While there has been chatter of late about a potential follow-up to the movie, it has taken an encouraging step forward, with writer/director Thomas Bezucha telling CNN that he’s writing a sequel.
(L to R): Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Elizabeth Reaser and Diane Keaton in ‘The Family Stone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
In the first film, Sybil and Kelly (Keaton and Craig T. Nelson) host their adult kids (Mulroney, McAdams, Luke Wilson and Elizabeth Reaser) for the holidays, as she prepares to tell the family about her terminal illness.
The visit is complicated by Everett’s (Mulroney) plans to propose to his high-strung girlfriend Meredith (Parker), of whom Sybil does not approve.
What did Bezucha say about the sequel?
(L to R): Diane Keaton, Tyrone Giordano, Claire Danes, Craig T. Nelson and Dermot Mulroney in ‘The Family Stone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
While Keaton’s character has passed away by the end of the movie (which shows the family a year later), Bezucha has said he fully intends it to honor Keaton, who herself died in October:
“I’ve been haunted by the loss of Sybil for months now while I worked on it, and so this was a blow on a tender bruise already. Mentally, I’ve been spending time in that house where I’ve been missing her for a while already.”
And he fully intends to have the original cast back, having reached out to them and received positive reactions (though no deals are done yet). He has said he also wants to do right by the surviving actors:
“I’m not interested in the Brady family reunion without the original Jan.”
When will the ‘Family Stone’ sequel be on screen?
With none of the acting deals signed and no official greenlight, we’ll have to wait and see when 20th Century Studios decides to make this one a reality.
(L to R): Rachel McAdams and Diane Keaton in ‘The Family Stone.’ Photo: 20th Century Fox.
Disney is fond of dipping into its back catalogue for sequels and remakes, and last year brought the witchy Sanderson sisters back for a second round of family-friendly dark magic in ‘Hocus Pocus 2’.
Now, buried in a New York Times profile of Sean Bailey, the veteran president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, comes word that a third ‘Hocus Pocus’ is in early development at the company.
1993’s original movie followed the chaos wrought by the Sanderson sisters –– Bette Midler’s Winifred, Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sarah and Kathy Najimy’s Mary –– after they are executed 300 years in the past for practicing what their fellow villagers contend is dark witchcraft.
Returning to life thanks to a combination of a spell spoken before their demise and the accidental actions of Max, the new kid in the town of Salem, the sisters have but one night to secure their continuing existence… Cue a lot of magical madness and cackling characters.
That movie was directed by Kenny Ortega, and while it didn’t exactly win over critics or cast a truly successful spell at the box office, it became a cult classic that families would watch each Halloween.
Disney had been flirting with the idea of a sequel for a few years, looking to key into the nostalgia for the original, but targeting Disney+ as the destination for the new movie.
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ landed on the streaming service last year, directed by Anne Fletcher, saw the Sanderson sisters returning again thanks to the accidental use of a black flame candle by teenager Becca (Whitney Peak), who is an aspiring witch.
Serving as both a sequel and a semi-reboot of the original, ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ suffered a similar fate as the original with critics, but proved to be a success among audiences, notching a Nielsen record for a streaming movie in its first weekend with 2.7 billion minutes views.
It’s hardly surprising that Disney would look to conjure something new up for the franchise, but right now details are thin on the ground.
We don’t for example, know if Midler, Parker and Najimy will be back, but we can’t really imagine a ‘Hocus Pocus’ movie without the main trio.
Still, talking with Variety around the time of the sequel’s launch, writer Jen D’Angelo revealed her hopes for the return of other characters from the original, including Omri Katz’s Max and Vinessa Shaw’s Allison Watts.
Here’s what she said:
“We tried so hard to get the original cast back for cameos and then it just kept not working out for one reason or the other. But I’m hoping in ‘Hocus Pocus 3,’ we’ll see Max and Alison living in California.”
There is no release date set yet for ‘Hocus Pocus 3’, since it’s still at an early stage.
After six seasons of the popular HBO series and two movies of vastly differing quality, ‘Sex and the City’ largely vanished from the zeitgeist for more than a decade. But it remained popular in syndication and the fanbase wanted to see the next stage of the characters, so creator Darren Star and executive producer Michael Patrick King brought the main stars back for ‘And Just Like That…’ with one major exception.
Kim Cattrall, who had played the sex-positive publicist Samantha Jones through the entire series and both movies, would not return for the new show. Now, though, that has changed.
Kim Cattrall stars in ‘About My Father,’ which is in theaters now.
What happened with Kim Cattrall and ‘Sex and the City’?
Cattrall made comments after the original show wrapped that her experience shooting had not always been positive, laying some of the blame at Sarah Jessica Parker’s feet.
The actor publicly announced in 2016 that she was finished playing Samantha when she didn’t feel like the script for a proposed third film did justice to the character. “I would have preferred for all of us to have some kind of event to warrant a third film,” Cattrall told Variety in 2022. “That didn’t happen.”
Her decision led to a further rift with Parker, and when ‘And Just Like That…’ was created, it was developed without Cattrall. King added new characters to the show, though the series itself and the new additions received some seriously mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
According to Variety’s sources, Cattrall shot her dialogue on March 22nd in New York City, without seeing or speaking with the stars of the series, including Sarah Jessica Parker, or with “And Just Like That” showrunner Michael Patrick King. The scene reportedly sees Samantha –– who in the show’s canon is now living in London –– having a phone conversation with Carrie.
The characters, who were written in the spin-off as estranged, reconnected at the end of Season One via text. This will mark Cattrall’s first –– and potentially only –– appearance on the new show.
(L to R) Kristin Davis, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon star in Max’s ‘And Just Like That…’ Photograph by Craig Blankenhorn / HBO Max.
The series follows the continuing stories of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte York (Kristin Davis) as they confronted the reality of 2020s New York and the vagaries of aging.
No longer the 30/40-somethings of the original series, they’re now confronted with shifting gender dynamics and, in Miranda and Charlotte’s cases, the challenges of raising teenagers.
Carrie, meanwhile, has her own issue to deal with when longtime paramour and husband of several years, John James Preston (Chris Noth) dies unexpectedly.
While she deals with that, Carrie’s storyline this year will include a reunion with old flame Aiden, played by John Corbett.
Season 2 of ‘And Just Like That…’ debuts on the Max streaming service on June 22nd.
‘And Just Like That…’season 2 premieres on Max beginning June 22nd. Photograph by Courtesy of Max.
Set twenty-nine years after the original in present day, the Sanderson sisters, including Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker) are back and causing havoc in Salem, Massachusetts.
Now, three young girls, Becca (Whitney Peak), Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), must team with Gilbert (Sam Richardson), a magic store owner, and Winnie’s former lover, Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones) in order to stop the Sanderson Sisters from killing the Mayor of Salem (Tony Hale), who is also Cassie’s dad.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Sam Richardson and Doug Jones about their work on ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ Richardson’s love for the original, what it was like for Jones to reprise his role, working with the witches, the challenges of playing a headless character, and how Gilbert betrays his friends’ trust.
(L to R) Sam Richardson and Doug Jones star in Disney+’s ‘Hocus Pocus 2.’
Moviefone: To begin with, Sam, were you a fan of the original movie, and what was it like for you to share the screen with the Sanderson sisters?
Sam Richardson: I wouldn’t say that I was a fan of the original, I would say that I was an uberfan and a true obsessed maniac for this movie. So, to get to work with them as a fan, it was a constant struggle to make sure that I was acting and not just being myself talking to these ladies. But it was such a treat. Luckily, Gilbert is a fan, so to wear that layer, about half the work was done for me over the course of 30 years.
MF: Doug, can you talk about returning to the franchise and reprising your role as Billy Butcherson, and what are the challenges physically of playing a headless character?
Doug Jones: Well, returning to the franchise was something I had hoped for but never thought possible. You never know. But as the fandom grew over the years to a point now where it is a part of everyone’s Halloween, our original fans have kids of their own that are now fans of the movie. So, it’s just grown and grown and grown, and because of that, and petitions online, they’re like, “We need a sequel.” Thank heaven for the fans that made this sequel happen.
And being headless is a part of the deal for Billy Butcherson, unfortunately. He’s strung together with dust, he can’t help himself and he’s been dead for 300 years. I’m surprised he’s even walking. So, you’ll see more things come apart on Billy in the sequel. It won’t let you down.
MF: Finally, Sam, can you talk about Gilbert’s friendship with Becca, Cassie, and Izzy, and how he betrays their trust?
SR: Gilbert owns the magic shop, which is the witches’ original home. Gilbert’s magic shop is the place where the girls frequent, and he’s sort of a mentor to them in the magical arts and such. So, he’s a person that they trust, but then Gilbert surreptitiously uses their love of magic to bring these witches back. That betrayal is something he immediately regrets, seeing what he’s wrought upon the world, but also, he’s trying to fix this thing and sort apologize to the girls, and then to apologize to Billy.
DJ: He betrayed me, too. Let’s be honest.
SR: He’s in over his head, no pun intended. He’s just always at the back on his heels from the start of the movie on. It was a fun thing to play with in this movie.
Releasing on Disney+ September 30th, ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is aiming to work on several fronts: as a sequel to Disney’s 1993 fantasy comedy and as a family-friendly entry in a Halloween movie marathon.
It is admirably successful in both efforts.
The original ‘Hocus Pocus’, directed by Kenny Ortega, spun the yarn of the Sanderson sisters – Bette Midler’s sarcastic Winifred, Kathy Najimy’s goofy Mary and Sarah Jessica Parker’s ditzy Sarah – who, legend tells, were hung in the town of Salem as witches. Swearing that they will return for retribution, they cast a curse upon Salem.
Accidentally resurrected through use of a black flame candle, they end up causing fresh chaos in the town for one night in 1993 before the coming sunrise banishes them once more.
That film wasn’t exactly beloved by critics and didn’t cast that much of a spell at the box office. Yet despite that, it has grown into a cult favorite in the years since, regularly finding a slot on Halloween re-watches largely because it’s the sort of supernatural fantasy that works, boosted by the playing-to-the-back-of-the-theater gusto of Midler in particular.
With Anne Fletcher in the director’s chair this time around, the story is set in the present day, when Salem still goes big for Halloween, and the legend of the Sanderson sisters lingers on through costumes and magic shop owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson), who loves to tell their story on the small makeshift stage in his store.
Yet the initial focus is on teens Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo), who are planning their annual ritual for the former’s birthday. Normally involving a movie marathon and “witchy stuff” (according to a mocking classmate) their celebrations are muted by cooling relations with the third member of their friendship trio, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), who nabbed herself a cool boyfriend and seems less interested in hanging with her old pals.
When Gilbert gifts Becca a black flame candle, she and Izzy head to the local woods to light it and enact their usual ceremony – but you can guess what happens. With the Sandersons back in town (and determined not to be undone by pesky teenagers or sunlight this time around), their plan is to gather the items they need to cast a powerful spell that will grant them ultimate witchy power.
Becca and Izzy, then, must try to stop them, with an assist from Billy Butcherson (a returning Doug Jones), the zombified remains of Winifred’s one true love, though he argues they shared “but one kiss”.
And before any of this happens, there is a charming prologue set in 1653 featuring younger versions of the Sandersons (Taylor Henderson, Nina Kitchen and Juju Journey Brener) first embracing their supernatural destiny with the help of a scene-stealing Hannah Waddingham (best known for playing Rebecca Welton on ‘Ted Lasso’), who is honestly so entertaining in her brief role that you almost wish the screenplay had found some way for her to appear more.
Yet the big selling point remains Midler and co. camping it up as the witchy trio, clearly having a blast returning to their roles. The script by Jen D’Angelo gives them plenty to get their teeth into (a plus when you consider the choppers on Winifred), keeping the characters in line with how people remember them but given them new things to do.
Whether it’s finding new things to use as brooms to fly upon (Sarah grabs a Swiffer WetJet, Mary a pair of misbehaving Roombas) or figuring that an Alexa is really a women trapped in a box), they’re a constant, campy delight, infecting the rest of the cast with that sense of wacky joy.
Peak and Escobedo are likeable, down-to-earth leads who play well off the bigger performances of the witches as they desperately try to fix the havoc that has been caused.
Amusing set-pieces such as an early one set in a Walgreens (where Becca and Izzy try to convince the trio that they don’t need to consume young souls to stay youthful, because make-up products in modern-day America are bursting with the essence of babies) and one at the local Halloween carnival (with the sisters once again given a chance to sing).
Most smartly, the film has assembled a top-notch comedy cast to support the stars – Richardson is a lively and funny Gilbert while Tony Hale throws himself into the dual role of the witch-hunting Reverend Traske (in the prologue) and his descendent, the fun-loving Mayor Traske (who naturally factors into the Sandersons’ plan in the present day).
Jones, meanwhile, gets to wheel out his faux British accent as Billy, this time handed more of a backstory and allowed plenty of space for the actor’s spot-on physical comedy chops.
It’s another fairly straight-forward story, of course, but underpinned by a healthy emotional arc for Midler, particularly near the end as the true consequences of her achieving ultimate power are revealed.
Effects-wise, it was never going to challenge big screen efforts in terms of quality, but that just adds to the kitsch value and helps make the movie feel more of a piece with the original.
This is the refreshing legacy sequel that doesn’t try to remake the original and, while it naturally goes down a similar route, finds enough fresh magic to sprinkle across the story. Fans of the first film will enjoy the callbacks (which are used sparingly and well) and those who’ve never seen that movie can enjoy this one without needing to have caught up.
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ is cheesy, silly and straightforwardly funny in a way that both honors and, at times, bests the original.
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ receives 4 out of 5 stars.
(L to R) Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ which will cast a spell on Disney+ on September 30th.
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Walt Disney Studios kicked off the first day of D23 Expo 2022 in style today with tons of advance looks at what the House of Mouse has in store for fans in the coming days, months, and years. You can watch Moviefone‘s exclusive backstage interviews by clicking on the video player above.
The first D23 Expo in three years began with the president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, Sean Bailey, revealing the first-ever footage from ‘Hocus Pocus 2’.
Bailey was joined by the wacky Sanderson Sisters themselves – stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy – who appeared via video to show how their characters are back for the first time since 1993 for more soul-stealing Halloween action.
Battling them this time around are aspiring witch Becca (Whitney Peak) and magic shop owner Gilbert (Sam Richardson).
But the audience’s biggest applause went to the original film’s Billy Butcherson (‘The Shape of Water’s Doug Jones) upon his return from the grave. ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ hits Disney+ on September 30th. The trailer is in the video player above.
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Next up on the panel was another eagerly anticipated sequel, ‘Disenchanted’. Returning stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Idina Menzel, and James Marsden took the stage, alongside Maya Rudolph, the film’s new villain. ‘Disenchanted’ finds Adams’ Giselle and hubby Dempsey moving to the suburbs with their infant and teenage children.
“I was a huge fan of the original,” said Rudolph. “I can’t believe I got to be part of this… It’s not easy being mean to Amy Adams.” The new teaser trailer for the sequel is in the video player above.
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As far as live-action remakes of Disney animated classics go, ‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ was the first on deck today: with star Jude Law (Captain Hook) flanked by newcomers Alexander Molony (Peter Pan), Ever Gabo Anderson (Wendy), and Alyssa Wapanatâhk (Tiger Lily).
Expect more empowered female characters this time around, including at least one Lost Girl among Peter’s Lost Boys.
“Disney has worked very hard to give her more depth and a lot more character,” said Anderson of Wendy. “She and Peter are equals in this film.”
Law added that Hook and Pan’s prior relationship is also fleshed out. “We got to mine their back story a little bit more. You get to understand their past,” he said, hinting that the two were once friends.
“I got to make sure all the little details, all the Easter eggs are there. Because I’m a nerd,” confessed Simien. He then joined another of the film’s stars – scream queen Jamie Lee Curtis – in a Doom Buggy rolling across the D23 Expo stage.
Few Disney films are so beloved as 1994’s ‘The Lion King’. And fans will get more of the film’s animal kingdom in the 2024 prequel ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’.
Director Barry Jenkins appeared to explain how “Mufasa is the origin story of one of the greatest kings of the Pride Land… It’s the real story of how Mufasa found his place in the circle of life. What you learn is that Mufasa is great because of the family and the friends he has with him.”
Of course Disney Studios wouldn’t exist without its very first animated classic, 1937’s ‘Snow White’.
Director Marc Webb is tackling the live-action 2024 remake, featuring Gal Gadot as the Wicked Queen and Rachel Zegler as its eponymous heroine. The two were touched by the warm response they received as they presented a first look at their characters.
“Just your reaction means the world to us,” said Gadot.
A visibly moved Zegler explained that, “Snow White is the girl you remember, but she’s definitely made for the modern age,” stating the film redefines what it means to be the fairest of them all.
Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot at Disney D23 Expo 2022 Getty Images
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While ‘Snow White’ is Disney’s first animated feature, 1989’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ is responsible for the studio’s renaissance. As well as its renewed dedication to musicals, as Rob Marshall, director of May 2023’s live-action adaptation, reminded fans today.
“It was very important for us to honor the original. We went to Alan Menken, who was divine to work with, and also our dear friend Lin-Manuel Miranda. They had never worked together before… There are four new songs. We still retain the beauty of the original score, written by the late great Howard Ashman as well.”
Fans were treated to the film’s entire “Part of Your World” number, featuring a note-perfect Halle Bailey, who appeared on stage with Marshall.
“Three days of filming ‘Part of Your World,’” said Bailey, “that was the most beautiful experience of my life. Just getting to sing a song I’ve loved since I was a child was so exciting.”
“The camera loves you,” Marshall told Bailey. “But it’s more than that. [It] loves what’s inside. [It] loves what you bring.”
The two then unveiled a teaser that recalled ‘Finding Nemo’ in the color and detail of its underwater world. You can find a teaser version of the clip in the video player at the top of the page.
It was then time for Pixar Animation Studios’ turn in the spotlight, with chief creative officer Pete Docter introducing next summer’s ‘Elemental’.
Director Peter Sohn spoke of how the film’s Element City was inspired by the culturally mixed New York of his childhood. Footage shown depicted the star-crossed romance of its fire-based heroine Ember (Leah Lewis) and her watery boyfriend Wade (Mamoudou Athie).
Pixar also unveiled its first original long-form series in the form of ‘Win or Lose’, each episode of which follows the perspective of a different character connected to a co-ed softball team, the Pickles.
With this year’s ‘Lightyear’, Pixar returned to the science fiction of ‘Wall-E’. Expect more in this vein soon, starting with ‘Elio’.
Announced today at D23 with star America Ferrera on stage, the film’s title character is an 11-year-old boy who doesn’t feel like he fits in his world. His mom (Ferrera) runs a top-secret military project, which inadvertently results in Elio making first contact with alien life and becoming our planet’s ambassador to the rest of the universe. It’s due out in spring 2024.
Last but by no means least on the Pixar slate – ‘Inside Out’ star Amy Poehler made a surprise appearance alongside Docter to announce ‘Inside Out 2’.
“Joy and the emotions are back for an all new adventure inside Riley’s head,” said a fittingly ebullient Poehler. “Only this time she’s a teenager!”
New emotions will also appear in the film, as Kelsey Mann takes over the directing chores from Docter, with Meg LeFauve returning to write the summer 2024 release.
To cap off the panel, Disney Animation’s chief creative officer (and Oscar-winning ‘Frozen’ director) Jennifer Lee greeted the D23 Expo audience to show what’s in store for the studio’s 100th anniversary next year.
But first, Disney’s fan-favorite 2016 ‘Zootopia’ will get a spin-off series this November on Disney+. And attendees got an advance look at the aptly titled ‘Zootopia+’, consisting of six short ‘Zootopia’-style spoofs of everything from ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ to ‘The Godfather Part II’.
Perhaps Disney’s most unique offering at the Expo was ‘Iwaju’. Coming this year to Disney+, it finds the animation studio partnering for the first time in its long history with an overseas animation studio – Africa’s Kugali. Its three founders appeared today, describing their Afrofuturism fable and its characters as a love letter to their hometown of Lagos, Nigeria.
More sci-fi arrived with a new look at ‘Strange World’, described by Lee as “a film about family, legacy, and what we leave behind for the generations that follow.” Director Don Hall explained how the film chronicles three generations coming together on an alien planet in order to save their world.
Stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, and Lucy Liu introduced a rip-snorting clip of an exciting chase through ‘Strange World’s creature-packed planet.
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The Disney Animation segment, and indeed entire panel, concluded with the revelation of the studio’s 100th anniversary feature film – ‘Wish’. The tale of the star upon which so many Disney characters have wished throughout the past century, ‘Wish’ is co-directed by the attending team of Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn.
Buck, who co-wrote the film with Lee, explained how ‘Wish’ explores a kingdom of wishes, in which wishes can literally come true. Offering a lush, animated watercolor style coupled with CG animation, it stars newly minted Oscar winner Ariana DeBose as 17-year-old Asha, who pleas to the heavens for help, and gets an actual star from the sky, named Star, who communicates through pantomime.
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Disney “good luck charm,” actor Alan Tudyk appeared with footage of his character, a goat named Valentino who wishes to communicate with people. Finally, DeBose saw fans off with a sizzling live performance of “More for Us,” one of the film’s songs by Grammy winner Julia Michaels.
Lock up your children! The Sanderson sisters are back! Yes, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy, who last played the witchy siblings back in 1993’s ‘Hocus Pocus’, have officially returned to cause more mayhem, as the first teaser trailer reveals.
Here’s the story: It’s been 29 years since someone lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the 17th-century sisters, and they are looking for revenge. Now it is up to three high-school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow’s Eve.
As mentioned, the story focus on the teens who unwittingly bring the sisters back – Whitney Peak’s Becca, Belissa Escobedo’s Izzy and Lilia Buckingham’s Cassie – who discover the candle and light it as part of Becca’s birthday ritual, hoping to activate witchy powers and getting far more than they bargained for. They probably should have just stuck with watching scary movies.
For Richardson, recently seen in ‘The Tomorrow War’ and ‘The Afterparty’, it was a dream come true to act with the original ‘Hocus’ cast. I’m an absolute super fan of the original,” he told ET Online. “I grew up watching that movie. Being in the sequel is so surreal and incredible. To work with the ladies is so… I don’t want to use the word surreal again but I’m outside of myself when I’m doing these scenes. I’m like, ‘This is them!’ They are the characters. The Sanderson sisters, you know, are like there, doing their spells and I have a grin on my face!”
There has been talk of a sequel for years now, with rumors and speculation flying faster than a witch on a broom. But it only really took a step into reality at Disney’s Investor Day in 2020. Though Midler, Jessica Parker and Najimy did slip back into character for a virtual charity event in October that year.
Adam Shankman was attached at one point, though his duties on another Disney sequel, ‘Disenchanted’, kept him from taking part. “As heartbroken as I am that I won’t be able to direct my friends Bette, Sarah Jessica and Kathy in what is sure to be nothing short of a major event for Disney+ due to scheduling conflicts, I couldn’t be more pleased to be handing over the reins to Anne, who has brought so much laughter and joy into people’s lives with her previous work,” Shankman said in a statement at the time. “I am still grateful and proud to help shepherd this ingenious project as executive producer.
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ will arrive on Disney+ on September 30th, just in time for the prime Halloween viewing period.
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ will arrive on Disney+ on September 30th.
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‘Disenchanted’ will arrive on Disney+ around Thanksgiving.
What exactly does happen once fairytale characters get their “Happily Ever After”? If the new sequel ‘Disenchanted’ is to be believed, it’s not always completely happy.
The follow-up to 2007’s fairytale tweak ‘Enchanted’ reunites us with Amy Adams’ cartoon kingdom resident Giselle 10 years after finding love with Patrick Dempsey’s real-world lawyer Robert. They’re living in fantasy kingdom Andalasia with his daughter Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) and move to a new house in the suburb of Monroeville.
The community is overseen by Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph), who has nefarious intentions for the family. When problems arise, Giselle wishes that their lives were the perfect fairy tale. The spell backfires, with Giselle rushing to save her family and her homeland of the Kingdom of Andalasia before the clock strikes midnight…
Yes, definitely plenty of comical potential there. James Marsden and Idina Menzel are also back as Prince Edward and Nancy Tremaine, while the cast now includes Jayma Mays, Kolton Stewart and Oscar Nuñez. The tunes – since a big part of ‘Enchanted’s appeal was its Disney fairytale-spoofing music – are once again courtesy of composing legend Alan Menken.
(L to R) Amy Adams and Maya Rudolph in Disney+’s ‘Disenchanted.’ Photo courtesy of Disney.
This movie has faced some real challenges on its trip to screens, a veritable magical thorn forest that has seen filmmakers come and go. Which is a little surprising, since the original film was a hit for Disney.
First announced in 2010 with Jessie Nelson writing the screenplay and ‘The Proposal’s Anne Fletcher directing, it lingered in development until 2014, when J. David Stem and David N. Weiss took over scripting, while Fletcher remained in the director’s chair.
In 2016, along came ‘A Walk to Remember’ and ‘Hairspray’ director Adam Shankman, but thanks to continuing script wrangling, it wasn’t officially announced until December 2020 and thanks to the less-than-fairytale pandemic, was delayed further until production kicked off in May last year, with sets built in Ireland.
‘Disenchanted’ will arrive on Disney+ around Thanksgiving.
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And in related Disney+ – and Adam Shankman – news, the company also announced that another sequel project he’s involved with (as executive producer this time), ‘Hocus Pocus 2’ will arrive on the streaming service later this year.
This one, directed by Anne Fletcher (did they just swap directing gigs?) sees the return of the cackling Sanderson sisters, played once more by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy.
(L to R) Kathy Najimy, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ which will cast a spell on Disney+ on September 30th.
After seemingly being vanquished way back in the 1993 original, the sisters are brought back when a trio of girls unwittingly light the Black Flame candle, resulting in fresh chaos for the residents of Salem.
Doug Jones is back as the zombified Billy Butcherson, while the cast also includes Tony Hale, ‘The Afterparty’s Sam Richardson and RuPaul’s Drag Race’ queens Ginger Minj, Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté, and Kahmora Hall, who play drag versions of the sisters in a show within the film where the real witches show up. Can’t wait to see what they make of that…
‘Hocus Pocus 2’ will cast a spell on Disney+ on September 30th.
On Friday, November 12th, Disney+ celebrated its second anniversary with Disney+ Day, where they announced literally dozens of upcoming series from Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar and more. The presentations, which include some new clips, first looks, and upcoming announcements, can currently be viewed on Disney+, but Moviefone is here to break it all down for you.
MARVEL
The Marvel video presentation, which is now available on Disney+, begins with recaps of all the 2021 Marvel series that have been released so far including ‘WandaVision,’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,’ ‘Loki,’ and ‘What If…?’ Then we get an extended trailer for ‘Hawkeye,’ which drops on November 24th. We also got to see a full scene from the show, which involves Jeremey Renner’s Hawkeye and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop stealing a car and then getting into a chase while Hawkeye teaches Kate how to use his trick arrows. The sequence is one continuous shot, ending with the two heroes swinging off of a bridge on to a moving train.
The official synopsis for the series confirms that it is set in a post-blip New York City and follows Clint Barton on a seemingly simple mission to get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with 22-year-old skilled archer Kate Bishop to unravel a criminal conspiracy. In addition to Renner and Stanfield, the series also features Vera Farmiga (‘The Departed’), Brian d’Arcy James (‘Spotlight’) and Florence Pugh reprising her ‘Black Widow’ role as Yelena Belova.
The video presentation also includes fans first look at Oscar Isaac in ‘Moon Knight.’ The series will follow the story of this complex vigilante who suffers from dissociative identity disorder. The multiple identities that live inside him find themselves thrusted into a deadly war of the Gods against the backdrop of modern and ancient Egypt. The clips basically show Isaac’s Marc Spencer being tortured by his dreams, with the character’s voice-over explaining that to the audience. We only get very quick glimpses of Isaac in the Moon Knight outfit, but the presentation ends with him in full costume jumping off of rooftops with the Moon lit full behind him. Actor Ethan Hawke is also set to appear as the show’s big bad.
We also got new footage from the upcoming series, ‘She-Hulk.’ The teaser is narrated by Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, as she explains that she is a lawyer but also, something else. There is a quick body shot of Jennifer fully-green with her comic book accurate costume, although it cuts away before we see She-Hulk’s face. We also get two glimpses of Mark Ruffalo, who returns as Jennifer’s cousin, Bruce Banner/Hulk.
The first scene shows Bruce experimenting on Jennifer when she is just a child, presumably in a flashback, but what is interesting is that he is Smart Hulk in this scene. Since ‘Shang-Chi’ gave us an end-credit scene that revealed that at some point after the events of ‘Avengers: Endgame,’ Smart Hulk reverted back to Bruce, it makes you wonder if this scene takes place between ‘Endgame’ and ‘Shang-Chi.’ If that is the case, and Jennifer was a child during that time period, it makes you wonder if the bulk of the series itself will make a time jump and take place decades after ‘Endgame’? We also get a clip that looks more like a commercial, with Jennifer and Bruce dressed in retro clothes and Jennifer saying, “”Don’t make me angry, you wouldn’t like me when I’m angry,” which is clearly a nod to the 1970’s series, The Incredible Hulk.
The last series to get new footage in the video presentation was ‘Ms. Marvel,’ which stars Iman Vellani as 16-year-old Kamala Khan. A Pakistani American and a fan-girl of the Avengers, Kamala is overjoyed when she discovers she has superpowers, and now must use them to find her place in the world. The footage shows her revealing her iconic mask for the first time and ends with Kamala standing on a New Jersey rooftop wearing a Captain Marvel Halloween Costume and preparing to use her powers to fly for the first time. Vellani is set to reprise her role, along with Teyonah Parris from ‘WandaVision’ and Brie Larson, in the upcoming feature film, ‘The Marvels.’
But that’s not it! Marvel also announced a slew of new upcoming shows, some of which had been rumored, and also confirmed that ‘Loki’ and ‘What If…?’ will be getting second seasons. In fact, ‘What If…?’ will also be getting a spinoff with the new animated series ‘Marvel Zombies,’ which imagines a world where Marvel’s heroes have been turned into the undead. Staying with animation, Disney+ also announced a sequel to the classic 90’s animated X-Men series entitled ‘X-Men ’97,’ as well as ‘Spider-Man: Freshman Year,’ which will look at Peter Parker’s first year in high school, and ‘I Am Groot,’ a series of original shorts starring everyone’s favorite sentient tree.
On the live-action side, ‘Secret Invasion’ was confirmed, which is based on the popular Marvel Comics series. The show will bring Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos back together to fight a faction of shape-shifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years. Also confirmed were ‘Echo,’ which will star Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, who will be introduced in ‘Hawkeye,’ and James Gunn will write and direct ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.’
Marvel also announced two new series based on the Iron Man franchise. First is ‘Armor Wars,’ which will star Don Cheadle reprising his role as War Machine. The second is ‘Ironheart,’ a series that will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, a genius inventor who creates the most advanced suit of armor since Iron Man. Finally, Marvel confirmed the recent rumor that Kathryn Hahn will reprise her ‘WandaVision’ role as Agatha Harkness in her own series, which will be called ‘Agatha: House of Harkness.’
LUCASFILM
While there was no new footage included, fans got their first look at the making of the upcoming Star Wars series, ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’ The video is narrated by director Debbie Chow and actor Ewan McGregor and explains what fans can expect from the new series. “For this character to come back, the fans have been waiting long enough,” said McGregor. Chow explained that this is a “dark time,” for Kenobi and that it is “not safe” for him with “Jedi hunters” on the rise. McGregor said that his character has one task, which is “to keep Luke safe,” but Chow explained how that is just a starting point for the series.
“The most beautiful thing of all is that it has brought me back together with Hayden,” McGregor said about the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. “We couldn’t tell the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi without addressing Anakin or Darth Vader,” added Chow. We are then given some behind the scenes shots of McGregor at rehearsal practicing his lightsaber skills. “To have another swing at each other, might be quite satisfying for everybody,” the actor teased in closing.
Disney+ also released a Boba Fett documentary called ‘Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett.’ It is mostly a “history of the character” video and does not include any new footage from the upcoming series ‘The Book of Boba Fett,’ which premieres on December 29th.
Finally, the presentation included a video from the set of the new series ‘Willow,’ which is based on the 1988 Ron Howard-directed and George Lucas-produced movie. The film’s star, Warwick Davis returns as the title character, and introduced the cast that includes Ruby Cruz (‘Mare of Easttown’), Erin Kellyman (‘The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’), and Tony Revolori (‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’). The video was done “tongue in cheek” with Davis playing a version of his arrogant ‘Life’s Too Short’ character and getting upset when the younger cast can’t remember the original film and begin to question why anyone would want a sequel series!
PIXAR
Unfortunately, Pixar did not have a lot to announce outside of a Cars-based animated series called ‘Cars on the Road,’ which will feature Owen Wilson and Larry the Cable Guy reprising their roles as Lightning McQueen and Mater, respectively. Other announcements from the animation company included behind the scenes documentaries for the upcoming feature films ‘Turning Red’ and ‘Lightyear,’ as well as a new series called ‘Win or Lose,’ which is an animated show that will highlight the perspectives of different characters as a middle school coed softball team prepares for their championship game.
DISNEY STUDIOS AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
On the Disney Studios side, a remake of ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ was announced, which will star Gabrielle Union (‘Bad Boys II’) and Zach Braff (‘Oz the Great and Powerful’) and is set to premiere in March 2022. ‘Enchanted’ fans will be happy to learn that the long-awaited sequel, ‘Disenchanted’ will hit the streaming network in the fall of 2022 and once again star Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey. It was also announced that comedians John Mulaney and Andy Samberg will star in the new live-action/CG animation film entitled ‘Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers,’ which is based on Disney’s popular chipmunk characters and will premiere in the spring of 2022.
Director Robert Zemeckis’ ‘Pinocchio,’ based on the Disney animated classic, will bow in the fall of 2022 as well, and stars Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo, and Luke Evans, with the voices of Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan-Michael Key and Lorraine Bracco. Also premiering in the fall of 2022, just in time for Halloween, is ‘Hocus Pocus 2,’ which is a sequel to the cult classic 1990’s movie. Returning stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are all set to reprise their roles as the Sanderson sisters in the new sequel. A new clip from Peter Jackson’s upcoming documentary, ‘The Beatles: Get Back’ was also released featuring the legendary band performing “I Got a Feeling” in rare behind the scenes footage. The three-part documentary launches on Disney+ November 25th.
Disney also announced a new series based on the beloved best-selling novels ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles,’ as well as animated spinoff series from some of their most popular films, including Baymax from ‘Big Hero Six,’ Tiana from ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ and’ Zootopia+,’ which opens up the world of ‘Zootopia.’ They also announced ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,’ which will star Simon Pegg as his ‘Ice Age: Collision Course’ character.
Finally, National Geographic announced a new six-part series for 2022 called ‘Limitless’ with Chris Hemsworth. The series will follow the ‘Thor’ actor as he helps viewers discover the full potential of the human body. Nat Geo also announced a series called ‘Welcome to Earth,’ which is set to premiere on Disney+ next month. The series will be hosted by Will Smith as he encounters Earth’s greatest wonders.
Season 3 of the HBO series will be the final one, Deadline reports. There are only six episodes, and the first will air Monday, July 1. The comedy-drama will continue to follow the journey of exes Frances and Robert, who are played by Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church.
Parker, one of the show’s producers told Deadline that she was “satisfied and pleased” with Season 3. She also explained that they made just six episodes because of “a confluence of things,” including “scheduling and complicated lives and actors.” Although it makes the third season the shortest yet, she indicated they were confident that six episodes would be enough to do the story justice.
“Divorce” may be ending, but the relationship Parker and her production company, Pretty Matches, and HBO is certainly not. They have a longstanding first-look deal, and HBO’s executive vice president of programming, Amy Gravitt, said she and the network “look forward to [their] next endeavor” with Parker and Pretty Matches.
The final season of “Divorce” kicks off at Monday, July 1.
