Moviefone Editorial

Tag: Disney Plus

  • Disney Releases First Look Image of Live-Action ‘Lady and the Tramp’

    Disney Releases First Look Image of Live-Action ‘Lady and the Tramp’

    Disney

    Ready for a dose of canine cuteness?

    Disney has release a first look image of the dog stars in its upcoming live-action remake of “Lady and the Tramp.”

    The new live-action/CG version of the 1955 original will premiere on the forthcoming Disney+ streaming platform.

    The photo appears on the cover of D23 magazine and features the titular characters, who are voiced by Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux

    D23

    The story follows stray mongrel Tramp, who falls in love with a refined, pampered Cocker Spaniel named Lady after she ends up on the street. They embark on a whirlwind romantic adventure, including an iconic moment where they share a plate of spaghetti.

    Director Charlie Bean employed a canine cast of rescue dogs that were adopted after production (awwww!).

    The voice cast also includes Janelle Monáe, Sam Elliott, Benedict Wong, Kiersey Clemons, Yvette Nicole Brown, Thomas Mann, Ashley Jensen, Arturo Castro and Adrian Martinez.

  • Disney Will Offer Streaming Bundle of Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu

    Disney Will Offer Streaming Bundle of Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu

    Disney Plus logo
    Disney

    If your dream streaming bundle is Disney Plus, ESPN Plus and Hulu (with ads), then you’re in luck. That’s exactly what Disney will be offering, in addition to  a standalone Disney Plus package.

    The price for the Disney Plus+ESPN Plus+Hulu package (does it have a name)? is $12.99 a month.

    Both will be available on November 12, the day Disney Plus launches.

    Disney chief Bob Iger revealed the plan for the bundle during Disney’s quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts.

    Disney’s fiscal second quarter numbers came in below expectations. Disney blamed the disappointing performances on key divisions of 21st Century Fox, which Disney formally acquired in March.

    If you like crunching Wall Street numbers, here’s more info from CNBC.

    “Nothing is more important to us than getting this right,” Iger said of Disney’s move to streaming.

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘Love, Simon’ Series for Disney+ Adds Ana Ortiz

    ‘Love, Simon’ Series for Disney+ Adds Ana Ortiz

    Ana Ortiz in Whiskey Cavalier
    Nick Ray/ABC

    The upcoming Disney+ series “Love, Simon” has added its first cast member.

    Ana Ortiz signed on for a starring role, Deadline reports. The series is a spinoff of the 2018 movie of the same name, which in turn is based on the young adult novel “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” by Becky Albertalli. While those projects centered on a boy named Simon (Nick Robinson), the series follows a boy named Victor. Ortiz’s character is his mother, Isabel.

    Ortiz recently starred in ABC’s action comedy-drama “Whiskey Cavalier” as Susan Sampson, an FBI profiler. The network canceled the series in May, but then reportedly considered renewing it after all. Unfortunately for fans, nothing changed; ABC “fully and finally” pulled the plug very shortly thereafter. Their loss is a win for “Love, Simon,” though — Ortiz is a TV vet who has also starred in the shows “Devious Maids” and “Ugly Betty.”

    “Love, Simon” the series is written by Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger. They serve as executive producers alongside showrunner Brian Tanen, Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner, and Pouya Shahbazian. The project comes from 20th Century Fox TV.

    Disney+, Disney’s forthcoming streaming service, is slated to launch in November.

    [via: Deadline]

  • ‘Monsters at Work’ First Look Introduces New Character Tylor Tuskmon

    ‘Monsters at Work’ First Look Introduces New Character Tylor Tuskmon

    Monsters, Inc.
    Buena Vista Pictures

    Disney’s “Monsters, Inc.” sequel series, “Monsters at Work,” isn’t slated to debut until 2020, but in the meantime, franchise newcomer Ben Feldman has unveiled a first-look image.

    Feldman’s character, Tylor Tuskmon, was one of the key players mentioned in details Disney shared earlier this week, along with the familiar Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal) and James P. “Sulley” Sullivan (John Goodman). The story will pick up six months after the events of “Monsters, Inc.,” when scaring is out and laughs now power the city of Monstropolis. A number of workers will want to put their humor to the test, including Tylor.

    Feldman introduced his character on Wednesday via Instagram and described him as an “eager [and] talented mechanic.” The actor also added that he himself is “so hyped to have finagled” his way into the Disney family.

    “Monsters at Work” is just one series that will debut on Disney’s forthcoming streaming service Disney+. A “Sandlot” series, a Star Wars series, and more are on the way in the coming months. The streamer is scheduled to launch in November, with “Monsters at Work” premiering in 2020.

    [via: Ben Feldman/Instagram; h/t: EW]

  • Live-Action ‘Lady and the Tramp’ Reboot to Revamp Controversial Song From Original Movie

    Live-Action ‘Lady and the Tramp’ Reboot to Revamp Controversial Song From Original Movie

    Disney

    The upcoming live-action reboot of “Lady and the Tramp” won’t include a controversial song from the 1955 original.

    Disney is bringing in Janelle Monáe’s artist collective Wondaland to “reinvent” the “Siamese Cat Song,” according to Variety. The original tune featured the characters duo Si and Am singing the lyrics, “We are Siamese if you please / We are Siamese if you don’t please.” The song has long been criticized for its offensive Asian stereotypes.

    In the new movie, the two characters are not Siamese cats. Wondaland contributors Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Roman GianArthur are working on “a different take for the pair.” The Wondaland collective may also retool the song “He’s a Tramp.”

    Monáe is set to contribute two original songs for the soundtrack, as well as voicing Peg, the wise-cracking friend of Lady (Tessa Thompson). Disney says while the film is set in 1910 with  a blues-ragtime vibe, “Monae’s personal sound will be represented.”

    “Lady and the Tramp” will premiere on Disney+ after the streaming service launches this fall.

  • ‘Willow’ Director Ron Howard in Talks for Disney+ Sequel Series

    ‘Willow’ Director Ron Howard in Talks for Disney+ Sequel Series

    Willow
    Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

    Disney is working on bringing a “Willow” sequel series to its new streaming service, Disney+, and the film’s director Ron Howard is involved.

    Howard said on MTV’s “Happy Sad Confused” podcast that “serious discussions” are underway. He also confirmed that Warwick Davis would return as Willow Ufgood, the Nelwyn dwarf and aspiring sorcerer at the center of the story. Both Howard and “Solo” writer Jonathan Kasdan are in talks for the project, Variety reports.

    “Willow” came out in 1988 and told the story of the titular character’s mission to protect an infant from an evil queen (Jean Marsh) after a prophecy said the baby girl would bring about the monarch’s downfall. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for its sound effects editing and its visual effects. Although it wasn’t a box office giant, it has become a cult classic.

    Given the enthusiasm of “Willow” fans, it seems the film could be a good candidate for a sequel series. Howard, for one, is excited about the idea. He said on “Happy Sad Confused” that he “really [hopes] we get the chance to see the mature Willow in action,” per Variety.

    If the series does move forward, it will join others on Disney+ that are based on existing properties, including the Star Wars series “The Mandalorian” and the sequel to “The Sandlot.” The service is slated to launch on Nov. 12.

    [via: Variety]

  • Natalie Portman Set to Narrate Disneynature Film ‘Dolphin Reef’

    Natalie Portman Set to Narrate Disneynature Film ‘Dolphin Reef’

    Natalie Portman in Vox Lux
    Neon

    The upcoming Disneynature film “Dolphin Reef” will feature the voice of an Academy Award winner.

    Natalie Portman is serving as the movie’s narrator. Disney+ announced the news Monday to coincide with Earth Day. The film is one of the projects that will debut on the new streaming service when it launches this fall.

    The dolphin-centric film features “Disneynature’s signature storytelling style,” per Disney, and is directed by “Bears” filmmaker Keith Scholey. It follows a young Pacific bottlenose dolphin named Echo who is dealing with growing up and the new responsibilities he’ll have to take on. We’ll see his story play out thanks to amazing underwater footage of the coral reef where he lives.

    Portman will be on hand to tell Echo’s story. This won’t be her first time narrating a documentary. She previously worked on PBS’s “The Armenian Genocide” and HBO’s “Hitler’s Pawn: The Margaret Lambert Story.” The actress most recently starred in “The Death & Life of John F. Donovan” and “Vox Lux.”

    The upcoming “Dolphin Reef” is one of many originals set to premiere on Disney+. The streaming service will offer fiction and nonfiction programming alike, plus old favorites.

    “Dolphin Reef” will premiere on Nov. 12, the same day when Disney+ launches.

  • Disney+ to Have ‘Dumbo’ Without Jim Crow Scene, No ‘Song of the South’

    Disney+ to Have ‘Dumbo’ Without Jim Crow Scene, No ‘Song of the South’

    Dumbo
    Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

    Disney is leaving some controversial parts of its past behind.

    When the streaming service Disney+ launches this fall, some work won’t be available on it. The 1946 film “Song of the South” is to be left off, a source told Boardwalk Times. Additionally, the “Dumbo” scene involving the bird Jim Crow will reportedly be edited out.

    “Song of the South” is set in the region during the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era, and although the film initially received accolades, it has since been criticized for how it depicts African Americans. The film hasn’t been released on home video in the United States, and in 2011, Disney CEO Bob Iger explained the reasoning, per THR. He said that he thought there were parts of the film that “wouldn’t necessarily sit right or feel right to a number of people today.”

    The same can be said for the “Dumbo” Jim Crow character. He alludes to a 19th century blackface character that inspired the segregation laws’ name, as Boardwalk Times notes. The bird was also absent from Disney’s new “Dumbo” by Tim Burton.

    Disney+ won’t have a shortage of entertainment options. There will be a variety of old classics and upcoming movies and series. It launches Nov. 12.

    [via: Boardwalk Times; THR]

  • Disney+ Streaming Service Launch Date and Pricing Revealed

    Disney+ Streaming Service Launch Date and Pricing Revealed

    Disney Plus logo
    Disney

    The Mouse House has been working hard on plans for its new streaming service Disney+, and now we finally know when we can expect it to debut. Disney announced the launch date and pricing information on Thursday.

    Disney+ will debut on Nov. 12, as Deadline reports. Subscribers will have the option of paying $6.99 per month or signing up for a full year for $69.99. The latter price breaks down to slightly less than $5.83 per month. The service will be free of ads, per CNN.

    The price is lower compared to the rates of competitor Netflix, which costs $8.99 per month for the basic plan. The cheapest Hulu plan is comparable at $5.99 per month. However, Disney has a majority stake in Hulu, and Kevin Mayer, chairman of the company’s direct-to-consumer unit, said Thursday that it is “likely” to offer a bundle with Hulu and/or ESPN+.

    The streamer’s catalog will include a lot of old favorites such as “The Simpsons,” and new shows are in the works, too. Projects as varied as a “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” prequel series and a “Monsters, Inc.” sequel series are reportedly in the works. Color us very intrigued.

    [via: Deadline; CNN]

  • ‘The Sandlot’ Series in the Works for Disney+

    ‘The Sandlot’ Series in the Works for Disney+

    The Sandlot
    20th Century Fox

    Heroes get remembered, so as far as movies go, 1993’s “The Sandlot” must be one of them. The sports comedy flick is reportedly being developed as a TV series for the new streaming service Disney+.

    The film’s director and co-writer David Mickey Evans is on board as a writer and executive producer, Variety reports. The new story will be set in 1984 and focus on a new group of children, per the publication’s intel. These kids will be the offspring of the original characters — a group of young baseball players who bonded in the summer of  1962 — meaning the stories will still be tied together.

    Evans opened up about the “Sandlot” series last week, revealing on The Rain Delay podcast that it had gotten a greenlight from a streaming service. He didn’t, however, name the service.

    “It takes place in 1984 when they’re all like 33 years old and they all have children of their own,” he said at the time. “And that’s all I can tell you.”

    That’s one mystery that’s solved now. We’ll look forward to getting more information in the coming months.

    [via: Variety]