For me this sneak peek has been the best look we've got so far for Disney's upcoming live action Dumbo . It gives a real look at how they're blending things from the original animation with this new original take. I actually can't pinpoint one thing I didn't just thoroughly enjoy from this trailer. Keaton looks like he's going to be absolutely amazing as a wolf in sheeps clothing villain. While Devito also came off as just the epitome of his character as it's been explained, just trying to keep his failing circus afloat. You can see in these short takes that Colin Farrell & the kids are totally going to supply the heart to this film. And I really feel much like 80s Superman we will believe an elephant can fly. My excitement level has jumped 100 times with this peek, & I'm now counting down the days until we get to see this film. Check it out though, & by all means I'd love to hear your thoughts as well. Put 'em in the comments, like, & share.
Live Action "Hunchback of Notre Dame" Is In The Works At Disney
Disney's live action remakes are taking a turn to th darkside with Hunchback of Notre Dame reportedly in the works. This came from Deadline Hollywood via Variety. The film has Tony Award winnig playwright David Henry Hwang attached to write the script with well known Alan Menkin & Stephen Schwartz tackling the music. Mandeville Films is set to produce, along with Josh Gad who is also heavily rumored for the main role. I'm very excited about this one. Throughout the years Hunchback of Notre Dame has become one of my favorite animated films. One that, much like The Black Cauldron , I think it's popularity suffers from it's rather dark material more than anything. I however absolutely loved the pull no punches storytelling it displayed. It's reported this isn't a major priority for Disney right now as they're gearing up for Aladdin, Lion King, & Dumbo . It's definitely one for me though. I'll be waiting impatiently for any more in this as it develops. What do y'all think though? Are y'all excited about live action Quasimodo? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
EW's First Look At "Aladdin" Might Have Just Realized My Greatest Fears
We have our first look at Guy Ritchie's live-action Aladdin, & it's looking & sounding more street rat than prince. I'm gonna focus on the pluses first. Mena Massoud & Naomi Scott look absolutely amazing as Aladdin & Jasmine. Just like they were ripped straight out of the animated classic. Second, the proposed mixture of lands & culture to Agrabah, giving it a Middle Eastern & Asian feel really intrigues me. It sets it in a fully imagined place. For me that adds to the fantasy of it all. Third, is probably one of the strangest parts, Guy Ritchie. Even though I thought it was a very strange choice at first, Aladdin is a very fast paced, chase film. That's actually right in Guy's wheelhouse, & I think he can really knock this one out the park. Alright, now I'll address the big blue elephant in the room. I was very worried when they cast Will Smith in Robin William's iconic role as the Genie. Not because of Smith himself, I've actually loved this guy since his Fresh Prince of Bel-Air days, & even before them for that matter. Just knowing Smith's character, I had a feeling I knew where this was going to wind up. First strike was straight out of Ritchie's mouth with, “I like the fact that our Genie has an ego and is a little bit vain and he cares about how he’s presented because he’s been doing this for a very long time.” The words ego & vain just immediately suck the fun out the whole character for me. And if that didn't work, we're also going to get some tired hip-hop from Will Smith to go along. Who mentions there hasn't been a hip hop flavor in the Disney universe yet. Well, there hasn't been any heavy metal either, & there might just be a reason for that. The third strike came with the actual look of the Genie, but I'm putting a hold on that one for now. Only because I'm convinced there's a level of CGI that will be involved in post that doesn't make the EW pics. At least I'm hoping so. If I'm wrong it just looks like Will Smith with a funny top knot. So, all in all there's three wishes answered, & three thrown right back in my face. These are just still pics & a synopsis as well. My reserves could be wrong, & this could blow us all away. Here's hoping at least, as Aladdin is one of, if not my all time favorite of the classics. What do y'all think though? I'd love to hear it. Put it in the comments, like, & share.
"Lady and The Tramp" Will Really Be Live-Action, Using Real Dogs!
This'll be interesting. The debate for whether the upcoming live-action Lion King being actually live-action or still animated will not be crossing over to Lady & the Tramp. According to a Collider exclusive the remake of the animated classic, coming to the Disney+ streaming service, will be using actual live dogs. In an interview with one of the only human character actors in the film he dropped this little tidbit, along with the film itself being a period piece. He went on to describe the movie as an enhanced version of the original, with the humans a little more fleshed out. Also, mentioning it's a little more grown up & sophisticated, compared to its predecessor. I was actually pretty curious as to how this was going to go in the first place. Lady & the Tramp is one of those films that even though it works great animated, I know they'll have to take liberties to add some more substance. The most intriguing thing about all this though, is obviously the use of real live dogs. I'm guessing they'll talk like the animals in Babe did, with CGI mouths in post, but this actually gets me more curious for some behind the scenes more than anything. Not only just them getting these animals to work, that always amazes me, but even more so for the inevitable blooper reel. The film is currently in production by Charlie Bean of The Lego Ninjago Movie & will Star Tessa Thompson & Justin Theroux in the lead roles. All aside, what do y'all think about this awesome news of actual live-action dogs for the now totally actual live-action Lady & the Tramp? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Are We Getting Tom Hanks As Gepetto?
In a Collider exclusive yesterday, it was reported that Saving Mr. Banks , Walt Disney himself, Tom Hanks is in early preliminary talks to play Geppeto in Disney's upcoming live action Pinocchio . No word from Disney on this at all, but I'm all for this choice. In fact, I sponsor the notion that there's always room for Tom Hanks in anything. He's hands down one of the greatest actors of not only my time, but it's pretty safe to say of all time. Paddington filmmaker Paul King is directing, & Chris Weitz is producing with Andrew Miano. The script's been all kinds of passed around with Collider sources say that Simon Farnaby has been tapped to pen the latest draft. Jack Thorne was the previous writer on the project, while Weitz and King also had a hand in the mix. I feel like these should be a little easier to get together than that. Being a remake & all, but whatever. If this Tom Hanks thing goes through it'll most likely be great anyway. What do y'all think? Hanks for Geppeto? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
First "Lion King" Teaser Delivered Almost Perfectly On Thanksgiving
So after cooking all day, eating way too much, & fighting off a turkey haze, this CGI "live-action" Lion King teaser from Disney kinda felt like the big payoff. An almost perfect teaser. It's a short look, not much you can really say about it. A couple iconic scenes with a little longer version of Mufasa's "all the land the light touches" speech, is pretty much the perfect way to kick things off. I couldn't help but keep thinking it was missing something. It looks amazing. Visually stunning. If I took this back in time, they'd be wondering how we trained all those animals to do that. I just felt it missed the mark without ending on some sort of talking animal. And since it seems like I'm being super picky, they totally could've gone without the parade of actor names. That would've worked for me though, with the addition of Timon or Pumba talking in the end. That break from the epicness of the iconic scenes, even with the name scrolling, would've really put this over the top for me. So, I liked it, but I felt like I could've loved it. What did y'all think though? Put it in the comments, like, & share. Disney's The Lion King opens in theatres July 19, 2019.
Did You Catch The New "Dumbo" Trailer?
A new trailer & beautiful poster for Disney's upcoming live-action Dumbo soaring to theaters March 29th 2019 was released last night. It sheds some of the first light on the new story involving much more humanity than its animated predecessor. It's definitely left me intrigued, the cast lineup is phenomenal, & I'm sure it helps Dumbo is just friggin' adorable. In fact my only concern is still the unknown. This was one of the animated films that really seemed they were going to reinvent it. I didn't like how that worked out with Maleficent at all. That said, I also felt that one in particular needed no reinvention. Where as Dumbo would just be a CGI animated film without some human elements added in. To help touch on those unknown human elements the trailer was also accompanied with this synopsis: "Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets." This sounds really good. Just going off this & what I've seen to this point, I have to say I'm really excited for this movie. I’m hoping this can build on the original with these new ideas. Rather than try to heavily change what we still all know from the classic. Love to know what y'all think? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
First Look At Live Action "Aladdin" With New Teaser Trailer
Between trying to get ready in this new place, hurricanes, & just life stuff, I feel like I've been missing a lot. Even though I'm not fully back on track though, I said I wouldn't miss the big stuff, & this is pretty big. A couple of days ago Will Smith put out the poster for the upcoming Aladdin . I've been noticing a pattern. The poster release has usually been followed within a day or two by a trailer. So, last night I had about gave up, when I got a notification in bed that sure enough it was here. I wasn't expecting much, the movie doesn't come out until May 24th 2019, but I was looking forward to it after seeing the poster. It was basically an upgraded version of the original animated poster. Now the trailer. It's impossible to make any real decisions on these small teasers, but this one had three things that really stuck out. Aladdin was an instantly a classic for me when it released. This familiarity gives us a little more to work with in these quick looks. Out of my three standouts, we've got one bad & two good. So, I'll start with the bad. I wasn't really digging the reflection shot of Agrabah. I don't know why offhand, I just wasn't that impressed with the model. I thought the Cave of Wonders looked amazing though! Right after it bit down though, I remembered the original teaser. I immediately thought there is only one way this trailer can end to make me fully happy. Sure enough, we get that shot of Aladdin walking up on the lamp for the first time. Loved it! So one trivial, don't really care dislike. Followed by two amazing "love its" all in the course of a minute & twenty-eight seconds. A lot of which is the title. Which looks really good by the way. Once again, paying homage to the classic, but having a distinctive new, real feel as well. Very impressed, especially for just a teaser. I know it won't happen, but part of me wants them to hold off on Will Smith's Genie until I'm actually in the theater. Anyway great teaser in my book, what'd y'all think? Put it in the comments, like & share.
Live Action "Lilo & Stitch" Coming!!!
I had to take some time from un packing to address this one for sure. Yesterday a THR exclusive reported that Lilo & Stitch was the next in of a long line of live action remakes!! This is amazing! This live action/CGI retelling will be penned by Mike Van Waes, & will be produced by Dan Lin & Jonathan Eirich of Rideback, formerly Lin Pictures. The two are already getting their breaks wet on the remake of Aladdin . It's totally unknown whether this will be a major release or another in the barrel for Disney's streaming service launching in 2019. Personally, I'm hoping for major release. Stitch is probably more popular now, than anytime of the original's release. Or any of the straight to video sequels for that matter. However, he became one of my all time favorite Disney characters from the jump. The most intriguing piece to this for me though, has been Van Waes. Before I even read this article, I thought that a live action Stitch film would be terrifying. Van Waes being attached halfway confirms that thought, being mostly known throughout Hollywood for writing horror, penning The Crooked Man & Oz horror themed Not in Kansas. If that resume is anything to take examples from, Stitch might be cute, fluffy, & absolutely terrifying. I can't wait! If this is a major release I feel like I should go ahead & get in line now for tickets. What about y'all? Thoughts on live action Lilo & Stitch ? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
I Also Missed Christy Carlson Ramano & Patton Oswald Joining The Cast Of "Kim Possible"
Along with this first teaser look at Sadie Stanley as Kim Possible it was also announced that Chrsty Carlson Romano & Patron Oswalt will be joining the cast. The new live action Disney Channel Original will debut in 2019. No details on Romano's character, but Oswalt will be reprising his animated role as Professor Dementor. Filling out the cast we've also got Sean Giambrone (ABC’s The Goldbergs ) as Kim Possible’s loyal best friend, Ron Stoppable; Alyson Hannigan ( How I Met Your Mother , Disney Junior’s animated series Fancy Nancy) as brain surgeon Dr. Ann Possible (AKA Mom Possible); Todd Stashwick ( 12 Monkeys ) and Taylor Ortega will play fan-favorite villains Drakken and Shego, respectively; Connie Ray ( The Big C ) as grandmother Nana Possible; Ciara Wilson ( OMG! ) as new high school student Athena; Erika Tham ( Make It Pop ) who will play Kim’s childhood frenemy, Bonnie; and Issac Ryan Brown ( Raven’s Home ) as teen computer genius Wade. I was a fan of the animated show, & this cast has got some real talent involved. This has got me really curious. This Disney Channel Original is looking like it has a ton of potential. What do y'all think? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Justin Theroux Might Be The Tramp They Love
In a Collider exclusive from Jeff Snider, Justin Theroux is reportedly nearing a deal to fill the male part of title role of the live-action/CG hybrid remake of Lady and the Tramp. It's expected to debut on Disney’s upcoming streaming service once it launches in late 2019. I'm not going to lie here, I totally had to Google this guy. After that, I realized though he had been in some movies & shows I'd seen, I still couldn't place this guy at all. The only spot I could place him was as the master code breaker in The Last Jedi, & that was seconds. So, I can't speak on him, but the casting made me wonder. Obviously the dogs will be CGI, but what if they do the whole mocap thing? Mix it with the facial features of a dog? I'm 90-95 percent sure they won't go through all that. If anything to make the talking dogs seem more real. Anyway part of me thinks that would either be really cool to have talking dogs with some of the actors expressions. While the other part of me thinks that would come up completely terrifying. So, yeah, don't know why this casting made me think that. Can't wait to see this cast fill out more. If they don't treat this like the old straight to video poodoo, it could make the streaming service launch a must have for a lot of people. What do y'all think? Any insight on Justin Theroux for me? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
First Dumbo Trailer Has Arrived!!
A teaser is finally upon us for Disney's live-action Dumbo , & it looks amazing! It looks like a best of Tim Burton mash up going all the way back to Big Top Pee Wee . This was the live action film I've been most curious about. Burton's mark on a Dumbo? The idea intrigued me, & I'm loving how it looks in this teaser. Burton has a habit of overtly putting his mark all over his films. You can turn on later Burton films for a second & know they're his. The first thing I loved about this teaser is even though you can see his mark in spots, it seems more subtle like his older films. We've really got to address the elephant in the room though. Dumbo. I know when I first saw the pics earlier this year, I found them quite unsettling. Little soulless abomination, I think were my words. I did also say I reserved full judgment until I see him in motion, & once they breath life into him, he's friggin adorable. Not much story wise to the trailer, but a real good sense of what to expect from the visuals. Even what looked like a pink elephant scene was thrown in there. This teaser did its job though. I'm now pretty pumped for this March 2019 release, which the description reads as "the all-new grand live-action adventure “Dumbo” expands on the beloved classic story where differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets." There's definitely a lot more to this than the animated classic. I was kinda "meh" on this one until this teaser. What do y'all think? Did this do it for ya? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
"Maleficent II" Has Begun Production.... yay.
Production has begun at Pinewood Studios and locations around the U.K. on Maleficent II, the sequel to 2014’s Maleficent. I've kept no secret my thoughts on the brilliantly casted abomination that was delivered to us in the first film. Totally stripping away any villainy from what was Disney's greatest villain. Possibly one of the greatest villains of all time. So there's no need to say I'm not excited at all to see this continuation. Nonetheless I will still give it the chance to change my mind as there must be someone out there who wants this thing. Angelina Jolie returns to reprise the title role, along with Elle Fanning reprising her role as the lovely Princess Aurora. Joining the two are Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingrith along Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, and Robert Lindsay. With Harris Dickinson joining the fray as the charming Prince Phillip. Directed by Joachim Rønning and written by Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, & Noah Harpster, the film will be produced by Joe Roth and Angelina Jolie. With the production announcement came this brief synopsis: "This new fantasy-adventure 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." Look, this movie has so much going for it. Things that would normally entice me. Michelle Pfeiffer, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Disney, the perfect casting of Angelina Jolie. All these things can't make me look past how burned i'l felt by the first film. They had a chance to do something extraordinary, & give us a villain film. Instead we got the easy way out of misunderstood, & really a "good guy" villain. Does anyone even want this? Let me know in the comments, like & share.
"Christopher Robin" Drops New Trailer
Christopher Robin is officially starting get it's big push, releasing a new poster last night accompanied by a trailer today. And while this poster is cute, the trailer has me absolutely giddy. I'm hoping it's not just nostalgia, but I'm really digging this trailer. I can't wait to drag my kids to this. I've always been a giant Winnie the Pooh fan, & this trailer came off so genuine. Looks like there's gonna be a whole bunch of messages, surrounded by a whole bunch of fluff. So far, this is everything I was hoping for. August 3rd can't come fast enough. I'm looking forward to this even more than Mary Poppins Returns . How bout y'all? Pooh or Poppins? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Not Even The Addition Of Michelle Pfeiffer Can Get Me Excited About "Maleficent 2"
Michelle Pfeiffer has been one of my favorite actresses from the time I was able to recognize a favorite actress. So you know it's gotta be bad if THR announcing her her addition to Maleficent 2 still doesn't even have me the slightest bit interested. I loathed the first installment of this film. The perfect casting of Angelina Jolie in the title role had me so excited. Only to be crushed as they completely bastardized the story. Turning one of history's greatest film villains into another tired anti-hero. I still think they could've had a masterpiece on their hands if they would've just stuck to their own material. Anyway what's done has been done, & a sequel is coming whether I want it or not. Pfeiffer will play a queen, joining franchise newbie Ed Skrein, & returning Elle Fanning. Nothing's known of the plot, but I'm honestly expecting this one to go the route of Through the Looking Glass . Joachim Ronning will direct, which is a plus, with Joe Roth producing & Jez Butterworth & Linda Woolverton working the screenplay. So, yeah, I could totally do without this, how bout y'all? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
New Images & Details From "Christopher Robin"
I'm so excited for August 3rd's Christopher Robin. So obviously, I perked up when Entertainment Weekly put up these exclusive, new photos along with some new details for the upcoming return of Pooh. It's 1949 & Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) is an efficiency manager for a luggage company. He's going to miss the vacation he has planned with his family due to providing resources to prevent a bunch of layoffs. Evelyn (Hayley Atwell) & their daughter Madeline (Bronte Carmichael) are headed to the Hundred Acre Wood, while Christopher is stuck working in London. Hence the visit from Pooh. McGregor says, "I think, largely, he’s just lost any of that childish wisdom and he’s a bit stuck. He’s just very work-minded and doesn’t have any time for play. I suppose that’s what the film is about: finding his relationship with his younger self again.” All in all, he's just trying to look out for all the families counting on him. Even if it means putting his own on the sidelines. Both in the war, Atwell added this, "This new man that returns from war represents the loss of the man that she married, but she sees him change when Pooh the bear comes back into his life. But, of course, she thinks he’s gone mad.” For that matter, so does he when Pooh (Jim Cummings), Tigger (Chris O’Dowd), Eeyore (Brad Garrett), Piglet (Nick Mohammed), and the rest of his childhood friends come to visit. Leading me to the best part of the whole thing. These characters aren't invisible, everyone else sees them. They just perceive them as stuffed animals. Making the bottom of the pic below thatuch funnier, Christopher is the only one who sees them "alive". That right there totally did it for me. Well that, & the adorable pic of Pooh & the gang at the beach. I'm all in now for this one. It has potential to be touching & completely hilarious. What do y'all think? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Live-Action "Mulan" Will Have A Villain Switch, Oh Also Jet Li & Gong Li!!!!
I learned yesterday that Donnie Yen scored a role in the upcoming live-action Mulan, but apparently that’s not the only thing that went down. Collider reported that according to THR, Jet Li and Gong Li are on board as well. Gong Li is set to play the villain. No, not that one, a powerful witch. Definitely a big change from the 1998 animated film. They've been saying that this will also follow the source material. Which, in all honesty, I know nothing about. A bold move for sure. Fans can be rabid, & the animated classic is loved by a lot of people. The addition of Jet Li is everything for me though. I've been a fan of Jet Li since his early films in Japan before the States even knew his name. This also doubles down on the whole martial arts epic thing. We've still gotta wait until March 27th, 2020. I'm sure there will be plenty of developments by then. Until that what do you think of the new additions to the cast? For that matter, what do you think of the villain toss up? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Donnie Yen Joins Cast Of "Mulan"!!
If you noticed the exclamation marks in the title, you already have an idea of how excited I am about this. Disney's upcoming Mulan has been promised to be a martial arts epic, & adding Rogue One's Donnie Yen to play Comander Tung is definitely a step in the that direction. According to Variety, Yen has just been tapped to play the role opposite Liu Yifei in the live-action remake, as a mentor to Mulan. I absolutely love this guy, he was my favorite part of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story . I've honestly never been the biggest fan of Mulan , but the more I hear about this live-action version, it's becoming my most anticipated of the bunch. What do y'all think? Isn't this awesome?!? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
"Paddington 2" Director For Disney's Live-Action "Pinocchio"
According to Variety, director of recently loved Paddington 2 is in talks to helm Disney's upcoming live-action retelling of Pinocchio. Andrew Miano & Chris Weitz are producing with the script getting a rewrite from Jack Thorne. King's been very sought after since the success of Paddington 2 , & though I haven't seen it he also helmed the first. Which wound up being a surprise favorite for me the year it was released. I'm glad to hear we're getting a director of this caliber for this. I'm really excited for this one as it's got the live-action treatment before. It just paled in comparison to Disney's original animated feature. I'm in, what do y'all think of this choice though? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
Are You Prepared For No "Be Prepared" In Upcoming "Lion King"?
So, according to Collider yesterday, Sir Elton John told The Sun that only four of the original songs will be used in the more live-action, yet still technically animated upcoming Lion King. Knowing that you can almost guess what they are, Circle of Life, Hakuta Matada, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, & Just Can't Wait To Be King . That said, they pretty much covered what they must have. All except Scar's Be Prepared that is. This is going to put them in a curious spot. The song takes place at not only a pivotal moment, but if I remember correctly, it also delivers a good amount of exposition. With that, my guess is they'll replace it. Putting whatever's new directly up against the original. That puts a good amount of pressure on the whole thing. Any new music added for that matter now will immediately be put up against what's missing from the original. That's gonna be a tall order in itself right there. Not only that, this is one of my favorite scenes. It's no punches pulled terrifying. As dark as the song is, it still added a liitle light to the scene. Curious to see if we'll hear any of the new stuff before the film's release. Not only that, but I'm wondering if the four originals will be reimagined? Anyway, are these four songs from the original enough for you? Put it in the comments, like, & share.
