Category: Disney News

Disney has picked Lasse Hallström to direct The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, a live-action adaptation of the classic Christmas story. Amazingly, this is a live-action project that isn’t simply another take on one of its classic animated features.

Hallström (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen) will direct a script from Ashleigh Powell. We have no real details yet, but this is the first Disney announcement in ages that actually feels like it could be exciting and new.

Disney did have an animated Nutcracker short and used Tchaikovsky’s music in one of the Fantasia pieces, but they have never done a full-length adaptation before. Which is odd, because The Nutcracker is kind of perfect for Disney. It’s got a young female lead, a fantastical land, an evil villain and a love story — one that, in the ETA Hoffman version, also included a curse.

All of that works beautifully with the Disney aesthetic and isn’t something they have done before. I’m positively giddy at the idea of a Nutcracker adaptation that’s as beautiful-looking as Cinderella. The costumes alone!

And thank goodness for a live-action Disney project that doesn’t feel like they’re just phoning it in.

SOURCE

We’ve been here before. Big Marvel-or-Star-Wars thing comes out, new line of merchandise gets released — and the whole thing is a big, old sausage party.

The latest example is a new line of Disney Infinity figures, to be released in conjunction with the upcoming Marvel Battlegrounds playset. Ant-Man, Black Panther and “black suit” Spider-Man are all accounted for and draped in their Captain America: Civil War duds. But for some reason, noted #TeamCap member Scarlet Witch is a big no-show.
To be clear: This is just the first wave of game figures. Female characters are already well-represented in Disney Infinity, and we’ll probably see Scarlet Witch at some point. This wouldn’t be such a depressing turn of events…if similar situations didn’t keep coming up again and again with Marvel and Star Wars stuff.

First, Gamora was absent from the Guardians of the Galaxy toy line. Then Black Widow was left out from The Avengers: Age of Ultron toy line. Then she was nowhere to be found on the Ultron home video cover art.

That’s just Marvel. Over in Star Wars land, there was the whole #WheresRey mess, in which Rey — the most important new character in Star Wars: The Force Awakens — was left out of an action figure collection that nonetheless had enough space for a nameless Stormtrooper.

#WheresRey came up again, a few weeks after The Force Awakens came out, when Rey was excluded from a Monopoly set. Though to Hasbro’s credit, steps were quickly taken to add Rey to the box.

Marvel addressed all of this in a statement issued to Mashable.

“Interest in our female Super Heroes has never been greater, and we have been moving on all fronts to meet demand. Earlier this week we launched our first ever ‘Women of Power’ initiative that will feature some of our most popular female characters across publishing and games, and our most extensive line of Black Widow product will be hitting shelves in the next few weeks.

“For newer characters such as Vision and Scarlet Witch, we are rolling out select merchandise programs initially with plans to expand them as they gain in popularity.”

All of that is encouraging — particularly the “Women of Power” initiative. But for the moment, it’s hard not to feel like Marvel and Star Wars playtime is a boys’ club. A lot of people would like to see that change.

SOURCE

Walt Disney Co. shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of the media giant’s board of directors and its recommendations at its annual meeting Thursday, showing support despite a recent downturn in its stock price.

Nine members of the board of directors were re-elected and two, wealth-management executive Maria Elena Lagomasino and Nike Inc. Chief Executive Mark Parker, were elected for the first time. All 11 received at least 94% support among votes cast before the meeting.

Shareholders supported a nonbinding resolution supporting Disney’s executive compensation with 84.6% support.

Shareholder-introduced resolutions to change the board’s voting rules and require more transparency on corporate lobbying were voted down, with 34.8% and 27.1% support, respectively. Disney’s board had opposed both resolutions.

Also at the meeting, held in Chicago, Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Iger said that Disney is starting work on two new cruise ships that are scheduled to debut in 2021 and 2023, adding to its current fleet of four. The company’s last two cruise ships cost nearly $1 billion each to build. That business has been performing well, reaching its best-ever performance for the media giant’s first quarter, which ended Jan. 2, because of higher ticket prices and onboard spending.

Mr. Iger also said December’s hit movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” will be available for digital purchase on April 1, followed by a release on DVD and Blu-ray disc April 5. The home entertainment launch of the movie, which grossed more than $2 billion world-wide and a record-setting $927 million in the U.S. and Canada, should be a major revenue driver for Disney’s film division.

Answering shareholder questions, Mr. Iger continued his continuing defense of the strength and future potential for Disney’s ESPN, despite investor concerns about subscriber losses and the deteriorating cable bundle.

“Will it grow how it did the last 15 to 20 years into the future? Probably not,” he said. “But it should still deliver growth into the future.”

ESPN-related concerns have been the main driver of a 19% drop in Disney’s stock price since August. Disney shares were up 1% at $98.39 in midafternoon trading on Thursday.

SOURCE

Scarlet Witch may be appearing in Captain America: Civil War on May 6th, but for some reason the new Avengers superhero is absent from the Disney Infinity toy set. The first trailer for the new Infinity play set includes Black Panther, Ant-Man, Vision, an updated Captain America, and Spider-Man donning a black suit, but it did not showcase any female characters, Fusion first reported.

It’s not the first time Marvel has put a female superhero on the back burner. Black Widow, the Marvel universe veteran who has appeared in several Avengers films, had a bleak launch and was hard to find in stores. The lack of attention toward Black Widow even drew criticism from one of the biggest members of the Avengers. Mark Ruffalo, also known as The Incredible Hulk, asked Marvel on Twitter to expand its lineup for his daughters and nieces. Disney responded, and plans to release more Black Widow merchandise this year across several product lines. The company is also working on a “Women of Power” initiative to highlight female characters on comic book covers and in games, as competitor DC Comics plans to release a “DC Super Hero Girls” toy line at Target.

Toy companies are realizing that they can’t avoid talking about diversity and offering it in their products. Hasbro learned a hard lesson when it left the hero of the new Star Warsmovie, Rey, out of a board game. The company said it did so to avoid spoilers, but critics rejected that flimsy claim and demanded a Star Wars game that includes the film’s female protagonist. Even director JJ Abrams said leaving out Rey was “preposterous and wrong.”

FEMALE SUPERHERO TOYS REMAIN A RARITY

Black Widow and and Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Gamora action figures are the only two female characters to ever feature amongst the 28 characters in the past editions of Disney Infinity play sets. The newest rollout includes no women —  at least, not at the time of launch. Marvel’s films may be getting better about representation, but in the meantime the Infinity toy lineup could use some attention.

SOURCE

Disney CEO Bob Iger reported Thursday that the company’s stock had outperformed the stock market by more than four-fold over the last decade and promised the best is yet to come, with a string of attractive new offerings looming on the near horizon — from the April 1 release via digital streaming of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to the June 16 opening of Disney’s new Shanghai theme park to the recent commissioning of two new Disney cruise ships.

Iger said the company’s strategy of focusing on unique intellectual properties and first-rate storytelling was powering it to record results across all its divisions. Another winning set of numbers: For the 10th consecutive quarter, the Walt Disney Company delivered double-digit growth in Earnings Per Share (EPS), which increased in February to $1.73 from $1.27 in the prior-year quarter. Overall shareholder returns for the last 10 years were 393%, Iger said, compared to 96% for the S&P 500.

In most categories and operating units, Disney jumped double digits on both the top and bottom line in its most recent quarter — including revenue, operating income, net income and free cash flow. The company’s studio entertainment unit saw revenue spike 46% to more than $2.7 billion, with cash flow up a whopping 86%, to more than $1 billion.

Iger has credited much of the recent boost to the “phenomenal” success of “Star Wars,” coming off the December release of “The Force Awakens,” the first episode in the Lucasfilm space opera to be produced since the company became a Disney subsidiary in 2012.

“Ten years ago, we set out to differentiate our company and to build a strong foundation of growth so that Disney will continue to be the preeminent entertainment company in the world for generations to come,” Iger said. “So, we continually strive to create long terms opportunities … to strive in a world where change is a constant.”

The company had few laggards, but one area of concern continued to be broadcast and cable television, where income declined in the single digits due to a dip in the number of subscribers, higher sports programming costs and unfavorable foreign currency translation impacts. Investors continued to voice concern about the future of ESPN, the sports cable juggernaut that recently has seen some slippage in subscriptions.

As he has in many of his public appearances over the last year, Iger on Thursday said the ESPN brand continues to be a power. He said that 200 million consumers connect to the sports network via one or more platforms each month, with 90 million per month receiving the sports network via their cable packages. “Those people consistently say it’s the most valuable channel in the lineup, and so do the cable companies,” Iger said.

Iger gave the audience in Chicago a look at several upcoming films in the Disney slate, including this week’s “Zootopia” and April’s “The Jungle Book.” Iger at first said “Zootopia” would become an “instant classic,” then reined himself in, saying he thought the animated tale would be a “classic” but didn’t want to put too much pressure on its performance.

Showing a clip of “Captain America: Civil War,” Iger said the Marvel film features “some of the best Marvel storytelling to date.” He also took a bow for the company’s Pixar and animation units, noting that the company’s animated films had won eight Academy Awards over the last decade, the most recent to “Inside Out” on Sunday, which won best animated feature.

Iger said the new cruise ships commission by Disney will be launched in 2021 and 2023. The CEO added that the company’s Imagineers are already “dreaming up way to make them our most spectacular yet.”

SOURCE

Earlier this week, Disney claimed that “Disney Infinity,” its $1 billion-plus video game business, soared past competitors like “Skylanders” and “Lego Dimensions” to be the best-selling “toys-to-life” video game of 2015.

“Toys-to-life” refers to that category of video games where you buy real-life action figures that you can then play with on the screen.

In “Disney Infinity,” those action figures are drawn from Disney’s huge stable of massive media properties, including the animated movies, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel Super Heroes. Place your Mickey Mouse Infinity figure (which retails for $14) on the game’s included “Infinity Base,” and Mickey Mouse shall appear.

Earlier this week, “Disney Infinity” announced a whole mess of new stuff coming later this year, including new Marvel and “Jungle Book” characters — plus, extended support for the current 3.0 edition of the game.

I talked to John Blackburn, the senior vice president and general manager of “Disney Infinity,” and John Vignocchi,  Vice President of Production for Disney Interactive, about why the game is such a tremendous hit.

From Blackburn’s perspective, the reason for Disney Infinity’s success is pretty straightforward, even beyond the fact that it combines so many giants of pop culture.

“It’s the overall value of it,” Blackburn says. “We are providing so much gameplay.”

Going to the park to play

The goal, says Blackburn, isn’t to force you to buy all of the one hundred-plus Disney Infinity figures (though it would be cool if you did). It’s to provide enough variety and difference so that it appeals to everyone, from hardcore gamers to kids who just want to play around with their favorite Disney characters.

“We’ve always positioned ‘Disney Infinity’ as a family gaming platform,” Vignocchi agrees.

The idea, he says, is to make something that anybody, young or old, can pick up and enjoy “very much like how the Disney brand appeals to people of all ages.”

Most players get their introduction to “Disney Infinity” via the “playsets” — story-driven packs of levels and characters, usually retailing for $35, based on Disney movies and TV shows like “Inside Out,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and “Ultimate Spider-Man.” The “Disney Infinity” starter sets usually include one playset.

Matt Weinberger/Business InsiderRey and Luke on the Infinity Base, with the “Rise Against the Empire” playset piece.

Then, after using the playsets as their intro, Blackburn says that most “Disney Infinity” players spend the majority of their time in the game’s “Toy Box” mode, a “Minecraft”-like creative palette for building your own Disney-fied worlds full of monsters, familiar faces, and challenges.

The goal with the Toy Box, says Vignocchi, is to provide a virtual analogue to the idea of dumping all of your toys out on the floor and messing around with them. It’s supposed to be a place where it’s okay to mess around with no obvious goal, “just like it’s okay to go to the park and play,” he says.

‘Infinity’ and beyond

The nice thing about the Disney Infinity Toy Box, says Vignocchi, is that it has something for everyone. If your idea of play involves Queen Elsa and Captain America driving around in the Space Mountain car smashing Stormtroopers, that’s cool.

But if your idea of play is a little more ambitious, Disney Infinity supports that, too. From painstaking recreations of Disney theme park attractions, to fan-made racetracks and battle arenas, Toy Box supports a wide range of gameplay across genres.

“It’s a really powerful creator from a game engine standpoint,” Blackburn says.

Screenshot/Matt WeinbergerThe “Disney Infinity” toy box.

Furthermore, Blackburn credits Disney’s “very direct relationship” with the community around the game — fans can share their custom levels online, where the Disney Infinity team vets them for offensive content and then lets other players download them.

It means that there are always more levels to play, and more worlds to explore. And with the commitment to keep supporting the current “Disney Infinity 3.0” version of the game, Disney is going to keep adding more characters through the rest of the year.

“Disney Infinity will feature more Disney content than any video game ever made,” Vignocchi says.

SOURCE

Each new ship is expected to be about 135,000 gross tons, slightly bigger than the newest Disney Cruise Line ships, the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, which were brought into service in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Design plans, ship names, and itineraries are still in development, though you can bet the Imagineering team is on it. The group of creative minds behind some of Disney’s most memorable experiences is “already dreaming up exciting new ways to create the world’s most magical oceangoing adventures,” the company said.

Disney Cruises is known for several cruise industry firsts, including the first roller coaster at sea and virtual portholes in interior staterooms that provide a live view of the ocean outside.

Disney ships have been traveling the seas since 1998, going to locations around the Caribbean, Alaska, Canada, Europe, and the Panama Canal. Until the Disney Dream launched, the cruise line operated with only two vessels with 875 cabins each. Customer capacity more than doubled when the Dream and Fantasy ships launched, and the two new vessels will boost capacity by about 50% again. Though, that won’t be very soon. The new ships are expected to be completed in 2021 and 2023.

The expansion comes as Disney DIS 1.82% is making widespread efforts to grow its live entertainment offerings worldwide, such as the opening of its $5.5 billion Shanghai Disney Resort set for this June.

SOURCE

No one’s putting “Big Hero 6” into the Disney Vault.

Walt Disney’s TV-animation unit will create a TV series based on the 2014 film about an inflatable robot named Baymax and the young prodigy it befriends. Production has begun for a 2017 debut on Disney XD cable networks around the world, the company announced Wednesday. Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, creators and executive producers of the Disney Channel series “Kim Possible,” are the executive producers.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to further develop these characters into a world-class animated series — full of fun, action and the kind of endearing storytelling that only Mark, Bob — and  Baymax — can deliver,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide, in a prepared statement.

In decades past, a Disney property might surface only occasionally after its first run. And indeed, some of the company’s older classics turn up in the marketplace only every few years, as anyone who might want to go to the store and buy a copy of  the 1953 animated showcase “Peter Pan” might tell you. But in recent years, the company has found new ways to burnish some of its biggest figures and films. “Tangled,” the 2010 riff on the Rapunzel fairy tale, is slated to return as a series on Disney Channel in 2017. “The Lion Guard,” a TV-series reboot of sorts of 1994’s “The Lion King,” debuted on Disney Channel and Disney Junior last year. And the company has placed more importance on new live-motion versions of animated favorites like “Cinderella” and “The Jungle Book.”

Disney is unveiling the new “Big Hero 6” series as part of its activity around the annual upfront, when U.S. TV networks try to sell the bulk of their advertising inventory for the coming year. Unlike Disney Channel and Disney Junior, which limit advertising to tie-ins and sponsorships, Disney XD runs commercials regularly. The network skews toward boys between the ages of 6 and 11, and does not have blocks of programming meant expressly for pre-schoolers.

Disney is touting 17 new series, 28 current series, the Radio Disney Music Awards and two new original movies to advertisers, all part of what is known in the industry as the “kids’ upfront.” Disney will vie with Viacom’s Nickelodeon, Time Warner’s Cartoon Network and Boomerang, NBCUniversal’s Sprout and Discovery Communications’ Discovery Family Channel, among others, for a slice of what is estimated to be $800 million in advance commitments from advertisers.

“Big Hero 6” was inspired by a comic from Disney’s Marvel subsidiary. The film tells the story of Baymax 6, tech-savvy 14-year-old Hiro and their friends as they try to solve a mystery that threatens the city of San Fransokyo. The movie took in over $657 million worldwide.

SOURCE

Disney Channel is getting back into the game with “High School Musical,” officially starting casting today on Disney Channel Original Movie “High School Musical 4,” Variety has learned.

Coming 10 years after “High School Musical” premiered, “High School Musical 4,” which is in development, will introduce a new cast of characters and actors to a new generation. The potential movie is described as continuing the story of “High School Musical,” while introducing new East High Wildcats and their cross-town school rivals, the West High Knights.

“High School Musical 4” was first announced back in 2009. Now with casting beginning, Jeffrey Hornaday, who directed the kids’ cabler’s “Teen Beach Movie” and “Teen Beach 2,” is still attached to direct and choreograph, should the telepic be greenlit — which is likely, given the huge success of the pop culture juggernaut.

The original “High School Musical” in 2006 starred Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman, bringing the teen stars to worldwide fame. Recently, the group reunited for a 10-year anniversary special that aired on Disney Channel.

The teen musical rom-com spawned two sequels, including a theatrical release for a third film, which brought in over $250 million worldwide at the box office. An additional spinoff, “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure,” starring Tisdale, was released straight-to-DVD in 2011. At the time of its 2006 debut, “High School Musical” marked Disney Channel’s highest-rated telecast with 7.7 million viewers in the U.S., and that record was later broken by sequel “High School Musical 2,” which brought in 17.3 million viewers in August 2007, becoming the most-watched TV movie of all time. “High School Musical 3: Senior Year” marked the biggest opening day for any musical film at the box office, holding the title until it was topped by “Les Miserables” in 2012.

Casting directors for “High School Musical 4” are Jason La Padura, C.S.A., Natalie Hart, C.S.A., and Kendra Patterson, C.S.A., of LaPadura/Hart/Patterson. More info on the casting call can be found here.

SOURCE

If you’ve been holding off on booking your family’s trip to Walt Disney World, you might want to start checking flight schedules! After much speculation, Disney just announced that starting on Earth Day, April 22, Animal Kingdom will begin offering evening hours as part of the largest expansion in the park’s history.

So what exactly does that mean? Think sunset safaris where, through the magic of Disney, sunset lasts for a few hours rather than a few minutes, thanks to some technological advances in lighting. It also means new animals like South African painted dogs and hyenas — those of the more nocturnal nature. The park will also have its own evening light show, Rivers of Light — a lantern celebration with the park’s iconic Tree of Life as its anchor — and a nighttime carnival, the Wildlife Party, where kids can dress up in masks and interact with new bands and acrobats.

But the Summer additions aren’t just limited to Animal Kingdom. Read on to see why kids will be clamoring to visit new exhibits at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (hint: it involves a little film called Star Wars), Epcot (hint: aside from an expanded Soarin’ attraction, two very popular princesses will be moving into one of the pavilions), and the Magic Kingdom (hint: Mickey has a whole new show and a new place to eat).

1 Animal Kingdom: Kilimanjaro Safaris

The highlight of Animal Kingdom has long been the Kilimanjaro Safari featuring a Jeep ride through various “lands” to observe live animals. Thanks to the extended hours and special lighting, “sunset” versions of the safaris will now take place at night so families can see the nocturnal habits of African animals.

2 Animal Kingdom: Rivers of Light

The centerpiece of Animal Kingdom’s evening program will be the Rivers of Light show that will take place on Discovery River.

“It’s incredible to be able to paint on the canvas of nature,” Michael Jung, vice president/portfolio creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, told us. “The show, at the heart of it, is this ancient and timeless lantern celebration . . . These mystical storytellers come bearing gifts of light on the water.”

3 Animal Kingdom: Tree of Life

Each night, Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life will periodically “awaken” as the animals that are carved on its trunk are brought to life by magical fireflies that open a window into the body of the tree.

4 Magic Kingdom: Mickey’s Royal Friendship Fair

If you’ve visited the Magic Kingdom recently, you’re probably aware that the plaza in front of Cinderella’s castle has undergone a bit of a renovation. It’s been expanded so more people can filter through. One reason is so more families can enjoy Mickey’s newest show, “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Fair.” The new production will have Mickey and Minnie going on a journey and bringing back 10 of their friends — including Tiana, Anna, and Elsa. It’s a musical comedy that teaches tots about friendship and differences, and how, in the end, we’re all alike.

5 Hollywood Studios: Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away

That little Star Wars film that debuted back in 2015 — Star Wars: The Force Awakens — is making quite an impact on the park this year. During the day, little Jedi can continue to learn lightsaber fighting skills through the Jedi Training show, but they’ll also have the opportunity to watch the new Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away live entertainment show beginning in April. The new show will feature shorts with everyone’s favorite characters — BB-8, Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, and more.

The park will also be home to the March of the First Order Stormtrooper procession — led by Captain Phasma — through the park.

And the Star Wars Launch Bay — which launched at the end of 2015 as a celebration of the entire saga featuring interviews with the cast and crew and authentic props from the movies — will now serve as the location for a meet and greet with none other than Chewbacca.

6 Hollywood Studios: Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular

But the most exciting Star Wars addition has to be the Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular — the new firework show that will truly immerse fans in the show. The show is more than just fireworks; it will include projected images from all seven flicks and the music of John Williams — a sure-to-be must-attend event for any fan of the saga.

7 Hollywood Studios: For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

That other little Disney film, Frozen, will spread its love across several parks, including Hollywood Studios. The new For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration will be the ultimate sing-along for little Elsa and Anna fans. Queen Elsa, Princess Anna, and Kristoff will lead the crowd in a 30-minute interactive show featuring songs from the flick.

8 Hollywood Studios: Olaf Meet and Greet

The park will also be home to a new Olaf Meet and Greet this Spring.

9 Epcot: Norway Pavilion

The Norway Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase has been undergoing a major renovation, but this Summer it will reopen as the home to Frozen’s Arendelle. Epcot’s designers traveled to Norway to research the architectural details specific to the region and even brought several craftsmen back to Florida to help replicate the look. The result is the first Frozen family attraction — Frozen Ever After featuring a visit to Arendelle’s Winter in Summer Festival, a stop in Troll Valley, and the songs from the film. The Norway Pavilion will also become the location for the Elsa and Anna meet-and-greet in the Royal Sommerhus.

10 Epcot: Soarin’ Around the World

The ever-popular Soarin’ in Epcot’s Future World will expand its multisensory experience beyond California in 2016. The Soarin’ Around the World ride will now take families flying above various cities where they can take in the sights and smells just like the original.

A different spin on the popular attraction Soarin’ Over California will make a debut at Epcot in Disney World in 2016. Guests will be able to “journey to far-flung lands and fly above some of the world’s most unique natural landscapes and man-made wonders.”

11 Blizzard Beach: The Frozen Games at Blizzard Beach

Get ready for some fun family competitions at Disney’s water park, Blizzard Beach. The park will be home to “The Frozen Games at Blizzard Beach,” where Olaf and Kristoff lead families in some fun competitions.

12 Disney Springs: Town Center

Downtown Disney has been getting a much-needed makeover into Disney Springs over the past year, and the newest area — Town Center — will open this Summer. Double the size of the original Downtown Disney, the expanded area will include more than 30 shops, food trucks, and street performers, as well as a number of chef-driven restaurants — STK, anyone?

SOURCE