 2021

    Walt Disney Company Receives 25 Golden Globe Nominations for 2021

    Films and television series from across The Walt Disney Company combined to earn a total of 25 Golden Globe nominations for 2021!

    Hulu Originals are leading the charge with 10 nods, as well as the first nominations for Disney+ since the launch of the streaming service in 2019.

    Disney+ is home to a variety of nominated content including season two of fan favorite Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian which received a nomination for Best Television Series—Drama. Walt Disney Pictures’ Broadway favorite Hamilton, also on Disney+, is nominated for Best Picture—Musical or Comedy, and Lin-Manuel Miranda is among the nominees for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy. Disney and Pixar’s Onward and Soul are both nominated for Best Motion Picture—Animated, and Soul received an additional nod for its original score. Take a closer look at the nominations below:

    The Great (Hulu)—three nominations

    Best Television Series—Musical Or Comedy

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Musical Or Comedy: Elle Fanning

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series—Musical Or Comedy: Nicholas Hoult

    Hamilton (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+)—two nominations

    Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy: Lin-Manuel Miranda

    The Mandalorian (Disney+ / Lucasfilm Ltd.)—one nomination

    Best Television Series—Drama

    Mrs. America (FX on Hulu / FXP)—one nomination

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television: Cate Blanchett

    Nomadland (Searchlight)—four nominations

    Best Picture—Drama

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Drama: Frances McDormand

    Best Director—Motion Picture: Chloé Zhao

    Best Screenplay—Motion Picture: Chloé Zhao

    Normal People (Hulu)—two nominations

    Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series Or Motion Picture Made For Television

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series Or A Motion Picture Made For Television: Daisy Edgar-Jones

    Onward (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)—one nomination

    Best Picture—Animated

    Palm Springs (Hulu)—two nominations

    Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy: Andy Samberg

    The Personal History of David Copperfield (Searchlight)—one nomination

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy: Dev Patel

    Ramy (Hulu)—one nomination

    Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series—Musical Or Comedy: Ramy Youssef

    Ratched (20th Television)—three nominations

    Best Television Series—Drama

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series—Drama: Sarah Paulson

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role: Cynthia Nixon

    Soul (Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures / Disney+/Disney Music Group)—two nominations

    Best Picture—Animated

    Best Score Motion Picture: Jon Batiste, Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor

    The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)—two nominations

    Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama: Andra Day

    Best Original Song—Motion Picture: “Tigress & Tweed”; Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq

    The 10 nominations for Hulu Originals content—a record for the streamer—include three for The Great, which includes a nod for Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy, as well as two each for Palm Springs and The United States vs. Billie Holiday (premiering on February 26). FX’s Mrs. America, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Cate Blanchett), streamed exclusively on FX on Hulu. The streamer will also be home to Searchlight’s Nomadland, debuting on February 19.

    Nomadland, from Searchlight Pictures, is Disney’s most-nominated title with nods in four categories, including Best Motion Picture—Drama. The film’s star, Frances McDormand, is recognized in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture—Drama category and Chloé Zhao received two nominations for Best Director—Motion Picture and Best Screenplay—Motion Picture.

    In addition, visionary television pioneer, political activist and philanthropist Norman Lear, who recently produced ABC’s two Emmy Award-winning Live in Front of a Studio Audience specials, will become the third-ever recipient of the Carol Burnett Award and will accept the honor at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, February 28, 2021. 

  • Black Panther Series is coming to Disney Plus

    Black Panther Series is coming to Disney Plus

    The Walt Disney Company has announced that a new Disney+ series is in development based on the Kingdom of Wakanda to be helmed by “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler.

    The TV series set in the “Black Panther” kingdom of Wakanda will be developed as part of a five-year, exclusive television deal the Walt Disney Co. announced Monday.

    Coogler wrote and directed 2018’s “Black Panther,” a box-office hit that turned Chadwick Boseman into a superstar. Chadwick died in August of cancer.

    “Ryan Coogler is a singular storyteller whose vision and range have made him one of the standout filmmakers of his generation,” Bob Iger, executive chairman of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. “With Black Panther, Ryan brought a groundbreaking story and iconic characters to life in a real, meaningful and memorable way, creating a watershed cultural moment. We’re thrilled to strengthen our relationship and look forward to telling more great stories with Ryan and his team.”

    Coogler is currently working on a follow-up to “Black Panther,” which is set to be released July 8, 2022.

    Marvel Studios and Disney announced back in December that the role played by the late Chadwick Boseman would not be recast and, instead, the companies would move forward with a sequel that would “honor the legacy” that the actor helped build.

  • Disney Considering Bringing Johnny Depp Back For Pirates Of The Caribbean After Online Petitions

    Disney Considering Bringing Johnny Depp Back For Pirates Of The Caribbean After Online Petitions

    Johnny Depp’s return as Captain Jack Sparrow for Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is once again reportedly being “considered” by Disney.

    The studio is considering the move “following a furious backlash from his fanbase,” according to Express.

    After Depp was reportedly dropped from the billion dollar Disney franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean, last year, following his public libel court case against a British newspaper, news reports are emerging which claim a 180 from the studio is being considered about his future in the Pirates series.

    The report states “Disney is re-considering the actor’s revival in their franchise,” following the enormous online petition that calls for his return.

    The report goes on to add: “Rumours are rife that the Change.org petitions have forced the makers to reconsider.”

    The petition in question arrived last year, and was titled: “We want JOHNNY DEPP back as CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW.” Since it arrived online, it has racked up a over 430,000 signatures.

    Integrating Jack Sparrow back into the series will not be too difficult for the company. He was last seen alive and well in the fifth movie, Salazar’s Revenge, which came out in 2017.

    In fact, the film also seemed to be kicking off yet another trilogy, set ten years after the franchise’s previous trio of films, as Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) was haunted by the ghoul Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) once again.

  • Disney+ Blocks Kids From Watching Peter Pan, Dumbo and Others Due to Racist Stereotypes

    Disney+ Blocks Kids From Watching Peter Pan, Dumbo and Others Due to Racist Stereotypes

    Disney+ has blocked kids under seven from watching Peter Pan, Dumbo and others over concerns they show racist stereotypes.

    While the films remain available on adult accounts, they come with a disclaimer that says: ‘This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now.”

    “Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together,” Disney said.

    Disney implemented a revised content advisory in October to flag up any issues surrounding racial stereotypes and concerns were raised in relation to Peter Pan and the other productions. The decision to ban the films from children’s accounts was made by a group of external experts who were brought in to assess if the content ‘represented global audiences’.

    Other long-standing family favourites – The Aristocats, Swiss Family Robinson and Dumbo – have also been removed from children’s accounts for breaching ‘content advisories’ that were recently put in place.

    It is understood the main reason behind Peter Pan being blocked is because it features a Native American tribe whose members are referred to as ‘redskins’.

    Meanwhile, the 1970 movie The Aristocats has a Siamese cat character called Shun Gon, whose slanted eyes and prominent teeth have been described as a caricature of East Asian people.

    Swiss Family Robinson, which was made in 1960, has been criticised for its ‘yellow face’ and ‘brown face’ pirates.

    Dumbo, the 1941 cartoon about a lovable flying elephant, has been accused of ridiculing enslaved African-Americans on Southern plantations. At one point during a musical interlude, faceless black workers toil away to offensive lyrics such as, ‘When we get our pay, we throw our money all away’.

    The Disney website says that while it can’t change the past, “we can acknowledge it, learn from it and move forward together to create a tomorrow that today can only dream of.”

  • All Five Seasons of The Muppet Show are Heading to Disney Plus

    All Five Seasons of The Muppet Show are Heading to Disney Plus

    Disney has announced, all five seasons of “The Muppet Show,” which first debuted on television nearly 45 years ago, will be available for streaming on Disney+ starting next month.

    The fourth and fifth seasons, Disney noted, have “never previously been released on home entertainment.”

    The hit show makes it’s way to Disney+ on February 19. Take a look at the tweet below:

    You can relive the early antics of Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo and the gang, or watch them for the very first time in their hilarious variety show which features sketch comedy, original songs and guest performances from timeless and legendary stars such as Steve Martin, Elton John, Liza Minelli, Alice Cooper, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, Gene Kelly, Mark Hamill and so many more.

    During the life of the series, which originally aired from 1976 to 1981, “The Muppet Show” welcomed guest stars like Steve Martin, Elton John, Liza Minnelli, Julie Andrews, Diana Ross and more.

    The beloved series joins other Muppets-related content like Disney+ original “Muppets Now” on the streaming service, which is also home to films like “Muppet Treasure Island” and “The Muppet Christmas Carol.”

  • BREAKING: Chris Evans Returning to Marvel As Captain America

    BREAKING: Chris Evans Returning to Marvel As Captain America

    After Chris Evans was thought to be finished with the role of Captain America following Avengers: Endgame there are now reports that he may reprise the role in the MCU in some form.

    Evans is expected to return in at least one Marvel property with the deal leaving thee door open for him to appear in another movie later, according to a Deadline report.

    Sources add it’s unlikely to be a new Captain America installment and more likely to be like what Robert Downey Jr. did after Iron Man 3, appearing in films like Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: Homecoming.

    Evans had previously indicated he was finished playing Captain America after the character’s arc had seemingly been fulfilled by the end of Avengers: Endgame. “It was a great run and we went out on such a high note that it would be risky to revisit it in my opinion. It was such a good experience and I think it’s better left that way,” Evans said in May.

    In his last appearance, Evans portrayed a version of Captain America who was handing over shield (and mantle) to Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson. Mackie brings Sam Wilson to The Falcon and The Winter Soldier on Disney+ in March, a production which has already wrapped.

  • Johnny Depp Reportedly Cast in Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    Johnny Depp Reportedly Cast in Tim Burton’s ‘Beetlejuice 2’

    After Johnny Depp lost his libel case in the UK, Disney and other studios began to back away from the famed Pirates of the Caribbean actor, but rumour has that long time friend Tim Burton might be the one to give the actor another shot with a role in Beetlejuice 2.

    “Depp has had talks with his old friend to team up once again for a new project. He can’t say for sure right now what it might be, but he notes that one possibility is the long-awaited Beetlejuice 2,” insider Daniel Richtman claims.

    Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have a longstanding successful relationship when it comes to movies. This shared history might be one reason the director is willing to consider Depp in an upcoming film in spite of the latter’s recent woes. Through the years they’ve worked together on a total of eight films.

    “If he manages to get one more good part, he could ostensibly come back,” indie producer Orian Williams said. “I would consider hiring him for the right role. You can question a lot, but you can’t ever question his talent.”

    Disney had distanced itself from the 57-year-old actor even before his ‘wife beater’ libel trial in the UK, despite never formally severing ties according to The Hollywood Reporter.

    THR reveals Disney blocked Depp’s return to Pirate’s of the Caribbean. Citing producer Jerry Bruckheimer’s desire to include Depp in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie, even if just in a cameo role to hand over the reins of the franchise to Robbie, the report says “Disney balked,” refusing to entertain the idea due to the reputation risk it would pose for the family-friendly media giant.

  • Disney’s Live-Action Cruella Gets a Theatrical Release Date

    Disney’s Live-Action Cruella Gets a Theatrical Release Date

    Cruella, the live-action film about the 101 Dalmations villain Cruella de Vil, will be released in theaters and now has a release date.

    From a script by Aline Brosh McKenna and Kelly Marcel, among others, the film will tell the origin story of the classic 101 Dalmatians villain.

    Rotten Tomatoes recently tweeted, “Disney’s Cruella will release in theaters on May 28, 2021,” as you can see in the post below:

    While Disney has been tight-lipped about plot details, Cruella will take place before the events of 101 Dalmatians and will be set in the 1970s London fashion scene.

    While fellow live-action remakes of Disney cartoons Mulan, Pinocchio and Peter Pan and Wendy have opted for streaming premieres, Disney still plans on Cruella making a theatrical debut despite earlier reports that Disney was considering sending Cruella to its Disney+ streaming platform.

    Directed by Craig Gillespie, Cruella stars Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel Fry and Emily Beecham. It is scheduled to release in theaters on May 28.