Disney News

Category: Movies & TV

  • Disney Sues Redbox’s Over Digital Movie Sales

    Disney Sues Redbox’s Over Digital Movie Sales

    In October, Redbox launched a service offering “digital codes” for customers to be able to purchase Disney movies at from its nationwide network of kiosks. The kiosks dispense a printed code with information on how to stream or download them to various devices from Disney’s services or affiliated sites.

    Seeking injunctions and various damages starting at $150,000 per statutory award, Disney cites a slew of top titles including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Frozen and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as being included in the unbundlable “Combo Packs” that Redbox offers customers.

    “Plaintiffs have lost and will continue to lose sales as a direct result of Redbox’s unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent conduct,” Disney says in the jury trial-seeking suit alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract.

    In response, a Redbox spokeswoman said, “While we don’t comment on pending litigation, we feel very confident in our pro-consumer position.” The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

    Redbox is only offering digital copies of Disney movies because it doesn’t have a distribution arrangement with the studio and buys retail copies of its discs to rent to customers. Those retail DVDs come with digital download codes. Redbox receives special copies of DVDs and Blu-ray discs from other studios with which it has deals that don’t contain digital codes.

    Disney filed suit against Redbox in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, in Los Angeles. The case number is 2:17-cv-08655.

  • Disney Crosses $5 Billion Global Box Office as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Hits $800 Million

    Disney Crosses $5 Billion Global Box Office as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Hits $800 Million

    Disney is passing two big milestones. First, Disney-Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” is expected to surpass $800 million worldwide at any moment. Second, and maybe even more importantly, with the help of Thor’s newest installment, Disney has pushed past the $5 billion mark at the 2017 worldwide box office for the third year in a row. Which makes it the second Marvel Cinematic Universe movie without Tony Stark in it to be able to do that, and of the 17 films in the MCU, it is the seventh to reach this milestone and the third to do so this year.

    “Thor” has now put Disney in the top spot globally. Universal is on the cusp of the $5-billion milestone itself with $4.97 billion worldwide ($1.6 billion domestic). Universal has one more film on its 2017 slate, “Pitch Perfect 3,” which will be released Dec. 22. But it’s pretty obvious which company will end up being the top earn for 2017, since it doesn’t count the 1 Billion Star Wars: The Last Jedi will is about to bring in. At the very least it’s bringing in a few hundred million in the final days of the year.

    The studio has surpassed this global box office milestone for the third year in a row, becoming the first and only studio to have reached this record three times according to Disney.

    Disney also noted that it’s responsible for four of the top nine highest-grossing films of the year, including “Beauty and the Beast” with $1.26 billion ($504 million domestic and $759.7 million international); Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” with $863.6 million worldwide; and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” with $794.8 million worldwide.

    Other major titles include Pixar’s “Cars 3” ($383.5 million global) and “Coco” ($178.9 million global) as well as two 2016 titles — Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” with $309.3 million during 2017 and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” with $252 million during 2017.

  • Disney and Fox Deal Back On and Moving Fast

    Disney and Fox Deal Back On and Moving Fast

    It turns out the talks aren’t really finished and there is still a strong likelihood of a deal between Disney and Fox. Disney is “progressing speedily” towards an acquisition of Fox, according to a new report from Deadline.

    It would appear that the two studios are nearing a deal that might have some in Hollywood a little nervous but it would be super exciting for fans that have long waited to see both the Fantastic Four and X-Men within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    It’s the film rights have kept the X-Men from joining the MCU as of yet, but one X-Men producer would love to see the crossover happen. A recent Vanity Fair article explained how X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner threw in her support to have the mutant icons team up with the Avengers in theaters. “Well, I wish. I would love it, I would love it. But it’s not for me to say,” she said. Too bad it’s not up to her.

    If the deal goes through, the Murdoch family will continue to maintain ownership over the sports and news divisions while Disney would get the studio rights to everything on the film side according to the report.

    There is so much more at stake here for Disney than the obvious rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four brands. They also want distribution rights for the original Star Wars trilogy and prequel trilogy. Most of those rights revert back to Disney in 2020, but the original 1977 film’s rights will remain at Fox.

    Another bonus is the Avatar franchise. Earlier this week director James Cameron commented on how any sale of Fox’s TV and film operations would impact the Avatar sequels. He noted it probably wouldn’t affect the Avatar series and explained that “at this point in time Disney has a bigger investment” in the franchise than Fox, referring in part to Disney World’s Pandora: The World of Avatar attraction.

    Disney would love to get its hands on the FX channel. And of course they want the vast, impressive, lucrative library of Fox movies and TV series from past and present, to add to their upcoming streaming service and, probably, to deny those movies and series to Netflix, along with the Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm properties.

    While in the midst of negotiations Disney is really hoping that Sony doesn’t out fox them on the deal. It was recently noted that Sony Entertainment had shown interest in purchasing 21st Century Fox along with a few other companies, including Comcast and Verizon. However, if rumors are true those talks have since reverted to Disney.

    Much of this is speculative, but the talk of Disney purchasing Fox is much more than a big rumor. Deadline’s new report makes a good point that, if this deal does happen, we’ll probably find out about it in a pretty out of the blue way. We may not know when that announcement could come, but don’t be too surprised to hear that Disney has officially purchased Fox in the near future.

  • Disney’s Live-Action ‘Mulan’ Finds Its Star

    Disney’s Live-Action ‘Mulan’ Finds Its Star

    Disney has found a lead for its live-action ‘Mulan‘. Chinese actress Liu Yifei, also known as Crystal Liu, is set to star in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the classic Chinese tale.

    In its search to find the film’s star, the studio was determined that the actress was young and of Chinese decent. Disney auditioned thousands of individuals for the role. The newcomer will star as Hua Mulan, who disguised herself as a man to take her father’s army conscription in fifth-century China.

    Following a worldwide search, the studio announced the casting Wednesday. Stemming from Disney’s trend of adapting its library of animated classics as live-action feature films, following the successes of “Maleficent,” “Cinderella,” “The Jungle Book,” and, most recently, “Beauty and the Beast,” which is currently 2017’s biggest box office hit. The studio is now shooting “Dumbo,” with Tim Burton directing and Colin Farrell starring.

    According to IMDb, Yifei is 30 years old and started her career at an extremely young age, beginning modeling when she was just 8 years old and acting in Chinese TV shows. She lived in Queens, New York for part of her childhood and she’s fluent in English, which should come in handy for the movie. She has also acted as a brand ambassador for some of the biggest names in beauty: Dior, Tissot, Garnier, and Pantene.

    Niki Caro (The Zookeeper’s Wife) will direct this new take on Mulan, which is inspired by both the 1998 animated film and the centuries-old folktale. The film is based on a script initially penned by Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek and rewritten by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.

     

  • Marvel Releases Avengers: Infinity War Teaser Trailer

    Marvel Releases Avengers: Infinity War Teaser Trailer

    The first official trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” has finally arrived. We began our Marvel Cinematic Universe journey together back in 2008. All roads lead to Thanos next year. Get your first official look at “Avengers: Infinity War” right here.

    Following the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” the Avengers as we know it no longer exists. Lines were drawn; sides were chosen. The Avengers is nothing more than a team name without any team members. Can Earth’s Mightiest Heroes put aside their differences and unite once more? Do they even stand a chance against the Mad Titan who delights in their failure and desperation? Can they stop his thirst for power and chaos as he begins to collect the Infinity Stones?

    The trailer packs as many super heroes as it can in a mere 2 minutes and 30 seconds: Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), the Vision (Paul Bettany), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Spider-Man (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), and so much more.

    “You can fight it. You can run from it. But destiny still arrives.” We know the trailer brought a smile to your face as much as pain and suffering put one on Thanos’ face. Now excuse us while we watch the trailer a thousand more times!

    See the culmination of the last decade of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when “Avengers: Infinity War” opens in theaters on April 27, 2018.. Stay tuned to mydisneydorks.com.

  • EPCOT CELEBRATES THE DISNEY PIXAR FILM ‘COCO’

    EPCOT CELEBRATES THE DISNEY PIXAR FILM ‘COCO’

    At Epcot This holiday season, you will get a taste of the magic and music of Disney Pixar’s blockbuster film “Coco,” which is now playing in theaters.

    From now until Jan. 6, 2018, El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia, a new musical group inspired by the film, will entertain you at the Mexico Pavilion. Named for the town of Santa Cecilia seen in the film, El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia perform songs from the movie including the beautiful “Remember Me” and the heartwarming “The World Es Mi Familia.”

    The film “Coco” revolves around Miguel, who dreams of becoming an accomplished musician – despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events during the celebration of the Dia de Muertos. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

    Later this season, Mexico Folk Art Gallery, which currently houses a spectacular collection of “Dia De Muertos” artwork, also will feature an interactive exhibit and festive dioramas showcasing scenes from the film.

    In addition to this new musical experience, you can enjoy “Las Posadas,” featuring colorful dancers and performers from Mariachi Cobre celebrating the holiday customs of Mexico during the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.

  • VIDEO: Disney Introduces Its First ‘Boy Princess’ | Disney XD

    VIDEO: Disney Introduces Its First ‘Boy Princess’ | Disney XD

    Albeit briefly and with little fanfare, Disney recently unveiled its first “boy princess.” In an episode of Disney XD’s hit animated series Star vs. the Forces of Evil, a young male character named Marco disguises himself as Princess Turdina to infiltrate St. Olga’s Reform School for Wayward Princesses. After Marco empowers his princess pals, the headmistress, Ms. Heinous, clocks his chest hair and tries to expose what she calls his “dark secret.”

    See Princess Turdina’s brief reign below.

    “That doesn’t prove anything,” says one princess in the crowd. “Princesses can be hairy!”

    But Marco removes his dress and wig, admitting, “I lied to you. I am a boy.”

    “Why does it matter if he’s a boy?” asks another princess. “Nothing he said was wrong.”

    “Yeah, he can think for himself and so can we!”

    “He can be a princess if he wants to!”

    “Turdina is a state of mind!”

    All’s well that ends well, but will audiences ever see Princess Turdina again? Not likely. “Well, looks like Turdina’s gone for good,” Marco says. “That corset was killing me.”

    Star vs. the Forces of Evil also aired Disney’s first same-sex kiss earlier this year. The first instance takes place midway through the titular song (video below), when a male couple kisses. The next few feature at least two female couples and occur in a group shot after Marco realizes his best friend has run off.

  • Jude Law In Negotiations To Join ‘Captain Marvel’

    Jude Law In Negotiations To Join ‘Captain Marvel’

    Jude Law is in negotiations for the male lead in Marvel’s Captain Marvel, the superhero movie that will follow Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), an Air Force pilot whose DNA is fused with that of an alien during an accident. The resulting alteration imbues her with the superpowers of strength, energy projection, and flight.

    The initial details about Law’s character said that he would be a mentor for Carol Danvers as she comes to terms with the powers that will make her into a superhero. However, a subsequent update confirmed that Law will portray Mar-Vell, Marvel’s original Captain Marvel. Ben Mendelsohn is on board to play the villain.

    Geneva Robertson-Dworet wrote the most recent script with “Inside Out” scribe Meg LeFauve and Nicole Perlman penning previous drafts and “Half Nelson” directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are at the helm.

    At this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Feige announced that the superhero film will be set in the ’90s, before the Avengers ever thought of assembling, and Samuel L. Jackson is expected to reprise his role as Nick Fury.

  • Fantastic Finn Footage in NEW Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer

    Fantastic Finn Footage in NEW Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer

    Not so calmingly coming out of a coma we finally get to see extra footage of John Boyega’s and it is intense. With the release of the movie just over a month away, Disney and Lucasfilm are in full-blown promotion mode. With that, a brand new TV spot for Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been released. It’s only a thirty second spot, but if packs a good force push. Still it actually gives us quite a bit to chew on and adds a little extra layer to Rey with one, very interesting shot.

    Rey with Blue Lightsaber

    Finn was badly injured at the end of The Force Awakens; however, we knew he would be waking up at some point since we’ve seen him in his bacta suit, which was helping him heal and we’ve seen him in disguise as a First Order officer, taking on his former supervising officer Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) head-on, as well as piloting a ship on the new planet Crait. Now, we get to see him come to, screaming. This cuts to a shot of Finn still wearing the suit and his First Order of business is fining out where Rey is ans he confronts Poe Dameron.

    Fin

     

    Pre-order your tickets at Fandango while you still can.  It was recently confirmed that Oscar Isaac will return as Poe Dameron in Star Wars 9. The only other actor officially confirmed to return is John Boyega. So he probably comes out of his fight with Captain Phasma with all his limbs in tact. We can’t say the same for Phasma. There are good odds that neither she nor Lt. Hux will make it past the end credits of The Last Jedi. This latest extended TV spot has some awesome new space footage with ships going to war. You can check out all the excitement here.

  • ‘Incredibles 2’ Gets First Teaser Trailer From Disney-Pixar

    ‘Incredibles 2’ Gets First Teaser Trailer From Disney-Pixar

    13 years after the release of “The Incredibles,” Disney-Pixar has released a teaser trailer for the audience-demanded follow-up, “Incredibles 2.”

    While not revealing much in terms of plot, the sequel appears to take place almost immediately after the events of the first film. Set to Michael Giacchino’s iconic theme, the trailer shows Jack-Jack, the Incredibles/Parrs’ infant son who was revealed to possess a multitude of powers at the end of “The Incredibles” after his family long suspected him powerless, using his laser-vision to chop off a slice of his dad’s hair.

    “You have powers!” Bob shouts with joy as Jack-Jack cackles at his father’s funny appearance.

    Craig T. Nelson voiced Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr in the original film, with Holly Hunter as his wife Helen Parr/Elastigirl and Samuel L. Jackson as Mr. Incredible’s best friend Lucius Best/Frozone. Sarah Vowell voiced the Incredible’s’ daughter Violet, who can create force fields and turn invisible, with Spencer Fox as Dash, who possesses superspeed. Brad Bird also voiced as fan favorite Edna Mode, costume designer of the Supers.



    Disney-Pixar announced the sequel in March of 2014, originally planning it for a 2019 release, but later switched the date with that of “Toy Story 4,” which will now debut in 2019.

    “Incredibles 2” hits theaters June 15, 2018.

    Check out the teaser below.