Disney News

Category: Movies & TV

  • Broadway Musical ‘Hamilton’ Will Debut on Disney Plus July 3, Instead of 2021 Theatrical Release

    Broadway Musical ‘Hamilton’ Will Debut on Disney Plus July 3, Instead of 2021 Theatrical Release

    The Walt Disney Company announced Tuesday it will share a four-year-old live capture of “Hamilton” on Disney+ starting July 3.

    Earlier this year, Disney announced the film would be released in October 2021 and would include a theater release. However, because of the coronavirus pandemic, Disney opted to release the film early and exclusively on Disney+.

    The groundbreaking, biographical hip-hop show about the life of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton won 11 Tony Awards and made numerous tours.

    The film was made at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016 and will star all of the original Tony Award winners — Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler and Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr.

    Others who star include Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Jonathan Groff as King George, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton. The filmed version is directed by the show’s director, Tommy Kail.

  • ‘The Wonderful World of Disney’ Returns to ABC With Broadcast Debut of ‘Moana’

    ‘The Wonderful World of Disney’ Returns to ABC With Broadcast Debut of ‘Moana’

    ABC has announced, “The Wonderful World of Disney” is returning to ABC to bring some of that iconic Disney magic back to your movie nights.

    Across four consecutive Wednesday nights at 8 p.m. ET, you and your loved ones can cuddle up on the couch to watch four beloved family films from the Disney library — all of which are currently available on Disney+. The fun begins May 20 when “Moana” hits the small screen.

    The following Wednesday nights will feature Marvel Studios’ “Thor: The Dark World” (airing May 27), Disney and Pixar’s “Up” (airing June 3) and Disney’s “Big Hero 6” (airing June 10).

    With the networks’ original series’ production halted and people looking for comfort-food entertainment while sheltering at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, blockbuster theatrical movies are becoming a viable programming option.

    While The Wonderful World of Disney originally aired on Sundays, its new installment is slated for Wednesdays so it does not clash with CBS’ theatrical movie showcase. Once a weekly staple, over the past decade or so The Wonderful World of Disney has become a brand occasionally used by ABC for special programming, most recently The Little Mermaid Live! and The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration.

    Fans can also find more entertainment from Disney brands — including “Star Wars” and “National Geographic” in addition to those mentioned above — at DisneyMagicMoments.com.

  • New Star Wars Movie to be Helmed by Mandalorian Season Finale Director

    New Star Wars Movie to be Helmed by Mandalorian Season Finale Director

    To celebrate Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm has announced that Academy Award winner Taika Waititi will direct and co-write a new Star Wars feature film for theatrical release.

    Joining Waititi on the screenplay will be Academy Award nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Last Night in Soho), who received a BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year on the three-time Oscar-winning film, 1917.

    This marks Waititi’s return to the world of “Star Wars.” The “Thor: Ragnarok” filmmaker directed the first-season finale of “The Mandalorian” and voiced the bounty hunter turned nanny droid IG-11.

    It’s unclear if Waititi’s film is one of Disney’s three untitled “Star Wars” movies dated for Dec. 2022, 2024 and 2026 — or if it’s a separate project.

    In addition, Emmy®-nominated writer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Bachelorette) is currently developing a new untitled Star Wars series for Disney+. Headland will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner for the series, which adds to a growing list of Star Wars stories for Disney’s streaming platform including The Mandalorian, now in post-production on Season Two, and two other previously announced series: one based on Cassian Andor’s life prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and another following the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.

    Release dates for both Waititi’s and Headland’s projects have not yet been announced.

  • Live-Action Hercules in the Works at Disney

    Live-Action Hercules in the Works at Disney

    Disney is once again going from zero to hero with another live-action remake. The studio is in early development of a live-action remake of its 1997 animated movie “Hercules.”

    No director has been attached yet, and casting is still a ways off, but Hercules seems like an obvious choice to join Disney’s ever-growing list of live-action remakes.

    There have also been casting rumors in recent weeks, partially spurred on by Ariana Grande’s performance of the movie’s “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” during The Disney Family Singalong, which engendered a petition on Change.org for her to play Megara, the female lead. Also, Idris Elba and Ryan Gosling’s names have also been floated by enthusiasts.

    Anthony and Joe Russo are producing and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings screenwriter David Callaham tapped to write.

    The original “Hercules” followed the title demigod as a youngster (voiced by Tate Donovan) who has to prove he’s worthy of hanging with the gods on Mount Olympus and runs afoul of the evil fast-talking king of the underworld, Hades (James Woods).

    “Hercules” was Disney’s prime 1997 summer animated toon grossing $99.1M domestic, and over $153M world wide.

  • ‘The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II’ to Air this Mother’s Day on ABC

    ‘The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II’ to Air this Mother’s Day on ABC

    Earlier this month, millions of people across the United States joined together in spirit and song for ABC’s “The Disney Family Singalong,” and today, Disney announced an enchanting reprise will air this Mother’s Day with even more celebrities bringing Disney magic directly into your home once again.

    ABC will broadcast “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II” on Sunday, May 10, at 7 p.m. EDT, with Ryan Seacrest returning as host. “Volume II” will feature new star-studded performances, inventive at-home choreography and even more Disney magic.

    The animated Mickey also returns, guiding you through on-screen lyrics so you can follow along in perfect harmony with celebrities performing beloved Disney tunes. The special will then be followed by a new episode of “American Idol,” following in the innovative remote format that debuted this past Sunday when audiences voted for the Top 10 finalists.

    The new singalong special will also continue to raise awareness about Feeding America’s vast network and resources for people across the United States who are finding themselves in unfamiliar circumstances and facing hunger for the first time.

    Performers for “The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II” will be announced soon, and we’ll share the highly anticipated lineup with you as soon as we can. In the meantime, if you’re looking for some more Disney magic, visit DisneyMagicMoments.com to discover entertaining stories, videos and activities from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel and National Geographic.

  • Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sings ‘Moana’ song to daughter for ‘937th time today’

    Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson sings ‘Moana’ song to daughter for ‘937th time today’

    Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared a sweet video of himself singing along to “Moana” with his nearly 2-year-old daughter Tiana and it’s adorable!

    “And for the 937th time today she wants daddy to sing along with Maui,” Johnson, 47, captioned a video of him mouthing along the words to “You’re Welcome” from Disney’s “Moana” as his 1-year-old Tiana Gia sits complacently on his lap.

    Take a look at the adorable video below:

    “She has no idea, we’re the same person,” Johnson, 47, captioned the cute clip, in which Tia looks mostly unaffected at the beginning but smiles widely near the end, as her dad starts bouncing her up and down. “And I have no idea what day it is anymore, but I am sure it’s one that ends with Y.”

    Johnson went on to address his fans who were also social distancing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, writing, “To all the mama and papa bears out there going thru it — we understand. 24hr parenting.”

  • Live action ‘Robin Hood, Remake in the Works at Disney

    Live action ‘Robin Hood, Remake in the Works at Disney

    Disney has been turning out live-action remakes like a machine and now the company has announced that it is the early production phase of making a live-action version of the 1973 movie-musical version of ‘Robin Hood’ which is to be released on Disney+.

    The new version is being developed with the animals in a CGI/live-action hybrid format, similar to Disney remakes of “The Jungle Book” and “Dumbo.” The deals for Estrada and Granlund were signed early last month prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The 1973 “Robin Hood” — produced and directed by Wolfgang Reitherman — was centered on the classic story of Robin Hood, Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Hood, portrayed as a fox, led the fight against Prince John’s excessive taxation. Little John was depicted as a bear, Friar Tuck as a badger, Prince John as a lion, the sheriff of Nottingham as a wolf and Maid Marian as a vixen.

    Carlos Lopez Estrada, perhaps best known for directing the 2018 crime movie Blindspotting, is on board to helm the project, which is being written by Kari Granlund. Granlund already is in the Disney fold after having written the studio’s recent remake of Lady and the Tramp.

    Justin Springer, who counts the studio’s Dumbo and Tron Legacy among his credits, is producing the feature being developed for the studio’s Disney+ streaming service. 

  • The Walt Disney Studios Announces Updated Release Schedule

    The Walt Disney Studios Announces Updated Release Schedule

    Following the announcement in March that several titles would be delayed due to the global health crisis, The Walt Disney Studios announced updates to its upcoming release schedule.

    Disney’s Mulan is now slated to open on July 24, 2020, with Disney’s Jungle Cruise moving to July 30, 2021; while Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will arrive in theaters on November 6, 2020, with The Eternals moving to February 12, 2021.

    Below is the updated release schedule through 2022, beginning with Disney and Pixar’s Soul, opening June 19, 2020:

    2020

    Soul (Disney and Pixar)—June 19, 2020

    Mulan (Disney)—July 24, 2020

    Empty Man (20th Century Studios)—August 7, 2020

    The One and Only Ivan (Disney)—August 14, 2020

    The Beatles: Get Back (Disney)—September 4, 2020

    The King’s Man (20th Century Studios)—September 18, 2020

    Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios)—October 9, 2020

    The French Dispatch (Searchlight Pictures)—October 16, 2020

    Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (20th Century Studios)—October 23, 2020

    Black Widow (Marvel Studios)—November 6, 2020

    Deep Water (20th Century Studios)—November 13, 2020

    Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Animation Studios)—November 25, 2020

    Free Guy (20th Century Studios)—December 11, 2020

    West Side Story (20th Century Studios)—December 18, 2020

    The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—December 25, 2020 (limited)

    2021

    The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—January 8, 2021 (Wide)

    The Eternals (Marvel Studios)—February 12, 2021

    Ron’s Gone Wrong (20th Century Studios)—February 26, 2021

    Untitled Disney Live Action—March 12, 2021

    Bob’s Burgers (20th Century Studios)—April 9, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—April 23, 2021

    Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Marvel Studios)—May 7, 2021

    Cruella (Disney)—May 28, 2021

    Untitled Pixar Animation—June 18, 2021

    Jungle Cruise (Disney)—July 30, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—August 13, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—September 10, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—October 1, 2021

    Hamilton (Disney)—October 15, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—October 22, 2021

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Marvel Studios)—November 5, 2021

    Untitled Disney Live Action—November 19, 2021

    Untitled Disney Animation—November 24, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—December 3, 2021

    AVATAR 2 (20th Century Studios)—December 17, 2021

    2022

    Untitled 20th Century—January 7, 2022

    Nimona (20th Century Studios)—January 14, 2022

    Thor: Love and Thunder (Marvel Studios)—February 18, 2022

    Untitled Pixar Animation—March 11, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—March 25, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—April 8, 2022

    Black Panther 2 (Marvel Studios)—May 6, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—May 27, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—June 10, 2022

    Untitled Pixar Animation—June 17, 2022

    Captain Marvel 2 (Marvel Studios)—July 8, 2022

    Untitled Indiana Jones (Disney)—July 29, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—August 12, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—September 16, 2022

    Untitled Marvel—October 7, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—October 21, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—November 4, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—November 11, 2022

    Untitled Disney Animation—November 23, 2022

    Untitled Star Wars (Lucasfilm)—December 16, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—December 23, 2022

  • Rosario Dawson Cast as Ahsoka Tano in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2

    Rosario Dawson Cast as Ahsoka Tano in ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2

    The Mandalorian‘s second season will feature Rosario Dawson as a live-action Ahsoka Tano!

    The “Briarpatch” star has been cast in the guest starring role of Ahsoka Tano, Variety has confirmed.

    Tano is Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice and one of the central characters in the popular animated “Star Wars” series. This will mark the character’s first live-action appearance, after being voiced by Ashley Eckstein on all seven seasons of “Clone Wars,” the final season of which is currently airing on Disney Plus.

    Season 2 of “The Mandalorian” is slated to drop on Disney Plus this Fall, after showrunner and creator Jon Favreau confirmed that a second season was on the way late last year. Favreau also previously revealed that Carl Weathers, who plays Greef Carga in the series, is set to direct an episode of its sophomore season.

    The series is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, following the travails of Mando (Pedro Pascal) in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic. Season 1 ended with Mando flying off in search of Baby Yoda’s home planet. Precisely how Dawson’s Tano fits into the equation will be interesting to see, especially given all the events that take place between the end of the Clone Wars and the fall of the Empire.

    “The Mandalorian” is the first “Star Wars” series to air on Disney Plus, and the Mouse House also has two others series from a Galaxy far, far away in the works, namely a Cassian Andor series starring Diego Luna reprising his role from “Rogue One,” and an Obi-Wan Kenobi series with Ewan McGregor reprising the iconic role.

    The series is executive produced by Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy, and Colin Wilson. Karen Gilchrist serves as co-executive producer. Directors on season 1 included Filoni, Taika Waititi, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rick Famuyiwa, and Deborah Chow, who has been tapped to direct the Obi-Wan series as well.

  • Disney Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Coming to Disney+ Earlier Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

    Disney Pixar’s ‘Onward’ Coming to Disney+ Earlier Due to Coronavirus Outbreak

    Disney’s latest Pixar feature “Onward” will be arriving to the at-home market earlier than expected due to the coronavirus outbreak.

    The Walt Disney Studios announced today that Disney and Pixar’s Onward will be available to buy digitally and on Movies Anywhere beginning today at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST and on Disney+ on April 3 in the U.S.

    The film premiered in theaters on March 6 and earned rave reviews from audiences, including a 95% Verified Audience Score on RottenTomatoes. With cinemas currently impacted by closures due to the global health crisis, Disney will offer the film ahead of schedule to purchase on digital platforms in the U.S. beginning today at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST for $19.99.

    “While we’re looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes,” said Dan Scanlon (Director, Onward) and Kori Rae (Producer, Onward).

    In Onward, teenage elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt) get an unexpected opportunity to spend one more day with their late dad, embarking on an extraordinary quest aboard Barley’s epic van Guinevere. Like any good quest, their journey is filled with magic spells, cryptic maps, impossible obstacles and unimaginable discoveries. But when the boys’ fearless mom Laurel (voice of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) realizes her sons are missing, she teams up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion, former warrior—aka The Manticore (voice of Octavia Spencer)—and heads off to find them. Perilous curses aside, this one magical day could mean more than any of them ever dreamed.