News Analysis India

Tag: Disney

  • Hollywood actress Emma Stone looks unrecognizable in the first ‘Cruella’ poster

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: The first movie poster of Disney’s upcoming film ‘Cruella’ is finally out and it features Oscar-winning actor Emma Stone channelling her sinister side.

    Raising fans’ excitement, Walt Disney Studios on Tuesday released the poster for the company’s long-awaited prequel to 101 Dalmatians that serves as an origin story for the puppy-powered classic’s iconic villainess.

    Sharing the teaser poster, the makers captioned the post, “Hello, Cruel World. New Trailer Tomorrow.”

    Hello, Cruel World. New Trailer Tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/kWXxbjaF4b
    — Disney (@Disney) February 16, 2021

    The movie poster features Stone in a never-seen-before avatar, rocking Cruella’s signature two-toned hairstyle, dark lipstick, and smokey eye makeup. The poster also has the film’s release month written on it: May 2021.

    In August 2019, Disney had shared the first look of Stone from the film. The first look of the ‘La La Land’ actor as the iconic 101 Dalmatians villain Cruella de Vil was unveiled during the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California.

    In the first look image, Stone sported de Vil’s signature two-toned hairstyle, gothic dark eye makeup, and a bold red lip. Dressed in a leather jacket, she could be seen while walking three Dalmatians in the picture, while co-stars Joel Fry and Paul Walter Hauser could be seen standing in the background.

    According to Entertainment Weekly, Stone revealed that Cruella will be a “punk rock” live-action origin story for the classic villain, taking place in 1970s London. The upcoming film also stars Emma Thompson and is directed by Craig Gillespie.

    The upcoming prequel will explore how Cruella, who started out as a designer, turned into a woman obsessed with wearing a coat made of puppy skin.

    For the unversed, American actor Glenn Close originally brought Cruella de Vil to life in 1996’s ‘101 Dalmatians’ and in the 2000 hit film ‘102 Dalmatians’. She also serves as an executive producer on this new adaptation.

  • Disney still committed to release ‘Black Widow’ in theatres

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Disney CEO Bob Chapek has insisted that Scarlett Johansson-front superhero movie “Black Widow” is still on course to make its debut in theatres worldwide.

    During an investor call on Thursday, Chapek said the company has no plans to send the Marvel Studios project to its streamer Disney Plus, as per Deadline.

    “We are still intending for it to be a theatrical release. We are going to be watching very carefully to see whether that strategy needs to be revisited,” he said.

    “Black Widow”, featuring Johansson in her last appearance as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, was originally scheduled for release in May 2020 but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The film is currently slated to release on May 7 this year.

    During the pandemic, Disney has made some bold moves to compensate for the closure of movie theatres.

    It took the decision of sending its big-budget live action movie “Mulan” to Disney Plus.

    The studio also sent animated feature “Soul” to the streamer, while another movie “Raya and the Last Dragon” will be debuting simultaneously in theatres and on Disney Plus for an extra USD 30.

    “Some films we will take theatrically. Some films we will take to Disney Premiere Access. And in some cases, we will take it directly to service (Disney Plus). It’s really about flexibility. We’re going to steer our decision making over time given (the needs) of our subscriber base,” Chapek said.

  • Disney to shut down ‘Ice Age’ franchise animation house ‘Blue Sky Studios’

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: The Walt Disney Co. is closing their ‘Blue Sky Studios’, the animation production house behind the much-loved series Ice Age, Rio, and many more.

    The American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate, Disney has made a move to close the studio that churned out more than 13 iconic films since Fox bought it in 1999.

    According to Deadline, this decision came after Disney faced an economic crisis due to the COVID-19 induced pandemic. Not only this but also due to the monetary losses, the company shut down its theme parks and cruise lines.

    However, the pending project of the Ice age series from the studio library will be helmed by Disney itself.

    An Ice Age series for Disney+ that was first declared during a year ago’s financial backers gathering, is as yet being developed. The ‘Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’, highlighting the voice of Simon Pegg, is scheduled to show up early by 2022.

    Whereas, the much-anticipated animation feature drama based on the novel by Noelle Stevenson ‘Nimona’, was likewise removed completely from Disney’s schedule and will no longer be released. The film was another Fox title and had 10 months left of creation. It was last scheduled for theatres on Jan. 14, 2022, reported by Deadline.

    Blue Sky Studios was originally founded in 1986 by Alison Brown, David Brown, Michael Ferraro, Carl Ludwig, Dr. Eugene Troubetzkoy, and Chris Wedge, according to the studio’s website. In their early days, the team worked on photorealistic CG effects on Joe’s Apartment (1996), A Simple Wish (1997), Alien Resurrection (1997), and Fight Club (1999). Bunny became their first of what would later grow into a collection of short films in 1998.

    As per Deadline, the last day for the Blue Sky studio will be in April. The number of employees being affected numbers 450. Disney will be working with the employees at the Greenwich, CT-based studio to explore open positions at the other internal studios.

  • ‘Raya And The Last Dragon’ to release in India on March 5

    By Express News Service
    Disney’s first Southeast Asia-centered animated film, Raya And The Last Dragon, which chronicles the quest to find the last dragon in a fantastical world, will release in India on the big screen in March.

    The Disney film will release across theatres in India on March 5. The trailer of the film gives audiences a glimpse of Raya (voiced by Kelly-Marie Tran) as she rallies her warrior crew and con artists on her quest to find the mythical last dragon.

    The film also includes Awkwafina, Sandra Oh and Gemma Chan as voice cast, and is directed by Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada with Paul Briggs and John Ripa co-directing it. It is written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim.

    The official description of the film reads: “A lone warrior, Raya, must track down the legendary last dragon to stop an evil force that has returned after 500 years to once again threaten her homeworld, Kumandra.”

  • WATCH | Trailer of Disney’s ‘Raya and The Last Dragon’ out

    By Express News Service
    The trailer of Disney’s upcoming animated feature film, Raya and the Last Dragon, was released yesterday. The new trailer delves deep into the life of a lone warrior, Raya (voiced by Kelly-Marie Tran), who must track down the legendary last dragon to stop an evil force that has returned after 500 years to once again threaten her homeworld, Kumandra.

    Disney’s first Southeast Asian-centered animated movie also stars Awkwafina, Sandra Oh and Gemma Chan as the voice cast. 

    The film is directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) along with Paul Briggs and John Ripa co-directing it. Produced by Osnat Shurer and Peter Del Vecho, it is written by Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians).

    Raya and the Last Dragon will be released across theatres in India on March 5.