Category: Movies

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.

May 4, 2020
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.

May 1, 2020
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:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by therock (@therock) on Apr 15, 2020 at 3:22pm PDT

“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.”

April 19, 2020
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.

April 12, 2020
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

April 6, 2020
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.

March 20, 2020
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.

February 18, 2020
‘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.

February 17, 2020
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.

January 26, 2020
‘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.

January 25, 2020