Tag: live-action

Disney’s Live-Action Chip ‘N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers Begins Filming

Filming for Disney’s highly-anticipated Chip ’n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is underway.

Combining live-action and animation, the film revives the premise of a pair of chipmunk detectives from the beloved 1989-1990 Disney Channel series.

In a post to The Lonely Island’s Instagram feed Tuesday, director Akiva Schaffer revealed a photo of a clapperboard with the film’s title and, intriguingly, “Take 5” written on it as you can see below:

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Disney revealed a few details about the project in their Investor Day presentation back in December. Disney unveiled some key plot elements, as well as hinting that some animated characters may use traditional animation, while others will be CGI. They also confirmed that Seth Rogen will make a cameo appearance, though further details are unknown.

Joining Schaffer is fellow Lonely Island alum Andy Samberg as the voice of Dale, the laid-back, free-spirited co-founder of the titular Rescue Rangers. John Mulaney will voice Chip, Dale’s Hawaiian shirt-wearing counterpart. Think The Odd Couple, but with chipmunks. Samberg and Mulaney previously worked together on Saturday Night Live, as Mulaney used to be a writer on the sketch comedy show during Samberg’s tenure.

Developed by Tad Stones and Alan Zaslove, the animated Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers TV series premiered on the Disney Channel in 1989 and ran for three seasons. The show follows the iconic Disney chipmunks Chip and Dale as they form the Rescue Rangers detective agency, solving crimes with the assistance of an adventurous, cheese-loving Australian mouse named Monterey Jack, a brilliant inventor mouse named Gadget Hackwrench and Monterey’s faithful housefly sidekick Zipper. Rescue Rangers later became part of the famous 1990s Disney animation lineup known as the Disney Afternoon, along with Darkwing Duck, Talespin and the original DuckTales.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers will be a Disney+ exclusive in the spring of 2022. Check out the on-set photo below.

March 20, 2021
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.

February 17, 2021
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:

Disney’s #Cruella will release in theaters on May 28, 2021. pic.twitter.com/NeDz4a2b2Z
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) December 27, 2020

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.

December 29, 2020
Disney’s Live-Action ‘Lilo & Stitch’ May Have Found It’s Star

Disney may have found a lead for its live-action Lilo & Stitch. Sixteen year-old actress Siena Agudong is said to be set to star in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the 2002 animated classic, according to a report.

Siena Agudong is already known to Disney audiences as her latest project had her playing Reina Carvajal in the new Disney Channel original movie Upside Down Magic.

The news comes acter Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu was reported last week to be in talks to direct Disney’s Live-action adaptation.

“I have heard the studio has tapped 16-year-old Hawaiian actress Siena Agudong to play Lilo in the updated film, which is said to follow the same concept as the animated film,” The DisInsider said in a report.

The story of “Lilo and Stitch” is set in Hawaii and tells the story of a lonely young girl and her close encounter with the galaxy’s most wanted extraterrestrial who she mistakes for a dog. Through her love, faith and unwavering belief in ohana, the Hawaiian concept of family, Lilo helps unlock Stitch’s heart and gives him the ability to care for someone else.

“Lilo & Stitch” has inspired multiple spinoffs, including the direct-to-video sequels “Stitch: The Movie,” “Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch” and “Leroy and Stitch.” A TV show called “Lilo & Stitch: The Series” ran on Disney Channel and ABC Kids from 2003 to 2006.

Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who workied on the live-action remake of “Aladdin,” will be producing and the studio has hired Mike Van Waes to write the script. The production will be a hybrid of live-action and CG.

November 18, 2020
Live-Action Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers Movie Coming to Disney+

Disney’s Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers is getting the live-action treatment and will begin shooting in the spring according to a new report.

The report, from The DisInsider, also states that “the original voice cast for the Rescue Rangers team, Tress MacNeille (Chip and Gadget), Corey Burton (Dale and Zipper), and Jim Cummings (Monterey Jack) are all expected to return for the film.”

Lonely Island’s Akiva Schaffer (Hot Rod, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) directs the previously announced original movie for Disney+ and producers Todd Lieberman (Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast) and David Hoberman (The Muppets). When Schaffer boarded Chip ‘n’ Dale in May 2019, reports described the hybrid movie as “meta” and “something self-referential and cool.” The script from Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (How I Met Your Mother, Disney+ release Magic Camp) is said not to be an origin tale or a detective agency story.

In the Rescue Rangers animated series that aired 65 episodes between 1989 and 1990, sometimes troublesome chipmunks Chip and Dale are the owners of a detective agency and solve small-scale crimes alongside pilot-inventor-mechanic Gadget, the cheese-addicted Monty, and his housefly sidekick Zipper.

Rescue Rangers is one of several live-action re-imaginings in the works at Disney+. The company is currently developing a live-action Lilo & Stitch, based on the 2002 animated film of the same name, as well as a live-action remake of its 1973 animated Robin Hood for Disney+.

A live-action Lady and the Tramp, based on Walt Disney’s 1955 animated classic, was a day-one title and the first Disney+ original movie when the streaming service launched in November 2019. Disney+ has since launched nearly one dozen original movies, including Christmas comedy Noelle and sci-fi fantasy Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, with the Mackenzie Foy and Kate Winslet-starring Black Beauty due out November 27.

The Walt Disney Company in October announced it is making streaming its “primary focus,” effective immediately, with a company-wide restructuring. Disney CEO Bob Chapek said the streaming-focused move is owed to the “incredible success of Disney+” and the company’s plans to accelerate its direct-to-consumer business.

Disney’s Chip ‘n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers movie has not set a release date on Disney+.

October 19, 2020
Every Live-Action Remake Disney Is Currently Working On

Disney’s Live-Action Remake Machine is in high gear! The studios has already turned out several successful remakes of their animated films, including Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Maleficent, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book and The Lion King and it doesn’t look like they are stopping anytime soon.

Disney’s proved winning model of remaking its animated hits already has several films in the can and is reportedly working on many more. We’ve put together a list of every Live-Action Remake Disney is currently working on or rumored to be in production.

Keep scrolling to see if your favorite Disney classic is getting the live-action treatment.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

Tony-winning playwright David Henry Hwang is reportedly writing the movie, and Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz are said to be doing the music. Josh Gad is also reportedly producing the film.

MULAN

Don’t mess with Liu Yifei! The actress is bringing back the 1998 film’s classic character and starring in the new version of Mulan. The film hits theaters in March 2020.

BAMBI

The remake of the 1942 film won’t be live-action with a real deer, rabbit, and skunk. Disney will utilize the technology that helped bring “The Lion King” remake to life to look photorealistic. Geneva Robertson-Dworet (“Captain Marvel”) and Lindsey Beer (“Sierra Burgess Is a Loser”) will write the screenplay for the film.

ROBIN HOOD

A live-action version of the 1973 film will be heading to Disney Plus. The film follows the outlaw Robin Hood, a fox, and his friend Little John who steal from Prince John to give to the poor woodland creatures of the forest.

HERCULES

The 1997 animated film about the son of Zeus will get a live-action remake. “Avengers: Endgame” directors Anthony and Joe Russo will produce, but not direct, the film.

LILO & STITCH

Experiment 626 is beaming back into your universe. Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich are reportedly producing the film.

PINOCCHIO

The live-action remake reportedly has a star-studded cast—and that’s no lie. In November, reports that Tom Hanks is set to play the famous puppet’s father, Geppetto surfaced.

PETER PAN

You won’t need faith, trust or pixie dust to see this remake. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter claimed David Lowery is working on a new version of the 1953 classic. While a live-action film has yet to fly into theaters, fans can always watch other versions, like Hook, in the meantime.

SNOW WHITE

In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter claimed The Girl on the Train’s Erin Cressida was in negotiations to make a live-action remake of Snow White. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul—from La La Land—were also allegedly set to work on the music. However, a film has yet to be released. So, we’ll just have to see if it will be the fairest of them all.

THE SWORD IN THE STONE

Last year, news broke that Juan Carlos Fresnadillo would direct the remake about a young King Arthur and his magical mentor Merlin. Game of Thrones‘ Bryan Cogman was also reported to be working on the script.

THE LITTLE MERMAID

According to Disney, production for the live-action movie will begin in early 2020. There is no set release date for the film. Disney announced 19-year-old singer Halle Bailey will play the lead role of Ariel.

CRUELLA

One of Disney’s famous villains is back. While Glenn Close played Cruella de Vil in the 1996 live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians, Emma Stone is reportedly set to take on the role in Cruella.

ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE

A live-action remake of Disney’s 2001 animated classic, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is in the early stages of development by The Walt Disney Pictures according to reports.

These films are all either in production or rumored to be in early stages of development. If your favorite classic animated Disney movie isn’t on the list then just wait, because it seems that they are on a mission to remake them all! Which one are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments!

May 24, 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