Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Disney

  • Disney Reveals Its Next Live-Action Reimagining

    Disney Reveals Its Next Live-Action Reimagining

    Though Disney’s efforts to reimagine its library of classic animated films into live-action have been a bit uneven, it seems the studio remains committed to the process. Despite mixed reviews for 2019’s The Lion King, the studio moved forward with an original prequel in Mufasa: The Lion King, which will close out what has been a huge year at the box office for Disney. The House of Mouse’s hopes for another successful year in 2025 will, in part, rest on the shoulders of a pair of reimaginings in Lilo & Stitch and Snow White; and 2026 will see the Rock bring Maui back to theaters in the live-action iteration of Moana on the 10 year anniversary of the animated original.

    Disney, of course, has plans to continue to add to the robust lineup with new versions of Hercules, Robin Hood, Bambi and The Aristocats all at different stages of development but it looks like another project has moved to the front of the queue.

    According to a trade report, Disney has entered into talks with director Michael Gracey to helm a live-action reimagining of 2010’s Tangled.

    Should Gracey–who directed Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Zac Efron in 2017’s The Greatest Showman–sign on, he’d be working from a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, who worked with Disney-owned Marvel Studios on Thor: Love and Thunder.

    Casting has not gotten underway for Tangled but it is expected to film in the UK sometime in 2025.

    Source: Deadline

  • 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.

  • Disney Sets Release Dates for ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Frozen 3,’ ‘Toy Story 5,’ and ‘Zootopia 2’

    Disney Sets Release Dates for ‘Moana 2,’ ‘Frozen 3,’ ‘Toy Story 5,’ and ‘Zootopia 2’

    During Disney’s Q1 2024 earnings call with Bob Iger, the studio unveiled a slew of new release dates. In a surprising move, the studio revealed that it has been hard at work on a sequel to Moana, with the sequel confirmed to hit theaters on November 27th, taking the place of the previously Untitled Disney Animation film set for that date. The studio also unveiled a short teaser for Moana 2, which can be viewed below.

    Along with news of the Moana sequel, Disney also confirmed Frozen 3 is coming in 2026. Coming in strong with more sequels, Disney also revealed that Zootopia 2, the long awaited sequel, will be released on November 26th, 2025. While Toy Story 5 is officially in the works for a 2026 release date.

    Updating…

  • Disney to Purchase Comcast’s Remaining Stake in Hulu

    Disney to Purchase Comcast’s Remaining Stake in Hulu

    Was only a question of time but it looks like Disney is dead set on owning Hulu 100% moving forward. It has been announced that they are set to purchase the remaining 33% stake for around $8.61 billion from Comcast. The following statement has been shared on why they are now invested in getting their hands on the rest of that streaming service.

    The acquisition of Comcast’s stake in Hulu at fair market value will further Disney’s streaming objectives.

    It’s unclear what exactly their streaming objectives are and if moving forward Hulu and Disney+ will become a more united streaming service, but it seems Disney has some plans to at least counteract the continued drop in linear TV viewership. As much as people are discussing the streaming wars, TV as we know it is still dying with viewership dropping steadily over the last few years.

    So, we might see a major shake-up in the streaming market moving forward as everyone is ensuring they have the equity stake in the various platforms to ensure long-term investments. We will see if a new disruptor might pop up in the coming years but for now: streaming is here to stay.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Loki’, ‘WandaVision’ and ‘The Mandalorian’ Getting Physical Releases

    ‘Loki’, ‘WandaVision’ and ‘The Mandalorian’ Getting Physical Releases

    Yes, you read the title right. Finally, a streaming service is listening to fans and is giving some of its projects the physical releases they deserve. As many shows and projects are seemingly getting cut for tax reasons, this is great news for those hoping to at least ensure they still have access to these shows no matter what happens to Disney+, Netflix, or whatever streaming service that is out there.

    Disney already hinted at this move with the recent reveal they are releasing Prey, the Predator prequel film, for physical. Shortly after, they have now unveiled that the same is planned for some of their first big releases on the platform. The Mandalorian is finally getting a physical release for its first two seasons with some beautiful-looking artwork that’ll surely make collectors happy.

    And we also have the physical release of the Disney+ Marvel shows. Loki and WandaVision are the first batch to make their way online and into shelves later this year. It seems that it’ll only be available as a Steelbook packaging with 4K and Blu-ray being available. DVD sale seems very unlikely and it’s unclear if they might also offer some regular Blu-ray boxes later down the line. Though these steelbooks are definitely something one wouldn’t want to miss out on in their collection.

    Source: Collider, Twitter

  • ‘Tron: Ares’ Cast Continues to Grow With Jodie Turner-Smith and Greta Lee

    ‘Tron: Ares’ Cast Continues to Grow With Jodie Turner-Smith and Greta Lee

    Disney is finally returning to the iconic Tron franchise once again. It’s been quite some time since Tron Legacy was released in theaters, but the latest entry decides to move into a whole new direction that’ll likely only loosely connects to how the Grid was brought into existence.

    So far, we only knew that Jared Leto was going to star in the film, who shortly after even “accidentally” leaked the title of the film that will be known as Tron Ares. Now, they are seemingly gearing up for production with quite a few different casting additions that are quite promising for the latest entry.

    Now, they have also added Past Lives breakout Greta Lee and Queen & Slim’s Jodie Turner-Smith to the cast, who is also going to join another Disney property in the Star Wars Disney+ series The Acolyte. We’ll see if some more casting announcements are heading our way in the coming weeks.

    Leto is set to play Ares the program that ends up becoming sentient and ends up in the human world. Lee will take on the role of a video game programmer and tech CEO, who wants to change the world. As one knows about technology, it definitely looks like a cautionary tale is going to explore the effects of programs entering the human world. Even if it makes you wonder if director Joachim Rønning will bring back the visual style we saw in Legacy.

    Source: Variety

  • ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Heading to a Soft $65M Domestic Opening Weekend

    ‘Indiana Jones 5’ Heading to a Soft $65M Domestic Opening Weekend

    Indiana Jones is a household name and while it’s a franchise that has way more breaks between releases than others, the nostalgia factor alone would seem like the perfect draw for audiences. Yet, it seems that even Harrison Ford’s return to the iconic role isn’t going to be putting a lot of butts in the cinemas. As of now, the film seems to be heading to a $65M opening weekend in 4,500 theaters.

    Globally, it’s not looking too much larger as it’s heading towards $80M with a potential total of $150M worldwide. Now, that isn’t a terrible start mind you but the issue lies in the fact that the film costs around $295M. That is excluding marketing and promotion costs, which makes it the most expensive entry in the franchise. So, the film has a long shot at turning a profit.

    It’s also set to open below Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which pulled in $100M in May of 2008. That film went on to make $790M globally and remains the highest-grossing entry of the franchise. James Mangold is taking over from Steven Spielberg with Dial of Destiny, but it seems a mixed reception from critics due to a risky Cannes showcase that may be backfiring on Disney and Lucasfilm.

    The film could still make a decent amount but it would need to make at least 600M to cover its production budget with another 200M minimum to cover its marketing budget, which might be far more expensive than we think. So, it’s a high gamble from Disney and who knows if they’ll be willing to do the same. This lower opening also continues to highlight that what some are trying to call superhero fatigue is affecting the entire blockbuster scene. Did theaters overestimate how ready audiences are set to return?

    Source: Variety

  • Sarah Polley to Direct a Live-Action ‘Bambi’ Film

    Sarah Polley to Direct a Live-Action ‘Bambi’ Film

    Bambi is about to return to theaters but this time in live-action. Disney continues its goal of adapting various of its animated classics into the new format. Now, they are set to tackle probably the one that destroyed many’s childhoods. Woman Talking director Sarah Polley has seemingly decided to tackle the live-action adaptation next, a project they’ve been trying to bring to life since 2020. Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Lindsey Beer were attached to write, but there’s no word if their script is being used.

    Of course, just because the film has a director, It doesn’t mean that they’ll also have someone set to write given the WGA strike. They might have made the deal to ensure they have someone attached to the project once the strike ends (if it does at this rate). This is the latest adaptation after The Little Mermaid just hit theaters, which currently has pulled in $414M in theaters.

    Bambi is actually an adaptation of a 1923 novel by Felix Salten titled Bambi, a Life in the Woods. Disney’s adaptation is only their fifth-ever animated movie directed by David Hand. It’ll be interesting if this adaptation is going to take the same route as Jon Favreau’s The Lion King with a “live-action adaptation” consisting of mostly CG characters. Perhaps they cast the infamous Hunter with an actual actor or he remains a shadow in the background.

    Source: Deadline

  • Disney Has Put ‘Hocus Pocus 3’ into Development

    Disney Has Put ‘Hocus Pocus 3’ into Development

    Disney has officially ordered a third Hocus Pocus movie. The news was announced on Sunday, with Walt Disney Pictures president Sean Bailey revealing the news in a New York Times profile piece. When asked what other upcoming live-action projects were in development at the studio, Bailey answered with, “‘Hocus Pocus 3’ is happening.”

    The news comes after the long-awaited sequel to 1993’s Hocus Pocus finally hit Disney+ in 2022. The sequel saw Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy return as the Sanderson Sisters, however, the film notably left out some of the main cast from the original film. Hocus Pocus 2 writer, Jen D’Angelo, explained that she hoped they could bring back both Max (Omri Katz) and Alison (Vinessa Shaw) for a third film. “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.”

    Anne Fletcher directed Hocus Pocus 2 from D’Angelo’s script, but it’s currently unknown if either are returning for Hocus Pocus 3.

    Both Hocus Pocus and Hocus Pocus 2 are currently streaming on Disney+.

    Source: Variety via New York Times.

  • Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Reimagining Finds Director in Tony Award Winner Thomas Kail

    Disney’s Live-Action ‘Moana’ Reimagining Finds Director in Tony Award Winner Thomas Kail

    On the heels of their live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid garnering an A Cinemascore and opening to largely positive critical reviews, the studio has found a director for one of its next big remakes. According to THR, Thomas Kail, who directed 2020’s filmed stage production of Hamilton as well as Broadway and Off-Broadway of Hamilton and In the Heights, has signed on to helm the Dwayne Johnson-led live-action Moana.

    Earlier this year during a conference call with investors and Bob Iger, it was revealed that Johnson and his Seven Bucks Production Company were leading the charge in developing a live-action reimagining of Moana, one of Disney’s modern classics.

    I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen. This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.

    Dwayne Johnson on the Moana reimagining

    While Johnson shared that he would be reprising the role of the demigod Maui, the studio made it clear that there was no timetable for when production might begin as they were searching for a director. Now, it seems they’ve found their guy in the Tony Award-winning Kail. After winning the 2016 Tony for Best Direction of a Musical for his Broadway production of Hamilton, Kail found himself on familiar ground when he led the Disney Plus production of the show which streamed to rave reviews in the COVID-ravaged entertainment landscape of 2020. Kail is currently in the midst of a Broadway run on Sweeney Todd and is also tapped to direct a feature film adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof.

    According to Disney, the live-action reimagining of Moana “will celebrate the islands, communities and traditions of Pacific Islanders as seen through the eyes of a young woman eager to pave her own path. Moana’s journey of self-discovery and reflection on the lives of her ancestors won hearts worldwide, as did her newfound friendship with an exiled demigod named Maui.”

    Source: THR