Moviefone Editorial

Tag: disney-animation

  • ‘Frozen 2’ Is Coming to Theaters Sooner Than Planned

    ‘Frozen 2’ Is Coming to Theaters Sooner Than Planned

    Disney

    The kingdom of Arendelle will be welcoming visitors again sooner than expected: Disney has moved up the release date for the long-awaited sequel to animated hit “Frozen.”

    “Frozen 2” was originally slated for release on November 27, 2019, which is the day before Thanksgiving. But apparently the folks at Disney wanted to kick off the holiday season even earlier, because now, the follow-up flick is due in theaters on November 22, 2019.

    Star Kristen Bell, who voices Princess Anna, has been dropping hints about the sequel for more than a year, promising that the movie is “very good” and that there are “a couple new characters that you will fall in love with.” While currently it’s unclear exactly who those characters are, they’re probably the parts that Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) and Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”) were rumored to have auditioned for earlier this year.

    In addition to Bell, other returning original cast members from the 2013 film include Idina Menzel (Queen Elsa) and Josh Gad (Olaf). Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, who co-directed the first flick, are returning, and the script is being co-written by Lee and Allison Schroeder (“Hidden Figures”).

    Now excuse us while we go update our calendars and hum “Let It Go” for the rest of the day.

    [via: Variety]

  • Pixar and Disney Animation Name Two New Chiefs to Replace John Lasseter

    Meet the new bosses!

    Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee aren’t technically “new” to the Disney team, but they just got promoted to replace John Lasseter.

    Pete Docter is the new Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios, with Jennifer Lee as Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios.

    Docter directed Pixar’s “Up” and “Inside Out,” and Lee co-wrote “Wreck-It Ralph” and co-directed “Frozen.”

    So clearly they are promoting talent from in-house for what will hopefully be a smooth transition. It was recently announced that John Lasseter is stepping down from his role as chief creative officer of both Pixar and Disney Animation, effective December 31.

    Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn issued a statement on the news (via THR):

    “Jennifer Lee and Pete Docter are two of the most gifted filmmakers and storytellers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Pete, the genius creative force behind Up, Inside Out and Monsters, Inc., has been an integral part of Pixar almost since the beginning and is a huge part of its industry-leading success. Jenn, in bringing her bold vision to the boundary-breaking Frozen, has helped infuse Disney Animation with a new and exciting perspective. Each of them embodies the unique spirit, culture and values of these renowned animation studios, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have them to lead us into the future.”

    Here’s a statement from Jennifer Lee, who is in production on “Frozen 2” and an executive producer of the upcoming “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2“:

    “I am deeply grateful to everyone at Walt Disney Animation Studios and The Walt Disney Company for this opportunity. Animation is the most collaborative art form in the world, and it is with the partnership of my fellow filmmakers, artists and innovators that we look ahead to the future. My hope is to support the incredible talent we have, find new voices and work together to tell original stories. The great films of Disney Animation — the films I loved as a kid and my daughter has grown up loving — are magical, timeless and full of heart, and it is our goal to create films that carry on and grow this 95-year legacy for future generations.”

    Here’s a statement from Pete Docter:

    “I am excited and humbled to be asked to take on this role. It is not something I take lightly; making films at Pixar has been my chronic obsession since I started here 28 years ago. I am fortunate to work alongside some of the most talented people on the planet, and together we will keep pushing animation in new directions, using the latest technology to tell stories we hope will surprise and delight audiences around the world.”

    Congrats to the new team! “Incredibles 2” is going great guns for Pixar the moment, breaking tons of records in its first weekend. Disney’s “Wreck-It Ralph 2” opens in theaters November 21. “Frozen 2” opens November 27, 2019.

    [Via: The Hollywood Reporter]

    Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

  • Details Leak on Disney’s Next Animated Film, ‘Dragon Empire’

    Sounds like Disney has plans for a brand new original animated film, after this year’s “Wreck It Ralph 2” and next year’s “Frozen 2.”

    According to That Hashtag Show, Disney Animation Studios is working on a movie called “Dragon Empire,” and Jamie Chung may (or may not) voice the lead character.

    Paul Briggs — head of story on “Big Hero 6” and “Frozen” — will make his directorial debut, THS added, alongside “Tangled” animator Dean Wellins. “Cars” and “Cars 3” writer Kiel Murray is said to be developing the script, with “Moana” producer Osnat Shurer back to produce.

    THS said Disney is currently meeting with actors for roles, and they shared three character breakdowns.

    Jamie Chung has shown interest in the female lead character and heroine of the film, named Jan-Nin. Chung is already part of the Disney family, playing Mulan in ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”; she’s also known from Disney’s “Big Hero 6,” plus “The Gifted.”

    The lead male character, Bolin, is said to be comic relief and a 900-year-old mentor to Jan-Nin. There’s also a supporting male character called Katsu.

    Are those characters dragons? They’d better be. Dragons need to be the true stars, or else the film needs a title change. (The photo at top is Maleficent in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.”)

    DreamWorks already has a dragon franchise with “How to Train Your Dragon,” but that feature film trilogy ends in March 2019 with “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.” So there’s a bit of an opening in the dragon market.

    There’s no release date yet for Disney’s “Dragon Empire,” but THS speculated that it might take the November 25, 2020 Thanksgiving spot that had previously been given to the Jack on the Beanstalk movie “Gigantic.”

    When Disney shelved “Gigantic” in October 2017, execs teased the next original project:

    “It’s impossible to know when we begin a project how the creative process will unfold, and sometimes, no matter how much we love an idea or how much heart goes into it, we find that it just isn’t working,” said Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios president Ed Catmull. “With Gigantic, we’ve come to that point, and although it’s a difficult decision, we are ending active development for now. We are focusing our energies on another project that has been in the works, which we’ll be sharing more about soon, now set for Thanksgiving 2020.”

    As The Hollywood Reporter noted at the time, “Details regarding the new project were not revealed, although insiders said it would be an original feature.”

    Sounds like maybe they were teasing “Dragon Empire.”

    Meanwhile, “Ralph Breaks The Internet: Wreck It Ralph 2” opens November 21, 2018, and “Frozen 2” is scheduled for November 27, 2019.

    Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

  • Watch the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Cast Reveal Their First Disney Obsessions


    We had the best day ever chatting with the talented cast of “Beauty and the Beast” about their first Disney obsessions.

    For Emma Watson, it was all about “Pocahontas.” “I think I wanted a pet raccoon,” she told Moviefone. “And she had really good hair. Pocahontas was just cool. She was so cool.“

    Legion,” revealed why “Dumbo” first captured his heart. “I suppose the story of an elephant and a mouse and the friendship between them … and when they start drinking a bucket of who-knows-what they just start trippin’ balls.” Now we know why he said yes to “Legion”!

    Although Emma says she can barely remember the film, Dan sings the praises of the scene where giant pink elephants parade past our drunken heroes: “The pink elephant sequence in ‘Dumbo’ is one of the great sequences in cinema history,” he insists.

    Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who plays Plumette, the maid who becomes an enchanted feather duster) reveals, “I was obsessed with Minnie Mouse. When I was 3 or 4, I had a Minnie Mouse party. I had the outfit and the ears. Yeah, I’m kind of still a bit obsessed with Minnie Mouse.” (Could her hairdo on the day of the L.A. junket even be an homage to Minnie?)

    Six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald (Garderobe, the singing wardrobe) shares, “I had a Mickey Mouse record player. His ears were the top of the little box that opens and his gloved hand was the needle.” Gugu’s reaction? “That is so cool!”

    Josh Gad, who plays LeFou, says he’s very fond of the ’70s animated “Robin Hood,” and started serenading us with a little “Ooh-de-lally-ay.” Another Gad favorite? The swinging ’60s “Jungle Book.” Costar Luke Evans (the evil but so handsome Gaston) chimed in that he loves another ’60s favorite: “The Sword in the Stone,” which also involves a big, dumb lug who’s not the hero. Hmmmm.

    Composer Alan Menken said his favorite growing up was “Davy Crockett” the Disney TV series that aired in 1955. And then he begins to sing some of the “King of the Wild Frontier” theme song. The man who gave us “Be Our Guest” said he was also very fond of a certain musical insect called Jiminy Cricket.

  • Early ‘Moana’ Reviews Praise Disney’s Newest Princess

    Early reviews are beginning to trickle in for Disney’s newest animated flick, “Moana,” and the story of a young Polynesian princess on a quest to save her people has some critics comparing the film to other classics in the studio’s celebrated canon.

    Most reviews have pointed out that while many story beats of “Moana” feel familiar — especially the self-empowerment message at the movie’s heart, not to mention the obligatory presence of a wacky animal sidekick — it continues the Mouse House’s recent animation renaissance, boasting gorgeous visuals, soaring songs, and fully realized characters. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most glowing reviews so far:

    Variety: Critic Peter Debruge calls the film “a musical adventure that’s a worthy addition alongside ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Aladdin,’” and notes that the titular character (voiced by newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) is “one of Disney’s most remarkable heroines yet: Rather than waiting for her prince (or whomever) to come, Moana takes control of her own destiny.” Debruge concludes, “As princess movies go, this one broadens the studio’s horizons.”

    The Hollywood Reporter: “Moana” is “a delight,” according to critic Michael Rechtshaffen, who writes, “Appealing equally to the eyes, ears, heart and funny bone, ‘Moana’ represents contemporary Disney at its finest — a vibrantly rendered adventure that combines state-of-the-art CG animation with traditional storytelling and colorful characters, all enlivened by a terrific voice cast.” Rechtshaffen was especially impressed by the film’s “infectious, soul-stirring songs by ‘Hamilton’ sensation Lin-Manuel Miranda along with score composer Mark Mancina and Samoan musician Opetaia Tavita Foa’i,” adding that the music makes “Moana” “a tropical ‘Frozen’ with the potential for a similarly wide-reaching audience.”

    IndieWire: Critic Eric Kohn notes that Disney has taken great pains to avoid its previous missteps with cultural insensitivity, noting that “Moana”‘s diverse creative team “yields a lively opus that feels at once old school and modern.” The film does occasionally fall into some of Disney’s well-worn story tropes, Kohn writes, but is ultimately “Visually dazzling and loaded with charm” and “an especially crisp realization of that formula, set in a rich world of bright colors, detailed expressions and buoyant songs, all of which revolve around the mission of fiercely individualistic young woman.”

    Entertainment Weekly: “Moana” is “a worthy successor to Disney’s most beloved animated classics,” writes critic Devan Coggan, who notes that the film also “pushes the genre into 2016, introducing a smart, diverse, and convincing heroine who struggles against lava monsters and self-doubt.” While the flick “has a lot of the hallmarks of your classic Disney adventure — the goofy animal sidekicks, the feel-good messages,” Coggan says “its heroine is something new, a smart and fiery deviation from your standard European lovestruck princesses.”

    “Moana” hits theaters on November 23.

    [via: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, Entertainment Weekly]

    Photo credit: Disney

  • Here’s the Gorgeous New Poster for Disney’s ‘Moana’

    moana, poster, moana poster

    Everything we’ve seen so far has indicated that “Moana,” Disney’s latest foray in its recent animated musical resurgence, will be a beautiful, moving film, featuring some dazzling visuals and heart-tugging storylines. And the debut of the movie’s first poster only confirms that belief.

    Dwayne Johnson, who plays demigod Maui in the flick, revealed the one-sheet on his Twitter account on Monday. The poster features our titular Polynesian princess standing proudly front and center, flanked by Maui and her two animal sidekicks: Pua, a pig, and Hei Hei, a rooster.

    The beautiful oceanic imagery behind the characters calls to mind that on display in the most recent teaser trailer, which featured a young Moana wading into the water, which played back with her as she splashed in the waves. That creativity has us excited about the adventures that the teenage Moana will go on throughout the rest of the flick, and we can’t wait to see how Disney animators bring it all to life.

    In addition to debuting the poster, Johnson also revealed that a new trailer for the film will be dropping on Thursday during Johnson’s appearance on “Good Morning America.” We’re looking forward to seeing more from this promising-looking production.

    [via: Dwayne Johnson]

    Photo credit: Disney via Dwayne Johnson/Twitter

  • Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ Unveils Star-Studded Voice Cast

    zootopia, disney, idris elba, chief bogoNot much intel had been revealed before about Disney’s “Zootopia,” the animation studio’s next big flick, due out in the spring. But now, we finally know just who will be starring in the film’s voice cast, and the list is filled with big names.

    USA Today has unveiled both the movie’s main characters and the actors behind them, and they include Oscar winners (Octavia Spencer and J.K. Simmons), action stars (Idris Elba), comics (Tommy Chong and Jenny Slate), and seasoned voice actors (Alan Tudyk and Bonnie Hunt) alike. Here’s a rundown of who’s who in the ensemble:

    • Idris Elba plays Chief Bogo (pictured above), a no-nonsense cape buffalo in charge of the Zootopia Police Department.
    • Octavia Spencer plays Mrs. Otterton, an otter whose search for her missing husband sparks the film’s plot.
    • J.K. Simmons plays Mayor Leodore Lionheart, a noble lion who leads the city of Zootopia.
    • Tommy Chong plays Yax the Yak, described as “the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia.”
    • Nate Torrance plays Benjamin Clawhauser, a cheetah and pop star-loving member of the Zootopia Police Department.
    • Jenny Slate plays Assistant Mayor Bellwether, a sheep known for her sweetness.
    • Alan Tudyk plays Duke Weaselton, a weasel known for small-time crimes and running his mouth.
    • Raymond Persi plays Flash, a sloth who works at Zootopia’s DMV (a.k.a. Department of Mammal Vehicles).
    • Ginnifer Goodwin plays Judy Hopps, a rabbit who’s training to become a member of the Zooptopia Police Department.
    • Bonnie Hunt plays Bonnie Hopps, Judy’s mother.
    • Don Lake plays Stu Hopps, Judy’s father and a carrot farmer from nearby Bunnyburrow.
    • Jason Bateman plays Nick Wilde, a charming fox working with Judy to solve Zooptopia’s biggest crime.

    Sounds like a promising group. For more photos of the characters, check out USA Today.

    “Zootopia” is due in theaters on March 4.

    [via: USA Today]

    Photo credit: Disney/USA Today

    %Slideshow-308853%

  • Watch 92 Years of Disney Animation in 92 Magical Seconds

    Today — October 16, 2015 — marks the 92nd anniversary of Disney Animation. Time flies! And so do Peter Pan, Dumbo, and several other memorable Disney characters who’ve kept us (and our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents) company since childhood. Pixar just celebrated 20 years of friendship, and Disney followed with this 92-second video with beautiful clips from 92 years of magic.

    We see shots from “Cinderella,” “Fantasia,” “Snow White,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “101 Dalmatians,” “Aladdin,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Pocahontas,” “Pinocchio,” and many more, ending with a bit of a heart-tugger from Winnie and Christopher Robin. As Entertainment Weekly noted, it’s all set to Thomas Bergensen’s gorgeous song “Starchild.”

    Check it out:


    Chills! As one fan commented, “that was like seeing my whole life flash before my eyes in 92 seconds.” Maybe this is what we see right before we die — all the Disney movies set to glorious music. No complaints if that’s really how we go.

    Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.
    %Slideshow-316513%

  • ‘Lady and the Tramp’: 19 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About the Disney Classic

    Since its release 60 years ago this week (on June 22, 1955), “Lady and the Tramp” has been not just one of the most beloved Disney animated features ever made, but also one of the great romances in screen history.

    Still, as often as you’ve seen it, there’s still plenty you may not know about how the canine classic came to be, So grab a plate of spaghetti and meatballs and chow down on 19 of “Lady”‘s behind-the-scenes dish.
    1. It took nearly 20 years to get the film made. The main character originated in sketches made by Disney animator Joe Grant in 1937, based on his own spaniel, whose name was Lady. Grant envisioned a short cartoon about a dog who’s puzzled by the arrival of his masters’ newborn baby.

    2. By 1940, Walt Disney had imagined expanding the short into a feature and adding a dog-hating housesitter, two mischievous Siamese cats (then named Nip and Tuck), and a suitor for Lady, a mongrel who might be named Homer or Rags or Bozo. Unable to settle on a name for the wandering, homeless pooch, Walt decided to just go with Tramp.

    3. In 1943, Walt read Ward Greene’s short story “Happy Dan: The Cynical Dog” in Cosmopolitan magazine, the tale of a stray who revels in his ability to manipulate humans all over town into giving him free meals. Disney bought the film rights, but it took another eight years to merge the dog tales into the “Lady and the Tramp” screenplay.

    4. In 1953, two years before the film’s release, Walt had Greene expand his story into a novel, so that moviegoers would be familiar with the tale by the time the movie came out.

    5. The scene where Darling opens a gift-wrapped hat box to find the puppy Lady inside is based on an incident from Walt Disney’s own life, in which he presented his wife Lillian with the Christmas gift of a Chow puppy in a hat box.
    6. Peggy Lee was perhaps the first major star to sign on as a voice actor in a Disney cartoon. The torch singer voiced the roles of Darling, pound hound Peg, and cats Si and Am. She also co-wrote all the songs (with Sonny Burke) and sang four of them (“What Is a Baby,” “La La Lu,” “The Siamese Cat Song,” and “He’s a Tramp”).

    7. In 1988, Lee sued Disney over music royalties from the successful video release. It took three years, but she won $2.3 million.

    8. Barbara Luddy was 46 when she voiced the youthful Lady. She would go on to perform the voices of the fairy Merryweather in Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” and Kanga in several of Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh” shorts.

    9. Lee Millar, who voiced Lady’s master, Jim Dear, was the son of Verna Felton, who voiced the part of cat-loving visitor Aunt Sarah. She had earlier played the Fairy Godmother in Disney’s “Cinderella” and the Queen of Hearts in the studio’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

    10. Larry Roberts, who voiced Tramp, was a stage actor and stand-up comic. “Lady and the Tramp” was his only film role.

    11. Other veteran voice artists were brought in from outside the studio. Alan Reed (later the voice of Fred Flintstone) was Boris, the Russian wolfhound. Comic Stan Freberg was the whistling beaver who frees Lady from her muzzle.
    ​12. The iconic spaghetti scene almost didn’t happen. Walt nixed the idea, assuming that the spectacle of two animals scarfing down pasta in tomato sauce would be messy and awkward. But animator Frank Thomas worked up a rough version of the scene that changed Disney’s mind.

    13. The model for Tramp was actually a female mutt that co-screenwriter Erdman “Ed” Penner spotted on the street. The dog vanished into the bushes, but Disney staffers ultimately found her again in the pound, where she was just four hours away from being put down. Once rescued, she lived happily ever after at the Disneyland pony farm.

    14. Disney employees brought their dogs to the studios as models for the animators. One of the models for Lady was Felton’s own Spaniel, Hildegarde.The other was Blondie, the spaniel of co-director Hamilton Luske.

    15. “Lady and the Tramp” was the first animated feature shot in the widescreen CinemaScope format. It’s still the widest cartoon Disney ever released in theaters.
    16. The CinemaScope process meant that the film was essentially made twice: Once in the standard, nearly square aspect ratio, and once in widescreen, after Walt decided to try the new format that was expected to lure people away from those new square boxes in their living rooms. But Walt learned that many theaters were still not equipped to project CinemaScope movies, so he released both versions.

    17. The movie cost $4 million to make. During its initial run, it earned $7.5 million. It was the studio’s biggest hit since “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” 18 years earlier.

    18. Since 1955, Disney has re-released “Lady” into theaters five times. Over the years, it’s earned back $93.6 million in theaters

    19. Lady and Tramp can both be spotted on a shadowy London street during the twilight-bark sequence in “101 Dalmatians.”
    %Slideshow-298960%