Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney

  • Disney Dominates the 49th Annie Awards With ‘Encanto’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and More

    Disney Dominates the 49th Annie Awards With ‘Encanto’, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ and More

    It’s been quite a reward season for Disney. The announcements have now arrived for the Annie Awards as the House of Mouse dominates the 49th season. Raya and the Last Dragon as well as Encanto are dominating with ten and nine nominations respectively. Luca currently holds eight alongside Sony’s The Mitchells vs the Machines. The latter being a personal highlight of this year’s releases. Belle, Pompo the Cinephile, and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko are standing strong in the best Indie feature. This year’s nominations are in for the run for 36 categories. Frank Gladstone, the executive producer of the Annie Awards shared the following on this year’s nominations:

    In spite of everything or maybe because of what we and the world around us have been through for nearly two years, we all want to return to some sort of normal.

    The category for Best TV/Media is between Bob’s Burgers, Love, Death + Robots, Star Wars: Visions, and Arcane. Raya and the Last Dragon‘s Kelly Marie Tran, Encanto‘s John Leguizamo as well as Stephanie Beatriz, Jack Dylan Grazer from Luca, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines‘ Abbi Jacobson are currently in the running for the Voice Acting – Feature category. Marvel Studios is also present with their What If..? episode “What If…Ultron Won?” which is nominated for Best Editorial – TV/Media. It’ll be interesting to see what the future has in store.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney Adds Wilmer Valderrama as its New Zorro

    Disney Adds Wilmer Valderrama as its New Zorro

    Disney has been building its filmography on classic Intellectual Properties it had garnered over the last few years. Among them, they’ve been eyeing a revival of the iconic Zorro franchise. The original vigilante that inspired Bob Kane to create Batman is quite the icon since 1919. Disney has now set their eyes on reviving the character in a new series and they found the actor to play the character, Wilmer Valderrama.

    The series is in development by Disney TV, which will be a period piece during Pueblo de Los Angeles, which would eventually become the modern-day L.A. It’ll even adapt a contemporary telenovela style, which will certainly make the series stand out. Valderrama shared his excitement for the new project:

    Growing up, Zorro was the one character that made me, as a Latino, feel like I could be a hero. As an adult and a storyteller, I have a responsibility in the stories that I help bring to life. To partner with Gary [Marsh, executive producer] and Disney to bring Zorro back into the family after 60 years and be a part of the legacy for other children to know they too can be the heroes of their own stories is a dream come true

    Wilmer Valderrama

    There have been countless adaptations of the masked vigilante, and he’s no stranger to television adaptations. Disney had a series featuring Guy Williams in the titular role that ran for 78 episodes and for over two years. There were even some specials for The Magical World of Disney in the 1960s. It’ll be interesting to see if this new adaptation of Zorro will also include references to the past.

    Source: Entertainment Weekly

  • Disney Shares First Look at Animated Film ‘Strange World’, Eyeing Thanksgiving 2022 Release

    Disney Shares First Look at Animated Film ‘Strange World’, Eyeing Thanksgiving 2022 Release

    Who knows how many projects Disney is working on. As it’s uncertain if we get a new Investors Day this year, the House of Mouse is looking for new ways to share first looks at upcoming projects. So, Disney took to social media to unveil next year’s animated project, Strange World. The film will be directed by Don Hall alongside Qui Nguyen, who also wrote its script. It’s eyeing a Thanksgiving release in 2022. Not only did they unveil their logo but also offered a first look at the fantastic world we can expect from their latest project where our heroes “journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land.”

    Don Hall is famous for his work on Big Hero 6 and Raya and the Last Dragon, where he worked alongside Qui Nguyen. The story is inspired by the popular pulp magazines that was made on wood pulp paper, which is the reason for its naming. The film’s logo also takes inspirations from those designs and it means we can expect a fun sci-fi adventure. Hall shares his love for the genre and what inspired him to tackle the project.

    Source: Twitter, Variety

  • Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Jared Bush Wanted to Include More Family Members in Disney Stories Even Before ‘Encanto’

    Disney has been hard at work on the next animated project with Encanto. While it still has a lead character, the adventure this time around is all about family. So, instead of a small group of characters, we the next animated Disney film. If you compare with previous films, they always focused primarily on a lead with one or two supporting characters that helped her on her journey. The next project might be the first to have the family as an active part of the story, but it seems directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard have played with the idea for some time.

    I mean, literally, from day one, we knew we wanted to tell a story with an extended family. […] We’ve tried many times to like: “Maybe there should be more family members.” And ultimately you’re like, “Nah, there’s just one person.”

    Jared Bush

    Jared goes on to compare it when he worked on Moana. Yes, her family played a role in the story but ultimately it was her “going on a boat, that’s just by herself.” He even highlights how they used their own family as inspiration when trying to think of the archetypes after finally committing to the idea.

    Who are these people gonna be? So early on, all of our research was really our own families. And we found these archetypes. Whether it’s, you know, like the black sheep of the family, or the golden child, or the responsible one, or the Mom, who heals with food. All of these things felt very familiar to us, and very relatable.

    Jared Bush

    They used that familiarity to build the Madrigal family and it was the voice actors that would then bring them fully to life. It’s always great to see how ideas that somehow ended up getting pushed back still find their way into a project. Plus, adding the special abilities of the family, which they decided on relatively fast based on the archetypes the family member represents, gave everyone a unique role within the story. It makes you wonder how many other ideas never made it into a previous project but might get to see the light of day sometime in the future.

  • Review: ‘Encanto’ Is a Magical Film That Will Put a Song In Your Heart

    Review: ‘Encanto’ Is a Magical Film That Will Put a Song In Your Heart

    Leaving the theater after seeing Encanto, I couldn’t help but hum some of the music and check whether there was a soundtrack streaming. The songwriting flair of Lin-Manuel Miranda was on full display, and if you’re a fan of the Hamilton and In the Heights soundtracks, that’s reason enough to watch. But more than just a showcase for incredible songwriting and musical performances, Encanto also offered up a heartwarming, bright, colorful, and — dare I say it — magical story, one that will dazzle the young ones and move the greybeards. It’s a tale of multigenerational legacy, of familial tradition and responsibility, and learning how to be who you are, rather than who you are expected to be. Familiar themes for sure, but the story is told in a fun and exciting way.

    Co-written and co-directed by Disney veterans Byron Howard (Tangled, Zootopia), Jared Bush (Moana, Zootopia) and first-time feature director Charise Castro-Smith (Devious Maids, Haunting of Hill House), the story centers on a Colombian family, the Madrigals, who were blessed with magical gifts by the titular enchanted charm: a candle whose light both shines and shadows. The story’s 15-year-old protagonist, Maribel, portrayed with aplomb by Stephanie Beatriz, is as plucky as you’d expect a Disney protagonist to be, but her struggle to live up to her family name among aunts, uncles, and cousins who possess superpowers establishes the emotional stakes early. The stakes are raised even further when her family’s magic is imperiled.

    Encanto manages a story that is both fantastical and authentic. It features a voice cast that is almost entirely Latinx, including María Cecilia Botero as Abuela Alma Madrigal, Mirabel’s grandmother; John Leguizamo as Bruno, Mirabel’s uncle; Diane Guerrero as Isabela, Mirabel’s “perfect” eldest sister; Jessica Darrow as Mirabel’s other sister, Luisa, known for her strength and stoicism; Angie Cepeda as Julieta, Mirabel’s mother; and Wilmer Valderrama as Agustín, Mirabel’s father. The filmmakers traveled to Colombian cities and towns in order to really get a sense of the cultural elements they intended to reflect. The story itself grows out of Latin American folklore, and the tradition of magical realism. But while cultural signifiers are present throughout, non-Spanish speakers won’t feel lost or overwhelmed, as the themes, emotional resonance, and interpersonal dynamics are universal.

    But ultimately, it’s the musical numbers, and the visuals that accompany them, that make this movie such a delight. Miranda’s trademark witty lyrics and ability to convey exposition and emotion while serving up absolute bops is fully on display. If this is the film that gets him his EGOT, it will be well-warranted. The animation sequences are kinetic and visually striking, and the vocal performances mesh perfectly with the characterization. Luisa’s solo is a standout, but there’s a third-act Spanish only song that’s an absolute showstopper. Even if you barely speak the language, the emotion comes through loud and clear, and this reviewer isn’t ashamed to admit that it brought tears to his eyes.

    Heavy emotions aside, there’s still an abundance of whimsy, wonder, and fantastical fun. It’s vibrant, lively, and sweet, and the characters, while rooted in archetypes, are layered and complex enough to each have their own unique appeal. This is a family and setting you’ll enjoy spending time with, and will want to revisit over and over. It merits a big screen theatrical watch, but will likely be a big part of your Disney Plus rotation regardless. ¡Me encantó mucho! 

  • Paramount Delays ‘Transformers’ and ‘Star Trek’ Films

    Paramount Delays ‘Transformers’ and ‘Star Trek’ Films

    As the pandemic continues to impact the movie industry, we’re seeing a constant shifting of release dates. This is partly due to studios wanting to maximize profits by releasing a film at a better time. This had caused many studios to vacate release dates claimed years ago, as profits have diminished significantly due to COVID-19. The latest studio to make a massive shift in release dates is Paramount.

    On Tuesday, Paramount shifted both Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and an unnamed Star Trek film back on its release calendar. Transformers, which stars In The Heights star Anthony Ramos and Judas and the Black Messiah star Dominique Fishback, has been moved a full year from June 24, 2022, to June 9th, 2023. It is now set to go head-to-head with an unknown Sony/Marvel film, and serve as both Ramos and Fishback’s next salvo in their ascension into the upper ranks of the best actors of their generation. 

    The unnamed Star Trek film vacated the June 9th date now held by Transformers, and will now release on Dec. 22, 2023. Interestingly enough, the move comes after it was recently announced director Patty Jenkins‘ Star Wars movie, Rogue Squadron has been delayed. Rogue Squadron was originally set to hit theaters on Dec. 22, 2023. While Jenkins’ film still retains its 2023 release date, is not expected to enter production in 2022, indicating the film will move on Disney’s calendar in the coming months.

    Source: Variety

  • Stephanie Beatriz on How “Awkwardness” Brought ‘Encanto’s Mirabel to Life

    Stephanie Beatriz on How “Awkwardness” Brought ‘Encanto’s Mirabel to Life

    Encanto will introduce us to a family filled with special individuals that each have a unique ability. There is, however, one outlier. Mirabel Madrigal, played by Brooklyn Nine-Nine‘s Stephanie Beatriz, has to juggle the fact that she stands out in her family for being normal. In the latest press junket, the actress offered some insight into how she tackled the role and revealed that she brought her own “awkwardness” into the character. She goes on to highlight what she added to the role from her own life, such as:

    My anxiety, my “oh,” my “and” and honestly, like, my
    use of comedy. Often when I’m uncomfortable or don’t really know what to do, or how to handle a situation, I often turn to try to make a joke out of it. Too make myself more comfortable, to make somebody else more comfortable. think comedy is-it’s really useful ’cause it takes the air out of stuff, you know?

    Stephanie Beatriz

    She highlights that she improvised and loved to bring her humor that builds upon the anxiety she mentions in the press junket. It builds upon the awkwardness and generally showcases how we use comedy to make tense situations we’re uncomfortable with more manageable.

    Like, everything can be really intense, and then you make a joke and everyone relaxes. You can’t be tense that you can’t really laugh if you’re tense. Does that make sense? So, I think I try to bring that to Mirabel. I like to improvise. I like jokes and I like making other people laugh.

    Stephanie Beatriz

    It’s a great insight and the trailers have teased the way Mirabel stands out from her family, not just due to her lack of ability. We can’t wait to see how Beatriz‘s take on the character adds another layer to this wacky adventure that’s all about family. 

    Encanto hits theaters on Nov. 24th.

  • ‘Us Again,’ ‘Nona’ and ‘Twenty Something’ Among 84 Animated Short Films Qualified for 2022’s Oscars

    ‘Us Again,’ ‘Nona’ and ‘Twenty Something’ Among 84 Animated Short Films Qualified for 2022’s Oscars

    The Oscars pull in a lot of eyes from around the world. It’s about celebrating films, no matter if it’s an animated film, drama, comedy, or musical. Among the many categories is also the famous celebrated short films. There’s still some time until the event happens, but it seems that a qualifying list has found its way online. CartoonBrew shared the qualifying list which contains 84 short films up for the nomination.

    They do name comparison to last year’s 96 nominated shorts, which, to be fair, was an all-time record. The qualification period was also shortened by two months due to the pandemic. The list contains quite a few different shorts from all over the world like Angakusajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice, Barking Orders, The Boy and the Mountain, Monster Pets: A Hotel Transylvania Short, and many more. Disney+ is also represented with its shorts Us Again, as well as the Sparkshorts Nona and Twenty Something.

    There are three ways to get qualified for an Oscar nomination. It needs to be publicly exhibited in one of the U.S. cities under specific conditions. They can also take home an award at one of the designated festivals, or even a Student Academy Award. You can check the full list by clicking here.

    Source: Cartoon Brew

  • ‘Love and Monsters’ Michael Matthews to Direct Disney’s ‘Merlin’

    ‘Love and Monsters’ Michael Matthews to Direct Disney’s ‘Merlin’

    Disney has found their director to adapt T.A. Barron‘s novel series focused on the early days of the wizard Merlin long before he meant King Arthur. Michael Matthews of Love and Monsters fame will tackle the project after Ridley Scott had to leave the project due to his schedule. The project is currently in early development with Gil Netter set to produce and Chris Weitz having written the film’s script.

    The film will act as an origin story for the famous mentor of King Arthur, but there’s no word if they might also pay tribute to Disney’s animated film The Sword in the Stone from 1963. As it’s an adaptation of Barron‘s work, it will most likely not include any elements even if it’s an easy connection to make given the versatility of King Arthur adaptations.

    Matthews made his name in the industry with the adventure film Love and Monsters, which starred Dylan O’Brien and Jessica Henwick. It especially got a new life when it was released on Netflix internationally after a good PVOD run a few months earlier. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to this adaptation and what Disney’s plans are with the franchise.

    Source: Deadline

  • We Got an Early Look at Disney’s ‘ENCANTO’

    We Got an Early Look at Disney’s ‘ENCANTO’

    Walt Disney Animation Studio may be on its 97th year and 60th film but there seem to be no signs of it slowing down. Its 60th outing, Encanto, comes out later this year and we at Murphy’s Multiverse got to see 30-minutes of footage from the film. What we saw wasn’t long but was enough to convince us that this movie is worth anticipating.

    As the setup for the movie goes, The Madrigals are a family that’s been blessed by an Encanto, bestowing their line with powers unique to each family member. The family lives in a fantastical home and uses their abilities to keep their town prosperous. However, a mysterious dark force seems to be after the Madrigals, putting their house and powers in jeopardy. It all falls on Mirabel, the one family member without powers, to solve this sinister mystery haunting her family.

    In the press junket for Encanto, co-director Charise Castro Smith talked about how each power a Madrigal family member has corresponded to family dynamics we’re all familiar with.

    It’s special in a way that is a nod to family dynamics that we can all relate to.  So there’s a strong, dependable child who’s the rock of the family.  There’s the perfect golden child whose happiness blossoms.  There’s a quiet kid who’s not so comfortable talking to people, so he talks to animals.  And there’s the worrywart who can see the future, but only sees the bad things.  So as we thought about that, we had a big breakthrough, because we realized that the family’s house didn’t have to be just a house, because in an Encanto the house itself could have powers too.

    On the foreground of Encanto is a very Nancy Drew-esque tone that draws you in. The beats of Mirabel trying to piece together information about the family’s past and her investigations within the fantastical realms in their house evoke that of a young adult detective story, with the film’s fantastical titular subject matter serving as the background. The curious nature of Mirabel, on top of her status as the normie in the family, already makes her the quintessential underdog detective. Director Jared Bush had this to say about her:

    Mirabel really carries this story.  It is about her,and she goes on this journey. She’s funny and human and empathetic, deeply emotional and quirky, and I think literally unlike anything we’ve ever put on screen before.  And Stephanie [Beatriz] not only nailed all of that, she brought her own personality to the character, ad libbed a ton of lines, and really elevated both this character and our movie considerably.

    The Madrigal family home is a character in and of itself, in many ways serving as the crux of the family’s identity. Director Byron Howard spoke about the importance of the family’s mystical place of refuge not only as a storytelling device but also as a thematic anchor.

    So we played with the idea of the physical as a literal representation of the family and their emotional connections.  If the family’s happy, the house is healthy.  If the family’s being playful, the house may be playful.  But if the family is going through struggles, the house cracks Byron Howard

    To respectfully remain true and genuine towards the cultural material they’re adapting, the Columbian Cultural Trust was formed. Composed of experts in Columbian music, anthropology, culture, architecture, and botany, this group was crucial in the development of Encanto. According to Jared Bush:

    They’ve been part of the film, literally since the beginning, probably even before the beginning, reviewing early scripts, participating in every screening, and meeting with us weekly.  That’s a lot of meetings to help ensure that the creation design look and feel of our world is on point.  We are enormously indebted to them and all of the experts who formed our Columbian Cultural Trust. 

    Walt Disney Animation president Clark Spencer praised the work of directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, who helmed the hit Zootopia a few years back, and their newfound collaborative partner Charise Castro Smith during the junket, saying:

    One of the things I love so much, Byron and Jared, and then when Charise joined, was this creative world that the audience is going to fall in love with.  And we had so many of those components. During my nearly 20 years of producing, I never had the chance to produce a Disney musical.  So when the opportunity presented itself to work with Byron Howard, Jared Bush, and Lin-Manuel Miranda on Encanto, I jumped at the chance.  And while it might seem crazy to run a studio and to continue to produce a film at the same time, I just couldn’t step away from a project I loved so deeply.