Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney

  • Disney+ Expanding With Ad-Supported Subscription

    Disney+ Expanding With Ad-Supported Subscription

    Subscriber numbers are the game for streaming services. Netflix has built an empire with its offering that gave people the opportunity to stream their favorite films or TV series without a care in the world. One big aspect was that it’s ad-free, which was a big selling point for many and also the reason for some of the pricing out there. Yet, with massive competition, the market is forced to change. Disney+ has now announced that their service will provide an ad-supported subscription model in the US in late 2022.

    There are also plans to expand internationally in 2023, which will make it the first ad-based in many markets worldwide. While the advertising industry might rejoice at this development, it’s definitely something that’ll be met with a mixed reception. The lower pricing will make it enticing for those not willing to pay the full price. Yet, some European countries might be concerned about the use of their personal information, especially with local laws like the GDPR in effect.

    This isn’t new for Disney, as they’ve done something similar with ESPN+ and Hulu, who was the first ad-supported streaming offering on the market. Yet, it was only in the US so far and it’ll be interesting to see how the reception is international. According to Disney, they believe that it’s a building block to hit their long-term target of 230 to 260M subscribers by the fiscal year of 2024.

  • RUMOR: Disney Exploring a New Post-Sequels ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy

    RUMOR: Disney Exploring a New Post-Sequels ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy

    The future of Star Wars has been somewhat of a mess. The sequel trilogies, which kicked off with Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015, weren’t met with the fanfare that Disney may have hoped for. While the first entry did welcome a generation back into one of the most popular franchises, its two sequels managed to sour the experience. Luckily, Disney+’s launch alongside The Mandalorian opened a new gateway for fans of the originals in a series that felt like a true embrace of what made the franchise a classic. As some projects are getting announced and suddenly shelved, it seems that some plans exist for a new post-Sequel era trilogy.

    On the podcast, The Ringer, former Vanity Fair reporter Joanna Robinson revealed that there is some interest in tackling a new trilogy that takes place after The Rise of Skywalker. She even hinted that Disney is actively looking into establishing it and there are even some first hints at what the story might be about. It seems that the interest is to revive the Jedi Order, one that avoids the “absolutes” of its earlier incarnation to allow people attachment. Surprisingly, that concept is currently being explored through the eyes of Grogu on The Mandalorian and its recent spinoff.

    It wouldn’t be too surprising that Disney wants to return the franchise to cinemas, especially as projects like Rogue Squadron seemingly lost any steam shortly after its announcement. Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have been spearheading the current iteration on Disney+. So, they might be likely candidates to potentially tackle a new trilogy, especially given Favreau‘s experience in the cinematic landscape. The franchise might benefit from unshackling itself from the nostalgia that tied down the sequel trilogy to take a completely new direction and explore a very different galaxy, far far away.

    Source: The Ringer via DisInsider

  • ‘The Mandalorian’ Spinoff ‘Ahsoka’ Adds Ray Stevenson in an Antagonist Role

    ‘The Mandalorian’ Spinoff ‘Ahsoka’ Adds Ray Stevenson in an Antagonist Role

    Ray Stevenson will be making his return to the Star Wars universe in the upcoming Ahsoka spin-off series, as revealed by The Hollywood Reporter. The actor is no stranger to the galaxy far far away, having voiced a Gar Saxon in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels. The actor will instead be making his way to a live-action series this time around in a new role

    He will take on an antagonist role and will be playing an admiral. Sources say that he is not Grand Admiral Thrawn, who is believed to be the main antagonist of the series and has yet to be cast. Plot details for the series remain under wraps for the most part, although it is believed we will see Ahsoka Tano traveling alongside Sabine Wren, a character making her live-action debut, in search of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

    The series is currently scheduled to begin production towards the end of April over in Los Angeles. The series will feature the return of Rosario Dawson as the titular character, following appearances in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Dawson is joined by Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine, Ivanna Sakhno, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Hayden Christensen, with Mena Massoud rumored to be playing the role of Ezra Bridger.

    The series currently has no set release date but will most likely release sometime next year exclusively on Disney+. Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau return for the series with Filoni primarily writing and Favreau serving as executive producer.

    Source: THR

  • Disney Responds to Peter Dinklage’s Scathing ‘Snow White’ Criticism

    Disney Responds to Peter Dinklage’s Scathing ‘Snow White’ Criticism

    Today, Disney issued a statement in response to sharp criticism by Emmy-winning actor Peter Dinklage regarding the upcoming live-action remake of Snow White. The Game of Thrones alum spoke harshly about Disney’s intention to retell the 1937 animated film on the WTF podcast on Monday:

    Literally no offense to anyone, but I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White — but you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the  Seven Dwarfs,” Dinklage told Maron. “Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me. You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that fucking backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together. What the fuck are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I’m not loud enough.

    Peter Dinklage

    Dinklage’s comments come after the lauded casting of West Side Story star Rachel Zegler as the titular princess Snow White.

    Disney was quick to respond with an attempt to defend against the cirticism. A spoesperson for the company told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement:

    To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.

    Disney

    While the Snow White remake is still years away, it will employ cultural consultants similar to the live-action Disney reimaginings Aladdin and Mulan. Alongside Zegler, Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot is set to play the Evil Queen with Marc Webb directing.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Disney Lost ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Due to Creative Differences With Author

    Disney Lost ‘Children of Blood and Bone’ Due to Creative Differences With Author

    Not long ago, it was announced that the hit young adult novel series Children of Blood and Bone would receive the movie treatment from Paramount Pictures. The news was wildly exciting for fans of the books, written by author Tomi Adeyemi. Yet, it was also a little confusing for anyone who remembered the 2020 Disney Investors Day panel that announced Lucasfilm would be adapting the franchise as their first non-Star Wars project in years. Luckily for the flabbergasted majority, an exclusive report from Borys Kit at The Hollywood Reporter is finally shedding some light on the matter.

    There was a point in time when Kathleen Kennedy and the folks as Lucasfilm were keen to adapt Blood and Bone with Rick Famuyiwa attached to direct. However, this was before the wild success of the company’s Star Wars-based projects on Disney+. According to THR, the studio’s focus on shows like The Mandalorian forced Blood and Bone to the back burner, and series creator Adeyemi took issue with the slow pace of the project’s development. The writer also wanted more creative control, pushing to write the film’s script herself, and Lucasfilm was unwilling to comply.

    As a result of the conflict, Lucasfilm decided to let its ownership of the story’s film rights run out and part ways with Adeyemi. Paramount won the rights after a long bidding war, and Lucasfilm has now committed to focusing on films and shows that relate to its established IP as opposed to developing new concepts. Time will tell how this move plays out for both parties, but it seems to be working out in their favor at the moment. Also, fans now have one less mystery to solve on their own.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • Disney Working on Live-Action ‘Aristocats’ Film

    Disney Working on Live-Action ‘Aristocats’ Film

    Disney has been quite obsessed with bringing their many animated projects to live-action. They even made an entirely CG film based on The Lion King, which was still treated as a live-action adaptation due to the photorealism. Yet, they also used real animals for the Disney+ adaptation of Lady and the Tramp It looks like they have set their eyes on another project mostly focused on animals in the form of Aristocats. A new piece has revealed that Will Gluck and Keith Bunin are writing the script for a live-action take on the 1970’s animated film.

    The original story was about a family of cats living in Paris that were thrown out of their home by a jealous butler, as they were set to inherit everything from their wealthy owner. With the help of a tomcat, they make their way home and meet some colorful characters along the way. The project is in very early development but there are hints it’ll be closer to Lady and the Tramp rather than a fully animated adaptation like The Lion King.

    The original has some questionable characters in it that will definitely be rewritten, but there’s a good story here to revisit and even expand potentially. If they are going for the style that is hinted at, it’ll be impressive for them to get cats to play along to bring the project to life. I am especially curious how they might tackle the musical scenes if they are included at all. Not every live-action adaptation has embraced the musical aspects, but it wouldn’t be the same without “Everyone wants to be a cat” at one point in the film.

    Source: Deadline

  • ‘Hawkeye’ Actor Fra Fee Joins the ‘Beauty and Beast’ Prequel Series for Disney+

    ‘Hawkeye’ Actor Fra Fee Joins the ‘Beauty and Beast’ Prequel Series for Disney+

    Fra Fee is joining the cast of the Beauty and the Beast prequel series on Disney Plus. The news comes courtesy of Variety, with the outlet reporting Fee is joining the cast as Prince Benoit Berlioz, “a childhood friend of Tilly’s who has grown into a handsome, charismatic, confident prince.” Tilly will be played by newcomer Briana Middleton, who was confirmed to be part of the cast last June when the series was officially ordered to series. The duo joins Luke Evans and Josh Gad who return to reprise their roles as Gaston and LeFou.

    The forthcoming series is said to follow Gaston, LeFou, and Tilly as they take off together, having uncovered a surprising revelation from her past, leading them on an unexpected journey. The Beauty & the Beast prequel will consist of eight episodes, and it was written and developed by Gad, Edward Kitsis, and Adam Horowitz, who all serve as co-showrunners on the series. Production on the series kicks off in Spring 2022, with Liesl Tommy (Queen Sugar, Respect) set to direct the pilot episode.

    Fee is, of course, coming off the recently released Hawkeye which is now streaming in its entirety on Disney Plus.

    Source: Variety.

  • Disney’s Rachel Zegler-Led ‘Snow White’ Remake Adds Andrew Burnap

    Disney’s Rachel Zegler-Led ‘Snow White’ Remake Adds Andrew Burnap

    It looks like the Rachel Zegler-led Snow White project has expanded its cast, as Andrew Burnap is set to join the project in a new role. While at first believed he may play the prince, who actually never gets a name in the original Disney film, he’s going to tackle a character that was specifically created for the film. The only other mention is that he will definitely have a singing role in the project. Gal Gadot is the only other confirmed casting, as she’ll take on the role of the Evil Queen.

    Benj Pasek and Justin Paul joined the project to write the songs after their work on La La Land, The Greatest Showman, and the Broadway rendition of Dear Evan Hansen. Production will likely begin in spring on the musical with Oscar-nominated producer Marc Platt attached to this project. He is currently also involved with the other Disney live-action remake for The Little Remake.

    Burnap is known for his stage work, which includes This Day Forward, The Legend of Georgie McBride, and Troilus and Cressida. He also recently worked on Under the Banner of Heaven with Spider-Man: No Way Home star Andrew Garfield, as well as the Apple+ series WeCrashed opposite of Jared Leto. So, it’s a busy time for the actor. He also won a Tony Award for his work on The Inheritance, making him quite the get for Disney’s next live-action musical.

    Source: The Hollywood Reporter

  • REPORT: First Look at ‘Tron 3’s New Flynn’s Arcade Hints at an Early 2022 Production Start

    REPORT: First Look at ‘Tron 3’s New Flynn’s Arcade Hints at an Early 2022 Production Start

    It looks like our friends over at DisInsider may have gotten their hands on something quite interesting. Last year, it seemed like Disney was moving forward with a third entry in the cult classic Tron series, which will receive the sub-title, Ares. Jared Leto is attached with Garth Davis set to direct the project. Sadly, news died down considerably since and we haven’t really gotten any new details since. Luckily, it seems that DisInsider’s John Bishop was able to get his hands on some set photos featuring an updated look for the iconic Flynn’s Arcade.

    If sets are already being built and prepared, it’s a good sign that production may start in early 2022. Of course, this isn’t enough to really hammer down a specific start date, but it’s enough to at least get a feeling that things are finally moving forward. It’s uncertain if they’ll dive into the classic designs provided by the original Tron from 1982, or continue the neon look from Tron: Legacy.

    The return of Flynn’s Arcade does confirm that it’ll continue the building blocks set by the previous, as this is the location where Sam would get transported into the digitized world of The Grid. It might also be where the next storyline starts off, as the next person gets sucked into this new world.

    Source: DisInsider

  • EXCLUSIVE: Djimon Honsou Talks Training for His Action Scenes in ‘The King’s Man’

    EXCLUSIVE: Djimon Honsou Talks Training for His Action Scenes in ‘The King’s Man’

    The King’s Man is opening in theaters across the country todayOur own Hunter Radesi recently got a chance to sit down with stars Djimon Hounsou and Rhys Ifans for an extensive interview. Talk naturally turned to their roles in the prequel film in Matthew Vaughn’s acclaimed Kingsman series where Ifans is playing the villainous Grigori Rasputin, while Hounsou is playing Shola, one of the first King’s men. In the interview, Hounsou talked about some of what fans can expect regarding the fight scenes and how he made sure it was him doing the fighting.

    Of course I did quite a bit of extensive training. Rhys and I had different times scheduled for training, but we knew the choreography going into it. We’ve never gone off on each other like that though, so we were trying to save that for later so that we wouldn’t hurt one another. That’s one way to look at it, but it was a tough one to do.

    The conversation naturally pivoted to Hounsou’s experience in fight scenes, beginning with Blood Diamond and then being fleshed out in other films:

    I’ve obviously done a lot of fight sequences before. Action is something that I like and that I enjoy doing, but on this one with Matthew (Vaughn), I had no idea to what degree he requests and demands the action to be more epic than we’ve ever seen. More different and more engaging than we’ve ever seen. That came with a bit of a price tag, in terms of physicality.

    As Hounsou said, he’s no stranger to action sequences, having starred in the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Fast and the Furious franchise; however, as the trailers have indicated, audiences are in for something special with what he’s put on film in The King’s Man which is now playing in theaters.