It looks like the Zootopia+ series has received a release date as it is currently eyeing a release on November 9th. The series won’t follow our usual duo but rather take a look at different characters throughout six episodes. It doesn’t seem like they are introducing anyone new but rather exploring existing characters from the original Zootopia film. One episode, for example, will be about a sloth couple arriving at a restaurant just as they were about to close.
Source: Twitter
We’ve heard quite some time ago that Pixar is working on their first truly full-length Disney+ series titled Win or Lose; though Cars on the Road could technically count if it didn’t have a shorter episode runtime. We haven’t known much about the project but luckily during the Pixar Showcase at D23, we got a bit more information on what to expect.
As it turns out, the project will explore the story of a softball game. Each episode focuses on a different member of a team that offers a unique perspective on the events that unfolded in this big game. A rather unique idea fitting for Pixar that also makes great use of the TV format. It’ll explore bad calls made by the coach of the team. Will Forte has also joined the cast as the coach.
The Paper Girls will not live to ride another day.
Amazon’s Prime Video has canceled Paper Girls after a single season. The series was an adaptation of the comic of the same name by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang. The cancellation comes eight weeks after the show’s eighth and final episode debuted on Prime Video.
According to Deadline, Paper Girls failed to bring in the necessary views to receive a second season. While the season received a 90% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, it failed to connect with general audiences. Following the show’s premiere on July 29th, it failed to make Nielsen’s top 10 for original streaming rankings over those three weeks. Legendary Television, who produced the series, is seeking to shop the series as it feels it could tap into the market that Euphoria and Sex Lives of College Girls have successfully tapped into.
The Prime Video adaptation starred Sofia Rosinksy, Camryn Jones, Riley Lai Nelet, Fina Strazza and Ali Wong. It told the story of four young girls who, while out delivering papers on the morning after Halloween in 1988, become unwittingly caught in a conflict between warring factions of time-travelers. Christopher C. Rogers, Stephany Folsom, Christopher Cantwell, Vaughan, Chiang, Steven Prinz, and Plan B executive produced the series. Folsom originally developed the series alongside Rogers, but ultimately left the project during production leaving Rogers as the sole showrunner.
Source: Deadline.
It feels like yesterday when rumors flooded the internet that Aladdin‘s Mena Massoud would be playing Ezra Bridger in Star Wars‘ upcoming Ahsoka series. Many were quite hyped about the actor getting the role but it wasn’t until earlier today that it was confirmed that actor Eman Esfandi has gotten the role for Ezra. Of course, it left the door open to how the rumors started in regards to Massoud.
As it turns out, the actor took to Twitter to share his relief that the rumors were finally losing steam. Still, he did highlight that he actually auditioned for the role with a self-tape months ago and simply didn’t get further along in the casting process.
It’s a shame he didn’t get the role but the actor shared that he’s excited to see what Esfandi can bring to the role. Plus, he also highlighted how similar he looks to the Star Wars Rebels character. Given his performance in Aladdin, it’s a shame he hasn’t found a new role in the Disney playhouse again but perhaps there’s another one just on the horizon waiting for him.
Source: Twitter
National Treasure is making a big comeback on Disney+ but with a few new faces. Nicolas Cage won’t return as Ben Gates but it opens up the possibility for a new generation to carry on his character’s mission. As it turned out, Lisette Olivera was the one to nab the lead role for the spin-off series titled Edge of History. While the franchise wasn’t the biggest box office draw, it still made enough to get a sequel and gain cult status. So, it wasn’t easy for the actress to step in those shoes.
After my casting announcement had been made and the whole world knew it was me that was gonna be at the forefront of the franchise, there were some people that were disappointed, but there were a lot of people that were very supportive
Lisette Olivera
Still, the series is set to carry on the legacy that the original established, especially with the original writers of the films, Marianne Wibberly and Cormac Wibberley, once again returning for the new production. She got the chance to highlight elements they couldn’t in the films due to the limited runtime.
The story of telling the history of America is so interesting because it depends on the point of view. We haven’t really covered that in any of the movies.
Marianne Wibberley
It definitely sounds like they are embracing aspects of the original while adding a new spin. Plus, if the show draws an audience and gets additional seasons there’s always another chance for Nicolas Cage to return and maybe take the new explorer under his wing in an unlikely pairing.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
D23 is going to be a busy weekend for everyone in the entertainment business, as there’ll be quite a lot to write about. With a lot of focus on what Marvel may have to offer, there are a lot of Disney+ originals heading our way that’ll offer some distraction from the usual MCU fanfare. While we not only got a first look at Indiana Jones 5 through concept art and costumes from the sequel, it seems the same treatment was given to the upcoming Disney+ continuation of Willow, as shared by Andrew Rainer on Twitter.
The Paramount+ revival of Criminal Minds has a new name and a new actor. The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Zach Gilford has joined the series in a key recurring role. He’ll play Elias Voit, an analyst for a cyber-security firm who has a dark side and an obsession with death. More interestingly, though, the series has received a new name. The revival is now titled Criminal Minds: Evolution.
The actor is set to join the previously confirmed returning cast of Joe Mantegna, Kirsten Vangsness, Adam Rodriguez, A.J. Cook, Aisha Tyler and Paget Brewster. Not returning for the revival are Matthew Gray Gubler and Daniel Henney, with the latter currently starring on Prime Video’s adaptation of The Wheel of Time.
While the revival is bringing back much of its core cast, the series is making one major change. In the past, Criminal Minds saw the team solve the case usually by the episode’s end. In the revival, though, the series will take a more serialized approach. Per the logline, Evolution will see the team “come up against their greatest threat yet, an UnSub who has used the pandemic to build a network of other serial killers. As the world opens back up and the network goes operational, the team must hunt them down, one murder at a time.”
Gilford is perhaps best known for his work on shows such as Friday Night Lights, Good Girls and Midnight Mass. The actor has also appeared in films like The Purge: Anarchy and Devil’s Due. Next up for Gilford are the Netflix series The Midnight Club and Mike Flanagan‘s The Fall of the House of Usher.
Criminal Minds: Evolution hails from showrunner Erica Messer, who worked on the original hit series. Production on the revival is currently underway.
Source: THR.
D23 has just started but it looks like some small details are already finding their way online even with some time until to the actual conference tomorrow by Marvel Studios. As shared by @BRMarvelNews, it looks like new logos for Daredevil: Born Again and Captain America: New World Order have been spotted. The Daredevil logo includes the iconic DD that the character usually wears on his chest plate while Captain America has elements from Sam Wilson’s new suit.
Source: Twitter
D23 is finally here and it’ll be an exciting weekend with potential reveals and hints at the future of our favorite Disney franchises. While there are still a lot of theories on what we might see or hear, it seems that a small teaser has been spotted at D23 which offers a little glimpse at not only The Marvels but also X-Men ’97. The footage shared by @BRMarvelNews doesn’t include any new footage but interviews with the director Nia DaCosta and some returning cast members of the 90’s X-Men: The Animated Series revival.
Source: Twitter
There’s been a lot of discussions in regards to what the future might have in store for Netflix. After facing its first major drop in subscribers, the all-in attitude in the streaming market has taken a few steps back. Still, the company is moving forward at full speed with the hope of making up for what it lost, as well as trying to establish an ad-supported model to start covering costs. It seems that may not be the last new move they are taking.
In a new piece by Puck, it seems like Netflix is starting to test out more approaches to adding longevity to their series. Among them is embracing the weekly release and moving away from their traditional binge model. While in the past it helped a lot of projects get watched fast, it did lead to a different issue once more competition entered the market.
HBO, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and more have been in the headlines a lot more with their projects releasing weekly. That way, even smaller projects got a little boost for longevity. Whiel series like Squid Game, Stranger Things, and even recently with The Sandman manages to keep up some impressive weekly viewership after a binge release, it creates a strong dependency that every project performs the same way.
As Netflix hopes to bank on some newer projects to become their “next Stranger Things” like the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender and One Piece, it creates a very different dynamic if they keep investing in countless shows and hoping their popularity alone will carry them. So, the move away from the binge model might help them in the long run but also requires a new key performance indicator to define the success of these shows. For now, we can only wait if they truly do start embracing this model.
Source: Puck
