News Analysis India

Tag: Disney

  • Rachel Zegler didn’t expect to land Snow White role

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Actress Rachel Zegler has revealed that she was never expecting to land the role of ‘Snow White’ in Disney’s live-action remake of the classic story.

    The 20-year-old actress will play the titular role in Disney’s live-action remake of the iconic fairytale.

    In a conversation with Andrew Garfield for Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ series, she said: “Never in a million years did I imagine that this would be a possibility for me.

    “You don’t normally see Snow Whites that are of Latin descent. Even though Snow White is really a big deal in Spanish-speaking countries. ‘Blancanieves’ is a huge icon whether you’re talking about the Disney cartoon or just different iterations and the Grimm fairy tale and all the stories that come with it.

    “But you don’t particularly see people who look like me or are me playing roles like that.”

    Zegler’s casting as the classic character sparked a backlash from some users on social media but the ‘West Side Story’ star says she is determined to win over them with her performance in the film, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

    She recalled: “When it was announced, it was a huge thing that was trending on Twitter for days, because all of the people were angry. We need to love them in the right direction. At the end of the day, I have a job to do that I’m really excited to do. I get to be a Latina princess.”

    The live-action remake of ‘Snow White’ has also caused controversy after criticism from actor Peter Dinklage, who suffers from a form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia, which took him at the story’s “f**ing backwards” depiction of dwarfs.

    He said: “Literally no offence 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’. 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 f***ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*** are you doing, man?”

  • Consulting with dwarfism community: Disney after Peter Dinklage slams studio for ‘Snow White’ remake

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood studio Disney has responded to “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage’s criticism of its upcoming live-action remake of the classic animated movie “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”.

    Dinklage, best known for playing Tyrion Lannister in HBO show “Game of Thrones”, recently came down heavily on Disney for its decision to remake the movie, which he called “backward”.

    In its response to the actor, Disney said it was going to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film”.

    “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,” a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

    To be directed by Marc Webb, the rebooted version will feature Rachel Zegler of the “West Side Story” fame opposite Gal Gadot, who will essay the role of the Evil Queen.

    It was during an interview on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast when Dinklage offered his views on the remake of “Snow White”.

    “Literally no offence 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, 52, said.

    “Take a step back and look at what you’re doing there. It makes no sense to me,” he added.

    Dinklage, who was born with a common form of dwarfism called achondroplasia, particularly criticised the studio for trying to present a “backward” story of “seven dwarfs living in a cave together”.

    “You’re progressive in one way, but then you’re still making that f***ing backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f**k are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soap box? I guess I’m not loud enough. I don’t know which studio that is, but they were so proud of it. All love and respect to the actress and all the people who thought they were doing the right thing. But I’m just like, what are you doing?” he added.

    The original movie, titled ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’, was based on the Grimm Brothers fairytale and released in 1937.

    It was Disney’s first animated feature film and presented the story of a princess who is fed a poisoned apple by her stepmother, the queen and then falls into a deep sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from the prince.

    Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind ‘La La Land’, ‘The Greatest Showman’ and ‘Dear Evan Hansen’, will write new music for the film, which is expected to go in to production in 2022.

  • Disney responds to Peter Dinklage’s criticism of ‘Snow White’ remake

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Entertainment company Disney has responded to criticism of its forthcoming live action adaptation of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ made by ‘Game of Thrones’ star Peter Dinklage.

    Dinklage said the remake of the 1937 animated film, based on a story from the Brothers Grimm, was “backward”, reports bbc.com.

    Disney said it was going to “avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film”.

    Dinklage had said Disney should have reassessed the project.

    “I was a little taken aback by [the fact] they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White,” he told podcaster Marc Maron.

    “But you’re still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”.

    Dinklage has a form of dwarfism called achondroplasia.

    ALSO READ | Peter Dinklage: People should ‘move on’ from ‘Game of Thrones’ finale

    “You’re progressive in one way but you’re still making that backward story of seven dwarves living in the cave,” he continued.

    “They were so proud of that, and all love and respect to the actress and the people who thought they were doing the right thing but I’m just like, ‘What are you doing?’”

    In a statement, Disney said the live action remake will be an updated version of the original 1937 film.

    “We are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community,” it said in a statement.

    “We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.”

    Oscar-nominated producer Marc Platt, who also worked on Disney’s live-action rendition of ‘The Little Mermaid’, is set to produce the film.

  • Ivanna Sakhno joins cast of Mandalorian spin-off ‘Star Wars: Ahsoka’

    By Express News Service

    Actor Ivanna Sakhno will star opposite Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo in the upcoming Disney+ limited series Star Wars: Ahsoka.

    The Mandalorian spin-off has Dawson starring as the titular Ahsoka Tano, the Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels character which made its live-action debut in The Mandalorian. Bordizzo will play Sabine Wren, a character from the Star Wars Rebels animated series.

    There are no details available currently about the character Sakhno will play. Star Wars: Ahsoka is written by Dave Filoni and is expected to continue Ahsoka’s story. Notably, the series is also expected to feature an appearance by Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker.

    Star Wars: Ahsoka, executive produced by Filoni and Jon Favreau, is set to begin production in March.

    Sakhno is best known for her roles in Pacific Rim: Uprising and The Spy Who Dumped Me. She recently finished filming on the limited series The Reunion.

  • Scarlett Johansson and Disney settle lawsuit over ‘Black Widow’ lawsuit

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson and studio Disney have settled her lawsuit over the release of the actor’s superhero movie “Black Widow”.

    Though the terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, Johansson said she is happy to have resolved her “differences with Disney”, reported Variety.

    “I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done together over the years and have greatly enjoyed my creative relationship with the team. I look forward to continuing our collaboration in years to come,” the actor said in a statement on Thursday.

    Disney Studios chair Alan Bergman said the studio is also pleased to reach a resolution with the actor.

    “I’m very pleased that we have been able to come to a mutual agreement with Scarlett Johansson regarding ‘Black Widow’. We appreciate her contributions to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and look forward to working together on a number of upcoming projects, including Disney’s ‘Tower of Terror’,” he said.

    Johansson had sued Disney for breach of contract over the company’s decision to release “Black Widow” standalone film on Disney Plus and in theatres simultaneously.

    In the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in July, the actor contended that the streaming release of the Marvel Studios-backed movie breached her contract and deprived her of potential earnings.

    “Black Widow”, featuring Johansson as the titular superhero, released in the theatres and on Disney’s streaming platform on July 9.

    The actor’s lawyer said in the lawsuit that her contract guaranteed an exclusive theatrical release, with her potential earnings tied to the box office performance of the film.

    At the time, The Walt Disney Co. had responded to Johansson’s lawsuit via a statement in which the studio said that the litigation showed a callous disregard to the COVID-19 pandemic and even revealed that she has so far received USD 20 million from the project.

    “There is no merit whatsoever to this filing.

    The lawsuit is especially sad and distressing in its callous disregard for the horrific and prolonged global effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    “Disney has fully complied with Ms Johansson’s contract and furthermore, the release of ‘Black Widow’ on Disney+ with Premier Access has significantly enhanced her ability to earn additional compensation on top of the 20M she has received to date,” a Disney spokesperson had said.

    In August, Disney revealed in a filing that “Black Widow” had grossed USD 125 million on streaming, in addition to its USD 367 million box office gross.

    Directed by Cate Shortland, “Black Widow” also featured actors Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and Florence Pugh.

  • Disney’s Marvel unit files lawsuits to keep rights to ‘Avengers’ characters from copyright termination

    By ANI

    WASHINGTON: Disney’s Marvel unit has filed lawsuits to acquire full control of ‘Avengers’ characters including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Black Widow and others.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, the complaints come against the heirs of some late comic book geniuses including Stan Lee, Steve Ditko and Gene Colan.

    The legal document seeks “declaratory relief that these blockbuster characters are ineligible for copyright termination as works made for hire.” Reportedly, if Marvel loses, Disney would have to share ownership of characters worth billions.

    Marvel has faced terminations from Ditko as well as Larry Lieber’s (who worked at Marvel as a writer, too) estate.

    In August, the administrator of Ditko’s estate filed a notice of termination on Spider-Man, which first appeared in comic book form in 1962. Under the termination provisions of copyright law, authors or their heirs can reclaim rights once granted to publishers after waiting a statutory set period of time. According to the termination notice, Marvel would have to give up Ditko’s rights to its iconic character in June 2023, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

    Larry also filed termination notices to Marvel in May.

    The heirs of the comic book creators (including Black Widow creator Don Rico) are being represented by Marc Toberoff, who had also represented Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster in an unsuccessful termination attempt against DC which saved off termination by counterclaiming against Toberoff.

    As per The Hollywood Reporter, Dan Petrocelli represented the publisher at that time and will be representing Disney for the new case.

    Petrocelli has already filed several lawsuits against Lieber, Don Heck, Patrick Ditko, Don Rico and Keith Dettwiler. The cases will focus on the creation of famous comic book characters and who should be deemed the statutory author.

    One of the complaints filed on Friday asserted, “Marvel had the right to exercise creative control over Lieber’s contributions and paid Lieber a per-page rate for his work.”

    If the plaintiffs win, Disney would have to share profits with the others and hold on to at least a share of character rights as co-owners.

    As per The Hollywood Reporter, the termination provisions of copyright law only apply in the United States, allowing Disney to continue to control and profit from foreign exploitation.

  • Bryce Dallas Howard to helm ‘Flight of the Navigator’ reboot for Disney

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Actor-filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard is set to direct Disney’s reboot of 1986 kids sci-fi adventure movie “Flight of the Navigator”.

    According to Deadline, the new movie, being developed for Disney Plus, is a female-led reimagining of the original film that starred Joey Cramer, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Veronica Cartwright.

    The original movie, directed by Randal Kleiser, was about a 12-year-old boy who is abducted by a UFO and reappears eight years later at the exact same age and with no memories of what happened.

    When NASA officials spot a connection between the boy and a recovered UFO and try to ensnare him, the kid attempts to unravel the intergalactic mystery while trying to reunite with his family.

    Howard will also produce the movie alongside John Swartz and Justin Springer.

    As an actor, Howard is known for starring in movies such as “The Spider-Man 3”, “The Help” and the “Jurassic World” franchise.

    She most recently directed two episodes of popular Disney Plus series “The Mandolorian”.

  • Eternals and other Disney movies to release exclusively in theatres after ‘Shang-Chi’ success

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: Buoyed by the strong performance of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” at the US box office, Hollywood studio Disney has announced that its upcoming films, including “Eternals”, will get an exclusive theatrical window.

    In a statement, the studio said “Eternals”, one of the much-awaited titles of 2021, as well as Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake and the long-delayed “Kingsman” prequel “The King’s Man” will play in US theatres for 45 days before being available for streaming on Disney Plus.

    Filmmaker Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel”, which has a release date of October 15, and animated feature “Ron’s Gone Wrong”, set for October 22, are also getting an exclusive 45-day theatrical window.

    Superhero tentpole “Eternals”, which comes from Disney-owned Marvel Studios, will make its debut on November 5, while “West Side Story” will bow in theatres on December 10.

    “The King’s Man”, which has been delayed multiple times, will release on December 22.

    The studio further announced that Walt Disney Animation Studios’ musical “Encanto” will arrive in theatres on November 24, with a 30-day exclusive theatrical window before coming to streaming service Disney Plus on December 24.

    “Following the tremendous box office success of our summer films which included five of the top eight domestic releases of the year, we are excited to update our theatrical plans for the remainder of 2021,” said Kareem Daniel, Chairman, Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution.

    “As confidence in moviegoing continues to improve, we look forward to entertaining audiences in theatres, while maintaining the flexibility to give our Disney+ subscribers the gift of Encanto this holiday season,” he added.

    Disney has also announced new release dates for its movies from various divisions, reported Variety.

    Guillermo del Toro’s “Nightmare Alley”, the Searchlight Pictures project, has moved to a wide release on December 17 from December 3.

    It will compete against “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, a co-production between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios.

    Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid”, starring Halle Bailey and Melissa McCarthy, will debut in theatres on May 26, 2023.

    “The Bob’s Burgers Movie”, based on animated television series of the same name, will release on May 27, 2022.

  • Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ to release in Indian theatres on September 24

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: “Disney’s Jungle Cruise”, starring Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, is all set to release in Indian theatres on September 24 in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

    The film has already released internationally in July and a sequel is already in the works as per reports in the international media.

    Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, “Disney’s Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton.

    Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Jungle Cruise also stars Edgar Ramírez and Jack Whitehall, with Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti.

  • ‘Loki’ star Owen Wilson joins Disney’s ‘Haunted Mansion’

    By PTI

    LOS ANGELES: “Loki” star Owen Wilson is once again headed to Disney as he is set to star in the studio’s new film adaptation of the popular theme park ride “The Haunted Mansion”.

    The actor joins previously announced cast members Tiffany Haddish and LaKeith Stanfield in the production that is described as an ensemble in nature.

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, story details are being kept in the dark, but it is known that the film will follow a family that moves into the titular mansion.

    Justin Simien, known for “Dear White People” and “Bad Hair”, will direct the latest version from Katie Dippold’s script.

    “The Haunted Mansion” is based on the spooky theme park ride which first opened at Disneyland in 1969.

    It took guests through a terrifying manor filled with ghosts, ghouls and various other undead residents.

    It was also one of the only attractions in which Disney employees were encouraged not to smile.

    Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich are attached to produce the film through their Rideback banner.

    Nick Reynolds of Rideback will serve as executive producer.

    Shooting is expected to begin next month in Atlanta.

    The amusement park attraction was previously used to develop a 2003 family-friendly horror comedy film “The Haunted Mansion”, starring Eddie Murphy.

    “Jungle Cruise” was the studio’s recent hit that was also based on a theme park attraction.

    Disney recently greenlit a sequel for the film, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.

    Disney is also developing films on other popular rides like Space Mountain and Town of Terror.

    Wilson most recently starred as Mobius, a middle manager who works with Tom Hiddleston’s lord of mischief in “Loki”, the Marvel series on Disney’s streamer Disney Plus.

    The actor will next be seen in “The French Dispatch”, directed by his frequent collaborator Wes Anderson.

    He has also finished shooting the romantic comedy “Marry Me”, also starring Jennifer Lopez.