Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt have sailed into the first trailer for “Jungle Cruise” and it’s putting fans of the classic Disney Parks attraction in De-Nile!
Inspired by the famous Disney Parks ride of the same name, Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, Amazon-jungle expedition starring Dwayne Johnson as the charismatic riverboat captain and Emily Blunt as a determined explorer on a research mission. Also starring in the film are Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti.
Check out the new, action-packed trailer:
The upcoming adventure movie from Disney centers on a sister (Blunt) and brother (Jack Whitehall) who hire a boat captain (Johnson) to take them down the Amazon River in search of a tree believed to have healing powers. They face off against a competing German expedition along the way.
Disney has been turning out live-action remakes like a machine and now the company will reportedly begin production on an updated version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in the spring.
Disney will go into production on its latest animated to live-action remakenext March in Vancouver, Canada, according to TheDisInsider.
News of a Disney live-action adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs dates back to 2016 when the project was first confirmed by Disney. Updates were scarce until earlier this year, when it was reported The Amazing Spider-Man helmer Marc Webb was being eyed to direct the project using a screenplay from The Girl on the Train screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson.
The report says Disney is now seeking actors for its central roles, including the titular princess, the Prince, the seven dwarfs and the Evil Queen, who doubles as an Old Hag.
Also possibly on board are Academy Award-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), who created new music for Aladdin with Alan Menken. That film won Disney a magical $1.048 billion globally, making it the sixth highest-grossing film of the year. Disney followed Aladdin with another winning remake — the Jon Favreau-directed The Lion King — that roared to $1.63 billion worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2019 behind only Disney’s own Marvel Studios blockbuster Avengers: Endgame.
Disney’s president of production Sean Bailey — who has led the charge on mining Disney’s treasure trove of cherished animated films and translating them into modern reinterpretations that almost always go on to score big at the box office — has credited Walt Disney Studios Co-Chairman and Chief Creative Officer Alan Horn with Disney’s decision to re-imagine its animated library.
“We were given an incredible opportunity to discover what we wanted to be as a live-action team. We were given a lot of latitude to think about what that was,” Bailey told Vulture in 2017. “We thought if Iron Man and Thor and Captain America are Marvel superheroes, then maybe Alice, Cinderella, Mowgli, and Belle are our superheroes, and Cruella and Maleficent are our supervillains. Maybe if there’s a way to reconnect with that affinity for what those characters mean to people in a way that gets the best talent and uses the best technology, that could become something really exciting. It feels very Disney, playing to the competitive advantages of this label.”
Disney is now developing 101 Dalmatians prequel Cruella, starring Emma Stone and set for release in 2021, and The Little Mermaid, starring Halle Bailey and directed by Rob Marshall (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Into the Woods). Disney first releases its Angelina Jolie-starring Maleficent sequel, Mistress of Evil, Oct. 18 before debuting the live-action Mulan March 27, 2020.
Spider-Man fans have been slung all over the place as negotions to keep the web-slinger in the MCU heated up and then broke down. Now, as Apple is considering buying Sony Pictures, Disney is waiting in anticipation as the they could end up regaining the rights to Spider-Man for free.
If and when Sony winds up in a merger with a company like Netflix, Amazon, or Apple, the Spider-Man IP will revert back to Marvel — and it’s unlikely anyone currently involved with the IP at Sony will get a dime when that happens, according to Forbes.
According to a report by Cosmic Book News, an investor analyst just recently claimed that Apple may be out for a major acquisition, and Sony has been listed as a potential candidate along with studios like A24, Lionsgate, Viacom/CBS, MGM, and Netflix.
In early September, Sony CEO Tony Vinciquerra firmly stated that Sony Studios is “not for sale,” despite regular press coverage to the contrary, but things can change and money talks.
The Sony boss also discussed the studio’s decision to stay out of the streaming wars thus far in terms of the general market, a decision which he said allows Sony to be “more transparent” with its creators by not becoming “beholden to any platform.”
Amazon is also said to be considering purchasing Sony Pictures as well. The reason why both companies are suddenly interested is because they both have, or are working on, streaming sites, but neither has their own theatrical production or distribution model.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is losing its friendly neighborhood Spider-Man as recent reports have revealed that Sony Pictures and Disney will not be working together on upcoming MCU projects.
According to a report by Deadline, Feige’s exit was about money; it was about Disney seeking the 50/50 co-fi stake as the price for Marvel and Feige’s continued involvement. Sony declined to meet those terms.
It was an aggressive stance, but these talks had been going on for some time. Had Sony agreed to Disney’s ask, Marvel and Feige would not have withdrawn from the Spider-Man films, sources said. Sony took to Twitter with a differnt take on the break up as you can see in the tweet below:
Much of today’s news about Spider-Man has mischaracterized recent discussions about Kevin Feige’s involvement in the franchise. We are disappointed, but respect Disney’s decision not to have him continue as a lead producer of our next live action Spider-Man film. (1/3)
One source said that a deal might still be reached between Disney and Sony but there are no talks currently going on. Disney is believed to have expressed concerns that Feige was spread too thin due to other Marvel projects plus original projects for Disney Plus, according to a report from Variety.
Sony has controlled the rights to the web-slinger since 1999, but the two studios have been sharing Spider-Man across numerous films since 2015, including major roles in the latest “Avengers” movies. As part of the previous agreement, Marvel had also been acting as a producer on the 2017 and 2019 standalone Sony “Spider-Man” movies starring Tom Holland, which were both box-office blockbusters.
Tuesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced the studio was “re-imagining” the 1990s classic Christmas movie Home Alone for its new streaming service, Disney+ and now Macaulay Culkin has taken to the internet to give his thoughts on the reboot.
The child star, now 38, shared a photo on Twitter on Wednesday, one day after Disney announced plans to reboot the franchise. The pic pays homage to the infamous scene from the film, in which Kevin gorges himself on junk food while his entire family is in Paris for the holiday.
“This is what an updated Home Alone would actually look like,” the actor captioned a photo of himself, as you can see in the post below, followed by a reply saying “Hey Disney, call me!”
With a mighty domestic debut of $191.8 million, The Lion King roared to a worldwide debut of $446.1 million, the ninth highest global debut of all time.
Along with an international opening weekend of $254.3 million plus $97.5 million in China, where the film opened July 12, The Lion King’s global cumulative box office is $543.6 million over 10 days. The film is already the No. 7 film of the year globally.
The Lion King’s domestic debut—the No. 8 opening of all time—marks a record for July and for a PG-rated film. It’s the biggest debut ever for a Walt Disney Studios release outside of Marvel and Lucasfilm, surpassing Incredibles 2 ($182.7 million) and Beauty and the Beast ($174.7 million). Earning a fantastic A CinemaScore, The Lion King is the fifth Disney Live Action reimagining to gross more than $100 million in its debut, alongside Beauty and the Beast ($174.7 million), Alice in Wonderland ($116.1 million), The Jungle Book ($103.3 million) and Aladdin ($116.8 million four-day holiday).
The international cume to date is $351.8 million. The Lion King opened at No. 1 across all international markets and was within the top five industry opening weekends of all time in several markets, including Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Australia and the entire Latin America region. The Lion King is still to open in Hong Kong, Japan and Italy.
Saturday, at Comic-Con International in San Diego, Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige officially announced the lineup of Marvel’s ‘Phase 4’ projects.
Marvel’s ‘Phase 4’ plans include 10 projects — five movies and five Disney Plus series created exclusively for Disney+, Disney’s upcoming streaming service launching in the U.S. on November 12.
Take a look at the entire lineup below:
The Eternals—in theaters on November 6, 2020
Chloé Zhao directs the feature, which introduces an exciting new team of Super Heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Eternals stars Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh and Don Lee.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier—coming to Disney+ in fall 2020
Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) most popular heroes—Sam Wilson, aka The Falcon, and Bucky Barnes, aka The Winter Soldier—embark on a series of action-filled adventures as they fight together against evil after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Anthony Mackie (The Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier) reprise their roles in the new series.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings—in theaters on February 12, 2021
Kevin Feige announced the confirmed casting of Simu Liu in the title role of Shang-Chi. Destin Daniel Cretton directs, and the film also stars celebrated Chinese actor Tony Leung as the real Mandarin, and Awkwafina in a yet-to-be-disclosed role.
WandaVision—coming to Disney+ in spring 2021
Paul Bettany reprises the role of Vision and Elizabeth Olsen returns to her role of Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. They will be joined by MCU newcomer Teyonah Parris, who will be playing the grown-up version of Monica Rambeau, who was introduced to audiences in Captain Marvel.
Loki—coming to Disney+ in spring 2021
Tom Hiddleston returns to his role of the mercurial Loki, the God of Mischief and fan-favorite villain.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness—in theaters on May 7, 2021
The second film in the Doctor Strange franchise will reunite director Scott Derrickson with Benedict Cumberbatch, who returns for the new installment. Elizabeth Olsen will also star, and WandaVision—the Disney+ series that’s also centered around Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch—will connect directly to the feature-film storyline.
What If…?—coming to Disney+ in summer 2021
What If…? marks the first animated series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and features stories that present alternate realities in the Marvel universe. Many actors from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe will reprise their roles, as voice talent; and Jeffrey Wright lends his voice to the popular character The Watcher in the new series.
Hawkeye—coming to Disney+ in fall 2021
In Hall H, Jeremy Renner revealed the previously undisclosed title of the Disney+ original series. Hawkeye will introduce fans to Kate Bishop, a character well-known in the Marvel comics, who will be an integral part of the new series.
Thor: Love and Thunder—in theaters November 5, 2021
In the fourth feature film in the Thor franchise, Jane Foster, played by Natlie Portman, will become the Mighty Thor, the Goddess of Thunder. Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson and Portman star, with Taika Waititi set to direct.
Black Widow—in theaters May 1, 2020
The first film of Phase Four stars Scarlett Johansson, who reprises her role of Natasha Romanoff, as well as MCU newcomers David Harbour, who plays Alexei aka The Red Guardian; Florence Pugh as Yelena; O-T Fagbenie as Mason and Rachel Weisz as Melina. Cate Shortland directs.
To conclude the presentation, Feige also surprised the enthusiastic Hall H crowd with the announcement that two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali will star in the new Marvel Studios feature film Blade.
Disney has cast yet another actor to go under the sea in Disney’s live-action Remake of “The Little Mermaid.” Singer turned actor, Harry Styles is in early talks to play Prince Eric in Disney’s reamke of the 1998 animated classic.
Halle Bailey will portray the Ariel, a mermaid princess who dreams of being a human, while Melissa McCarthy is playing her evil aunt Ursula.
Styles was famously a member of boy band One Direction who then struck out on a successful solo career. He made his acting debut with Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan’s World War II drama that grossed over $526 million worldwide and collected several Oscars.
Eric is the human prince who catches Ariel’s eye. The mermaid saves the prince from drowning and then makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to exchange her voice for legs in order for a chance to make him love her. He is key in the final battle against Ursula.
“Mary Poppins Returns” director Rob Marshall is helming. The film will incorporate the original songs from the 1989 animated hit as well as new tunes from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda is also producing the film along with Marshall, Marc Platt and John DeLuca. David Magee wrote the script.
Today, Disney released the first full length trailer for “Maleficent 2” and it reveals more of the dark fairy’s involvement with soon-to-be Queen Aurora’s political movement.
“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”, the follow-up sequel to 2014’s “Maleficent”, sees the return of Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning as the dark fairy Maleficent and Princess Aurora.
The sequel to the 2014 film is set five years into the future, and it appears Maleficent will continue to explore her hot-and-cold relationship with Aurora as Aurora gets engaged. Take a look at the teaser-trailer below:
The sequel is described as “a fantasy adventure that picks up several years after “Maleficent”, in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora, “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen, as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within.”
Joachim Rønning directs from a story by Linda Woolverton and a screenplay by Linda Woolverton and Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster. Film is produced by Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie and Duncan Henderson with Matt Smith, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Michael Vieira serving as executive producers.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil hits theaters nationwide October 18.
Disney has just released the first trailer for the upcoming live-action remake of their classic 1998 film “Mulan.”
Yifei Liu was cast as Hua Mulan following a year-long global casting search in November of 2017. Set to star alongside Yifei are stars Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, Gong Li as a still-unnamed villain, Jet Li as The Emperor, and Jason Scott Lee as Bori Khan.
Take a look at the trailer below:
Mulan is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver along with Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek. The film will shoot on location in both New Zealand and China, and is set to open in the US on March 27, 2020.
