TM Movie News: D23 Expo Edition

- by Steve Garcia, 12 August 2013

Giant-sized D23 (that's the Disney Expo for you!) recap edition of Movie News! Cinderella! Maleficent! Pixar! Good dinosaurs, zoo things, a dash of Marvel things and much more Disney goodies!

Big Hero 6:

• While little information was revealed at D23 regarding the Disney/Marvel animated adaptation of Big Hero Six, it was confirmed that characters such as Sunfire and the Silver Samurai will not be present in the film (because they’re X-Men characters, and that makes sense.) The story will take place in the fictional city of San FranSokyo, and will revolve around the presumed leader of the team, Hiro, a 14 year old boy, and his robot. While I still think that this is an extremely random project to pick for the first Disney-fueled Marvel feature, I can’t help but be a little excited to see what the final product will look like. And maybe we’ll get a Power Pack movie out of this! Or the Great Lakes Avengers! Oh! Or Alpha Flight! They’re like the Z-List Canadian XMen! Do it Disney!
  

Captain America: The Winter Solider:

• The official synopsis was revealed at D23 for the Captain America sequel. Stuff we already knew, but official is official, ya dig?
  

After the cataclysmic events in New York with The Avengers, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” finds Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, living quietly in Washington, D.C. and trying to adjust to the modern world. But when a S.H.I.E.L.D. colleague comes under attack, Steve becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that threatens to put the world at risk. Joining forces with the Black Widow, Captain America struggles to expose the ever-widening conspiracy while fighting off professional assassins sent to silence him at every turn. When the full scope of the villainous plot is revealed, Captain America and the Black Widow enlist the help of a new ally, the Falcon. However, they soon find themselves up against an unexpected and formidable enemy—the Winter Soldier.

Cinderella:

• Director Kenneth Branagh (Thor) will be directing a live-action adaptation of the classic fairytale. At D23, he ensured the audience via video that: “It’s impossible to not think Disney when you see Cinderella. Several moments from the 1950 movie leave such an impression on you – how we will transfer the several moments from the movie – the glass slipper, how to make the pumpkin turn into a coach and her entrance to ballroom… these are all iconic moments.” Starring Lily James (Downton Abbey) as Cinderella, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) as the Prince, Cate Blanchett (The Hobbit) as the Evil Stepmother, and Helena Bonham Carter (Alice in Wonderland) as the Fairy Godmother, Cinderella is sure to be a hit on March 13, 2015. Branagh’s a fantastic director, and this cast is rock-solid. Can’t wait to see it!
  

Finding Dory:

• D23 also provided us with the surprise sequel to Finding Nemo, Finding Dory. Slated for a 2015 release, the film takes place exactly one year after the events of Finding Nemo. This will be a story about Dory wanting to find her family, which is hard for her because of her short-term memory. Ellen Degeneres and Albert Brooks will be back as Dory and Marlin, and Diane Keaton, Eugene Levy, and Ty Burrel (Modern Family) will also be joining the cast as well. Loved the first one, and now I can look forward to the sequel because Ty Burrel is awesome and you need to watch Modern Family if you already haven’t. Exciting stuff!
  

The Good Dinosaur:

• A little while ago, Pixar announced that they were working on a film simply titled “The GoodDinosaur.” Nothing else was stated about the film other than the title, but I knew that this is going to go down as one of their best films. How did know that? It’s a Pxar movie called “The Good Dinosaur!” That is by far the most innocent thing on the planet, people! And it looks like I’ll be right, because a whole bunch of info was released at D23, starting with the official synopsis:
  

“The Good Dinosaur” asks the generations-old question: What if the cataclysmic asteroid that forever changed life on Earth actually missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In theaters May 30, 2014, the film is a humorous and exciting original story about Arlo, a lively 70-foot-tall teenage Apatosaurus with a big heart. After a traumatic event rattles Arlo’s tranquil community, he sets out on a quest to restore peace, gaining an unlikely companion along the way—a young human boy named Spot.”

• “The Good Dinosaur” will feature the voices of Lithgow, Frances Mcdormand,  Bill Hader, Neil Patrick Harris, Judy Greer and Lucas Neff, the main character. Definitely my most anticipated film of 2014, and once again, this is going to blow all other Pixar movies out of the water. I’m calling it here and now, folks!
  

Inside Out:

• Many new details about the upcoming Pixar film, Inside Out, were revealed at D23, and thismovie looks like it has some really great potential. The story is about this kid named Riley, but the majority of the film takes place inside his head, as it stars his five main emotions: Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Fear (Bill Hader), Joy (Amy Poehler) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith). Say what you will, but if Lewis Black and Amy Poehler aren’t absolutely perfect for the embodiments of Anger and Joy, I don’t know who are. It’s an excellent premise, and I can’t wait to see more!
  

Into the Woods:

• Officially announced at D23 is a big screen adaptation of the award winning musical, Into the Woods. For those unaware, this is a musical that stars several characters from your favorite fairytales. The adaptation will be directed by Rob Marshall (Chicago), and will star Meryl Streep, Johnny Depp, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Emily Blunt. Into the Woods will hit a theater near you in December 2014, and will no doubt win an Oscar because Meryl Streep.
  

Maleficent:

• With Cinderella’s story being retold in a live-action film, it’s only fitting that one of Disney’s most evil villains would get the same treatment. Slated for a July 2, 2014 release, Angelina Jolie will star as Maleficent, the villain from Sleeping Beauty that can turn into a dragon. Disney executives promise that this will indeed be a very different approach of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, and audiences may or may not be rooting for the dragon before the end credits. Maleficent is my personal favorite Disney villain, and Jolie in the lead role is by far the perfect match. Looking very forward to this adaptation, and so should you!
  

The Muppets: Muppets Most Wanted:

• The official press release to the now-highly anticipated Muppet sequel offered some very interesting details:
  

“Directed by James Bobin and produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman, Disney’s “Muppets Most Wanted” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine—the World’s Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit—and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. Tina Fey is featured as Nadya, a feisty prison guard. Bobin co-wrote the screenplay with Nicholas Stoller, who is also executive producer with John G. Scotti. Featuring music from Academy Award®-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, “Muppets Most Wanted” hits the big screen March 21, 2014.”

• For those of you who aren’t quite together with movie math, let me grant you with a very basicequation: Ricky Gervais + Muppets = Best Muppet movie of all time. 2014’s shaping up to be an excellent year so far.
  

Zootopia:

• Disney is certainly looking to return to their roots with Zootopia. Directed by Byron Howard (Tangled), Zootopia stars a fox and a bunny in a world entirely inhabited by animals. According to the people involved with the film, they really put in all their efforts into just what a modern civilization would look like if it were run by nothing but animals—this includes clothing, magazines, etc. As a kid who grew up with classics like The Lion King, The Fox and the Hound, Robin Hood, Winnie the Pooh, and The Rescuers, I couldn’t be more excited for this one. Disney knows what’s up.

STUFF YOU SHOULD LOOK AT:


Thor: The Dark World:

• New Thor trailer! Asgard! Loki! Annoying humans! Rock monsters! Look at it!
  

That’ll do it for this week, righteous readers! What was your favorite tidbit from D23? 'Big Hero Six'? 'Into the Woods'? 'Zootopia'? 'Cinderella' and 'Maleficent'? Are you pumped for Inside out? Will you be there to cry with me after experiencing 'The Good Dinosaur'? As always, leave your comments, and be good to one another!

Tagged: TM Movie News.

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