There’s How Many Live Action Disney Movies In Development?

The news that there’s going to be a gender swapped “Splash” remake from Disney Studios (Channing Tatum as the merman and Jillian Bell as the girl who is saved by a merman) got me to thinking – just how many Disney movies are in production?! You can likely thank Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” (2015) and Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book”, which came out in April 2016, as the beginning of these live action adaptations of animated material.

These films will be coming out whether you like it or not.

“Beauty and the Beast”

Emma Watson (“Harry Potter” franchise) and Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”, “The Visitor”) star in this live action adaptation of the 1991 animated film which was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This take has Bill Condon (“Gods and Monsters”, “Chicago”, “Twilight”) in the director’s chair. I remain hopeful. Luke Evans is playing Gaston!

Check out the teaser trailer! Release Date: March 17, 2017

 
“Dumbo”

Yup, the 1941 animated film is getting the live action treatment with Tim Burton being courted to direct. The only other thing we really know is that the screenwriter is Ehren Kruger (“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, “Reindeer Games”). Alas, I don’t remain very hopeful for this. I mean, when was the last time Tim Burton made a really ‘good’ movie? Hopefully this idea goes back on the shelves…permanently.
 

“Splash”

As mentioned above, this will star Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell (“22 Jump Street”, “Workaholics”). The 1984 original had Daryl Hannah as the mermaid who saved Tom Hanks’ character when they were children. The original was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Although this remake will unlikely garner any awards, it still looks like a fun, goofy take on the material. And since both were in “22 Jump Street”, I imagine the ‘tone’ will be similar (maybe I’m hoping).

I should note that the original “Splash” was the first Disney film (under the Touchstone Pictures banner) which aimed at a more mature audience. Touchstone serves as a brand for Walt Disney and not an actual business operation.

“Tinker Bell”

The popular fairy from the “Peter Pan” universe is looking to get her own live action film! Did you know that there’s been six Tinker Bell animated movies since 2008? In fact, Reese Witherspoon was announced late last year to play the titular character. There hasn’t been much released on this project but we do know that Witherspoon is set to also produce and the film is set to be called “Tink”.

Meh, I guess it could be worse. We could get a remake of “Hook”.

“Bangarang Rufio!!!”
 

“Cruella De Vil”

Yes, the fun villain from the “101 Dalmatians” films will be getting her own film a lot like Maleficent got her own film recently with Angelina Jolie. Anyways, the actress that is in early stages to take on a young version of De Vil is Emma Stone! Surprisingly, I think she’ll own the role. Stone is a supremely talented actress that we are just now seeing come into her own. Not much is known yet regarding script or directors.
 

“Maleficent 2”

The reluctant anti-hero of Maleficent returns! Well, in this newer iteration of the character that first became known as the evil queen in “Sleeping Beauty”. Angelina Jolie was also confirmed to reprise her role. The original screenwriter (Linda Woolverton) will return but no plot details or a release date has been set. The first film made over $200 million in the US alone. It shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise to have this sequel happen.
 

“Jungle Book 2”

The Favreau directed film (that was just released in April) has already been announced to get a sequel. The box office for the first film almost made $1 billion worldwide! That’s nuts! Don’t expect these live action remakes to go away any time soon! 
 “Mary Poppins” sequel

Emily Blunt is set to play the titular character in the Rob Marshall (“Chicago”, “Into the Woods”) directed musical movie (with Lin Manuel Miranda costarring). Actually, even the original stars – Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (original Poppins and Bert) have been confirmed to appear in the film as well!

Release Date: Christmas 2018
 
 

X-Men spin off, “Legion”, is happening!

In a bid to stay ahead of the superhero trend, FX has announced a spin-off to the X-Men. To solidify this news, the cast was just announced today! Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey, The Guest), Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation, Safety Not Guaranteed) and Jean Smart (Fargo) will be headliners to the upcoming series.

 

Photo Courtesy of FX

DAVID (Dan Stevens) – Diagnosed as schizophrenic at a young age, David is a haunted man, trying to find his way back to sanity, but he’s getting tired and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams.

LENNY (Aubrey Plaza) – David’s friend, who despite a life of drugs and alcohol abuse, knows that any day now her life is gonna turn around, which gives Lenny the likeable energy of the impossible optimist despite her rough demeanor.

MELANIE (Jean Smart) – A nurturing, demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.

SYD (Rachel Keller) – Self-sufficient and street smart, Syd uses her sharp and prickly demeanor to protect her soft core, because even though it makes her a sucker and puts her at risk, she still believes in happily ever after.

Marvel describes the beginning of the series as such:

The pilot introduces the story of David: Since he was a teenager, David has struggled with mental illness. Diagnosed as schizophrenic, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. But after a strange encounter with a fellow patient, he’s confronted with the possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees might be real.

Note: In the comic books, David is actually the character of Legion. He also has an identity disorder which allows his different personas to tap into unique, separate superpowers.  Legion is actually Professor X’s son. He takes on the role of an anti-hero.

The pilot is written by Noah Hawley (Fargo, Bones), who will also executive product with Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men Days of Future Past), Bryan Singer (X-Men Days of Future Past, Superman Returns), Simon Kinberg (The Martian), Jeph Loeb (SHIELD, Daredevil), Jim Chory (SHIELD, Daredevil), and John Cameron (Fargo, The Big Lebowski).

Source: Marvel

It’s hard to see FX Networks slowing down. They have a lot of premium content already – American Crime/Horror Story, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Bridge, Basket, The Strain, Archer, The League, Fargo, and The Americans. With a reputable star that is on the rise(Dan Stevens), this show got a huge boost and has gotten me excited! I highly recommend you check out Stevens’ performance in The Guest. His next role is as the Beast in the live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast.

The Guest is an Engaging Thrill Ride

If you’re trying to come to terms with a recent loss, how far would you be willing to go to feel better? This notion sets up the story in this mystery/thriller. A soldier named David (Dan Stevens – Downton Abbey) introduces himself to a grieving family and states that he knew their son, who died while in the Iraq War. He is openly welcomed into their home without question but things begin to get strange as a series of deaths follow his presence.

Everyone appears to like David except the family’s daughter, Anna (Maika Monroe – It Follows). David doesn’t disclose much of his past but generic details and the family takes him in ‘almost’ without question as if he wore their son. Even as Anna may question David’s motives, she can’t help but notice that he is going out of his way to help the family. This makes the situation even more mysterious. What are David’s true motives?

We slowly begin to uncover David’s past and in doing so come to a complex understanding of him as a person. This is largely due to the great performance by Dan Stevens. I enjoyed his work in Downton Abbey as Matthew Crawley but his work in The Guest blew me away. He has an undeniable charm that pervades the whole movie, even in places you wouldn’t think they would. There were also some solid supporting performances from Maiki Monroe, who is next going to be seen in Independence Day: Resurgence, and the great Lance Reddick (The Wire).

Check out the trailer below.

This film is reminiscent of the film Drive in its use of cinematography and music and this helps set the tone for the story. It completely deviates from Drive in that it focuses on the border line comical menace that is Dan Stevens. In this way, it teeters between a drama, thriller and a dark comedy.

The film was directed by Adam Wingard (You’re Next) and written by Simon Barrett (also You’re Next). This director/writer team tries to hold off as long as possible in revealing any sort of mystery and this really toys with the audience, especially in scenes where David looks to flip at any given moment and inadvertently confirming your suspicions. The Guest has a 90% Rotten Tomatoes rating with the consensus praising its dark thrills and overall intelligence.

Grade: A

Availability: Look for it on dvd or you can wait to catch it on Netflix Instant on July 25^th.

Disney continues to adapt from itself with another live action movie from its animated canon!

The “Cinderella” movie is coming out, which I’m banking on will actually be a good movie because Kenneth Branagh(Thor, Sleuth, Hamlet, and upcoming Cinderella) is super great as a director. However, yesterday (sorry I’m five hours late!) it was reported, via Hollywood Reporter, that Luke Evans and Dan Stevens have signed on, along with Emma Watson, in a live action take on “Beauty and the Beast”.

Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Furious Six) is set to play Gaston, Dan Stevens (Downtown Abbey) is set to play the Beast, and Emma Watson(Harry Potter series) is set to play Belle. The director attached is Bill Condon from the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” movies. It’s easy to pass off Condon as a sh*tty director but I’d actually blame the source material for “Twilight” being the way it is and the young adult audience it draws. Condon has credibility with the other works he’s directed: “Dreamgirls”, “Gods and Monsters” and “Kinsey”.

Personally, I’m excited to see Gaston on the screen again. He was the best part of the “Beauty and the Beast” animated movie. He’s pompous and interesting. I believe the same logic is used with Prince Humperdinck in “The Princess Bride”. To be sure of this will be the tone that the studio is trying to create. I am hoping for a light, corky and fun take on the source material. They better not make it needlessly dark. It’s best to look at the tone for the upcoming “Cinderella” as indicative of what else is to come.

That brings us to: why is Disney doing this? Money. Look, outside the obvious, there is a young generation that literally has no idea what Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are about. I also believe that these stories, if modernized, will translate well to today. I’m gonna have to admit that I actually want to see “Cinderella”.

“Cinderella” opens March 13, 2015. “Beauty and the Beast” has yet to announce a date.