Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney Animation

  • Disney Rolls Out Teaser Trailer, Synopsis for ‘Moana 2’

    Disney Rolls Out Teaser Trailer, Synopsis for ‘Moana 2’

    Auli‘i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson are back as Moana and Maui in the first look at Disney Animation’s Moana 2. Disney has released the first teaser trailer for the sequel along with an official synopsis and new poster.

     Moana 2 reunites Moana and Maui three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she’s ever faced.

    -Official Synopsis, via Disney

    Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand and Dana Ledoux Miller, and produced by Christina Chen and Yvett Merino, Moana 2 features music by Grammy® winners Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Grammy nominee Opetaia Foaʻi, and three-time Grammy winner Mark Mancina.

    Disney Animation’s Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27th.

  • ‘Strange World’ Scores Disney Animation’s Worst CinemaScore

    ‘Strange World’ Scores Disney Animation’s Worst CinemaScore

    Here’s a shocker, the latest animated film by Disney Animation, Strange World, has seemingly gotten a B CinemaScore from the general audience. For those that may not know, CinemaScore is an analysis conducted based on cinema-goers after watching a film. It’s a rather rough showcase of overall interest in film but mostly is used to get a feeling for how a film will perform at the box office. Disney Animation has been very consistent and always got at least an A-. So, this marks the first time ever that a Disney Animation film got a B score.

    https://twitter.com/CinemaScore/status/1595766105012056065

    What makes this interesting is that Strange World has barely been advertised for a Thanksgiving release. With weaker word-of-mouth, keep in mind that this scoring is very frontloaded, it’ll hurt the film even more considering it pulled ina rather disappointing $800K in its opening previews. It looks like the high-budget film will only make around $40M or less over the Thanksgiving holiday. While the animation isn’t always the biggest box office draw, it’s still not a good sign for a production that cost $180M.

    Earlier this year, we’ve seen a similar issue with Lightyear, Pixar’s latest release that was seemingly struggling at the box office. Though, outside of two productions, most films were underperforming throughout the year as we’re still seeing the ripples from the pandemic on the market. Yet, as animation has seemingly not gained any momentum over the weekend, Minions: The Rise of Gru, one of the two productions mentioned previously, has pulled in $937.8M.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • Disney+’s ‘What If’ Teased As The First of Many Marvel Studios Animation Series

    Disney+’s ‘What If’ Teased As The First of Many Marvel Studios Animation Series

    Ever since the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008 with the premiere of Iron Man, Marvel Studios has kept expanding and keeping Stan Lee‘s vision alive on the silver screen. Over the years, Marvel Studios has found ways to entertain us with its shared universe franchise across 24 films. They’ve produced new and innovative stories that often expand across all 4 corners of their universe.

    With the development of Phase 4, Marvel Studios has gone on to find new ways to tell its stories beyond movies and expanding into long-form storytelling. In the case of the upcoming Disney+ series, What If, Marvel took a chance on creating its first animated series for the MCU. It seems it may not be the only animated show coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as revealed by production and development executive Dana Vasquez on LinkedIn.

     

     

    This is our first hint at the franchise expanding with other animated series. We already know that Marvel Studios is already developing a second season of What If, but this post indicates the production studio saw a lot of potential in this new format. And they’ve definitely been looking for more animators to join their teams. Daujenae Harps, a Senior Recruiter at The Walt Disney Company, shared several job listings for animators to join Marvel Animation Studios.

    It appears as though Marvel Studios is looking to tell stories that would often seem impossible to tell via their movie formats in the form of animated series. Whether or not these series could tie into the larger scale MCU remains to be seen. If Marvel Studios is responsible for these series, it would seem likely they might tie into the multiverse in some way.

    It does open doors for characters to make their way to the small screen of the MCU and tell stories that would, more often than not, be omitted in the films. There have been rumblings of a potential series based on Power Pack and we could even see What If characters get their own spin-offs. Either way, we can’t wait to see what more Marvel has to offer in the future with its animation team!

    Source: LinkedIn (Animation) LinkedIn (Job Listings)

  • Kelly Marie Tran Talks About Recording From Home in ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Featurette

    Kelly Marie Tran Talks About Recording From Home in ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Featurette

    Alongside the finale for WandaVision, Disney+ has released its next Premier Access title, Raya and the Last Dragon. It is the first major picture of the year that will introduce the world to the world of Kumandra. Kelly Marie Tran takes on the role of the titular hero Raya, who must track down the last dragon, Sisu. They have been busy marketing the film’s release on the streaming service, which may also become an indicator for the longevity of this business model. Yet, we haven’t really gotten the usual look at behind-the-scenes, as the pandemic forced them to think outside of the box to get their hands on the recordings. Luckily, Disney has released a brand new featurette that answers a few of our questions about how they handled it in the pandemic.

     

     

    The featurette reveals that quite a few of the actors have recorded their characters in their own homes. The extensive cast featuring Awkwafina, Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Benedict Wong, and so many had quite the challenge ahead of them. We get a brief sequence of them working at what seems to be a studio, which shows how flexible work in any industry had to be throughout the year. It is also adorable to see Tran share her love of Disney, and it must be quite a feeling to make a dream come true like this. Even in the chaos that has been going on sincelast year, it is always good to keep a smile and make the best of any situation.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Sneak Peek Reveals Original Song by Jhené Aiko

    ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Sneak Peek Reveals Original Song by Jhené Aiko

    We are only a few weeks away from Raya and the Last Dragon finally releasing on Disney+. It will be the big return of Disney+’s Premier Access service, which was last seen with the release of Mulan. Disney Animations’ next big entry will also be available in theaters alongside the digital release. As they continue to build-up to its release, Disney has just released a brand new sneak peek. It also includes our first listen to the original song “Lead the Way” by Grammy®-nominated artist and songwriter Jhené Aiko. You can listen to it right here:

     

    The song will be accompanied by Oscar®-nominated, Emmy® and Grammy®-winning composer James Newton Howard. He has quite the filmography that includes News of the World, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald, and A Hidden Life. Aiko‘s song will be featured at the end credits and will be included on the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, which will release digitally on February 26th.

    Aiko has had quite a year, as her R&B album Chilombo has been nominated for three Grammys. It was also nominated for an American Music Award for Best Soul/R&B female, three NAACP Awards, and many more. Her addition to Raya and the Last Dragon is a beautiful melody that matches perfectly with the tone of the teaser. The sneak peek also gives us our first real look at what is the main inciting incident of the story and teases a fun adventure of an unlikely group of heroes that will release March 5th.

    Source: YouTube

  • ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ To Premiere With First New Original Disney Animation Short Since 2016

    ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ To Premiere With First New Original Disney Animation Short Since 2016

    We are only a few weeks away from Disney’s first big film premiere of 2021. Raya and the Last Dragon will release simultaneously on Disney+’s Premier Access and in theaters. It will be their major test if this hybrid model will determine their future release plans. They went all out advertising it during the Super Bowl with a brand new trailer. Now, it looks like they have one more little incentive for people to check it out in theaters. Disney has just revealed a brand new theatrical short titled Us Again. It is the first one in over five years by the famous studio. It will premiere alongside Raya and the Last Dragon in theaters worldwide as of March 3th. It will premiere on Disney+ in June. Check out the first official image of the upcoming short here:

     

     

    The upcoming short is about an elderly couple. One magical night, they rekindle their forgotten passion on a magical night. It will not feature any dialogue, as the couple’s love for dance will transport them back through time. Executive producer and Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer Jennifer Lee shared her excitement for the new short and teased a future for more animated shorts:

    One of my priorities has been to bring back theatrical animated shorts and to give artists at our Studio an opportunity to explore new ideas.  ‘Us Again’ has so much spirit and energy, and pushes the boundaries of our short form storytelling

    The upcoming short was directed by Zach Parrish, who is the first to attempt one since 2016’s Inner Workings. Parrish is n stranger to Disney’s work, as he was the director of the Short Circuit film Puddles and served as the head of the animation on Big Hero 6. The short will combine dance, music, emotional storytelling, and animation with the help of Award-winning choreographers and dancers Keone and Mari, who worked with Justin Bieber and Billie Eilish. Their performance is given new life through the help of composer Pinar Toprak. Brad Simonsen, who has worked as associate producer on Big Hero 6, Zootopia, and Ralph Breaks the Internet, is set as a producer. The first visual already promises a heartfelt story of how dance and music connect us through the ages.

  • Diamond White, Alfre Woodard, and More Join ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Animated Series

    Diamond White, Alfre Woodard, and More Join ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’ Animated Series

    The news got filled with theories on WandaVision and excitement for future Disney+ releases. All our eyes were mainly on the upcoming live-action releases. It all changed until we got some more news on the stop-motion-animated MODOK series heading to Hulu yesterday, and it looks like another Marvel Animation series is making a comeback. At the tail end of 2019, Disney Television Animation announced the animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. After a long wait, the official Disney TVA Twitter shared some concept art and a brand new logo for the upcoming series. They also finally confirm that the series will debut on the Disney Channel in 2022.

    The series is getting developed by Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sugland‘s Cinema Gypsy Productions, who were also the masterminds behind ABC’s Black-ish. As the image showcases, the story is following 13-year-old genius Lunella Lafayette and her T-Rex Devil Dinosaur. They will work together to protect New York City. How did a giant T-Rex make it into the Big Apple? Well, she accidentally pulled him into the present day after an experiment. The cast has some great star power with Diamond White, Alfre Woodard, and Laurence Fishburne. Speaking of Fishburne, the tweet confirms that The Beyonder will have a role in the upcoming series. Our titular star will be voiced by Damond White, who many might recognize from her voice work and appearances in various Madea films. It already looks like a fantastic addition to the Marvel family, and here’s hoping we get a sneak preview by summer for its release next year.

    Source: Deadline, Twitter

  • Blue Sky Studios Shut Down by Disney

    Blue Sky Studios Shut Down by Disney

    The studio that brought you the Ice Age franchise is closing its doors. Deadline revealed that Disney is shutting down Blue Sky Studios, which it acquired along with many other assets in the massive Fox takeover just two years ago. The studio was the prime money-maker of Fox’s animated division, having grossed $5.9 billion in total throughout thirteen films since 2002. Blue Sky produced numerous hits alongside the now-iconic Ice Age films, such as the Robin Williams vehicle Robots and the high-flying Rio. They also adapted critically-acclaimed classic properties like Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! and The Peanuts Movie. The reason behind the closure is the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with losses from their theme park lockdowns and theater closure hindering the corporation’s ability to maintain three animation studios at once. Disney is instead opting to maintain funding for their mainstays, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

    The entire Blue Sky library will remain a part of the Disney experience, and the previously-announced Ice Age series for Disney+ is expected to arrive. However, the studio’s next film, Nimona, a magic-based medieval fairy tale about a shape-shifting boy who partners with a mad scientist to topple an evil ruler, will halt production. It still required ten more months to finish. Tragically, the demise of Blue Sky will lead to the loss of 450 jobs. Deadline does report that Disney will work with the former employees to find positions at other internal studios. The world is sure to miss the storytelling prowess of Blue Sky and the diversity that another animation studio would bring to the table. The work of the company played a vital role in many childhoods. Sadly, the latest release of the Tom Holland-led Spies in Disguise failed to make the impact the company was hoping for. Here’s hoping that the workers impacted by the closure will find ample opportunity in their future elsewhere. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and that they can find something soon.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Super Bowl Spot Released

    ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Super Bowl Spot Released

    We have been anxiously awaiting the Super Bowl. Some are excited to see their favorite team win, while some are excited for the various trailer that teases what we can expect in the rest of the year. Among them, we got a brand new trailer for Disney’s next major animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon. It is the perfect opportunity to test out Disney’s next attempt at testing their Premier Access business model. It offers a closer look at Awkwafina‘s dragon Sisu.

    https://twitter.com/DisneyRaya/status/1358558363315957761

    The film still looks visually stunning, and I cannot wait to check it out when it releases in March. Awkwafina is joined by Kelly Marie Tran, who plays the role of the titular heroine Raya. The last trailer teased that she will be getting a small team together to face an ancient evil that returned after a 500-year slumber. The cast consists of Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, Sandra Oh, Benedict Wong, and so many more. The film will be available for $29.99 when it releases on March 5th.

    Its success may define how Disney handles the rest of its 2021 release slate. We’ve already seen many others postpone their films, or completely embrace a simultaneous digital release. Warner Bros. certailny left an impact when they decided before the year started that they will utilize HBO Max alongside every release. No matter what they decide to do, Raya and the Last Dragon will be an essential film to keep an eye on. With those visuals, it certainly is a must-watch.

    Source: Twitter

  • Super Bowl to Feature Disney Trailers for ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, ‘Falcon and the Winter Solider’ And Potentially More

    Super Bowl to Feature Disney Trailers for ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’, ‘Falcon and the Winter Solider’ And Potentially More

    The Football event of the year is just around the corner. Everyone has their eyes on the Super Bowl for different reasons. Some are there to cheer on their team, while others can’t wait for those exclusive trailers. Well, after a year-long pandemic, some are wondering if anyone will risk the investment. According to Deadline, we will see a smaller line-up than in the past few years. Many streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, Apple TV, and Netflix will skip this year. Luckily, it seems that Disney is willing to take the risk. They plan to release at least two to four trailers that will be on par with previous years.

    Raya and the Last Dragon is a safe bet to be one of the trailers, as they want to test out their second Premier Access film that releases next month. Last year, Disney+ made a major splash with their first official teaser for their Disney+ slate. It was a short trailer that showcased Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and even Loki. None of these series got a release date at the time, but it certainly left an impact when it initially aired. So, there is a good chance we will get another trailer that teases their 2021 Marvel slate. Deadline does not rule out a possible trailer for Black Widow, which is still set to release May 7th. They highlight that you shouldn’t expect a sudden announcement that the film will be made available on Disney+ during the event.

    It is crazy to think that Black Widow released a trailer last year and was only a few months away from release. If they do end up including the upcoming Marvel film, there is a good chance we might not see another delay. They could be waiting out to see how Raya performs before making any decisions. It is understandable after Mulan underperformed last year on the service. The release of Pixar’s Soul saw a massive increase in app downloads. However, it probably was nowhere near as profitable as a regular cinematic release. Well, no matter which direction they end up going. There is no competition this year, and Disney will be able to dominate the post-game buzz with anything they decide to release.

    Source: Deadline, Digital TV Europe, Deadline (Soul)