Category: Television

  • New Monsters Inc. Inspired Series Starring Billy Crystal and John Goodman Coming to Disney+

    New Monsters Inc. Inspired Series Starring Billy Crystal and John Goodman Coming to Disney+

    As we previously reported, a Monsters Inc. inspired series is in the works and today we have learned that both Billy Crystal and John Goodman will reprise their roles as Mike and Sulley in the new upcoming animated series Monsters At Work.

    The animated series is set to premiere on the Disney streaming platform, Disney+, in 2020. In addition to Crystal and Goodman, a monstrous lineup of actors who are lending their voices to Monsters At Work, the new animated series inspired by the world of Disney•Pixar’s Academy Award-winning film Monsters, Inc.

    The series for families picks up six months after the events of Monsters, Inc.The Monsters, Inc. power plant now harvests the laughter of children to fuel Monstropolis—after all, laughter does generate 10 times more energy than screams do. We’ll follow a new monster, Tylor Tuskmon (voiced by Superstore’s Ben Feldman), an enthusiastic and talented mechanic on the Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team (MIFT) who dreams of following in the footsteps of his idols—Mike and Sulley—and making his way up to the factory Laugh Floor as a Jokester.

    Crystal and Goodman won’t be the only familiar voices we’ll hear. Keep an ear out for John Ratzenberger, who will be voicing Yeti and a new character, Bernard; Jennifer Tilly, reprising the role of Celia Mae; and Bob Peterson, who in Monsters At Work will voice Roze, twin sister to his original Monsters, Inc. character, Roz.

    Monsters At Work also stars Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) as Val Little, Tylor’s lifelong BFF; Henry Winkler (Barry) as scatterbrained boss Fritz; Lucas Neff (Raising Hope) as an opportunistic plumber named Duncan; Alanna Ubach (Coco) as Cutter, a monster who always plays by the rules; Stephan Stanton (Star Wars Resistance) as Smitty and Needleman, the bumbling custodial team; and Aisha Tyler (Archer) will lend her voice to the role of Millie Tuskmon, Tylor’s mom.

    The series, which is produced by Disney Television Animation, was developed by and is executive produced by Bobs Gannaway—a Disney animation veteran whose credits include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Planes: Fire and Rescue. Ferrell Barron (Planes: Fire & Rescue) produces, and Kat Good (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero) and Rob Gibbs (Monsters, Inc.) direct.

    Stay tuned for more news about Monsters At Work as it’s announced. (Don’t worry—you’ll hear our joyous screams!) Like Roz, we’ll be watching. Always watching. Always.

  • BREAKING: Disney’s Acquisition of 21st Century Fox is Finally Complete

    BREAKING: Disney’s Acquisition of 21st Century Fox is Finally Complete

    As of 12:02 am this morning Disney’s multi-billion dollar quest to obtain Twenty-First Century Fox’s assets is now officialy complete.

    Last December, Disney made an initial $52 billion offer for the bulk of Mr. Murdoch’s Fox empire. A bidding war broke out with Comcast submitting a $65 billion offer for the assets, but Disney quickly pushed back on Comcast’s offer with a higher bid of $71.3 billion, which Mr. Murdoch and his board quickly accepted. 

    Fox Corp. consists mainly of Fox Broadcasting, Fox Sports and Fox News. However; Disney is acquiring the Fox movie business, including Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox 2000 as well as Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Productions and Fox21, with shows including “The Simpsons” and “Modern Family.”

    On Friday, Disney revealed the selections made by 21st Century Fox shareholders on whether to receive $38 in stock or cash in exchange for their Fox shares in the transaction. Slightly more than half — 51.57% — chose cash, while 36.65% chose Disney stock. The remaining 11.79% of holdings of roughly 1.8 billion shares outstanding did not make a selection by Thursday’s 5 p.m. ET deadline. Disney had projected that the compensation breakdown in cash and stock would be about 50-50.

    Fox Corp., the Fox assets that are not part of Disney’s $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets, began trading as a stand-alone company on Tuesday.

    Last year, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger emphasized the business and strategic benefits of the takeover. “The acquisition of 21st Century Fox will bring significant financial value to the shareholders of both companies, and after six months of integration planning we’re even more enthusiastic and confident in the strategic fit of the assets and the talent at Fox,” Iger earlier said in a statement. “At a time of dynamic change in the entertainment industry, the combination of Disney’s and Fox’s unparalleled collection of businesses and franchises will allow us to create more appealing high-quality content, expand our direct-to-consumer offerings and international presence, and deliver more personalized and compelling entertainment experiences to meet growing consumer demand around the world.”

    There was so much more at stake here for Disney than the obvious rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four brands. They now finally have the distribution rights for the original Star Wars trilogy and prequel trilogy. Most of those rights reverted back to Disney in 2020, but the original 1977 film’s rights would have remained at Fox.

    Another bonus is the Avatar franchise. With an entire land devoted to the franchise holding ownership over it was of great importance to the company. James Cameron’s Avatar is a potentially massive film franchise that Disney already has a vested interest in seeing succeed. It means potentially huge business not just at the movie theater, but also when it comes to merchandise and theme park success.

    Disney now get its hands on the FX channel. And of course the vast, impressive, lucrative library of Fox movies and TV series from past and present, that they can add to their upcoming streaming service Disney+, Hulu or anywhere else the choose.

    Disney also gets Fox’s 30 percent stake in Hulu. Disney already has a 30 percent stake in Hulu, so that arrangement now gives the company majority ownership of the streaming platform. And as Disney prepares to launch its own streaming services in 2019, it could become an actual contender against Netflix by combining its existing content with Fox’s movie, television and sports content.

    The deal that brings an end to era of the ‘Big Six’ studios. Disney Now takes ownership of one of the United States’ largest movie studios in a deal that solidifies their position as media super giant. With this deal Disney now owns seven of the top ten worldwide highest grossing movies of all time.

  • Disney Junior’s ‘Fancy Nancy’ Meet & Greet Coming to Hollywood Studios

    Disney Junior’s ‘Fancy Nancy’ Meet & Greet Coming to Hollywood Studios

    Nancy Clancy, the high-spirited young girl from Disney Junior’s hit animated series “Fancy Nancy,” is making “une grande entrée” into Disney Parks this spring!

    Just in time for the 30th anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 1, you’ll be able to find Nancy at an all-new character greeting location in the park’s Animation Courtyard, where she’ll be meeting all her friends in front of her backyard playhouse. Nancy will also soon be part of the breakfast-time fun during Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine, the place to eat, play and laugh along with favorite Disney Junior friends including Vampirina, Doc McStuffins and Roadster Racer Goofy.

    Later in May, Nancy will be heading to Disneyland Resort, too! There, you’ll get to see her just outside the “Disney Junior Dance Party!” in Hollywood Land at Disney California Adventure park.

    Disney Junior’s animated family comedy “Fancy Nancy” follows six-year-old Nancy, whose imagination and enthusiasm for all that is exquisite transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary – from her vast vocabulary to her creative and elaborate attire. Nancy uses ingenuity and resourcefulness to exemplify that even if life doesn’t always go as planned, it’s important to make the most of each day and encourage others to do the same.

    “Fancy Nancy” airs weekdays on Disney Channel and daily on Disney Junior, and is also available in the DisneyNOW app.

  • Disney Villains TV Series in the Works For Disney+ Streaming Service

    Disney Villains TV Series in the Works For Disney+ Streaming Service

    Disney’s upcoming streaming service Disney+ is set to launch this year and it looks like they are bringing in the big bad guys to get it started! Disney is developing a new TV series based on Disney Villans and it sounds wicked.

    Most of the programming planned for Disney+ leans into the company’s franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, but tapping into the Villian vault give the company a plethora of stories to tell.

    According to Production Weekly, Disney will be enlisting some of them for a new Disney Villains series, which is being developed by Steve Pearlman (Once Upon A Time) and Michael Seitzman (Quantico) as you can see in the post below.

    Few details are known at the moment, other than that it is slated to start production in the second quarter of 2020, but we’ll keep you posted as we know more.

  • Disney Releases Live-Action Kim Possible Movie Trailer and Premiere Date

    Disney Releases Live-Action Kim Possible Movie Trailer and Premiere Date

    Call and beep everyone you know because Disney has just released the new live-action Kim Possible trailer and it looks amazing!

    Start planning your viewing parties and get your punny-themed snacks ready now because it’s mission time! Kim Possible airs on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW on February 15, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. 

    For those who don’t know, Kim Possible is a cheerleader and she saves the world, even on school nights. With her sidekick, Ron Stoppable and his naked mole rat Rufus they go through normal teenage life while saving the world.

    The original series which ran for 87 episodes was launched in 2002.  In 2003 it was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding animated program and it also inspired two animated Disney Channel movies.

    “Mark and Bob created an enduring character and kids all over the world found a friend in her, an average girl who just happens to spend her off-school hours thwarting evil villains,” said Adam Bonnett, executive VP of original programming at Disney Channels Worldwide, in a statement. “Although Kim Possible ‘can do anything,’ kids and tweens found that this animated redhead was just like them. As we embark on the fun challenge of making Kim and Ron fully dimensional, I’m thrilled to be working again with Mark and Bob and to welcome the addition of a dynamic creative team—Josh, Zanne, Adam and Zach—into a world where anything is indeed possible.”

    It’s executive produced by McCorkle, Schooley, and Zanne Devine, and co-directed and co-produced by Adam B. Stein and Zach Lipovsky.


  • Disney Reveals New Streaming Service Will Be Called Disney Plus

    Disney Reveals New Streaming Service Will Be Called Disney Plus

    Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced yesterday during a live audio webcast of Disney’s fiscal full year and fourth quarter 2018 financial results that the name of Disney’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service is Disney+.

    Disney’s new DTC (direct to consumer) streaming service is meant to be a direct competitor with Netflix and hopefully give the company a serious foothold in the streaming market.

    One thing this new service has is lots of content, but still Disney is planning on making more. Disney also announced its plans for a second Live action Star Wars series as well as a Marvel series centered around a fan-favorite character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    The new projects join an impressive slate of films and series planned for Disney+ that includes new stories set in the worlds of Disney•Pixar’s Monsters Inc. and Disney Channel’s High School Musical, as well as a galaxy far, far away. Earlier this year, Lucasfilm revealed that Emmy-nominated producer and actor Jon Favreau will write and executive produce The Mandalorian for Disney+.

    Once ties are severed with Netflix for good, Disney will be losing an estimated $300 million in annual revenue from Netflix for pay-TV rights. Beginning in 2019, Captain Marvel and every Disney film released in theaters will no longer head to Netflix and instead will make their way to Disney+. Ant-Man and the Wasp will now be the last Marvel movie to come to Netflix.

    Disney+ is scheduled to launch in the U.S. in late 2019.

  • Disney Announces Marvel TV Series Based on Loki Starring Tom Hiddleston

    Disney Announces Marvel TV Series Based on Loki Starring Tom Hiddleston

    Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger confirmed yesterday that Marvel is in development of a live-action series for the company’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service called Disney+.

    To help Disney+ complete with Netflix, the company is assembling a live-action series centered around a fan-favorite character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Iger confirmed during Disney’s latest earnings report that Marvel Studios is developing a series based on Loki and Tom Hiddleston will be reprising his role as the god of mischief.

    Disney+ will debut in the United States sometime in late 2019. It’s unclear when the Loki show will debut, how many episodes there will be, or what the plot will be, but thankfully the rumor of a live-action series centered around Loki isn’t just more mischief from the demigod trickster from Asgard.

    We don’t know where in Marvel’s timeline this new series will fit into, but it will be interesting to see given the character’s fate in Avengers: Infinity War.

    Iger also announced that Lucasfilm is developing a second Star Wars live-action series for the new service. Stay tuned to Disney Dorks for the latest updates.

  • A Second Live-Action Star Wars Series Based on ‘Rogue One’ is in the Works

    A Second Live-Action Star Wars Series Based on ‘Rogue One’ is in the Works

    Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced yesterday that Lucasfilm is in development of a second Star Wars live-action series for the company’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service called Disney+.

    The series, which will go into production next year, follows the adventures of rebel spy Cassian Andor during the formative years of the Rebellion and prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Diego Luna will reprise the role of Andor.

    “Going back to the Star Wars universe is very special for me,” said Luna. “I have so many memories of the great work we did together and the relationships I made throughout the journey. We have a fantastic adventure ahead of us, and this new exciting format will give us the chance to explore this character more deeply.”

    The rousing spy thriller will explore tales filled with espionage and daring missions to restore hope to a galaxy in the grip of a ruthless Empire.

    A release date for the series has not yet been announced. Stay tuned to Disney Dorks for the latest updates.

  • Mickey Mouse ABC TV Special Airs This Weekend Celebrating 90 Years

    Mickey Mouse ABC TV Special Airs This Weekend Celebrating 90 Years

    Mickey Mouse is turning 90 this year and the iconic character is getting his own prime-time TV special that will air this weekend on ABC.

    You can celebrate 90 years of the one-and-only Mickey Mouse in a two-hour, prime-time special airing this Sunday, November 4 starting at 8:00 p.m. EST. From the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, the elegant affair will feature star-studded musical performances, moving tributes and never-before-seen short films.

    You can watch the dazzling special on the ABC app from your smartphone and tablet (iOS and Android), computer on ABC.com and connected devices (Roku, AppleTV and Amazon Fire TV). Take a look at the trailer below.

    Superstars from music, film and television will join the festivities to celebrate the birthday of the internationally beloved character, including Kristen Bell, Sofia Carson, Tony Hale, Sarah Hyland, Sklyar Astin, Kelsea Ballerini, Miles Brown, Anna Camp, Josh Gad, Wendy McLendon-Covey and Sage Steele. There will also be special musical performances by Josh Groban, NCT 127, Leslie Odom Jr., Meghan Trainor, Zac Brown Band, Luis Fonsi and Tori Kelly.

    Since his big-screen debut in Steamboat Willie on Nov. 18, 1928, Mickey has been the global ambassador for The Walt Disney Company. From the beloved Mickey Mouse Club to today’s Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts, Mickey’s optimistic outlook and endearing personality continue to delight fans around the world every day.

    Disney Parks will continue the celebration with special in-park activations at all six Disney resorts around the world, bringing the party well into the New Year for all things Mickey Mouse.

  • Guide to Mickey Mouse 90th Anniversary Worldwide Celebrations

    Guide to Mickey Mouse 90th Anniversary Worldwide Celebrations

    It was all started by a mouse. Now 90 years later, we are in party-prep mode for the birthday of the one and only Mickey Mouse and there are going to be celebrations all over the world.

    With a milestone as big as 90 years, one party simply will not do! That’s why Mickey’s birthday celebration will span across the globe with a series of events at all Disney Parks sites around the world, including the previously announced World’s Biggest Mouse Party – a limited-time, global celebration of Mickey and Minnie.

    Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will celebrate Mickey’s birthday from November 16-18 with special merchandise and food & beverage items as well as the chance for guests to celebrate. Sing “Happy Birthday” along with the Dapper Dans on Main Street, U.S.A., and join in a special birthday dance party at Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland. Then in 2019, Walt Disney World will continue celebrating when World’s Biggest Mouse Party comes to the resort.

    • Disneyland Resort in California will host a celebration cavalcade for Mickey Mouse on November 18, featuring some of his special friends and the Disneyland Band, starting at “it’s a small world” and pausing for a special moment at Sleeping Beauty Castle before continuing down Main Street, U.S.A., to Town Square. The party continues when World’s Biggest Mouse Party begins at Disneyland Resort in 2019.
    • Disney Cruise Line will join the celebration when World’s Biggest Mouse Party takes to the seas in 2019.
    • Shanghai Disney Resort will be the first to kick off World’s Biggest Mouse Party with a brand-new Mickey-themed float at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Tourism Festival on September 15 to commemorate the Shanghai launch of World’s Biggest Mouse Party. At Shanghai Disneyland, a giant birthday card will be installed next to “Storytellers” statue, featuring birthday wishes from Mickey’s pals. From November 16-18, guests will enjoy themed food and merchandise offerings as well as the opportunity to sing “Happy Birthday” to Mickey just before the nighttime spectacular show each evening, all culminating with a special nighttime birthday spectacular at Enchanted Storybook Castle on November 18.
    • Hong Kong Disneyland will begin its World’s Biggest Mouse Party activations on Mickey’s birthday, November 18, with commemorative park tickets, special food & beverage and merchandise, a hotel room overlay and “We Love Mickey” projection show through February 2019. And Hong Kong Disneyland guests will receive special birthday stickers, available only on November 18.
    • Tokyo Disney Resort will join the celebration this fall with special decorations and merchandise.
    • Disneyland Paris will celebrate the World’s Biggest Mouse Party this fall and into winter with new holiday season entertainment and special surprises.

    “As Walt said, ‘I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse’,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products. “From ‘The True Original Exhibition’ to a year-long celebration in our parks around the world, we are honoring the deep connection that families and fans have made with Mickey and Minnie Mouse for nearly a century.”

    Mickey’s 90th is definitely a “mouse”-do this fall! With so many birthday parties to choose from, one question remains: which will you be a part of?