'Cinderella' Live-Action Movie

(photo from justjared.com)

Bippity-Boppity-Boo!! Disney is transforming their 1950 Cinderella animated movie into a live-action movie in 2015! It will be directed by Kenneth Branagh (Valkyrie) and the writers aboard this pumpkin carriage are Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada) and Chris Weitz (About A Boy). So, who will be wearing the glamorous glass slippers? According to IMDb, Lily James (Downton Abbey) will play the role of the fabulous Cinderella. For those who haven't seen Lily's acting, I, in my opinion, believes she has the skills. I watch the show Downton Abbey (which is an amazing show, by the way) and she plays a character named Lady Rose MacClare. She's also played in Fast Girls as Lisa Temple and Wrath of the Titans as Korrina. 

The role of The Fairy Godmother will go to the actress, Helena Bonham Carter (Alice in Wonderland), which should be spellbinding! After all, she did play a sinister witch in the Harry Potter films and a big headed Red Queen in Alice in Wonderland. I imagine her playing a humorous Fairy Godmother with class! 

The other casts includes: Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as Prince Charming, Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting) as Grand Duke, Holliday Grainger (Jane Eyer) as Anastasia, and Sophia McShera (Downton Abbey) as Drizella.

Okay, okay, now here's the exciting part! The role of Lady Tremain (The evil stepmother) will be played by the phenomenal Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)! She is my absolute favorite actress in the world! Now, I have major high hopes for this film because the casting just became even more prodigious! 

(Cate Blanchett)

Our classic fairytale stories have been transforming to animated cartoons to live-action movies such as Alice in Wonderland, Snow White & the Huntsman, Mirror Mirror, Red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel, and Disney is currently working on Maleficent. etc. Most of those have turned out for the worst or for some, they have done either exceptionally well, or just so-so. I really hope Disney does a marvelous job. Though, I wonder if it will keep the cheerful tone like in the 1950's Cinderella or if it will have a slight dark twist in the tale. 

What are your opinions? Do you feel that Disney did a great job on choosing the cast? If not, who would you have chosen? How do you feel about these fairytale stories being turned into a live-action movie? Will This one be a success?

Disney star, Lee Thompson Young Dies at 29

TMZ and Perez Hilton (Click the links to read the article) released news that the actor Lee Thompson Young committed suicide and died at the age of 29 this morning. Lee played in many other shows and movies such as Rizzoli & Isles, Friday Night Lights, & even The Hills Have Eyes 2. But, as Disney  fans, we recognize him from Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson which later became a movie (Jett Jackson: The Movie) Which was about a boy named Jett Jackson who's a celebrity for playing a teenage secret agent on a fictional TV show-within-a-show called Silverstone.   

It's devastating to see celebrities pass away. I won't go into details from what I read about Lee's death, but all I will say is that he will be forever remembered. May he rest in peace. 

'The Little Mermaid' 3D NOT CANCELLED!!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, mermaids and mermen, I was extremely excited when I got mail from the El Captain Theatre today!! Why? Because they'll be showing The Little Mermaid in 3D from September 20th - Oct13th (2013)!! The Little Mermaid  3D was, cancelled at first due to the fact that Disney was making less money with each re-released Disney movie. 

I had became such a 'poor unfortunate soul' when I heard about it the cancellation, but now, life just got better under the sea in 3D! If you live in California, then come on over to the El Capitan Theatre to swim and sing along! After  the movie, Ariel will be live on stage!! So bring the kids if you have any! If  you don't live in California, then check the internet and see if it's playing at a theater near you!! 

Are you excited for The Little Mermaid  in 3D? Which other Disney movie would you love to see in 3D? I honestly would love to see Aladdin! 

Movie Info From D23 & Walt Disney Studios

I'm sure most of you are all about Disney's D23 and learning about their upcoming projects in the making and attend the D23 expo. Unfortunately, I didn't attend the expo (though would love to go in the future!) however I do my best to keep up with their announcements and activities that go on. I bet it's amazing to hear all this news in person, but until then, I'll be doing my own research about the latest news. Thus, I bring to you some information. pictures, and my opinions from the D23 Expo.

(Still from Disney's Saving Mr. Banks)

I'm sure most of you have all ready heard news about this movie and have possibly seen the trailer for it as well. If not, then, click here to see watch the trailer, starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and  Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers (Pamela Lyndon Travers), who wrote the book Marry Poppins, released in 1934. From what the trailer reveals, this movie shows the tale of process of  adapting the Marry Poppin's  book into a movie. And  it appears Miss Travers didn't like the direction  that it was headed in, in the hands of Walt Disney. Saving Mr. Banks is said to be released December 20th, 2013. I have to say, I'm trilled for this movie and I believe that Tom Hanks is the perfect actor to portray the great Walt Disney and to see the process of Disney creating Marry Poppins. 

Do you agree with the cast chosen for this movie? If not, who would you want to portray Walt Disney and/or P.L. Travers?

(Disney's Maleficent)

My Disney heart rate just skipped a beat!! I'm sure many of you has seen behind the scenes photos of this live-action film (you can search them on Google). I'm absolutely covered with goosebumps of excitement! Especially since Disney has chosen Angelina Jolie to play the wicked Maleficent from Disney's Sleeping Beauty. From the photos that I've seen online with Jolie in make up and costume, this movie all ready has an epic appearance, and what's most intriguing is that the story will be told from her perspective. Maleficent will also star Elle Fanning, who will  play Princes Aurora. 

One thing I've noticed about the font chosen for the title, is that it's similar to Disney's The Little Mermaid. It's not a big deal; it's just simply and observation (I took a graphic design class and it was all about font creations and advertising designs). 

Is Angelina Jolie the perfect candidate for the role of Maleficent? How do you feel about  Elle Fanning playing Princess Aurora? 

(Disney Pixar's The Good Dinosaur)

Then, there's Disney Pixar's upcoming film, The Good Dinosaur, which is a story about a dinosaur (which looks like a brontosaurus) who befriends a boy named Spot (laughs). Hearing the boys name, makes it seem like the concept is going to be about a dinosaur taking a human in as a pet. You know, since  dogs are usually named "Spot". From the concept picture above, it seems like the movie could be really adorable and I'm curious to learn more about this movie. It's set to be released May 30th, 2014. 

What are your thoughts?

(Disney Pixar's Inside  Out)

Next, Disney Pixar will take us on a  journey through the mind of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, and we'll meet her five emotions (left to right): Fear (Bill Hader), Sadness (Phyllis Smith) , Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) , and Anger (Lewis Black). According to IMDb, the movie will be told from the perspective of Riley's emotions. The characters look funny; especially Anger, there at the end with his grumpy face. I want to pinch his cheeks! Inside Out will be released on June 19th, 2015. 

Questions? Comments? Concerns? What do you think about the characters so far based on the image and mini synopsis?

 

(Disney's Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy)

Gasp! Here's news for all you Tinker Bell, Peter Pan, Pixie Hallow, and pirate fans!! We all know Tinker Bell is always making new friends, but this time, she comes across a pirate fairy!! Yo, ho, yo, ho, a pirate's life for Tink!! First of all, I'd like to state that I don't really care for the Pixie Hallow version of Tinker Bell (Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yell at me all you want), it just never caught my attention when she started talking. I will admit though, that I enjoyed the first movie because it actually gave a background story on Tinker Bell, but other than that, I didn't care for the others. However, I'm a major fan of Pirate adventures and when heard the news about Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy, I became ecstatic! I absolutely adore the picture for the upcoming movie (which is going to be on DVD). It  reminds me of the poster design for the Peter Pan movie that came out in 2003 starring , Jason Isaacs, Jeremy Sumpter, and Rachel Hurd-Wood. Tinker Bell and the Pirate Fairy will be released in the Spring of 2014. 

(Disney's Tomorrowland)

 From what I've researched, this  movie is supposed to be an "action-packed" film by Disney, and as Disney nerds, we should all be familiar with Tomorrowland since it's one of the themes at Disneyland. I'm sure, just like at Disneyland, the movie will be set in a futuristic time. Although, the article about this movie at space.com, explains the influence for the movie which involves a box which was found in the Walt Disney Archives Morgue and was filled with "amazing" things. Read the article  for more info on this; it's  pretty interesting. The movie will be starring George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, and Thomas Robinson and will blast off in theaters December 12, 2014.
Any thoughts on what this movie may be about?

What type of "amazing" things could be in this box?? Have any theories about this movie?

(Disney's Zootopia)

Disney is still working on the title name, so it may not be called "Zootopia" for long, unless they decide to stick with the name. The only details I know about this movie is that it's about a fox who was framed for a crime he didn't commit. According to IMDb, they're still in pre-production, therefore, the cast for this movie has not been announced yet, though it's set to be released in 2016.

Any guesses on what this movie may be about and what  it consists of? What do you think  the crime was and who would frame such this handsome fox?

(Disney's Big Hero 6)

Big Hero 6, is an animated comedy dealing with, super heroes, obviously. It takes place in a place called San Fransokyo  (a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo combined). I heard about this movie a year ago and the concept art is absolutely breath taking, revealing the city's colorful night life (Google San Fransokyo). I searched the movie on IMDb, and this is the storyline it provided by Walt Disney Studios:

"Brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion, a robot named Baymax, Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city." Written by Walt Disney Animation Studios

I'm excited for getting another super hero movie by Disney and it seems that it's packed with tons of high flying action. Of course, this makes me think of Disney Pixar's The Incredibles, only because of the super hero part. Hmmm...I wonder  if we'll see a second movie. I sure hope so! But, that'll be for another blog post! Anyways, I can't really share my thoughts on this movie except for the fact it sounds very enticing and the concept art looks fantastic! I wonder what kind of powers these heroes will have. I can't wait to hear, read, and  see more on Big Hero 6, which is announced to be released on Nov. 7th, 2014. 

Thoughts?

(Disney Pixar's Finding Dory)

I love Dory! EVERYONE, loves Dory! (I'd at least hope everyone does). But, to be honest, I'm not really excited for this movie. Not yet, anyways. I'm sure once I see a trailer on the movie I'll change how I feel about it currently, but in the meantime, I want something new and fresh on the table. I will admit though, my c curiosity is swimming to know how this story is going to unfold, besides the fact that Dory has short term memory loss. Finding Dory is announced to set sail Nov. 25th, 2015. 

Are you excited for Finding Dory or do you just shrug your shoulders? 

Finally, Disneynature presents, Bears. Before I discuss, I just want to say that I never watched any of the Disneynature, oceans, etc. The stories seem heart-filled and loving, however, they never caught my attention to go to the movies or to rent them. That's just me. Recently, I watched the trailer for it, and like the many others I've mentioned, this story looks adorable (though, I'm not going to pay to go watch it). The poster and story reminds me of Disney's Brother Bear (which I greatly enjoyed), and there's nothing wrong with that. I do love how they're making it known to protect wildlife and National Parks. Disneynature Bears will be released on April 18th, 2014. 

All information and news came from D23 and Walt Disney Studios' Facebook page.

Toy Story Of Terror!!

(Screenshot from Toy Story of Terror)

On Screen Rant's website, they announced that D23 has released some news about a new short for the toys of Toy Story which will be directed by Angus MacLane. It will be appearing in October on ABC and then it will be released on DVD as a part of Disney Pixar's Short collections. 

To read more about the short, click here. 

I'm excited to see another Toy Story short! I definitely had plenty of laughs during Partysaurus Rex and know I'll enjoy this spooky sensation of Toy Story. However, on Screen Rant's website, I noticed some of the comments that were posted, stating that if they're going to continue to do shorts for Toy Story, then they might as well create A fourth Toy Story film. I absolutely disagree with those who suggested such a thought! The way Toy Story 3 was PERFECT for ending the series!! Having these Toy Story shorts, in my opinion, is away of still keeping the trilogy alive all together. Sure, we have a  new generation arriving and it'll be wonderful to keep them updated with the older Disney films but, that's what DVD/Blu-Rays are for. They'll be able to watch it over and over again, to understand how the story all started and how it ended and eventually how it continued to live on with the shorts! 

Do you think Toy Story 4 should be made? Why or Why not? Are you excited for October to see Toy Story of Terror? Leave a comment! 

Sophia Grace in Disney's 'Into The Woods'

(Sophia Grace and Rosie) 

The other day, I came across this Yahoo! Movies article with the popular sensation of Sophia Grace who we've seen on YouTube rapping/singing to Nicki Minaj's Super Bass. And of course, she's had many appearances on Ellen. It appears that Sophia Grace will be starring as Little Red Riding hood in Disney's Into The Woods (Originally it's a Broadway show and Disney is adapting it). IMDb describes the movie to be about a witch who teaches important lessons to different characters in the fairy tale stories we all know and love such as: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack & the Beanstalk, and of course, Little Red Riding Hood. 

The article explains how Disney's Into The  Woods will include A-list actors like Johnny Depp as the wolf, Meryl Streep as the witch, Anna Kendrick as Cinderella, Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince, Emily Blunt as the Baker's wife, and more. However, there wasn't any mentioning of Sophia's cousin, Rosie, playing a part in the movie. 

In conclusion, when I first read the article I didn't really care for the announcement of Sophia Grace playing Little Red Riding Hood. She was adorable at first but then I became overwhelmed and slightly annoyed with her many appearances of her in the media. Oh! And let's not forget about the music video she made called Girls Just Gotta Have Fun. I'll admit, she has a lovely voice, has a cool rap flow, and the video is cute, but she's over hyped. Although, the other actors listed to be in Disney's Into The Woods all seem like a great choice (Especially Meryl Streep playing the witch). Besides Sophia Grace, I'm curious to know more about the movie itself. It sounds like another fun adventure! 

What are your thoughts about Sophia Grace playing Little Red Riding Hood? What do you think about the movie in general? 

The Muppets Have Returned!!!

(Disney's Muppets Most Wanted)

"It's time to put on music! It's time to light the lights! It's time to meet the muppets on the Muppet Show tonight!" 

In Disney's new movie, Muppets Most Wanted, the synopsis on IMBD explains that the muppets are on a world tour but get caught up in a European jewel heist crime by a Kermit look-a-like!! Oh no!! I've always loved the muppets since I was little and the first muppets, was great! The trailer for the Muppets Most Wanted is up on Walt Disney Studios Facebook page. So check it out now! The movie is starring: Ty Burrell (Modern Family) Tina Fey (30 Rock), Ricky Gervais (The Office, UK), Tom Hiddleston (Thor), Debby Ryan (Jessie), Christoph Waltz (Django), Danny Trejo (Machete), Ray Liotta (Good Fellas), and more!!

What are your thoughts on the movie? Leave a comment!

Disney's 'Frozen' Details and Look-A-Likes

(Character Posters from Disney's Frozen)

There's so many teasers buzzin' around about Disney's Frozen, such as movie posters, stills, concept art and even a trailer. According to my research, this movie is based off the story called The Snow Queen written by Hans Christian Anderson. In his story, it's about a girl and a boy named Gerda and Kai. Kai gets taken by the Snow Queen, making him be invulnerable to the cold and to forget about his family and friend, thus having a cold heart. Gerda goes on an adventure and rescues Kai and she cries warm tears on him, making  Kai shed an ice splinter from his eyes. Then, Gerda kisses Kai, which causes him to feel warm, cheerful, and healthy again and they escape from the Snow Queen's palace. 

However, looking up the synopsis for Disney's Frozen on IMDB, it explains that Anna goes on an adventure with her friend Kristoff and a snowman named Olaf to search for her sister Elsa because her ice powers has frozen the kingdom for all eternity. It seems like a great story involving the relationship between two sisters and a chilling adventure.

As for the trailers go, Disney has only released a teaser trailer starring Olaf, the snowman and a reindeer fighting over a carrot (The snowman's nose). For a teaser, the trailer for the movie didn't really spark my attention and I had no idea what the movie was about. All that I was able to understand from the teaser was that the reindeer and the snowman must be the silly sidekicks to the main characters. Honestly, I was disappointed. Then, I heard Disney released an official trailer in Japan (and yes, of course, the trailer is in Japanese). I may not understand the language, but I definitely got a chill of excitement shiver up my spine and I couldn't be more excited. Though, I do wonder why the U.S. didn't get an official trailer. Hmmm....

(Another drawing by me. Elsa and Anna)

Finally, I've "liked" a lot of Disney pages on Facebook and they tend to post up teaser pictures  for the film, including the characters. I've been reading the comments and people are claiming that Disney didn't do a good job with the character creation. Many believe that Anna (the main character of Disney's Frozen) resembles Rapunzel from Disney's Tangled way too much. From a distance, they do look similar but not exactly the same. 

Here are some differences  that I've managed to spot.

Anna

• Freckles on face
• More eyelashes
• Thin lips
• Blue eyes
• Brown hair (I think it's brown)
• Thicker eyebrows
• smaller; button nose
• Face seems more circular

Rapunzel

• Green Eyes
• Thin eyebrows
• Less eyelashes
• Thicker lips
• Blonde hair.

What do you guys think? Do you agree about the two looking exactly the same? What are your thoughts on Disney's Frozen? Does it look exciting? 

Merida Makeover.

(Drawing by me!)

I'm sure most of you had heard about the changes they made for Merida from Disney Pixar's Brave, to make her look more "attractive". This will be my first blog post because I've always wanted to share my opinion on this. Within Disney marketing, they've changed the appearances of all the Disney princesses/girls to make them look flashier and covered with sparkles. However, a makeover for Merida didn't appeal to many of her fans. In this picture above, I drew a before and after pic of the outfits: the movie version (left) and the make over version (right), since I couldn't find any pictures in the Creative Commons. I disagree that they changed her appearance to look more slimmer and "attractive" and even took away her bow on some of the marketing items. I believe that this new look takes away that "tomboy" image for girls who don't like to be too girly. I, myself, was a major tomboy when I was younger and as much as I loved Disney, I never cared for the girly image. Even though, Merida wears a dress in the movie, it isn't too flashy and the fact that she has her bow and arrows definitely show her tomboy side. Also, I love Merida's slight roundness and the fact she isn't really skinny like the other princesses. I also enjoy her thick eyebrows, and her long, beautiful, messy red hair. Merida in Brave doesn't care about Prince charming and she has a VERY sporty and spunky attitude and that shouldn't be taken away from her image. After all, in the movie, Merida hated dressing girly (when her mom forced her to wear that really tight outfit). This makeover takes away from her character. However, I do love how Disneyland designed Merida's outfit when I went their this year (bottom picture). They kept the dark color and added the little sash on her belt along with the designs on the bottom of the dress. It's not too flashy but not too simple and casual which I thought was a perfect fit.

(Disneyland, Summer 2013)

Young girls should concentrate what's on the inside and not worry about how they look on the outside, which, in my opinion, this new makeover may show young girls. I'm not saying ALL young girls, but appearance is what captures the eyes of MOST young girls. If you haven't seen the Merida makeover, just Google it and you'll be able to recognize the differences in appearance. 

According to the Hollywood Reporter,  http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-pulls-redesigned-brave-character-523391, Disney pulled the design due to a petition that has been going around. (Which I think, seemed a bit over the top, especially for a Disney fan such as myself.)

Overall, I think the new dress Disney designed for her, looks lovely and it goes with the styles of the other Disney Princesses/girls, however, that should have been the ONLY change. They should have left her roundness, her thick eyebrows, messy hair, and bow and arrows. I understand this look is supposed to be formal for her new arrival to be a part of the Disney Princesses and apparently it's a "one-time" thing, so, it shouldn't have been that much of a big deal. The Disney Store still sells the Merida doll with her attire from the movie. But, I think there's nothing wrong with appearing girly once in a while for those special occasions. For example, if there was a Royal Disney Princess gathering at Disneyland, Merida could wear this flashy dress and still have her bow and arrows and keep her tomboy strut. 

What do you think  about the makeover? Is it a big deal? Do you think it will have a major effect on little girls who look up to Merida? Leave a comment. 

Gosh...I remember my mother had forced me in some dresses back in my tomboy days (laughs).