Tag Archives: Disney

Sneak a peek at the new Disney short ‘Frozen Fever’ [Update: trailer inside!]

Frozen directors Christopher Buck and Jennifer Lee introduce Frozen Fever, a spinoff short that will screen in front of Disney’s upcoming live action adaptation of Cinderella. The short takes place “just a few months since we’ve last seen the gang,” explains Buck. “It’s Anna’s birthday,” Lee says, “and Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf are throwing her a giant party.” The inciting incident? Elsa’s got a cold and “that’s complicating things,” teases Buck. Watch the featurette after the break.

Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad all return to reprise their signature roles. Plus, Frozen song writers Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have invented an all-new original tune for the short. Cannot wait to hear that!

Frozen Fever comes to theatres with Cinderella on March 13.

Update (2/25): Disney’s released a Frozen Fever teaser trailer and it contains actual footage from the anticipated short! Plus, you’ll hear a brief snippet of the Lopez’s new song! Don’t delay–hop after the break and click play! Continue reading Sneak a peek at the new Disney short ‘Frozen Fever’ [Update: trailer inside!]

‘Toy Story 4’ is in the works

I’m a bit up in the air about this. Disney and Pixar so eloquently closed out the Toy Story trilogy in 2010 when Andy goes off to college and his toys–including Woody and Buzz–are handed off to a new owner, little Bonnie. What can possibly come next that’s worthy enough to warrant another sequel and potentially the start of a new trilogy? Pixar’s been successful at bringing new life to the toys in animated shorts premiering before other Disney movies and on ABC. But a whole new theatrical release? As much as I adore Woody and the gang, do we want to keep this party going for the sake of keeping it going? Pixar Chief Creative Officer and Toy Story 1 & 2 director John Lasseter attempted to get ahead of fan skepticism with this statement made on the day Disney announced the film’s development:

We love these characters so much; they are like family to us. We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before. ‘Toy Story 3’ ended Woody and Buzz’s story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another ‘Toy Story’ movie. But when Andrew, Pete, Lee and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself.

Consider my fears quelled, for now.

Toy Story 4 is coming to theatres June 16, 2017 with Celeste and Jesse Forever writing parters Rashida Jones (yes, of Parks and Recreation) and Will McCormack penning the script.

Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof tease Disney’s secretive ‘Tomorrowland’

From Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol) and Damon Lindelof (LostThe Leftovers) comes a new live-action Disney movie that has been completely shrouded in mystery. Until now.

At New York Comic Con today, director Bird, who co-wrote the screenplay with producer Lindelof based on a story imagined by the Lost alum and Entertainment Weekly TV critic Jeff Jensen, a panel revealed Tomorrowland, “a riveting mystery adventure” starring George Clooney and Britt Robertson (Under the Dome). Though the star-studded panel of actors and movie-makers remained tight-lipped about the film’s plot, a brief teaser trailer (embedded above) helped set the tone. In it, Robertson’s character Casey stumbles upon a magical pin that fleetingly reveals another land to her right before her eyes. Clooney’s character Frank is makes a quick cameo hinting at the story’s central theme: “What if there is a secret place where nothing is impossible, a miraculous place where you could actually change the world. Wanna go?”

The official logline goes like this: Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever. “Tomorrowland” promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

The first Tomorrowland tease came in January 2013 when Bird tweeted out an image of a box labeled “1952;” fun fact: that was the original working title of the film. That’s the year Walt Disney launched the Imagineering division, a collection of people whose sole purpose is to come up with the fantastical concepts and designs for the Disney theme parks worldwide. The box contained all sorts of intriguing pictures, a record, and literature. The archived materials provided inspiration for the film’s story. Tomorrowland, after all, is the name of one of the theme lands at Disney parks here and abroad.

For more on Tomorrowland, hop over to EW where you’ll find an informative interview with Bird and Lindelof. Here a couple choice quotes to mull over: “What Hogwarts is to magic, Tomorrowland is to science: They are both easy to find if you are a wizard and very difficult to find if you’re a Muggle,” shares Lindelof. “Walt Disney is not a character in our movie, but he is referenced as having some involvement in this mysterious place called Tomorrowland, as a huge futurist and aficionado of space travel, rocketry, cities of the future, and space travel.” He adds, “There is a piece of technology in this pin, it’s the kind of old-school pin you would wear on your lapel, and when you make physical contact with it, you have the illusion of being physically transported to another world, and that’s how Casey gets her first glimpse of Tomorrowland. She is a Muggle who accidentally wanders across Platform 9 ¾ and sees something she probably shouldn’t have.”

Mischief Managed! Intrigued indeed! Tomorrowland hits theatres May 22, 2015.

Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘Night at the Museum 3,’ ‘SpongeBob Movie 2’ & ‘Interstellar’

Disney is adapting the Tony-winning original musical Into the Woods into a movie. Like the Broadway musical before it, the theatrical adaptation is inspired by classic Brothers Grimm fairytales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel. The film is directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) and composer Stephen Sondheim provides the music and lyrics. Its synopsis and stars follow:

“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella (Anna Kendrick), Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford), Jack and the Beanstalk (Daniel Huttlestone), and Rapunzel (MacKenzie Mauzy)—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife (James Corden & Emily Blunt), their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch (Meryl Streep) who has put a curse on them.

Into the Woods hits theatres December 25.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Into the Woods,’ ‘Night at the Museum 3,’ ‘SpongeBob Movie 2’ & ‘Interstellar’

Disney & Marvel release teaser for upcoming ‘Big Hero 6’ animated pic

Disney and Disney-owned Marvel are teaming up for the next Walt Disney Animation Studios film. The next film on Disney animated slate, following Frozen, is Big Hero 6. The movie, inspired by the Marvel comics, goes like this:

“Big Hero 6” is a heartfelt comedy adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tamago, clean freak Wasabi No-Ginger, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a cutting-edge robot named Baymax—and transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes determined to solve the mystery. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is directed by Don Hall (“Winnie the Pooh”) and Chris Williams (“Bolt”), and produced by Roy Conli (“Tangled”).

Check out the nearly two-minute teaser trailer above. Though it doesn’t set up the plot, it manages to successfully introduce our main characters in a very fun way. In fact, this teaser reminds me of the initial Frozen teaser which introduced audiences to snowman Olaf and reindeer Sven in a playful way.

Big Hero 6 hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.

Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ & Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’

Angelina Jolie is Maleficent, the iconic villain from the 1959 Disney animated classic Sleeping Beauty. And boy can she play the part; the proof is in the pudding so watch the teaser trailer embedded above. Here’s the synopsis:

From Disney comes “Maleficent”—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

Special effects artist Robert Stromberg (Avatar, Alice in Wonderland) directs Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, Brenton Thwaites as Prince Phillip, Sharlto Copley as King Stefan, and Juno Temple as Thistlewit. Maleficent releases May 30, 2014.

After the break, one epic trailer. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ & Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’

Movie trailer roundup: Disney’s ‘Frozen’ & Aaron Paul in ‘Need For Speed’

It looks like Walt Disney Animation Studios has another winner on its hands. The followup to Wreck-It Ralph is Frozen and ironically enough it’s going to be warm-hearted tale of adventure and lots of laughter. Like the teaser before it, this full-length trailer is brimming with laugh-out-loud jokes and much charm.

Here’s a refresher: Frozen is described as “a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.”

Frozen hits theatres in 3D this November 27.

Jump after the break for a first-look at Dreamworks’ Need For Speed. Continue reading Movie trailer roundup: Disney’s ‘Frozen’ & Aaron Paul in ‘Need For Speed’

‘Finding Nemo’ sequel ‘Finding Dory’ is official with Andrew Stanton & Ellen DeGeneres on board

The next Disney-Pixar film in the works is the long-awaited sequel to 2003’s award-winning Finding Nemo. This time, moviegoers are Finding Dory, the friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish voiced by Ellen DeGeneres. Nemo director Andrew Stanton returns with DeGeneres for the sequel. “There is no Dory without Ellen,” said Stanton in a press release. “She won the hearts of moviegoers all over the world—not to mention our team here at Pixar. One thing we couldn’t stop thinking about was why she was all alone in the ocean on the day she met Marlin. In Finding Dory, she will be reunited with her loved ones, learning a few things about the meaning of family along the way.”

Finding Dory takes place about a year after the first film, and features returning favorites Marlin, Nemo and the Tank Gang, among others. Set in part along the California coastline, the story also welcomes a host of new characters, including a few who will prove to be a very important part of Dory’s life. The remainder of the voice cast has not been confirmed, but who else except Albert Brooks could bring Marlin back to life?

DeGeneres also commented on the exciting news. “I have waited for this day for a long, long, long, long, long, long time,” the comic and talk show host said. “I’m not mad it took this long. I know the people at Pixar were busy creating Toy Story 16. But the time they took was worth it. The script is fantastic. And it has everything I loved about the first one: It’s got a lot of heart, it’s really funny, and the best part is—it’s got a lot more Dory.”

And get this: they’ve even set a date so mark your calendars accordingly. Finding Dory swims into theatres November 25, 2015.

[Via Disney]

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Carrie’, ‘The Conjuring’, ‘The Purge’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘This Is The End’, ‘Planes’

Here’s the first full length trailer for the upcoming Carrie remake from director Kimberly Peirce starring Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore. You probably already know how this goes but, Carrie follows a sheltered high school girl who unleashes her newly developed telekinetic powers after she is pushed too far by her peers. The anticipated remake’s debut has been pushed to October 18.

Jump after the break for more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Carrie’, ‘The Conjuring’, ‘The Purge’, ‘The Great Gatsby’, ‘This Is The End’, ‘Planes’

Mickey Mouse is going back to his roots in a new series of animated shorts

Mickey Mouse is making a comeback and in a big way. Disney’s mascot introduced himself to a new generation of kids in the Epic Mickey games and now he’s returning to his original medium in cartoon shorts. Nineteen brand-new cartoon shorts are releasing this summer and they will feature 2D animation that are reminiscent of the art direction and storytelling of Walt and his animators in the 1920s and 1930s. Each contemporary ‘toon finds Mickey in a different setting including Santa Monica, New York, Paris, Beijing, Tokyo, Venice and the Alps, facing a silly situation, a quick complication and an escalation of physical and visual gags. The Mouse will interact with his friends Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Pluto.

This exciting new Walt Disney Television Animation project is headed by executive producer and director Paul Rudish, the talented animator behind Dexter’s Laboratory and The Power Puff Girls. The shorts will roll out beginning June 28 on Disney Channel, Disney.com, and the company’s Watch Disney Channel app.

“By bringing Mickey’s comedic adventures to life with vitality, humor, inventiveness and charm, the entire Disney Television Animation team of artists, animators and directors have worked to capture the essence of what Walt Disney himself created 85 years ago,” said Disney Channels Worldwide President and Chief Creative Officer Gary Marsh in a statement.

A preview installment called “Croissant de Triomphe” is already up at Disney.com. The three-and-a-half minute ‘toon invites Mickey to Paris as he attempts to deliver a fresh batch of croissants to Minnie’s cafe. The short features fun, fast-paced action sequences, humor for all ages, an unexpected homage to a Disney classic, and obviously the animation style is beautiful and nostalgic. Watch it here.

[Via Disney]

Disney Animation’s ‘Paperman’ short will make your day

A cute little animated short called Paperman played in front of Wreck-It-Ralph back when it was in theatres and now Disney Animation has released the six-and-a-half minute black-and-white clip for all the world to see. If you haven’t seen it yet, set aside that short amount of time and literally get swept away by this romantic tale that doesn’t require dialogue to get its whimsical and charming point across.

Disney acquires Lucasfilm Ltd., ‘Star Wars’ universe to expand in future films

Hold on to your lightsabers. The house of Mouse is acquiring Geroge Lucas’ production company. In a deal that went down today, The Walt Disney Company agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction valued at $4.05 billion. In addition to acquiring Lucasfilm and all of its operating businesses including LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, Disney now also owns the rights to popular franchises like Indiana Jones and Star Wars.

In fact, what really shook people today is that Disney already has plans to expand the Star Wars universe by producing at least three more films in the saga. Kathleen Kennedy from Lucasfilm will transition into becoming the President of Lucasfilm and will report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn; at her post she will serve as brand manager for Star Wars and executive producer of future Star Wars films. Star Wars Episode 7 is being targeted with a 2015 release. Disney CEO and Chairman Robert Iger lays out the framework: “In 2015, we’re planning to release Star Wars Episode 7 – the first feature film under the “Disney-Lucasfilm” brand. That will be followed by Episodes 8 and 9 – and our long term plan is to release a new Star Wars feature film every two to three years.” In addition handpicking Kennedy to run Lucasfilm under Disney, Star Wars creator George Lucas will serve as creative consultant on future films.

In a press release, Lucas discussed his decision to sell his production company and how important it is to him that Star Wars continues on into the future. “For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”

Production on Episode 7 is already in the early stages. Kennedy and Lucas are sitting down with writers and discussing the direction they want Star Wars to go next. Jump after the break to hear what they have to say on the matter.

Instant reactions to the news on Twitter are mixed. Some say they feel betrayed by Lucas for letting his prized franchise fall into different hands. Others express their sheer excitement and think it’s about time the franchise was injected with fresh ideas from new filmmakers. No matter where you stand, Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm Ltd. is huge news–from the development of new propertied media to merchandising new collectable products–and the acquisition is sure conjure up major fanfare in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

[Via Disney] Continue reading Disney acquires Lucasfilm Ltd., ‘Star Wars’ universe to expand in future films