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
 
 

Zootopia is Wild Fun

I got a chance to see Zootopia this morning, and Disney Animation Studios has another hit on their hands. That’s right – another movie parents of toddlers can tolerate watching every single day. Hey, when you have a kid that age, that’s a lofty standard. And really what that means is that you have a movie that’s enjoyable for all ages and that it belongs in the pantheon of Disney greats.

Zootopia is set in a future where animals have become as sophisticated as humans. No longer is there a fierce competition between predator and prey; they live side by side in harmony. Mostly, anyway. Like humans, the animals have flaws, prejudices, and divisions within their society. While predators no longer act out their savage instincts, there is still a hidden fear among some prey creatures that sometimes turns ugly.

The main characters, a bunny named Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin, and is Hopps a beer reference instead of a rabbit reference?) and a fox named Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), come from different walks of life. Hopps grew up on a farm out in the country, but she moved to Zootopia to chase her dream of being a police officer. Nick, however, is a cunning, street savvy con-artist who’s wise to the ways of the big city.

What follows is a detective story, as well as a story about cross-cultural understanding. Hopps has 48 hours to save her job and find an otter that’s gone missing. Nick is the only one who has any clues to begin her investigation. So she records one of his schemes via a recording carrot pen and blackmails him into helping her find the missing otter. In true opposites platonically attract buddy cop fashion, he ends up being more helpful in many ways than she could have ever imagined, and her do-gooder attitude rubs off on him in a positive way.

Nick and Hopps chase clues all over Zootopia, with different climates represented in different boroughs and different cultures represented in different enclaves such as Little Rodentia, where Hopps is effectively a giant. There are some twists along the way, and the villain of the movie ends up being the creature you least suspect.

I like pretty much everything about the movie, even as someone who’s usually bored by detective stories. The voice acting is great and fits the characters perfectly. The sheer variety of settings in Zootopia is original and surprising. And of course, the movie is funny. Have you seen the sloth scene? Because you need to see the sloth scene. At the end, you get to find out why Nick calls this sloth Flash.

With lines like “You wanna know why we’re so happy? We gave up on our dreams and settled. Hard. That’s the beauty of complacency,” and a reference later in the movie to a couple of rams named after Breaking Bad stars Walt and Jesse, there’s plenty to keep adults entertained.

What more is there to say? It’s a fun, really well-made movie. I laughed, my kid laughed, and at the end she danced to the gazelle voiced by Shakira. It was a good time. Some are saying it’s the best Disney movie of the modern era. I’m not sure that’s the case, in part because I think people are already forgetting Frozen’s massive success; but also because I think it depends on your personal preferences.

Right now, we’re living in another Disney golden age. Walt Disney Animation Studios has recently pumped out gems such as Big Hero 6, Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, and now Zootopia. Pixar, also owned by Walt Disney, also continues to churn out hits such as Brave, Toy Story 3, and Inside Out. In an age when the likes of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella have become severely outdated (and The Lion King has not aged well), both Disney companies are advancing the Disney legacy and just plain killing it at an awesome pace. To me, you could tell me that any one of those movies is your family’s favorite recent Disney movie, and I’d accept it (and drawing distinctions between Disney Animation Studios and Pixar movies nowadays is usually meaningless in my eyes). But I will say that Zootopia may have the broadest appeal for both girls and boys.

So, in summary: Zootopia fun. Animals. Foxes. Bunnies. Another big hit for Disney.Go see. 99% approval on Rotten Tomatoes. Then come back and visit Pop Culture Crunch again later to thank me.

Live Action Jungle Book Remake Trailer Released

The first trailer for Disney’s live cgi-action remake of The Jungle Book (1967) has been released. Slated for 2016, the movie is directed by Jon Favreau, who’s known mostly for Elf and the Iron Man trilogy. The film looks gorgeous and very big in scope. The Jungle Book also features some big names doing the animal voices:

 

Baloo: Bill Murray

Shere Khan: Idris Elba

Kaa: Scarlett Johansson

Baheera: Ben Kingsley

King Louie: Christopher Walken

Akela: Giancarlo Esposito

Raksha: Lupita Nyong’o

Gray: Emjay Anthony

Mowgli: Neel Sethi

 

This is actually one of two Jungle Book movies to be released. The other Jungle Book movie is currently in production and called Jungle Book: Origins with Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes) making his directorial debut. It will also star big name voice actors: Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Christian “You want me to trash your freakin’ lights” Bale. That film is set to drop in 2017.

Some outlets are calling the 2016 remake unnecessary. Well, I’m calling their hot takes unnecessary. I mean, yeah Hollywood overdoes it on the remakes. But really, we can’t give a classic story another take after nearly 50 years? The jungle jazz flute alone in the original movie just screams 1960s.

Let’s go over some pluses and minuses.

On the one hand, the original animated version does stand on its own as a classic. This is the only reason that people are saying the remake is unnecessary. That’s just lazy thinking. The original is also little kid friendly. Really little kids probably won’t be able to watch the remake because with realistic beasts, some of the scenes look scary. You should probably be at least 5 to watch the remake, whereas the original is something my toddler has been watching. And as with any movie, if the writing or acting sucks, so will the movie. That’s not a conclusion we can get out of the trailer.

The biggest hurdle facing the remake is the music. If the movie doesn’t feature enough of it, it may be a Disney flop. If the music isn’t good enough, the movie will probably stink.

Bill Murray is supposed to sing The Bare Necessities, so it’s got that going for it. Songs will also be written by Richard M. Sherman, who co-wrote songs from the original with his brother, Robert B. Sherman. And this is Disney, which has a knack for churning out catchy music like they invented it. So we’ll see. Those are at least some promising signs.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that this movie isn’t meant to blow the minds of jaded asshole adults. It’s for kids and their families. You and I were born much closer to 1967 than kids born more recently. You’re telling me after watching the trailer that The Jungle Book remake isn’t something the 8-year-old version of yourself thinks he or she would enjoy? Get out of here. Pop Culture Crunch Editor-in-Chief Nicholas “Nitro” Petersen agrees: “The live action Jungle Book movie trailer would give 8 year old me nightmares…in a good way.” Either you have no memory of being a kid, you’re lying, or as a kid you were lame.

At the very least, the trailer looks interesting. I love the voice actors they have lined up. Hopefully this remake will be one worth seeing. If not, chalk it up to another tiny hiccup from the massive Disney machine.

 

Disney Reveals Images of Moana, a Polynesian Princess

The Disney news is still flowing in the wake of Disney’s D23 Expo last weekend. Today, we’ll look at some pictures of Moana, Disney Animation Studios’ latest creation.

Moana is a teenager who explores Oceania’s islands and high seas. She is the only daughter of a Polynesian Chief, and her sailing acumen is in her blood. That’s because Moana is descended from many generations of navigators. And she’s on a quest to find a mythical island and rekindle the Pacific-crossing journeys of her ancestors. Along the way, she meets creatures both friendly and scary. She’s accompanied by Pua the Pig, a rainbow colored rooster named Hei-Hei, and a demigod named Maui, voiced by Dwayne Johnson. (Source: Daily Life)

Moana is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who wrote the movie along with Taika Waititi. Clements and Musker have a history of making great Disney movies, as they directed Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and The Frog. They’ve also been paired with Mark Mancina, who arranged many songs for The Lion King. While it would be quite a feat to top Frozen’s $1.2 billion in gross theater revenue, if Moana lives up to the previous success of the creative team – and come on, this is Disney – Moana will still be a huge hit.

Early reports had Moana slated for 2018. Moana is currently for release in November, 2016. For now though, we get to enjoy some concept images from D23, via Tech Insider.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Frozen 2 to Show a Warmer Side of Elsa

Let your jealous hatred of Frozen go already. Just. Let. It. Go. A sequel to Frozen is coming, and it won’t be one of those straight to video things like Aladdin 2: All Out of Wishes, Bro!. No, not for this cash cow.  Frozen 2 (title not official) doesn’t have a release date yet, but we’re starting to get details about what Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are thinking. They’re not keeping it in, they’re letting us see. Elsa will be the good girl she always has to be!

OK, not quite. But after smirking to Fandango that he “can’t divulge anything”, Buck did have this to say to about Queen Elsa:

“[S]he had such a dramatic journey, and at the end she’s just starting to feel like she can open up and have some fun again. That’s what was really good about the short — we could have fun with Elsa. And that personality… you will see in the next one.”

Well, now we know. In another interview, for the first time in forever, MTV News wrote something that I actually read. Speaking to MTV News, Buck added these tidbits about showcasing a warmer personality for Elsa:

“‘What was fun about the short, for me, was that we got to have fun with Elsa,’ he said. ‘In the movie, Elsa went through a very dramatic character arc, and in this one, she got to lighten up. We saw a bit more of her personality. So then we started thinking about what we could do with all of these characters in another film. We had a nice happy ending at the end of the first one, but what’s next?‘”

And since love is an open door, Anna will obviously co-star in the new Frozen journey as well. Buck also confirmed to MTV News that the strong bond between sisters will again be featured in the Frozen sequel:

“We have two very strong female leads in ’Frozen’. We will keep that going in the next one. We will tackle other issues that, I think, are out there today that boys and girls, men and women, are dealing with.

I think we’re very aware of what is happening in society. I don’t think any of us take [them] lightly, even though they can be very funny and entertaining, the messages that our movies have and the influence they can have on young people. When the kids [watch] them, they watch them over and over again, and if we don’t have a decent message in there, I think we’ve missed an opportunity.”

By the way – that short, Frozen Fever? Disney just released the Walt Disney Animation Studios Shorts Collection, which includes Frozen Fever. So you might want to stop reading this article and head to Target. Just remember to be cool about your excitement. Conceal – don’t feel. Don’t let it show.

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