In the sequel to DreamWorks Animation’s Oscar®-nominated blockbuster comedy, the Templeton brothers—Tim (James Marsden, X-Men franchise) and his Boss Baby little bro Ted (Alec Baldwin)—have become adults and drifted away from each other. Tim is now a married stay-at-home dad. Ted is a hedge fund CEO. But a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach and a can-do attitude is about to bring them together again… and inspire a new family business.
When baby Tina reveals that she’s—ta-da!—a top secret agent for BabyCorp on a mission to uncover the dark secrets behind Tabitha’s school and its mysterious founder, Dr. Erwin Armstrong (Jeff Goldblum), it will reunite the Templeton brothers in unexpected ways, lead them to re-evaluate the meaning of family and discover what truly matters.
Lisa Kudrow and Jimmy Kimmel also reprise their roles as Ted and Tim’s parents.
Stan today announced that production for a brand new Stan Original Film, A Sunburnt Christmas,Australia’s greatest Christmas film ever, is currently underway in Adelaide and will premiere exclusively on Stan later this year – just in time for Christmas.
Directed by Christiaan Van Vuuren (Bondi Hipsters, The Other Guy), this very Australian comedy is produced by Every Cloud Productions, in association with Highview Productions, from an original concept by Gretel Vella, Eillot Vella and Tim Walker, with major production investment from Screen Australia in association with Stan and financed with assistance from the South Australian Film Corporation. Lisa Scott, Highview Productions, is Producer, with Executive Producers Fiona Eagger and Deb Cox for Every Cloud and Mike Jones co-producing.
Not your typical cliché Christmas movie, A Sunburnt Christmas is a wild, hilarious and heartfelt story about a single mum and her kids doing it tough on their outback farm until a runaway criminal dressed as Santa Claus crashes into their property and their lives.
In the lead role as Daryl the kindly crim, Daniel Henshall (Snowtown, Bloom, Acute Misfortune) is mistaken for the real Santa by the young and fearless Daisy, played by incredible new talent Lena Nankivell. Other newcomers Eaden McGuinness and Tatiana Goode are equally brilliant in their roles as Daisy’s older siblings, her anxious brother Tom and wily teenage sister Hazel who sees Daryl as an opportunity to get her family back on track. Sullivan Stapleton (Animal Kingdom, Ride Like A Girl, 300: Rise of an Empire), also stars as Dingo, the mobster on the hunt for Daryl, with Ling Cooper Tang (The Secrets She Keeps, Stan Original Series The Gloaming) as the children’s mumrounding out the multi-generational cast of diverse characters.
A feel-good comedy-of-errors, A Sunburnt Christmas is the must-watch film this Christmas that will bring the family together to laugh, cry and cheer for the triumph of ordinary battlers who might just get their Christmas miracle.
Christiaan Van Vuuren said: “I‘m absolutely stoked to be working at all this year, let alone on a production as special as this with so many talented eggs. I hope this movie is a Christmas present to all Australians after such a hard year.”
Every Cloud Productions’ Fiona Eagger said: “Christmas is one of those occasions where my family love the ritual of sitting down together to watch something Christmassy. Last Christmas, I asked myself ‘where are our good Aussie Christmas films?’ A Sunburnt Christmas fills that void and celebrates what makes us uniquely Australian. It is a little bit irreverent, not very politically correct, has a big heart and is a lot funny. In a year where we could do with a little Christmas cheer, this is about creating our own miracles and finding faith in each other.
“Alongside Stan and Lisa Scott, Deb and I and the team at Every Cloud Productions, have a strong ethos to give opportunity to new talent. On this show there are many key creatives that are doing their first feature film and we are proud to be doing it with them.”
Stan’s Chief Content Officer, Nick Forward said: “The timing for A Sunburnt Christmas couldn’t be better and we’re delighted to be working with Christiaan Van Vuuren again, along with the talented young writers, Every Cloud Productions and Highview Productions, to create a fun feel-good Christmas film to give us all a bit of much-needed Aussie festive cheer.”
South Australia’s Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni, who recently visited the set, said: “A Sunburnt Christmas will inject $2.9m into the local economy and employ 104 South Australian crew, 15 local cast and 31 extras. Among the cast are three young South Australian actors in key roles, who have the opportunity to work alongside and learn from acclaimed actors Daniel Henshall and Sullivan Stapleton. It is terrific to continue to build on the strong relationship between Stan and South Australia.”
Screen Australia’s Head of Content Sally Caplansaid: “We are thrilled to be supporting this Aussie Christmas comedy. With a fun and distinctive story written by exciting new talents Gretel Vella, Eillot Vella and Tim Walker, and comic mastermind Christiaan Van Vuuren in the director’s chair, A Sunburnt Christmas is set to bring laughs for the whole family.”
CEO of the South Australian Film Corporation Kate Crosersaid: “We are thrilled to welcome the acclaimed and prolific Every Cloud Productions to South Australia for the first time with this Stan Original film. The turnaround on this production, post-Covid and pre-Christmas is incredibly quick, and is testament to the agility and skill of the nimble crew and vendors in South Australia, under the leadership of South Australian producer, Lisa Scott of Highview Productions.”
Stan Original Film A Sunburnt Christmas will premiere exclusively on Stan later this year
Disney+ is bringing together some of the brightest stars in the Star Wars galaxy for the ultimate holiday family reunion, the “LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special.” Today the streaming service also gave fans a first look at key art for the special, set to premiere on Tuesday, November 17, also known as the fan-favourite holiday Life Day first introduced in the 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
Franchise stars reprising their roles in the “LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” include Kelly Marie Tran (Rose Tico), Billy Dee Williams (“Lando Calrissian”), Anthony Daniels (“C-3PO”), as well as “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” vets Matt Lanter (Anakin Skywalker), Tom Kane (Yoda, Qui-Gon Jinn), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi), and Dee Bradley Baker (clone troopers).
“The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day. Rey sets off on a new adventure with BB-8 to gain a deeper knowledge of the Force. At a mysterious Jedi Temple, she is hurled into a cross-timeline adventure through beloved moments in Star Wars cinematic history, coming into contact with Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Yoda, Obi-Wan and other iconic heroes and villains from all nine Skywalker saga films. But will she make it back in time for the Life Day feast and learn the true meaning of holiday spirit?
“The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” is a production of Atomic Cartoons, the LEGO Group, and Lucasfilm. It is directed by Ken Cunningham and written by David Shayne, who is also co-executive producer. James Waugh, Josh Rimes, Jason Cosler, Jacqui Lopez, Jill Wilfert and Keith Malone are executive producers.
One of the biggest criticisms aimed at the super-hero genre over the past few years has been that nobody out there is doing anything different. As far as the box office goes super-hero movies remain supreme. Place a new Marvel movie on the big screen and you are guaranteed to get a healthy return at the box-office and to many it has felt that has given the studios behind them an excuse not to be creative. Why change a formula that works, right?
Well it seems that Disney is about to buck that trend with the brand new super-hero flick Secret Society Of New Born Royals. The first film in what Disney hope to become a long-lasting franchise sees not only the arrival of fresh super-heroes to the Disney family but also the inclusion of the some brand new Disney princesses and that is something that is not lost on the star of the film – Peyton Elizabeth Lee (Scandal).
“I was super excited when I found out that I was gonna be a Disney princess, like who gets to say that?” says Lee laughing loudly as she talks to the press about her role of the rebellious Sam in the film. “It’s such this iconic group of people, and so to sort of be a part of that was really exciting. And then when I found out that it was not going to be your typical Disney princess but that they’re second-borns and that they don’t fit that sort of princess and prince mold, that just made me much more excited because it’s so important that we sort of break out of what people, you know, think you should be.”
When Lee says her character doesn’t exactly fit the normal Disney princess mold she is not joking. Early on in the film she is a skate-boarding rebel who finds herself in trouble with the law while her sister, who is about to become Queen, goes about her Royal duties. While that makes her very different to the other Princesses that call Disney’s castle home it was also one of the things that attracted the young actress to the role.
“I think one of the reasons why I connected so closely with Sam and was so excited to play her is because she has all these, you know, quirks and unique personality traits,” Lee explains. “You know, she’s a princess but she doesn’t fit that mold perfectly and she has these rebellious tendencies but she’s also not, like, a bad person. And so sort of navigating those- that balance of who she is and that she’s not- she doesn’t fit into any one mold was a reason why I connected with her and I think everyone can connect with her is because, you know, no one’s any one thing, you know, they’re a combination of so many different things.”
Lee is also quick to admit that the fact that Sam is so different to what most people will expect her be also made it challenging for her as an actress to bring to the screen. “Just sort of stepping into her head, you know why she does the things she does, why she cares about the people she cares about, why she’s upset about the things she’s upset about. I think really just getting into her mindset was the biggest component to playing her. At first she’s not really wanting to be a part of the team because at the beginning of the story, Sam’s not a great team player. But by the end of it, we sort of see her pull the group together and sort of come out as- as a leader for them and as sort a motivator for them.”
It is also perhaps those differences that we see with Sam that will make her most relatable to the film’s key audience – teenagers. As she wraps up the press conference Lee is quick to remind those about to watch the film that this film is about more than just entertainment. “I don’t want to, like, tell people what they should take away from it, but I think, you know, these superpowers that we all have are very symbolic of what’s unique about each of us and what makes you different from me and you different from your neighbors, you know, and- and that what makes us unique is what makes us special, is what makes us important.”
While unclassified at the moment Secret Society Of Second Born Royals is for families and will be released on Disney+ on September 25th.
Summary: A twe;ve-year-old boy finds a way to communicate with his dog. While the Government hunts him down for his technology he decides to use his dog’s simple thoughts to help repair the relationship between his parents.
Year: 2020
Australian Cinema Release Date: TBA
Thailand Cinema Release Date: TBA
Australian VOD Release Date: 9th July 2020
Country: UK, China, USA
Director: Gil Junger
Screenwriter: Gil Junger
Cast: Dillon Ahlf (Brayden), Gralen Bryant Banks (Principal Harris), Gabriel Bateman (Oliver), Sean Boyd (Hunter), Bryan Callen (Agent Callen), Lena Clark (Mrs. McClelland), Josh Duhamel (Lukas), Jason Edwards (Mr. McClelland), Megan Fox (Ellen), Lara Grice (Ms. Shackley), Mason Guccione (Rodney), Neo Hooo (Xiao), Madison Horcher (Sophie), Billy 4 Johnson (Nicholas), Julia Jones (Agent Munoz), Will Junger (Will), Zoe Lazar (Debbie), Youngjian Lin (Shen), Janet Montgomery (Bridget), Kunal Nayyar (Mr. Mills), Marnette Patterson (Cindy), David Rayden (Rockford), Jannette Sepwa (Jason), Todd Stashwick (Henry (voice)), Izaac Wang (Li)
Running Time: 91 mins
Classification: PG (Australia)
OUR THINK LIKE A DOG REVIEWS & RATINGS:
Dave Griffiths’ Think Like A Dog Review:
For a long time family films were a dull, boring affair that seemed at times to not even work for kids. Sure you had those that marked a generation like Frozen but few were entertaining or mature enough to provide any entertainment for the adults that were forced to watch them with their kids. The 2020 cinematic year seems to have bucked that trend though with films like Spies In Disguise, Sonic The Hedgehog and My Spy offering something for kids and adults alike. Now we can add another film to that list – Think Like A Dog.
To be honest we should have expected the film to have a certain winning formula. After all it is written and directed by Gil Junger, a man who may not be a house-hold name but has worked on some of television’s most popular comedies over the years including Dharma & Greg and Ellen. Then there is the fact that the film stars Hollywood A-Listers Josh Duhamel (Safe Haven) and Meagan Fox (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) star in the film – gone are the days when star’s managers let them make mistakes like The Pacifier. Through in child actor Gabriel Bateman who did amazing things in Child’s Play and Lights Out and you can certainly see why this film should work. The best thing is it does.
Bateman plays Oliver a twelve-year-old prodigy whose science experiments stun those around him. At school he is excelling, while of course trying to attract the attention of his class-mate Sophie (Madison Horcher – Adventures In Babysitting), but he is not so smooth when it comes to inter-acting with the opposite sex. He also faces stresses with his home life as it becomes more and more obvious that his Mum (Fox) and Dad (Duhamel) are heading for divorce.
But then his latest experiment doesn’t go the way he planned and he finds himself being able to communicate with his dog. Together the duo come up with a way to help try and keep Oliver’s parents together but they soon find themselves in trouble when a tech-billionaire known as Mr Mills (Kunal Nayyar – The Big Bang Theory) wants the technology for himself and they inevitably attract the attention of the US Government.
While the film does have star power the key to this film working is the A-Grade screenplay from Gil Junger. The film works because its script captures the magic that made films and television shows like The Wonder Years and Spy Kids work so well for families. Junger knows that when it comes to writing for families you can’t make things cheesy, no matter how ridiculous the storyline is, and it is okay to tackle topics that kids maybe facing in real life.
While it would be really easy to dismiss Think Like A Dog as ‘just’ a talking dog movie, the film goes a lot deeper than that. In modern society a parent’s imminent separation is something that a lot of children will face. Here Junger explores the situation through the eyes of a child yet doesn’t suger-coat it either.
Likewise with the humour of the film. There is humour in the film but it never becomes that cheesy type of humour that has made so many family films unwatchable over the years. Junger seems to find the right mix – he makes the Government Agents bubbling and comedic without ever making them a complete joke. The same when it comes to the film’s nemesis. It would have been really easy for Mr. Mills to have been written as a Jim Carrey bad guy especially considering he was being played by a television comedy star. Instead making Millls a believable character makes his actions even more sinister, especially when he is trying to lure the kids into his trap.
So much comes together and works well for Think Like A Dog to be such a good family film. Gabriel Bateman acts well beyond his years, Duhamel and Fox put in mature performances that just show they need to be taken seriously as actors while Kunal Nayyar takes a huge step up and shows that he has a future outside of Big Bang Theory. However, the very special ingredient here is an amazing screenplay that allows this film to work for family members of all ages.
Kyle McGrath’s Think Like A Dog Review:
Average Subculture Rating:
IMDB Rating:
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Mickey Mouse and friends are heading to Disney+ in the all new-animated shorts series, “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse.” From the team behind Disney Channel’s Emmy Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts, the new Disney+ original series will debut on Mickey’s birthday, Wednesday, November 18, with two new shorts rolling out every Friday beginning November 27.
Ten shorts will premiere this year, with 10 additional shorts set for Winter 2021.
In “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse,” it’s nothing but fun and excitement for Mickey and his best pals – Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto – as they embark on their greatest adventures yet, navigating the curveballs of a wild and zany world where the magic of Disney makes the impossible possible. Each seven-minute short is filled with laugh-out-loud comedy, modern settings, timeless stories, new music and the unmistakable classic art style of the “Mickey Mouse” shorts. The series will include stories inspired by various lands at Disney parks and cameos by classic Disney heritage characters.
Marked by a contemporary art style that harkens back to Mickey’s 1928 beginnings, the “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts premiered on Disney Channel in 2013 and ran for five seasons, consisting of a total of 96 episodes, and garnered seven Primetime Emmy Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards and 21 Annie Awards. The shorts inspired a global line of consumer products, toys and clothing as well as the new attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the first ride-through attraction in Disney history starring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, now open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. All five seasons of the shorts are currently available to stream on Disney+.
“The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse” is produced by Disney Television Animation with Emmy Award-winning artist and director Paul Rudish serving as executive producer and supervising director. Christopher Willis, the Emmy Award-winning composer of the “Mickey Mouse” shorts, also provides the music for this series.
What happened to Olaf within the moments after Elsa created him as she was “letting it go” and building her ice palace, and when Anna and Kristoff first meet him in the forest? And how did Olaf learn to love Summer?
The previously untold origins of Olaf, the innocent and insightful, summer-loving snowman who melted hearts in the Academy Award®-winning 2013 Disney animated feature, Frozen, and its acclaimed 2019 sequel, are revealed in the all-new Walt Disney Animation Studios animated short, Once Upon a Snowman.
The film follows Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle. Once Upon a Snowman is directed by Trent Correy (animation supervisor, “Olaf” in Frozen 2) and Dan Abraham (veteran story artist who boarded Olaf’s “When I Am Older” musical sequence in Frozen 2) and produced by Nicole Hearon (associate producer “Frozen 2” and “Moana”) with Peter Del Vecho (producer, “Frozen 2,” “Frozen” and the upcoming “Raya and the Last Dragon”). Olaf is voiced by award-winning actor Josh Gad.
“This is an idea that started to form when I was an animator on the first Frozen,” said director Trent Correy.”
“Dan Abraham and I are so grateful and excited to have had the opportunity to direct this short, working with our incredible colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios.”
“Josh Gad gives one of the great animated voice performances as Olaf through the ‘Frozen’ films,” said director Dan Abraham. “To have the opportunity to work with him in the recording booth was such a privilege and career highlight.”
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated short, “Once Upon A Snowman,” debuts exclusively on Disney+ October 23, 2020
A brand-new featurette for Disney’s epic, live-action “Mulan”—“Finding Mulan”—is available now! Niki Caro tells how she found the perfect actor to play Mulan, with commentary from Yifei Liu, Tzi Ma and Yoson An. Feel free to share the featurette with your readers.
Starting September 4, with Premier Access, viewers can watch “Mulan” before it’s available to all Disney+ subscribers. Disney+ will offer Premier Access to “Mulan” for a single additional fee of $34.99 AUD / $39.99 NZD on disneyplus.com
