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
Summary: A CIA Agent must befriend a young girl after she works out his occupation while he watches her family.
Year: 2020
Australian Cinema Release Date: 9th January 2020
Thailand Cinema Release Date: 5th June 2020
Australian VOD Release Date: 15th April 2020
Country: USA, Canada
Director: Peter Segal
Screenwriter: Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber
Cast: Darrin Baker (Dr. Weller), Dave Bautista (JJ), Greg Bryk (Marquez), Laura Cilevitz (Ms. Besser), Chloe Coleman (Sophie), Nicola Correa-Damude (Christina), Chris D’Silva (Andre), Noah Dalton Danby (Todd), Basel Daoud (Hassan), Olivia Depatie (Selma), Emily Anne Dupere (Emily), Parisa Fitz-Henley (Kate), Ali Hassan (Azar), Ken Jeong (David Kim), Vieslav Krystyan (General Gregovich), Benjamin Luborsky (Trent), Charlie Luborsky (Brad), Rakhee Morzaria (Tina), Jean-Michel Nadeau (Koll), Karen O’Keefe (Pauline), Ace O’Spades (Ozzie), Devers Rogers (Carlos), Kristen Schaal (Bobbi), Kellar Viaene (Emmy)
Running Time: 99 mins
Classification: PG (Australia), 13 (Thailand)
OUR MY SPY MONSTER REVIEWS & RATINGS:
Dave Griffiths’ My Spy Review:
There seems to come a time in every action hero’s career when they decide it might be time to make a family film. For some it works really well! Say what you like about Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Kindergarten Cop but it still a film that will always bring a smile to your face whenever you go back and give it a watch. But the hits for action heroes deciding to deliver a family film though are usually very few and far between. Has anyone ever tried to go back and watch Vin Diesel’s The Pacifier after enduring it the first time?
Still that path full of our action stars’ most cringe worthy moments has not frightened wrestler-turned-actor Dave Bautista from deciding that it his turn to try and create a family favourite. Sure Bautista has already endeared himself to many younger audience members with his portrayal of the gruff but loveable Drax in the Marvel universe but with My Spy there is no costume to hide behind – this is Bautista trying to make people of all ages laugh using just his acting and comedic abilities.
In My Spy Bautista plays JJ, a hardened special-forces soldier who is trying his hardest to become a CIA Agent. The transition isn’t successful though as JJ lacks all the class of James Bond and hits anybody that stands in his way with the subtleness of a sledgehammer. He can’t even put an accent that works well enough to fool the bad guys. When he blows his first major case his boss David Kim (Ken Jeong – Community) teams JJ up with a tech expert named Bobbi (Kristen Schaal – Toy Story 3) and has them watch the widow and child of a deceased arms dealer whom Kim believes may hold the secret of their next case.
Through his sheer bumbling nature the young daughter, Sophie (Chloe Coleman – Big Little Lies) picks JJ as a spy pretty much straight-away and then blackmails him teaching her to become a spy or she will expose his true identity to her mother, Kate (Parisa Fitz-Henley – Fantasy Island).
While a brief look at the plot of the film does make My Spy seem pretty simplistic although to give the film some credit it does actually go a little deeper than expected and it is that depth that makes the film not only watchable but also enjoyable.
Where a lot of these kinds of comedies decide the best way to get a laugh from the action heroes is to use slapstick and physical comedy the team behind My Spy decide to give Dave Bautista a little bit more credit than that. Together director Peter Segal (Get Smart) and his screenwriting team put Bautista and Coleman to the test with a storyline that mixes drama, comedy and action together as it depicts Sophie as a girl whose life is very much in danger while she battles with issues including bullying and dealing with her father’s death.
Bringing themes like that in the storyline allows young Chloe Coleman to show that she is an actress with a big future ahead of her and reveals why she has been cast in Avatar 2. At the same time it also leads to some emotional and touching moments between JJ and Sophie. While JJ may be a bumbling mess with his work life he is willing to go above and beyond in order to protect and help a young girl that is desperate for his help.
Parents of young children should be warned though that at times Peter Segal does seem to forget that he is directing a family film in 2020. There are times throughout the film where it feels like the film is a throwback to the family action films of the 80s and 90s where it was more than acceptable to point a gun at a child actor and throw them head first into action sequences. While those scenes here do add to the surprising realism and believability of the film some parents may wish to be a little cautious when it comes to the age of the children that they are allowing to watch the film.
My Spy is perhaps one of the biggest surprises of 2020. Many may have expected this to be a film that would have made a few people’s Worst Films Of The Year list but instead it is an action comedy with real heart. Bautista it seems has more acting cred then many would have expected.
Join director Niki Caro as she talks about the making of Disney’s thrilling, live-action “Mulan” in the new featurette “Epic Filmmaking.”
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
Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s “Mulan,” in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known.
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honoured warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honoured warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father.
“Mulan” features a celebrated international cast that includes: Yifei Liu as Mulan; Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Tzi Ma as Zhou, Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan; Yoson An as Honghui; Ron Yuan as Sergeant Qiang; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. The film is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin, suggested by the narrative poem “The Ballad of Mulan.” The producers are Chris Bender, Jake Weiner and Jason Reed, with Bill Kong, Barrie M. Osborne, Tim Coddington and Mario Iscovich serving as executive producers.
This holiday season, Disney+ invites LEGO and Star Wars fans to Chewbacca’s home world of Kashyyyk for a Wookiee-sized celebration of the galaxy’s most cheerful and magical holiday, Life Day, in the LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, premiering exclusively on the service on Tuesday, November 17.
“The LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special” reunites Rey, Finn, Poe, Chewie, Rose and the droids for a joyous feast on Life Day, a holiday first introduced in the 1978 “Star Wars Holiday Special.”
The new LEGO special is the first to debut on Disney+ and will continue the rich legacy of collaboration between Lucasfilm and LEGO—playful adventures told in the endearingly irreverent way that only LEGO Star Wars cobranded content can.
Directly following the events of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” Rey leaves her friends to prepare for Life Day as she 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 adventure continues at home with the release of the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendaron September 1, the Advent Calendar was designed in concert with the development and production of the show and features holiday themed characters from the special. DK will also release the LEGO Star Wars Holiday sticker book, on September 29, which lets brick fans stick instead of click.
“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.
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.
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Today Disney+ shared the new trailer, key art and first look images from the upcoming film Disney’s “The One and Only Ivan.” Based on the award-winning book by Katherine Applegate, “The One and Only Ivan” tells the story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who learns that life isn’t defined by place and circumstance but by the power of friendship and the courage to make change happen. Streaming only on Disney+ from August 14.
An adaptation of the award-winning book about one very special gorilla, Disney’s “The One and Only Ivan” is an unforgettable tale about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualisation and the significance of the place one calls home.
Ivan is a 400-pound silverback gorilla who shares a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall with Stella the elephant, Bob the dog, and various other animals. He has few memories of the jungle where he was captured, but when a baby elephant named Ruby arrives, it touches something deep within him. Ruby is recently separated from her family in the wild, which causes him to question his life, where he comes from and where he ultimately wants to be.
The heartwarming adventure, which comes to the screen in an impressive hybrid of live-action and CGI, is based on Katherine Applegate’s bestselling book, which won numerous awards upon its publication in 2013, including the Newbery Medal.
The film stars: Sam Rockwell as the voice of Ivan; Angelina Jolie as the voice of Stella; Danny DeVito as the voice of Bob the dog; Helen Mirren as the voice of Snickers the poodle; Brooklynn Prince as the voice of Ruby; Ramon Rodriquez as the mall employee George; Ariana Greenblatt as George’s daughter Julia; Chaka Khan as the voice of Henrietta the chicken; Mike White as the voice of Frankie the seal; Ron Funches as the voice of Murphy the rabbit; Phillipa Soo as the voice of Thelma the parrot; and Bryan Cranston as Mack, the mall’s owner. “The One and Only Ivan” is directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay by Mike White based on Applegate’s book and is produced by the late Allison Shearmur, Angelina Jolie and Brigham Taylor. Sue Baden-Powell and Thea Sharrock serve as executive producers.
Tami Stronach, the Childlike Empress from timeless 80’s classic “The NeverEnding Story”, will star in and executive produce a new children’s fantasy film titled “Man & Witch”, written by her husband Greg Steinbruner.
Produced and Directed by Indie stalwart Rob Margolies (“She Wants Me”, producer of The Duffer Brothers first short film “We All Fall Down”), team Stronach is joined by an expanding cast of iconic actors including fellow 80’s child star Sean Astin (“The Lord of the Rings”), and Emmy winners Rhea Perlman (“Cheers”), Christopher Lloyd (“Back to the Future”), and Michael Emerson (“Lost”).
“Man & Witch”, a heartwarming homage to the lo-fi fantasy films of the 80’s, is a comic adventure that both fulfills and subverts the expectations of what a fantasy universe can be, featuring the long awaited comeback of one of Hollywood’s most enigmatic child stars, Tami Stronach. Stronach plays the reclusive Witch, a being of power and mystery, who loses her heart to a hapless goatherd when he hires her to break a curse by an Evil Wizard.
Further casting to be announced. Production is expected to begin late fall in the New York Tri-State Region.
Warner Bros. will make its new animated feature film “SCOOB!” available for both Premium Video On Demand (PVOD) and for premium digital ownership in Australia and New Zealand from today, providing high-quality family entertainment in the home just in time for school holidays.
“We know ‘SCOOB!’ has been highly anticipated in Australia and New Zealand, so we’re pleased we can deliver this action-packed movie for families to experience at home during the school holidays,” said Joel Pearlman, CEO of Roadshow Films.
“SCOOB!” will be available to premiere at home for a 48-hour rental via Premium Video On Demand or premium digital ownership beginning on Wednesday, July 1. The title will be available on participating digital platforms.
A fully animated, full-length Scooby-Doo action adventure for the whole family, “SCOOB!” reveals how lifelong friends Scooby and Shaggy first met and how they joined with young detectives Fred, Velma and Daphne to form the famous Mystery Inc. Now, with hundreds of cases solved and adventures shared, Scooby and the gang face their biggest, most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this global “dogpocalypse,” the gang discovers that Scooby has a secret legacy and an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.
“SCOOB!” features an all-star ensemble cast led by Will Forte, two-time Oscar nominee Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, Kiersey Clemons, Ken Jeong, Tracy Morgan, Simon Cowell, and Frank Welker.
The film was directed by Warner Bros. animation stalwartTony Cervone, an Annie Award nominee for the feature film “Space Jam,” two-time Emmy nominee for his work on “Duck Dodgers” and one of the creators of the popular Scooby-Doo series “Mystery Incorporated.” It was produced by Pam Coats and Allison Abbate. Adam Sztykiel, Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Jesse Ehrman, Dan Povenmire, and Chris Columbus served as executive producers. The “SCOOB!” screenplay was by Adam Sztykiel and Jack C. Donaldson & Derek Elliott and Matt Lieberman, story by Matt Lieberman and Eyal Podell & Jonathon E. Stewart, based on characters created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Cervone’s creative team included editors Ryan Folsey and Vanara Taing, and composer Tom Holkenborg.
A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures and Warner Animation Group, “SCOOB!” is distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures and by Roadshow Films in Australia and New Zealand.
