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It was a record-breaking holiday weekend at the box office for theaters in the U.S., with a $420 million 5-Day Thanksgiving total, which smashed 2018's previous record of $315.6 million. Lukewarm critic reviews for newcomer Moana 2 did little to dissuade families from attending in droves; by itself the animated sequel broke the record for a 5-Day Thanksgiving opening with its $221 million gross. Not to be left on the sidelines, last week's contenders Wicked and Gladiator II continued to bring in impressive numbers, grossing $117.5 million and $44 million, for second and third place, respectively. In its second weekend, Wicked also became the highest grossing movie based on a Broadway musical and claimed the third best 5-day take for any film. Barry Keoghan is set to portray Ringo Starr in Sam Mendes' Beatles movies, according to the Beatle himself. Mendes is planning to direct four biopics, each dedicated to a band member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Starr. All of the movies will be released separately in theaters by Sony Pictures. While several stars have been rumored to be circling the splashy project, including Paul Mescal and Joseph Quinn, no deals have been made with any of the cast. On The Town podcast, Dune director Denis Villeneuve spoke on why he doesn't want to direct a Star Wars film. Speaking on The Empire Strikes Back, he said “I was the target audience. I was 10 years old. It went to my brain like a silver bullet. I became obsessed with Star Wars. I mean, The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back. I adore Star Wars. The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi ... still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids. … Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So, I'm not dreaming to do a Star Wars because it feels like the code is very codified." Although Disney allowed Ryan Reynolds to exercise a high degree of creative control on this summer's Deadpool and Wolverine, the official script posted to Disney's FYC website has revealed the one joke that the company cut from the film. The line, spoken by Deadpool reads: "“F***! What, we can't even afford one more X-Man? Disney is so cheap. I can barely breathe with all this Mickey Mouse cock in my throat.” Although the majority of the line stayed, the last sentence was changed to: “I got Pinocchio jammed in my ass, and he's lying like crazy.” Disney also released a new trailer for its $200 million live-action, Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot-led, reimagining of Snow White, due to hit theaters March 25, 2025. In heated competition, Netflix has optioned the rights to Callie Hart's fantasy romance BookTok phenom novel Quicksilver. Deadline hears this is a 7-figure deal. During a tech media conference, Warner Bros. Discovery global streaming chief JB Perrette revealed some upcoming targeted dates for Max streaming properties, mentioning that season 3 of The White Lotus will debut in February and discussed a spring 2025 premiere for “The Last of Us” Season 2, a late 2025 launch for “Game of Thrones” prequel “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms,” and an anticipated 2026 debut for “Euphoria” Season 3. Perrette also revealed that the anticipated Harry Potter series is currently in the casting stage for its 3 lead characters and will target a 2027 release window, rather than a 2026 one. The CW's Arrowverse of DC characters, which kicked off in 2012, has officially ended after Lois & Superman aired its finale, December 2.
This Day in Legal History: Squeaky Fromme ConvictedOn this day in 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a devoted follower of cult leader Charles Manson, was found guilty by a federal jury in Sacramento, California, for attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The incident occurred on September 5, 1975, in Sacramento's Capitol Park, where Fromme aimed a Colt .45 handgun at Ford as he greeted the public. Though the weapon did not discharge—later found to lack a bullet in the firing chamber—the act was a chilling reminder of the volatile political atmosphere of the 1970s. Fromme claimed she wanted to draw attention to environmental issues and the plight of California redwoods, framing her actions as a desperate bid to make her concerns heard.The trial was marked by Fromme's erratic behavior, including disruptions and self-represented courtroom antics that reflected her unwavering loyalty to Manson and his apocalyptic worldview. Prosecutors argued that Fromme's actions posed a genuine threat to the president's life, even though the gun had not fired. The jury deliberated for just over a day before convicting her of attempted assassination under federal law, a crime that carried a potential life sentence.The case underscored the rising threats to public officials during a turbulent era in American history, following closely on the heels of other high-profile political attacks. Sentenced to life imprisonment, Fromme served 34 years before being paroled in 2009. Her conviction remains a stark reminder of the enduring dangers posed by extremist ideologies and the individuals who act upon them.The Biden administration has proposed a rule to expand Medicare and Medicaid coverage to include weight-loss drugs, potentially providing access to millions of Americans with obesity while significantly increasing government healthcare costs. Medicare currently covers related medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro for diabetes but excludes obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound. Only 13 state Medicaid programs cover these high-cost treatments, which can exceed $1,000 monthly. The proposed rule could reduce patient out-of-pocket costs by up to 95% and offset expenses through lowered rates of obesity-linked diseases, including diabetes and heart conditions.The Congressional Budget Office estimates the expanded Medicare coverage could cost $35 billion over nine years. However, these costs might decrease after 2025 when semaglutide, the active ingredient in several weight-loss drugs, becomes subject to government price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act. Drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly stand to benefit from this policy, as the global market for obesity drugs is projected to reach $130 billion by 2030.The proposal is seen as a win for patients and physicians advocating for broader access, but it also poses challenges to efforts to reduce government spending. Some, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argue that healthier food initiatives could address obesity more affordably. Novo and Lilly have been working to demonstrate additional health benefits of these medications, aiming to expand insurance coverage and increase acceptance among policymakers. The proposed rule must undergo a formal review process before implementation.Biden Proposes Medicare, Medicaid Coverage of Obesity Drugs (1)Donald Trump's incoming administration faces a rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape with increased cyber threats, growing system vulnerabilities, and challenges from generative AI. Balancing national security with deregulation goals adds uncertainty to its approach, particularly as it inherits initiatives from the Biden era. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), established during Trump's first term, remains pivotal for safeguarding critical infrastructure but faces scrutiny from Republicans over its efforts to counter election misinformation. Proposed rule changes under the 2022 Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA), which require entities to report cyber incidents, await finalization amid industry pushback.The Biden administration emphasized industry-specific cybersecurity rules, such as water system safeguards, aviation security standards, and transportation cyber risk requirements, but these have faced challenges, including legal and political opposition. Trump's administration may prioritize oversight while easing regulatory burdens, potentially reducing the influence of agencies like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in cybersecurity enforcement.CISA's future is uncertain, with calls to shift it under the Transportation Security Administration, which could impact its authority. Jen Easterly, CISA's current director, will step down on Inauguration Day, leaving leadership decisions to Trump. A possible reduction in enforcement, especially targeting executives, may be welcomed by companies in the cybersecurity space, which have faced intense scrutiny in recent years. The administration's ultimate stance on these policies remains unclear, signaling a potential shift away from the Biden administration's regulatory approach.Trump's Cybersecurity Faces Biden's Legacy, Rising Threats AheadDisney has agreed to pay $43.3 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that its female employees in California earned significantly less than male colleagues over an eight-year span. Filed in 2019 by LaRonda Rasmussen, the lawsuit claimed disparities of up to $20,000 annually for women holding the same job titles as men, including those with less experience. The case eventually grew to represent 9,000 current and former female employees.As part of the settlement, Disney will employ a labor economist for three years to assess and address pay equity among full-time, non-union California employees below the vice president level. An analysis of Disney's HR data, conducted by a University of California professor, found that women were paid approximately 2% less than men during the analyzed period.Although Disney denied wrongdoing, a spokesperson emphasized the company's commitment to fair pay. The settlement agreement, filed in California state court, awaits judicial approval.Disney settles suit over women's pay for $43 million | ReutersPresident-elect Donald Trump's plan to use the military in deportation efforts breaks with U.S. norms against deploying troops domestically but may avoid legal challenges if confined to support roles, such as building detention camps or transporting migrants. The 1878 Posse Comitatus Act bars the military from law enforcement activities, but exceptions, such as the Insurrection Act and National Guard deployments under state control, create legal ambiguity. Trump's proposal to increase deportation capacity by 20 times would require extensive use of these exceptions and could lead to conflicts with state governors.Critics argue that this approach undermines constitutional norms, with legal scholars highlighting the potential for overreach. Governors refusing to deploy their National Guard could force Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, historically used for civil rights and law enforcement emergencies, though courts typically defer to presidential authority in national security matters. Experts warn that expanded military roles could open avenues for legal challenges, especially if funding or state jurisdiction issues arise.This plan raises significant concerns about its impact on democratic principles. Using the military for mass deportations would set a troubling precedent for civilian governance and law enforcement. While legally feasible in limited roles, the proposal's broad ambitions risk undermining constitutional traditions and provoking legal and political pushback.Trump plan to use military in deportations should stand up in court | Reuters This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe
Although Disney is just now catching up with the concept, Black Mermaids are far from something new. In this powerful episode our guests are Cookie Washington and Judith Aidoo are speaking on the subject of black mermaids and more. Mark your calendars for the upcoming Art Show: "Celebrating Black Mermaids; From Africa to America" which is discussed in more details in this episode. (Opening May 26th - July 6th, 2023) @ City Gallery at Joe Riley Waterfront Park in Charleston SC Connect with Cookie Washington: https://www.cookiesewsquilts.com Connect with Judith on Instagram @JudithAidooSaltus Vocable #1: Sankofa*! By Judith Aidoo-Saltus January 30, 2022 Then as now like tomorrow I am getting stronger with good use and wise words So much so that the next time I die let it be said— using my blood for breath— Here lies one who cleared the path in the shape of a heart and danced to fetch our kra So we can remember to sing all of our true names like hymns for our children Beginning first with Mother Lucy who holds Kunte In her lap with both hands More than 3 million years on we know the future's here This time we'll be ready Then as now for tomorrow *An Akan concept from Ghana, my fatherland, symbolised by a stylised heart that means “go back and fetch” what is good from the past, use it in the present, so as to make progress in the future. Support creative artist Anthony Burks; Ethnic Mermaid Coloring Book Collection! https://www.ethnicmermaids.com/post/meet-the-artist-behind-ethnic-mermaids Thanks for listening! Be sure to SUBSCRIBE, STAY TUNED, and SHARE the Love Drops Podcast with everyone you know! Shout Out to Maritri Garrett (No Regrets) our opening and closing song! Connect with and support Maritri's Music here on "The Soulfolk Experience" website https://www.soulfolkexperience.com/home Check out Maritri https://www.instagram.com/maritrimusic https://www.facebook.com/maritri https://youtu.be/ZsoethQupfg WE also invite you to donate to our One Love Ministry which includes this podcast. Check out what we are doing and leave a Love Drop Donation! Donate + Outreach — Paths 2 Transformation Products — Paths 2 Transformation Thanks for your support; There is No "US" without "U" ~One Love --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/charlesdiane660/message
Although Disney may have tried to bury the princess energy behind action-packed marketing… the real girlies knew that Tangled *was* for us. But does it still have that special Tumblr-friendly magic? Watch the video version of this episode here! Join our Discord server here! Check out our merch shop here! Get 15% off Casetify with code 15SLEEPOVER! Follow Sleepover Cinema on Instagram here! Follow Hannah and Audrey on Instagram here! Sleepover Cinema TikTok Sleepover Cinema Facebook Sleepover Cinema Twitter More about Too Pink Productions For more details on this episode, go to www.evergreenpodcasts.com/sleepover-cinema! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, we are breaking down the top 5 worst Disney rides! Although Disney reigns supreme in the amusement park industry, not every ride has lived up to their standards. Follow along as we dive into Disney history to decide which rides were the worst! Follow us on Instagram @TheHappiestHourOnEarth and subscribe to our YouTube here! Make sure to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! It helps out our show so much, so thank you in advance! ⭐️ Looking to save on Disney tickets and support our show at the same time? Use our Get Away Today link here!
Although Disney+ has yet to set a firm release date for "What If...?" season 2, The Direct noticed it was listed among the streamer's exclusive MCU titles in 2022 in a production brief for the fast-approaching "Moon Knight," along with the live-action "Ms. Marvel" and "She-Hulk" shows. "What If...? head writer A.C. Bradley confirmed the news while responding to the outlet's report on Twitter, writing, "See you later this year, kids!" We also dive into the latest news surrounding the cancellation of NBC's hit series New Amsterdam. We then pay our respects to William Hurt, who sadly passed away this week. Shout Out to Ken The Content Coach for helping me cast my phone to OBS! Check him out today on IG @ https://www.instagram.com/ken_thecontentcoach/ Check out our new merch store: https://cinema-gold.myspreadshop.com/ Sponsors: Pod Decks: www.poddecks.com - Use Promo Code larry21 for Ten Percent off your order Audible: Free 30-day trial and audiobook - www.audibletrial.com/larry21 Follow Us on Social Media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/cinemagoldshow IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecinemagoldshow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cinemagoldshow If you enjoy the show, consider becoming a financial supporter. You can: Buy Us A Coffee:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cinemagold Become a Patron: https://patreon.com/cinemagold GoFundMe: https://gofund.me/dadb7f77
Legends of S.H.I.E.L.D.: An Unofficial Marvel Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Fan Podcast
The Legends Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Producer of the show Agent Lauren, Agent Michelle, and Director SP invite Consultant Chris to the show to be a full time Agents. Then they discuss the Disney+ Hawkeye penultimate episode “Ronin.” The Team debriefs you on National Hard Candy Day, super powered reindeer, the EPIC Kingpin MCU-Netflix Defenders crossover, Yelena's blip moment, the impact of the Marvel Cinematic universe and Disney+ cross-overs, the episode's triple reveals for Maya, Yelena, and Kate, the girls night with hot sauced macaroni and cheese, what is Kazi's potential relationship with Kingpin, who is playing who with Jack's arrest, SP's Hallmark Holiday movie standards checklist, Grills' and Clint's growing relationship, Hawkeye finale predictions involving Laura Bishop, and the Agents dish on their thoughts about Fanny meeting Lucky The Pizza Dog. The Agents also discuss the top Marvel news stories of the week including Tom Holland, Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal weighing in on Spider-Man's Future in the MCU, Disney+ UK gives their answer to whether Iron Man 3 is a Christmas Movie, and Bert & Bertie dish on that epic episode 4 car chase scene. Stay tuned after the credits for a few minutes of Legends Of S.H.I.E.L.D. bonus audio. THIS TIME ON LEGENDS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: Hawkeye S1E5 “Ronin” Weekly Marvel News Tom Holland, Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal weigh in on Spider-Man's Future in the MCU Disney+ UK gives their answer to whether Iron Man 3 is a Christmas Movie Bert & Bertie dish on that epic episode 4 car chase scene HAWKEYE “RONIN” [5:15 ] Hawkeye “Ronin” premiered on Disney+ on Wednesday December 15th, 2021. S1E5 “Ronin” Directed By: Bert & Bertie Bert: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2134432/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr1 8 directing credits starting in 2006 Bertie: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1232262/?ref_=ttfc_fc_dr2 8 directing credits starting in 2006 Writers: Jenna Noel Frazier https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4766691/?ref_=tt_cl_wr_1#writer 2 writing credits since 2018 8 x The Romanoffs 1 x Hawkeye Writer: Jonathan Igla https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4131127/?ref_=ttfc_fc_wr1 7 writing credits starting in 2015 33 x Mad Men 1 x Masters of Sex 6 x Hawkeye Showrunner: Jonathan Igla Hawkeye Main Cast Jeremy Renner ... Clint Barton / Hawkeye 28 Weeks Later The Hurt Locker Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol The Bourne Legacy Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation Arrival Mayor of Kingstown (TV Series) Hailee Steinfeld ... Kate Bishop Pitch Perfect 2 Pitch Perfect 3 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Charlie's Angels (2019) Arcane (TV Series) Dickinson (TV Series) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 (filming) Vera Farmiga ... Eleanor Bishop The Manchurian Candidate Source Code Bates Motel (TV Series) Godzilla: King of the Monsters Tony Dalton ... Jack Duquesne Sense8 (TV Series) Better Call Saul (TV Series) Alaqua Cox ... Maya Lopez First IMDB credit … seriously. first credit Fra Fee ... Kazi Cinderella (2021) Vincent D'Onofrio ... Kingpin Aleks Paunovic ... Ivan Boxing Stuntman on Battlestar Galactica 5 x Battlestar Galactica (TV Series) 1 episode roles: Flash Gordon: A Modern Space Opera (TV Series) Bionic Woman (TV Series) Stargate: Atlantis (TV Series) Sanctuary (TV Series) Human Target (TV Series) Caprica (TV Series) Smallville (TV Series) - 2 episodes Once Upon a Time (TV Series) Psych (TV Series) - 3 episodes The 100 (TV Series) - 4 episodes Arrow (TV Series) - 2 episodes Riverworld (TV Movie) Mortal Kombat: Legacy (TV Series short) 6 x Continuum (TV Series) Kindergarten Cop 2 War for the Planet of the Apes 9 x Snowpiercer (TV Series) Piotr Adamczyk ... Tomas Popular Polish actor with 87 credits starting in 1996 Will also be in season 3 of the Apple TV+ hit For All Mankind Linda Cardellini ... Laura Barton Boy Meets World (TV Series) in 1998/1999 Freaks and Geeks (TV Series) in 1999/2000 Legally Blonde Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Brokeback Mountain 126 x ER (TV Series) 1 x Person of Interest (TV Series) 9 x Mad Men (TV Series) Gravity Falls (TV Series) 5 x Robot Chicken (TV Series short) Ava Russo ... Lila Barton Only acting credit is Lila in Avengers Endgame/Hawkeye Ben Sakamoto ... Cooper Barton Only acting credits as Cooper in Age Of Ultron/Endgame/Hawkeye Cade Woodward ... Nathaniel Barton A Quiet Place Avengers: Endgame/Hawkeye Simon Callow … Armand III Amadeus 1 x Scarecrow and Mrs. King (TV Series) Four Weddings and a Funeral 2 x Doctor Who (TV Series)' 5 x Outlander (TV Series)' 8 x The Witcher (TV Series) Clayton English ... Grills 1 x Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV Series) Carlos Navarro ... Enrique 1 x Prison Break (TV Series) 1 x Charlie's Angels (TV Series) 2011 9 x The Walking Dead (TV Series) Ivan Mbakop ... Detective Caudle Nothing SP is familiar with Tinashe Kajese ... Dee The Suicide Squad Adetinpo Thomas ... Wendy 8 x Black Lightning (TV Series) Robert Walker Branchaud ... Orville (as Robert Walker-Branchaud) American Horror Story (TV Series) 4 x Stranger Things (TV Series) Deepwater Horizon 2 x The Walking Dead (TV Series) 2 x Black Lightning (TV Series) Adelle Drahos ... Missy 2 x MacGyver (TV Series) Ashley Ames ... Eleanor's Assistant Nothing SP is familiar with Monisha Shiva ... Mother Nothing SP is familiar with Rhys Bhatia ... Child Nothing SP is familiar with Candy McLellan ... Samurai Nothing SP is familiar with Jolt the Golden Retriever… Lucky the Pizza Dog Zahn McClarnon ... William Lopez 9 x Fargo 29 x Longmire 6 x Westworld 4 x Reservation Dogs Franco Castan ... Rivera Yssa Mei Panganiban ... Sonya Annie Hamilton ... Ana Michael Silberblatt ... Man with Ana Gabriella Lahoz Thomas ... 4 year Old with Ana Keon Rahzeem Mitchell ... Uber Driver NEWS [41:44] UPCOMING MARVEL SLATE OF PROJECTS Eternals premiered domestically in the theaters on November 5th, 2021. Eternals is scheduled to release on Disney+ on Wednesday January 12th, 2022 Hawkeye is scheduled to premiere on November 24th, 2021. There will be 6 episodes The first release date will have two episodes. Spider-Man: No Way Home is premiered on December 17th, 2021. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 6, 2022) Ms Marvel is supposed to premiere late in 2021 on Disney+ but no date has been announced. The series was confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021 (Summer 2022) Series synopsis: https://www.cbr.com/ms-marvel-captain-marvel-shadow-synopsis/ Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan--a 16-year-old Pakistani American from Jersey City. An aspiring artist, an avid gamer and a voracious fan-fiction scribe, she is a huge fan of the Avengers—and one in particular, Captain Marvel. But Kamala has always struggled to find her place in the world—that is, until she gets super powers like the heroes she's always looked up to Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8, 2022) Moon Knight is supposed to premiere late in 2022 on Disney+ 2022 Confirmed During Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021 Series Synopsis Released: https://www.cbr.com/moon-knight-marvel-synopsis-multiple-personalities/ Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Part One (Oct 7, 2022) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Nov. 11, 2022) https://comicbook.com/marvel/amp/news/black-panther-riri-williams-ironheart-mcu-debut-dominique-thorne/ She-Hulk is supposed to premiere late in 2022 on Disney+ It was confirmed the series was coming in 2022 on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021. Secret Invasion is in development for release on Disney+ No date has been announced. Series confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 Ironheart is in development for release on Disney+ No date has been announced. Series confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 Armor Wars is in development for release on Disney+ but no date has been announced. Echo is in development for release on Disney+ Confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 but no release/premiere date given Agatha: House of Harkness Announced/Confirmed on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021 An untitled Wakanda series is in development for release on Disney+ but no date has been announced. X-Men ‘97 (2023) Written by Executive Producer Beau DeMayo. Announced Disney+ Day (12 Nov 2021) The Marvels (Feb. 17, 2023) Marvel Zombies Animated series announced on Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 No date given Also, we know there will be a Loki season two at some point. What If…? Season 2 Confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 No premiere date indicated Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (July 28, 2023) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5th, 2023) Fantastic Four (???) I Am Groot is in development for release on Disney+ No date has been announced. Previous mentioned as a holiday special Series confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 as a series of shorts watching Groot grow up Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special Confirmed during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 21 Different from I Am Groot Spider-Man: Freshman Year Announced during Disney+ Day 12 Nov 2021 No premiere date given Untitled (February 16th, 2024) Untitled (May 3rd, 2024) Untitled (July 26th, 2024) Untitled (November 8th, 2024) List of MCU films in production without premiere dates Fantastic Four Deadpool 3 Blade Avengers-Level Team up to end the phase (not confirmed in development) Could be linked to Russo Brothers story from last week Captain America Sequel Possible X-Men Projects that have NOT been announced yet Young Avengers MCU – MARVEL STUDIOS Destin Daniel Cretton on the Success of ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' and Where He's At With the Sequel https://collider.com/shang-chi-2-comments-director-destin-daniel-cretton/ He also talks about his multi-year deal with Marvel TV and his love of Blu-ray/DVD extras. With a highly successful theatrical run, its availability to stream on Disney+ and its release on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray and DVD, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has also been confirmed to be continuing its story with a sequel, at some point in the future. Through its superhero origin story of a parking valet named Shaun (Simu Liu), who was hiding out in San Francisco with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina) until his past catches up with him and he must embrace his power as Shang-Chi, director Destin Daniel Cretton and Marvel Studios introduced audiences to a new aspect of the MCU and a new group of characters that clearly has endless possibilities. During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Cretton talked about how proud he is of what the entire creative team was able to do with Shang-Chi, how terrified he was on the first day of shooting, starting to work on ideas for the sequel and being at the point where everything is a possibility, how excited he is to dig deeper into this world, creating a TV series with Marvel that came from an idea he had while shooting the film, how he views success, and his love of Blu-ray/DVD extras. Collider: When you first met with Marvel about Shang-Chi, you weren't initially thinking you'd direct it, but here we are. And even after you actually signed on as the director, the film took a journey before coming out, having been planned so far in advance, and then shooting it, and then getting delayed by COVID. What's it like to have it out in the world, to see how people have reacted, to feel the love for it, and to even see people dress up like some of the characters? DESTIN DANIEL CRETTON: It's a huge relief. There were so many landmines with this movie, early on. Even within the Asian community, there were so many people who were like, “Why are you doing this movie?” We really saw the potential to create something, a character, that would be not only beneficial to the Asian American community, but something that I think I could be proud of and would be a character that I wish I had when I was a kid growing up. I do feel very proud of our team for being sensitive and being open and listening to the voices of people from different cultures on our production to create something that I think anybody can relate to and that people outside of our culture can learn some things, but also can see these characters as people that they can identify with. So, I feel very, very proud of the team for making this movie. What do you remember about your first day of shooting? CRETTON: My first day of shooting, I was terrified. When I stepped onto the set, it was like I was stepping into a city of people, and there was all of this giant equipment and cranes and lights, and things that I just was not used to seeing so much of everything. And on top of that, I was directing Tony Leung, on day one, so I was really scared. But what I found, over the course of day one, was how great of a team that I really had, how supportive everyone was, and how incredible Tony Leung is, not only as a performer, but just as a person and now a friend. He's such a gracious man. All of our performers on this movie were the same. I'm always really scared when I start a project, but as we start going and as the creative juices start flowing and the team really comes together, it really is one of the most fulfilling experiences that I have in life. When you do tackle something this big and you do so successfully, does it make you feel any different as a filmmaker? Are you more confident now than you were before at all? CRETTON: Confidence is definitely not a straight line. There actually was a weird moment when, in the middle of this production, when I was making hundreds of decisions a day and things were moving so quickly and I was dealing with all of these department heads, that I turned to my wife at night and said, “It's really weird to say this, but I feel really comfortable right now, in the midst of all of this, and it's really fun.” I'm not sure if I'd call that confidence, but it was a surprise to me that I was having such a good time in the midst of the chaos, even though there were tons of giant problems to solve. I credit all of that to being surrounded by a group of really good people. How long have you known that Disney wanted a sequel for this? Was it something that was always talked about as a possibility or did it become definite, more recently? CRETTON: It's always a hopeful thing, I suppose, when you're making the movie. While we were shooting, we were throwing around joke ideas of what a sequel could be. But with Marvel, it really is gauging to see how people react to the movie and also gauging what the experience of making the movie was. We had such a good time on it that it would've been a shame not to have a sequel, so I'm very excited to. Where are you at in the writing process? Have you done any real concrete writing on it or is it just ideas that you're throwing around? CRETTON: I've done [zero]. It's a fun place to be right now. Everything is a possibility. We're just tossing very loose ideas around and we'll start to hone in on something, hopefully. Were there ideas that you started having when you did the first film that you knew you wanted to have in the sequel? CRETTON: There are a lot of ideas that we had in the opener, and some of those ideas are planted as questions, by the end of our movie. There are things that we potentially want to explore in the future. Everything changes so much, so it's hard to say how many of those ideas will actually make it to the finish line, but there are many of them there. Did you ever have a point where, after the challenges you went through making the film, you thought maybe you should let someone else do the sequel, or did you always know that you wanted to return to keep telling the story? CRETTON: I just really love this group of people, to be honest. I love these characters and we have simply introduced them to the world in our movie. So, to be able to start from there and explore them even more is very exciting to me. It was also announced that you have this multi-year deal with Marvel TV and that you'll be doing other projects. Did you pitch them on any ideas, or did they come to you? How does that work? CRETTON: It's a little of both? Kevin [Feige] and the team there definitely have a clear idea of where they're taking the MCU, but they're also open to pitches and things that we're passionate about. One of the shows that we're creating was initially an idea that I was bouncing around with our producer while we were shooting Shang-Chi and it just happened to fit in with the trajectory of where they're going with the franchise. So, it's a little back and forth. When you work with a company like Marvel, that is planning four or five years ahead, is it weird to be thinking about stuff that might not happen until that far down the road? CRETTON: It's very weird. We're talking about release dates and things, and I'm just like, “Am I gonna be alive, at that point?” It's very strange. What is it like to get to be in on the secrets, or at least some of them? Does it feel like you're a part of this special club with the cool kids, when it comes to the MCU? CRETTON: The thing that is very cool is that, when you're on the inside, and I hope this doesn't shatter anybody's fantasy, but you realize how normal everybody is. It doesn't feel like you're with the cool kids. It feels like you're just with a bunch of nerds like yourself. It's just a bunch of passionate people trying to tell stories and solve problems. It's very fun, but it doesn't feel exclusive, on the inside. It just feels creative, like anything else. When you wrapped filming on Shang-Chi, at that moment, what were your hopes for the film? We've seen what's happened with it and you know there will be a sequel now, but you couldn't have fully known that at the time. So, what were you think success for the film would look like? CRETTON: I have a very low tolerance for anxiety and hype. And so, when a movie is coming out, it's probably the worst time for me. I've had to really redefine what my version of success is. I define my success by the time that we finish the movie completely. When all of the creative is done, if I feel like I have been fulfilled by that process, personally, and if I feel like our team has worked together really well and done everything we possibly could to make the best version of this story possible, then I feel like we've succeeded. I feel like we really did do that on this movie, and everything else has been a very pleasant surprise. When you put out a Blu-ray and you include fun things, like a gag reel and deleted scenes, and obviously fans love that kind of stuff, is there anything that you personally most enjoy? Is there a moment on the gag reel or one of the scenes that you're most excited about for fans of the movie? CRETTON: I love extra features. When DVDs started having extra features, back when DVDs were first coming out, I love being able to see a bit of the behind the scenes process, to get a glimpse of the actors when they're not in performance, and to see some of that rapport between characters. I watched the deleted scenes and the gag reel and it just warms my heart because you get to see Awkwafina when she's not playing the role. You get to see her and Simu [Liu] laughing together, which is really what we experienced, every day. You get to see Michelle Yeoh being super silly and weird, and most people do not know that is a big part of her personality. And the deleted scenes are cool because they show you a glimpse into the process of the evolution of the story. It'll give you a glimpse into the things that we tried, but then went a different direction. ‘Shang-Chi' Team on Their Emotional Journey and Continuing the Story https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-simu-liu-kevin-feige-journey-sequel-1235060744/ Filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton, star Simu Liu and Marvel boss Kevin Feige reflect on some of their most challenging — and exhilarating — moments from the groundbreaking film and weigh in on the possibility of awards season recognition. Simu Liu is normally a gregarious presence on set. So it stood out when the actor fell silent in between takes on the Australian set of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Liu was about to shoot one of his most challenging moments, in which his titular character confesses to his best friend, Katy (Awkwafina), that he killed a man at the behest of his father, and now was prepared to end his father's life. “We knew a lot of the movie hinged on that moment,” says Liu, who marked the day on his calendar and workshopped it countless times with writer-director Destin Daniel Cretton. When the day came, Cretton got the wide shot he needed and then asked Liu to go off by himself. The filmmaker cleared the crew from a corner of the set depicting the mythical realm of Ta Lo and left his leading man to be alone with his thoughts. “Nobody bothered me during that time. Everything was very quiet,” says Liu. “When the time came, one of the ADs came up and quietly said, ‘Hey, we are ready for you.' I remember putting my head down. Not making eye contact with anyone.” Whatever Liu did during that time, worked, notes Cretton. “Whatever he was thinking about, using that silence to prep for it, the performance shift between the wide shot and the closeups were pretty dramatic,” says Cretton, who gave Liu a big hug afterward. “A scene like that, it's always such a gratifying thing to experience as a director, particularly when you are shooting on a huge action movie like this.” Three months after Shang-Chi opened in theaters, it stands as the highest-grossing domestic release of the year ($224.5 million in North America) and has both a sequel and a Disney+ series in development from Cretton. The film, Marvel's first to star an Asian lead, turned a little-known comic book character into a cultural icon and turned Liu into a star. Up next, it hopes to emerge as an awards contender. Films inspired by comic books have historically had an uphill battle at the Academy Awards, dating back to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight (2008) being snubbed for a best picture nomination. But three years ago, Ryan Coogler's Black Panther broke ground as the first superhero movie to earn a best picture nomination and went on to win in three categories. Looking back at Black Panther‘s accolades, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige notes that Oscar wins for composer Ludwig Göransson, costume designer Ruth E. Carter and production designers Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart meant a lot to the Marvel team. Yet he acknowledges such Academy recognition can be a challenge. “I think we are always at a deficit because of the Marvel logo and because of a genre bias that certainly exists. I just loved that for a shining moment there with Black Panther that was put aside and the work was recognized for the achievement that it was,” says Feige, who would like to see Shang-Chi recognized as well, pointing to the work of team members such as screenwriter Dave Callaham, production designer Sue Chan, composer Joel P. West, costume designer Kym Barrett and cinematographer William Pope, among others. “There are a lot of comic fans that didn't know who Shang-Chi was. And yet the work that Destin did and Dave did and Sue did and Joel did, created something new that connected with audiences,” says Feige. “We recognized it, the audience recognized it, and I sure would love the hard work of all of these people who are telling their story to get recognized.” Before Marvel hired Cretton in 2019, the director acknowledges he struggled to imagine the kind of pitch that might win him the job. Since nothing was clicking with him, he instead decided to pitch the type of story he wished he'd seen as a kid. “I didn't think it necessarily was going to be something that Marvel wanted,” says Cretton. “It was a very intimate pitch about a relationship between a father and a son and a family learning how to come together again with their pain.” As it turns out, Marvel very much was interested in that kind of story. Cretton also longed to see Asian American people hanging out, doing ordinary things in a film. He brought in imagery from Good Will Hunting because he couldn't find a representative scene that featured Asian Americans in film. “It said, ‘Like this! But with Asian people,'” Feige recalls of Cretton's presentation use of Good Will Hunting. Shang-Chi ultimately included two bookend scenes with Shang, Katy and two friends at a restaurant, fulfilling Cretton's dream. Liu, meanwhile, was best known as the star of the Canadian sitcom Kim's Convenience. Much has been made about a December 2018 tweet in which the actor put it into the universe that he wanted to play Shang-Chi, but he never really believed he'd get it. “I would literally go through IMDb and see all these other actors who were taller, who were more handsome, who I thought were better martial artists,” Liu recalls. “I was just like, ‘There's no way. Why would it be me?'” Liu sent off a tape anyway, thinking nothing would come of it. Then he met with Cretton, who was interested in casting an actor to play a human being rather than a superhero. “At no point did he bring up the martial arts. At no point did he bring up the need to be anything other than human,” recalls Liu. “He was looking for somebody who really exemplified the uncomfortable, insecure, anxiety of what it means to be a human being.” Suddenly, Liu had hope. “I came out of the casting office literally feeling like I was going to throw up because I never thought that I had a chance before that moment,” recalls Liu. “After meeting him, I was, ‘Oh, I think I nailed this thing.'” As part of their process, Liu and Cretton stripped away the trappings and mannerisms that might come with being a superhero. “I remember specifically going through scenes with him, really feeling this sense of looseness and wanting to play the most natural version of every scene, not doing the superhero version of it,” says Liu. “Not puffing your chest out.” When it came to the superhero suits worn by Liu and his onscreen sister, Xialing (Meng'er Zhang), Cretton saw them as a tangible way to connect his actors to the film's family theme, as their late on-screen mother, Ying Li (Fala Chen), gifted the suits to them. “There's a piece of her literally touching their body,” says Cretton. “That in itself gave so much to the performances of the actors, to remember that even though they are in a battle and they are having these larger-than-life Marvel moments, all of this is still watching these characters deal with the loss of this very important person in their lives.” Screen legend Tony Leung boarded to play Shang-Chi's father, Wenwu, and proved to be a grounding force for Liu, who was learning how to be a movie star on the fly. “I was so desperate and eager to prove myself, showing people I could do things,” says Liu. “There is such a stillness and a comfort and ease with the way Tony conducts himself. I felt like that was the perfect complement to all of the anxiety that I was bringing in.” Liu counts Shang-Chi's final scene with Wenwu as his favorite moment, even over the much-praised bus fight early in the film. As Wenwu's final act, he sacrifices himself for his son. Part of the sequence includes flashbacks to Shang as a boy and then a baby. “We literally cut to that baby three times over the course of the movie, and every time it's an emotional hit in a wonderful way,” says Feige, who says the team debated how much of the storytelling should be told in flashbacks. Cretton notes the flashbacks weren't initially part of the plan in that scene at all. “We weren't totally getting into Wenwu's head like we wanted to,” recalls Cretton. “The idea of those flashbacks came late in the game. When we put it in and showed it to Kevin and the team and did a test with it — finally people were feeling the emotions that we wanted them to feel.” During awards season two years ago, Parasite Oscar winner Bong Joon Ho famously encouraged audiences to get over a fear of subtitles, referring to the new worlds international films could offer. In a new move for a big-budget American movie, Shang-Chi includes subtitled sections in Mandarin, including an eight-minute opening. When it came time to test screen the film, the team was curious how audiences would react to the opening, in particular. “Frankly, we were always ready to see if the audience would reject it in our test screenings and to see, ‘OK, are we going to have to pull a ripcord here in any way?' Which was not our first instinct,” says Feige. “Destin very much believed in the fact that audiences would go with it, and sure enough they did. It wasn't even a question. It wasn't even a concern. On the contrary, I think it added to the authenticity in the way the movie started.” On Dec. 6, Disney announced that Cretton would return to direct a Shang-Chi sequel and develop a related series for Disney+. The post-credits scene for the film teases more to come from the Ten Rings, the organization now run by Xialing. When presented with the notion that Xialing's Ten Rings sounds like an intriguing Disney+ show, Feige responds with a laugh, “I can't wait for people to discover what it really is that we are working on for Disney+ with Destin.” Though it's never a foregone conclusion a filmmaker will return to Marvel, Cretton had a sense while making Shang-Chi there was more work for him to do. Says the filmmaker: “While we were on set, we were already throwing ideas around of what other things we could do in another movie.” Liu, who has a long journey ahead of him as Shang-Chi, was not surprised his filmmaker is back for more. “It confirms what I already believed, which was that he was very emotionally invested in this character and this world,” says Liu, who hopes many people from the team will return for the sequel. “Also, I was very relieved, because we need him.” For Cretton, who came up via the festival circuit with Short Term 12 before graduating to The Glass Castle and Just Mercy, Shang-Chi was particularly fulfilling, as he got to work with artists with similar backgrounds to him. That includes production designer Chan, whom he notes is the daughter of parents who owned a Chinese restaurant on the East Coast. “It was such a poignant and moving experience for the first time in my career to be surrounded by people who have a similar upbringing as me,” says Cretton, who is half Japanese, half white and grew up in Hawaii. “To share stories and share experiences with other artists like that, it was really emotional for me and very fulfilling.” Tom Holland Reportedly Signed for Fourth Spider-Man Film, Already In Development https://www.cbr.com/report-tom-holland-fourth-spider-man-film-in-development/ No Way Home star Tom Holland might already preparing for another Spider-Man movie. According to Puck, multiple sources have reported that Marvel has quietly started developing a fourth movie with Holland in a leading role. It was also reported that Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland's third Spider-Man movie and fifth appearance overall in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is not only on track to open to $150 million when it premieres in theaters, but might be the first film to gross $1 billion since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began. In a previous interview, Holland was asked about reports that he would reprise his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in another upcoming film from Marvel Studios independent of Sony Entertainment. The two companies announced in 2019 that they would be extending their partnership, which in turn allows Spider-Man to appear in Marvel Studios' films. "Yeah, that's not accurate at all," Holland said. "The new deal that was struck up was this understanding between the two studios that should Marvel want me to appear in one of their movies, then it would be an open conversation." He continued, "I don't think it's as black and white as 'I have a three-picture deal with Marvel and a three-picture deal with Sony.' It's just this open conversation and open dialogue between Mr. Iger and Mr. Rothman." Holland has also previously spoken about his future in the MCU, hinting that his time as Spider-Man might be coming to a close. "Maybe it is time for me to move on. Maybe what's best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film," he said at the time. "I have to take Peter Parker into account as well, because he is an important part of my life ... If I'm playing Spider-Man after I'm 30, I've done something wrong." However, the actor later clarified those comments, saying that they had been misinterpreted. "I don't know what the future of Spider-Man looks like. I don't know whether I'm going to be a part of it," Holland said. "Spider-Man will always live on in me, and I know that [producer Amy Pascal] and the studio are keen to figure out what the next chapter of Spider-Man looks like." In terms of the next chapter of Spider-Man, No Way Home producer Amy Pascal has hinted at the Web-Slinger's future, stating that the character will likely appear in future projects for both Sony and Marvel. When asked about the potential to see Holland in a film not connected to the MCU, Pascal said, "We all want to keep making movies together. How's that for an answer?" For now, Holland is starring as Peter Parker/Spider-Man once again in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which swings into theaters on Dec. 17. The Hollywood Reporter HEAT VISION E-Mail (Letita Wright set to rejoin Black Panther 2 Filming In January) https://view.email.hollywoodreporter.com/?qs=addba4fe3d9a1a019e86f69923229c5600bf8cb950f6a494e40a22c37d6e3a08ab2530e218c90e2b4a55510675e693b449dc0f6045cbc3bf75cc53d7e79a4cabfb18dcbc1a5068e5 https://www.cbr.com/black-panther-2-letitia-wright-not-leaving-mcu/ And while we're here ... Letitia Wright and Black Panther 2 started trending Thursday with some rumors coming in from the lowlands. We did some digging and sources close to the production say Panther 2 is indeed on track to resume production in late January in Atlanta. With Wright. Marvel and Sony Are Planning a Crossover Movie for Tom Holland's Spider-Man https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/spider-man-marvel-sony-future-tom-holland-another-mcu-movie/ Tom Holland has become one of the biggest actors in Hollywood, and his work as Spider-Man helped solidify his talent as an A-list star. Right now, the actor is living large in light of Spider-Man: No Way Home's upcoming premiere. Many have worried the film would be Holland's last as the Marvel superhero, but reports have suggested there is more to come. And when ComicBook.com's Brandon Davis got to speak with Sony Pictures chair Tom Rothman recently, we learned the company is working with Marvel Studios on another crossover pitch. "It's reciprocal. So we lend one, and they lend one, and that's how Benedict [Cumberbatch] is in this movie," Rothman explained. "So we have one more 'lend back' that's committed. But the thing that I can say, and this actually the accurate scoop on this, which is that the two companies have a terrific working relationship. I think it's a mutual hope that that would continue. But there really isn't anything definitive at this moment, because the truth of the matter is, we gotta ride [Spider-Man: No Way Home] and see what happens." At the beginning of the month, Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal mentioned in an interview that Marvel and Sony were already working together on a third trilogy with Holland in the lead role. Insider reports then indicated that nothing official had been reached in regards to this new trilogy, but that Sony and Marvel remained close in their working relationship and hope to keep that going into the future. Rothman's comments on Monday night back up those reports. He specifically stated that nothing official had been decided upon just yet, mainly because the two companies have been focusing their efforts on releasing No Way Home. There may not be news on a new Spider-Man movie for quite a while. What we do know, however, is that Holland will be returning to the MCU in another upcoming MCU title. Perhaps he reprises his role in next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, continuing his story with Cumberbatch's sorcerer supreme. It's also worth nothing that the Doctor Strange sequel's director is Sam Raimi, who directed the first three live-action Spider-Man films for Sony. Scarlett Johansson on What Inspired Her to Produce for Marvel: "Nothing's Ever off the Table" https://collider.com/scarlett-johansson-new-marvel-project-producer/ Johansson also highlights lessons learned that'll influence her own work as a producer. Perhaps anything can happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it feels rather safe to say that Scarlett Johansson's run as Black Widow has come to an end. But, that doesn't mean her contribution to the franchise has to stop there. Johansson is heavily leaning into the producing side of things now. Not only is she credited as a producer on the upcoming Tower of Terror movie over at Disney and the A24 sci-fi drama Bride, but she's also continuing to work on the MCU in a producorial capacity. Just last month, Kevin Feige revealed that Johansson is producing a “non-Black Widow-related top-secret Marvel Studio project.” With the December 22nd release of Sing 2 right around the corner, I got the chance to catch up with Johansson and opted to ask her about her producing ambitions. Here's what she said when asked what's motivating her to contribute to more films in that position: “I have worked for 30 years, which is insane when I say it out loud, but I think I just understand the efficiency of how productions run and how you thin the fat on a production and make things well oiled. I've learned that the fish rots from the head, which is very very true I think in any creative space, but particularly a production involves many hundreds of people and so yeah, just working with people that want to be there and all want to creatively contribute to the same kind of idea and building that kind of creative family I think is something I'm really excited about as I produce more and more things for other people.” Johansson also took a moment to address producing for Marvel specifically: “As far as Marvel goes, it's like working with family there. Marvel has some of the best IP ever and you can really dream big there and nothing's ever off the table and you kind of throw all these blue sky ideas around and see what sticks. It's like a creative playground that's just like a dream. Again, I have that shorthand with my fellow creatives there that comes from being in the world for 10 years with those guys.” Disney and Sony Are 'Actively' Developing Spider-Man's MCU Future https://www.cbr.com/disney-sony-developing-mcu-spider-man-future/ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/movies/kevin-feige-amy-pascal-spider-man-no-way-home.html Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal confirm Marvel and Sony are "actively" developing Spider-Man's post-No Way Home story for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Spider-Man: No Way Home now in theaters, the film's producers are "actively" developing Spidey's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the lead-up to No Way Home's release, the million dollar question was if the film would be actor Tom Holland's final outing as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the MCU. However, late last month, Spider-Man franchise producer Amy Pascal revealed that not only was a fourth MCU Spider-Man film with Holland in the works, but that it would be intended as the start of an all-new trilogy. That said, subsequent reports threw cold water on the idea of such a trilogy currently being in development. Pascal was asked to clarify her comments during a recent interview with The New York Times. "We're producers, so we always believe everything will work out," she said. "I love working with [Marvel Studios President/Marvel Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Kevin Feige]. We have a great partnership, along with Tom Rothman, who runs Sony and has been instrumental, a great leader with great ideas. I hope it lasts forever." Feige himself chimed in, adding, "Amy and I and Disney and Sony are talking about -- yes, we're actively beginning to develop where the story heads next, which I only say outright because I don't want fans to go through any separation trauma like what happened after Far From Home. That will not be occurring this time." The "separation trauma" Feige refers to is the incident that saw The Walt Disney Company (owner of Marvel Studios) and Sony (owner of the Spider-Man movie rights) briefly end their partnership following the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home -- the second MCU Spider-Man film -- in 2019, leaving the future of the franchise uncertain. Fences were ultimately mended. Hence, the existence of No Way Home. Several years ago, Disney and Marvel Studios struck a deal with Sony -- which has owned the license to Spider-Man since 1999 -- to bring the fan-favorite character into the MCU. Holland's version of Spidey made his MCU debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, subsequently spinning out into the 2017 solo film Spider-Man: Homecoming. Holland later reprised the role in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War and 2019's Avengers: Endgame before getting a second solo outing in the form of Far From Home. Thanks to Disney and Sony mending their working relationship, Holland was able to round out his solo trilogy with No Way Home. While a fourth Spider-Man film set in the MCU has yet to be officially announced, it definitively looks as though all parties concerned are working towards making such a film a reality. Spider-Man: No Way Home is in theaters now. Is Iron Man 3 a Christmas Movie? Disney+ Gives Surprising Answer https://thedirect.com/article/iron-man-3-christmas-movie-disney-plus The holiday season is in full swing before 2021 comes to an end, particularly for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans who are taking in the final episodes of Hawkeye on Disney+. While the internet-breaking reveals such as one for a long-rumored Netflix villain entering the fray are most present, the series also fully embraces the holiday spirit with Clint Barton and Kate Bishop working to complete their mission in time to get Clint home for Christmas. This series comes as the second sub-franchise within the greater MCU to take on the Christmas season, which first officially came in through 2013's Iron Man 3. While the decision to set a summer blockbuster in the month of December is still a mystery more than eight years after the fact, director Shane Black used his signature style of storytelling in a unique way with Marvel Studios' leading hero. Although this movie took place in and around Christmastime with Black's influence, one big question still lingers - is Iron Man 3 officially regarded as a Christmas movie? That answer may be surprising if one version of Disney+ is to be believed. Is Iron Man 3 Christmas Movie? The United Kingdom's Disney+ server curated a "Merry Christmas" collection in celebration of the holiday season featuring over 40 titles across the streaming service. In the animated section, movies like Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and multiple Mickey Mouse specials make the cut, as do the Frozen films/spinoffs and Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. Live-action movies in the collection include all four Home Alone titles, the first two Die Hard films, and even Edward Scissorhands. The MCU finds its place in the list thanks to 2021's Hawkeye, whose final Christmastime episode will debut on December 22, 2021. However, 2013's Iron Man 3 didn't end up on the list as an official Disney+ Christmas movie. Here are some of the most popular movies & shows in the collection: Originals Home Sweet Home Alone LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special Hawkeye Once Upon a Snowman Godmother High School Musical The Musical The Holiday Special Noelle Arendale Castle Yule Log Live-Action Christmas Movies and Specials Home Alone The Muppets Christmas Carol Die Hard Die Hard 2 The Santa Clause A Muppets Christmas Letters To Santa Home Alone 2 Home Alone 3 Home Alone 4 Santa Clause 2 Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause The Nutcracker And The Four Realms Animated Christmas Movies and Specials The Nightmare Before Christmas Mickey's Christmas Carol A Christmas Carol Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas Mickey's Once Upon A Time Mickey's Upon Twice A Christmas Winnie The Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year Christmas Shorts Olaf's Frozen Adventure Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Pluto's Christmas Tree Winter Favorites Olaf Presents Frozen Ice Age Togo Frozen II Narnia: The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe Edward Scissorhands Frozen Fever Cool Runnings LEGO Frozen Northern Lights Home Alone Home Alone Home Alone 2 Home Alone 3 Home Alone 4 Home Alone The Holiday Heist Home Sweet Home Alone Iron Man 3 - To Christmas or Not to Christmas? The MCU's first Phase 2 movie fully takes place around or at Christmas from start to finish as fans see Tony Stark deal with his post-The Avengers demons. From buying Pepper Potts arguably the biggest stuffed bunny in history as a present to playing a funky version of "Jingle Bells" while summoning his Mark XLII suit for the first time, Iron Man 3 makes no effort to tone down the holiday spirit. This listing comes as somewhat of a surprise, especially considering how many amongst the fan base view Iron Man 3 as the MCU's first true Christmas movie. The ties back to the holidays are at least as noticeable and present as those from other entries on the list like Die Hard or Home Alone, bringing into question what actually does qualify a movie as a Christmas movie. Although Disney+ made its own distinction, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige firmly believes Iron Man 3 is a Christmas movie, and the film is described as such on Marvel's official website as of two years ago. There are certainly arguments for both sides, but it appears that the argument for it being in this category has some big-name support. Whether Iron Man 3 is officially a part of this catalog or not, it likely won't deter many fans from taking in the MCU's seventh movie in their holiday must-watch list. Filled with trees, wreaths, presents, and holiday songs throughout, there's no mistaking the influence that Christmas has on this outing, which should mean it will continue to be an unofficial go-to movie at this time of year. Tom Holland Talks His Future as Spider-Man, Reveals He Wants to 'Focus on Starting a Family' Next https://people.com/movies/tom-holland-talks-plans-after-spider-man-family/ Tom Holland opens up about his experience as Spider-Man and his plans for the future Tom Holland is looking forward to the future. The Spider-Man: No Way Home actor, 25, opens up about what the superhero franchise means to him — and what he hopes to do next — in the new issue of PEOPLE. No Way Home is the third (and perhaps final) Spider-Man movie Holland stars in, and he finds that bittersweet. "I've loved every minute of it. I've been so grateful to Marvel and Sony for giving us the opportunity and keeping us on and allowing our characters to progress. It's been amazing," Holland says. "And that's why for me, I don't want to say goodbye to Spider-Man — but I feel like we might be ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man." Holland has held the role of Peter Parker and his web-slinging alter-ego since he was cast for Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2015. Now, he says, may be the time to pass the torch. "I don't want to be responsible for holding back the next young person that comes in who deserves it just as much so," Holland says. And after he, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire have all played the superhero, Holland thinks it's time for a change. "I would love to see a future of Spider-Man that's more diverse — maybe you have a Spider-Gwen or a Spider-Woman," he adds. "We've had three Spider-Mans in a row; we've all been the same. It'd be nice to see something different." While his future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems up in the air, Holland — who is dating his costar Zendaya — has a burgeoning career. His action-adventure film Uncharted, with Mark Wahlberg, is due in 2022, and he'll soon star in a Fred Astaire biopic. But the London native also hopes to turn his attention to his personal life. "I've spent the last six years being so focused on my career," Holland says. "I want to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world." Indeed, the star says he looks forward to becoming a father one day — which is why Holland says if he weren't acting, he'd be a schoolteacher. "I love kids. I can't wait to be a dad — I can wait and I will, but I can't wait!" he says. "If I'm at a wedding or a party, I'm always at the kids' table hanging out. My dad's been such a great role model for me. I think I've got that from him. So I think I'd be a primary school teacher or something like that." Spider-Man: No Way Home opens in theaters Friday. CHADWICK BOSEMAN: HE'D WANT T'CHALLA ROLE RECAST ...According to Chadwick's Bro https://www.tmz.com/2021/12/14/chadwick-boseman-tchalla-recast-black-panther-brother/ 'Black Panther' fans have spoken, saying Chadwick Boseman's beloved character should be recast going forward, and believe it or not ... the man's own brother concurs. CB's bro, Derrick Boseman, tells TMZ ... yes, he does think T'Challa needs to live on in the 'Black Panther' franchise, and if that means tapping another actor to portray the king of Wakanda -- the role Chadwick made famous and legendary, then so be it. Here's the thing ... Derrick tells us he believes his sibling would've wanted with this too -- explaining Chadwick thought T'Challa was bigger than just himself as one guy. Frankly, Derrick says Chadwick knew the power of the character, and the positive influence it carries. Derrick says there's so much power in seeing a Black king -- especially in a superhero capacity, like in the Marvel flick -- which has a HUGE impact on African-American youth. DB tells us with Marvel killing off that character so quickly in the wake of Chadwick's death, they're kinda depriving black kids of a role model. As you know, there's a major push among fans to #RecastTChalla amid all the speculated drama with Letitia Wright. Derrick says there aren't a whole lot of positive influences for young black children these days -- he thinks hip-hop glorifies certain social ills, and Marvel has a chance to counteract that by bringing back T'Challa -- who he sees as a symbol of Black people's potential. The guy speaks from experience, telling us his own nephew has told the family he wants to be a scientist and cites 'Black Panther' as his inspiration. He does note ... Chadwick never explicitly expressed his wishes, before his death, about what should happen with the character -- but Derrick's sure his bro would agree T'Challa should live on in the MCU. ‘Doctor Strange' Sequel Undergoing “Significant” Reshoots https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/doctor-strange-multiverse-madness-reshoots-1235045328/ This doctor is on call till Christmas as the actors and crew shoot six days a week until the end of the year. In what sources describe as a “significant” production, the new shoot, taking place in Los Angeles, comprises both “additional photography” and “reshoots.” How significant? Insiders say that Cumberbatch and company are undertaking six weeks of shooting, if not more, working six days a week. Sam Raimi remains as helmer, and Loki head writer Michael Waldron is still on board writing the new material. It is unclear what actors in addition to Cumberbatch are on the call sheet. The crew involved is familiar with the Marvel method and worked on recent pickups for the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home and additional shooting for next year's Oscar Isaac series Moon Knight. One source downplayed the severity of the shoot: “Even while in the middle of production, Marvel is scheduling you for more shooting,” this person says, adding that the size and complexity of Marvel movies often necessitates additional photography. “We've had bigger reshoots on other MCU movies,” another insider says. However, other sources raised their eyebrows at the six-week time frame. “They're here until the end of the year. That's like a whole other movie,” says one. Several factors appear to be driving the return to production. One insider says about two weeks are dedicated to principal photography that wasn't completed during the initial, U.K.-based shoot due to what is described as actor availability issues. The insider also dismissed concerns that the reshoots were related to retooling the story. Another reason for the shoot concerns compensating for COVID-related production slowdowns that affected the U.K. production. It was those slowdowns that reared their head Oct. 18, when Marvel and Disney unexpectedly announced the pushing-back of Multiverse of Madness from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Marvels and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania hopscotched backward into new dates as well. First announced at Comic-Con in 2019, Multiverse of Madness is an ambitious project for Marvel, with one aspect dealing with alternate versions of fan-favorite superheroes, much in the way that recent Disney+ series What if …? has reimagined Marvel mainstays. The movie has had its fair share of challenges. Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson had co-written a script and was due to direct when creative differences led to a parting of ways in January 2020. Raimi and Waldron were then brought on to, as one source says, create a whole new movie, on an accelerated timetable to boot. Multiverse of Madness started production in the U.K. in November 2020 but paused in January 2021 due to the worsening pandemic. It then restarted — and ostensibly wrapped — in the spring. Still, despite story concerns apparently playing a minimal part in the new shoot, it is evident that working in the multiverse requires Reed Richards-level thinking. Half the time, a Marvel movie has to tie to past movies while setting up future movies, and increasingly, TV series. Despite the major shoot underway, the mood with cast and crew is not downbeat. “There is a pervasive enthusiasm,” one source described. On Thursday, Cumberbatch spoke about the reshoots on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he was asked if he knew what the reshoots were going to be. “Like everything with Marvel, it comes in fresh, pretty much, most mornings,” Cumberbatch said with a laugh when questioned. “It's really exciting, and the film is shaping up to be something special.” DISNEY+ ‘Hawkeye' Directors Break Down That Dazzling Car Chase, and the Debut of [SPOILER] in Episode 4 https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/hawkeye-yelena-black-widow-car-chase-1235129461/ How Hawkeye's Alaqua Cox Echoes Echo's Superpowers https://www.cbr.com/hawkeye-directors-alaqua-cox-echo-superpowers/ The car chase sequence in Episode 3 is so much fun. Was that something that you know you wanted to do from the start? Bertie: It was the thing that we read that we were most excited about, opening the script for [Episode] 3 and going, “Wait, there's an action sequence that's basically half of this episode.” One of the standout moments people are talking about is that opening shot of the 360-revolving camera. That's something very early on we decided we wanted to do, because we wanted to stay with Kate and Clint in the car on this journey as the Tracksuit Mafia are chasing them. Then it was just like the journey of how we achieve that and pre-vizing that and the camera team figuring out the rig. From start to end, that was just joyful. Was there ever a time where you were thinking you'd do the entire sequence in a oner? Bert: Yes, there was! You go in with these huge ambitions, but we very quickly realized that the essence of the oner is that we stay with our characters. The action is kind of happening around them, but we wanted to stay with them. So the moment Kate gets out the car, if you're following that rule, then the camera goes out of the car with her. And so that's what happened. We just had to figure out how to get it out of the car. There were so many trick arrows in that sequence. Was there a brainstorming session where you tried to come up with all the different kinds of trick arrows that you could think of? Bertie: Constant brainstorming. That's what's amazing about the Marvel process. They're all about plussing. “How can we plus this?” From “What other arrows can we put in the car chase,” came “What would be the arrow that could be used to stop Kazi in his truck and the Christmas tree lot.” So the situations led to new arrows. The smoke arrow [appeared] earlier on in the chase, and it was too much there. It didn't really serve a purpose. Then it came back later, when Kate was trying to get Maya's car to to crash on the bridge. How early was the Pym arrow introduced into the mix? Bert: Way, way earlier. That was that was one of the things that was in the script very early on. Then the challenge was figuring out how we were going to do it so it was believable, because the tone of the show is so real that something like that [giant arrow] really stood out for us. We needed to ground it with the emotion of the guys inside of the truck. Bertie: And here's something we haven't spoken about yet. When we first were going to do the Pym arrow, the [giant] arrow was going to go straight at Kazi's truck and split it down the middle. That sounded great on paper, but we pre-viz'd it, and you couldn't quite figure out what was happening. Once we decided to do the up-and-down apex [of the arrow], you could see the whole thing. It was just staking this huge arrow on Manhattan Bridge, and it meant that the truck literally broke in half. That was fun to make that change. You also introduced Echo in Episode 3 and showed the audience her experience as person who is deaf and an amputee. What were the conversations like about how you wanted to approach that character? Bert: It was a huge learning curve for us; Alaqua brought so much to this. We just went in asking to be taught how to do this because we want to represent her wholly and correctly on screen. So there were a lot of discussions ahead of actually filming, but then every day on set was learning with he, and she was very gracious. Bertie: Maya's story, for obvious reasons, mirrors Alaqua's story in many ways. I think for us, and with Alaqua, it was about looking at these things that people might term as disabilities in Alaqua, and actually using those as her superpowers. So the fact that she's a non-hearing person means that her sense of observation — a heightened awareness as she walks into a room and observes things — is a superpower. Her prosthetic leg, we see that Clint tries to hockey stick [it] out the way, and then she swings that metal leg at him, and it takes his hearing aid out. Using what could be considered her weaknesses as her strengths was a huge part of that character formation. Finally, you also directed a major moment in Episode 4, when Florence Pugh's Yelena finally appears on her mission to take out Clint. What did you want to accomplish in bringing in a character that most of the audience already has a relationship with, but your other characters don't? Bertie: So much of “Hawkeye” is seeing the world through the characters' point of view of it. So if we look at the end of [Episode 4], we are with Kate Bishop as she's seeing this person, who she has no concept of who she is, actually, and how she's going to fit into the story. But there's this connection, and you can see and feel the presence of this new character. It's actually a balance between what the audience feels about this character and what Kate's feeling that makes that ending so special. Bert: When you're directing actresses like Florence and Hailee, they bring so much to it. There was this immediate natural chemistry between them, which — I can't say anything else. But you know, when they give you that, it's this gift, and all you want to do is take care of it and unwrap it slowly. Hawkeye directors break down that epic chase sequence and working with Lucky the Pizza Dog (It was originally at night) https://ew.com/tv/hawkeye-directors-bert-bertie-episode-3-chase-scene/ Bert and Bertie talk to EW about recent highlights from the Disney+ superhero series. Hawkeye may not be as high-concept as its predecessors WandaVision or Loki, but the Christmas-set superhero series has proved just how good it is at delivering fun action scenes. Taking a page from the popular Hawkeye comic series by Matt Fraction and David Aja, episode 3 of Hawkeye sent Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) on a wild car chase through Brooklyn, busting out all the trick arrows in Clint's quiver to shake the Tracksuit Mafia off their trail. The scene was remarkable for how clear and easy-to-follow it was, in an age where so many blockbuster action setpieces feel shrouded in shadow. When EW caught up with episode directors Amber Templemore-Finlayson and Katie Ellwood, a.k.a Bert and Bertie, they admitted that the scene was actually originally planned to shoot at night before a last-minute change courtesy of Marvel Cinematic Universe mastermind Kevin Feige. "It was only after we'd started shooting the show that Kevin was like, 'there's too much at night. We need to put some sequences in the day,'" Ellwood tells EW. "But we'd planned it all at night! And of course we had been like hey, you can hide things in the shadows. But then suddenly it was daylight. So we just reconvened with our amazing team and decided to embrace it. We'd already decided to do as much practically as possible, but it drove us to do even more practically. The result was amazing." "It has a grit and it has a danger from being in the daytime when you can see more," Templemore-Finlayson says. The duo cited the iconic car chases from '60s-'70s films like Bullitt and The French Connection as inspirations. They decided to orient the scene around Kate's perspective in order to make the action easy to follow. "Our cameras are determined by what the character needs and the central part to this chase sequence is the banter and the relationship between Clint and Kate," Templemore-Finlayson says. "So we were thinking, how do you stay in the car? We've all seen a million car chases, there are huge franchises that do them so well on epic scales. So we were like, well, it's about the characters. So what we wanted to do was keep the camera in the car. Then we thought, how fun would it be that if as that camera is turning, all the action was happening around them? And then when Kate goes out the window, of course our camera goes with her because it's led by character." Speaking of characters, recent Hawkeye episodes also featured some wonderful moments with another beloved creation from Fraction and Aja's comic: Lucky the Pizza Dog. "Every opportunity we could get Lucky in a scene, we would," Ellwood says. "Lucky was great, and not only on screen. Off-screen Lucky was great too because you know, there are situations where we're running out of time or it's all a little bit tense and it's just like, stare at the dog! Stare at the dog! So it was joyful." Hawkeye Finale Promo Features New Kingpin Footage https://www.cbr.com/hawkeye-kingpin-finale-promo/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgp1OEVDxDM A new prom
Russ Belin, vice president of the Southeast region for Broadway Across America, joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum podcast to discuss the pandemic's effects on the theater industry and this year's exciting season at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Belin joins hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick for the Around Atlanta segment. Celebrating 40 years in the peach state, Broadway Across America is back in our beautiful city for a highly anticipated season of shows. Broadway Across America has 47 markets in the U.S. and presents the best of Broadway direct from New York. Acting as a middleman, Belin and his team handle subscriptions, marketing and present shows featured at the Fox Theatre. Broadway Across America works with producers to build out incredible displays for patrons to enjoy, typically bringing 10 to 12 shows per season. According to Belin, the past 18 months were tough for performers and patrons alike as the theater industry largely depends on the revenue from live shows. “It's been 550 days since we presented our last show,” Belin said. “Our job is to bring people together to make memories. It's been weird to not have that feeling.” The theater industry and Broadway Across America underwent many changes attempting to build seasons and reroute shows as pandemic conditions worsened. The main focus was to reschedule shows and plan and manage ticket subscriptions to ensure an easy return once it was safe to do so. According to Belin, it was amazing to see the support and excitement from season ticket holders during such a difficult time and how thankful his team was for the continued support. In residence until September 26, 2021, Hamilton is the first show to return to the Fox Theatre since its March 2020 closing. Belin expressed gratitude that a big show like Hamilton is the season debut after a turbulent previous year. Operating safely, about 4,500 patrons per show enjoy the magic of Broadway in person once again. Written by Tony-award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is the story of Alexander Hamilton, a young immigrant from the Caribbean, and his journey to the United States. Working in tandem with acclaimed historical figures, such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, Hamilton built the U.S. treasury, as well as other developments, to make our newly formed country successful. Told uniquely and powerfully, Hamilton implements hip-hop, dance and expressive music to tell the story based on the biography by author Rob Chernow. Although Disney+ released the professional recording of the original cast of Hamilton during the height of the pandemic, it motivates many viewers to see the show live. Releasing shows on digital platforms allows for larger audiences to access the brilliance of Broadway. However, nothing compares to seeing a show in person! Although the current cast of Hamilton is not the original, it is a talented group of professionals, including a few Atlanta natives, that are passionate about delivering this show to audiences. This season marks 40 years of Broadway in Atlanta and will feature highlights such as Fiddler on the Roof, Disney's Frozen, Ain't Too Proud, Mean Girls and more! “I'm excited that we're going to help the Fox doors reopen and get our audiences back there,” Belin said. Fiddler on the Roof is a great show to bring family and first-time theatergoers, winning multiple Tony Awards on its original run and the revival. Ain't Too Pride celebrates the career of The Temptations on their journey from Motown to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with well-known hits and a night filled with nostalgic fun. Disney's Frozen is a much-anticipated debut at the Fox Theatre and a great opportunity for families to experience the magic of Disney up close. Based on the pop culture hit by Tina Fey, Mean Girls will continue the stream of hit shows coming to the Atlanta area with comedy and catchy songs in this pop culture sensation. Despite current setbacks,
Russ Belin, vice president of the Southeast region for Broadway Across America, joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum podcast to discuss the pandemic's effects on the theater industry and this year's exciting season at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. Belin joins hosts Carol Morgan and Todd Schnick for the Around Atlanta segment. Celebrating 40 years in the peach state, Broadway Across America is back in our beautiful city for a highly anticipated season of shows. Broadway Across America has 47 markets in the U.S. and presents the best of Broadway direct from New York. Acting as a middleman, Belin and his team handle subscriptions, marketing and present shows featured at the Fox Theatre. Broadway Across America works with producers to build out incredible displays for patrons to enjoy, typically bringing 10 to 12 shows per season. According to Belin, the past 18 months were tough for performers and patrons alike as the theater industry largely depends on the revenue from live shows. “It's been 550 days since we presented our last show,” Belin said. “Our job is to bring people together to make memories. It's been weird to not have that feeling.” The theater industry and Broadway Across America underwent many changes attempting to build seasons and reroute shows as pandemic conditions worsened. The main focus was to reschedule shows and plan and manage ticket subscriptions to ensure an easy return once it was safe to do so. According to Belin, it was amazing to see the support and excitement from season ticket holders during such a difficult time and how thankful his team was for the continued support. In residence until September 26, 2021, Hamilton is the first show to return to the Fox Theatre since its March 2020 closing. Belin expressed gratitude that a big show like Hamilton is the season debut after a turbulent previous year. Operating safely, about 4,500 patrons per show enjoy the magic of Broadway in person once again. Written by Tony-award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is the story of Alexander Hamilton, a young immigrant from the Caribbean, and his journey to the United States. Working in tandem with acclaimed historical figures, such as Thomas Jefferson and George Washington, Hamilton built the U.S. treasury, as well as other developments, to make our newly formed country successful. Told uniquely and powerfully, Hamilton implements hip-hop, dance and expressive music to tell the story based on the biography by author Rob Chernow. Although Disney+ released the professional recording of the original cast of Hamilton during the height of the pandemic, it motivates many viewers to see the show live. Releasing shows on digital platforms allows for larger audiences to access the brilliance of Broadway. However, nothing compares to seeing a show in person! Although the current cast of Hamilton is not the original, it is a talented group of professionals, including a few Atlanta natives, that are passionate about delivering this show to audiences. This season marks 40 years of Broadway in Atlanta and will feature highlights such as Fiddler on the Roof, Disney's Frozen, Ain't Too Proud, Mean Girls and more! “I'm excited that we're going to help the Fox doors reopen and get our audiences back there,” Belin said. Fiddler on the Roof is a great show to bring family and first-time theatergoers, winning multiple Tony Awards on its original run and the revival. Ain't Too Pride celebrates the career of The Temptations on their journey from Motown to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with well-known hits and a night filled with nostalgic fun. Disney's Frozen is a much-anticipated debut at the Fox Theatre and a great opportunity for families to experience the magic of Disney up close. Based on the pop culture hit by Tina Fey, Mean Girls will continue the stream of hit shows coming to the Atlanta area with comedy and catchy songs in this pop culture sensation. Despite current setbacks,
• Early in the month, theme parks in the UK joined their European neighbours in closing down as another wave of Coronavirus hit. Some have simply closed early for their winter off season, while others hope to reopen for modified Christmas events. In Europe, Disneyland Paris resort has officially closed until after Christmas. • In California, 8 mayors including the mayor of Anaheim have joined forces to push Governor Neeson to reopen theme parks. Unfortunately during the month Conditions in the state have gotten worse, with several counties moving back a tier in the states threat system. In a rare bit of good news, Buena Vista street has reopened as a shopping and dining district. Although Disney did reintroduce parking fees at Disneyland resort to coincide with the opening. • Knowing that their parks won’t reopen this year both Disney and Universal have beefed up their out of park offerings. Disneyland has started selling Spiderbots from the New Avengers Campus ride that they have been unable to open. They are also bringing out their famous Corndog to Downtown Disney, while Universal Studios Hollywood has wheeled out their biggest and most profitable gun, Butterbeer. • D23 Fantastic Worlds Celebration online event was this month and along with that we got more of a look at some future projects for WDW. We saw more details on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and saw yet mor footage of the ride vehicles for the up coming Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind coaster. • WDW has also announced that park hoping is coming back in January. But not as we know it. Guests will still have to make a reservation at their first park, and will only be able to hop after 2 pm. • WDW also announced an agreement with train company Brightline to have a train line connect Orlando International Airport with Disney Springs. There are many steps before this plan is put into action, so it will be years away but still a positive step. • The Walt Disney Company has also announced that it will be laying off another 4000 workers. • In Hong Kong, the new revamped central castle has opened this month for its 15th anniversary. The new castle has been dubbed the Castle of magical dreams. • Several Holiday events have started this month, with Sea World Orlando bring out the Rudolph characters, and Knotts Berry Farm starting their taste of Merry Farm food festival. The most innovative is definitely Six Flags Magic Mountain who reopened their doors for the first time since March with a Holiday in the Park Drive-thru Experience. Guest drive through the park witness various lights and projection mapping displays. • We saw POV videos for Iron Gwazi at Busch Gardens Tampa, and a virtual POV for Seaworlds up coming Ice Breaker. • Possibly the most surprising news for the month was the announcement from Joe Rohde that he is retiring. Rohde is one of the most prominent of the modern batch of Imagineers having been lead designer on Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Pandora the world of avatar during his 40 years with Imagineering. He stated that he didn’t want to stay to retire in the middle of another huge project, and if he took on completing another by the end he would be truely old.
Welcome Ladies and Gentleman Geeks, Nerds, Blerds, and Otaku’s to another edition of The Ninja Please Podcast We start this episode jumping right in from where we left off in “SImpin’ 101” On a discussion Hollywood tales of Sacrifices, Anti Blackness, and newfound wokeness. Toping wasn’t just mean girl but she might have been a bit racist. James Roday of Psyche wants to be Latino and Beloved TV host Ellen is under fire after a staffer's letter to her went viral, with complaints of racism, abuse, and misconduct by executives. Like Black says its all Smoke and Mirrors! Stay tuned (00:12:26) Disney is the KING of The Shareholder Headline. Although Disney has spent countless hours and time propagandizing assurances that everything was fine at the house of mouse. They recently admitted that many shows slated for a fall 2020 release will infect be delayed due to scheduling conflicts due to COVID 19. I just want to say “I told you so”, but atlas we still get Baby Yoda. (00:18:25) Lord Black Schools us on the history and the Ways of The Foot! and Later Makyo gives updates on some new series we should expect from Adult Swim stay tuned. (00:36:16) Long before companies began using inclusivity as a means to rewrite popular characters, Director James Gunn was ahead of the curve. In a recent interview, it was revealed he wanted Velma from Scooby-Doo to be a lesbian, but studio execs struck it down. Well, years later it appears that this may be cannon. Ninjas react. (00:42:36) African American Audiences were glued to their seats in anticipation for the New Netflix drama starring Nia Long and Omar Epps, only to watch and lean it was some MID we also quick shoot headlines and before were gone we say a quick RIP to Yandere Simulator! (00:46:45) Celes reviews The Netflix action-drama Cursed Starman gives his review of Old Guard 5/10 (01:00:30) Makyo Takes us home with some Video Game News his review of Ghost of Tsushima and Georgia’s Governor gets the deep of the week. Original Music By Starman Ninja Please Theme - Starman . 2020 Star Superior, LLC on social Media @Ninjapleasepod and like us on Facebook Black is selling Ninjaplease march on his page @ Tee Public , feel free to check it out https://www.teepublic.com/user/thecaveofcomics Find him on Twitter @Thecaveofcomics2.0 #Ninjapleasepodcast #covid19 #Anime #Hulu #Crunchyroll #Funimation #Nintendo #Sony #PS5 #Marvel #DC #DIsney #syfy #Cartoonnetwork #CN #Adultswim #usa #trending #memes #life #style #Ninjapleasepodcast #Amazonprimevideo #Hulu #PS4 #Xbox #WB #HBOMAX #Baki #Ghibli #BTS #Kpop #Babymetal #Disney+ #Beastars #Itsokay #Itsokatnottobeokay #Kdrama #Wayfair #BLM #Deepoftheweek #GhostofTsushima #Ellen #Scoobydoo #Velma #BLERD #NERD #Geek #Geekpod #ninjapod #comicon #Homemovies
Who doesn’t love a good ghost story? Spoiler alert: Sean and Tabitha don’t! By request, in this week’s episode we’re telling spooky tales of the supposed haunted side of Disneyland. From the Crying Boy of the Haunted Mansion to Space Mountain’s Mr. One Way, we’ve got some spine tingling stories to keep you up at night. Also, lots of new merch and entertainment to scratch your Disney itch during the downtime. Links:Subscribe to our events calendar (it’s free)!Follow Sean, Tabitha and the Magic on Main Street Podcast on Instagram!If you have any comments, questions or any stories you may want to share with our audience, email us at friends@magiconmainstreetpodcast.com.Become a patron on our all new Patreon! For as little as $2 a month, you’ll get early access and you’ll never have to listen to ads!Show NotesShout outsThemaddesthattercoHappy birthday to Marcos! Make a Wish 40th anniversaryTopic 1 - This Week in Disneyland history1964:Disney's 4th World's Fair exhibit, "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln," finally makes its New York debut after weeks of technical problems.1969:Ground is officially broken for the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. Also known as CalArts, the school was founded by Walt Disney when the Chouinard School of Music and The Los Angeles Conservatory merged in the early 60s. (Although Disney had died a few years before this groundbreaking, the CalArts student newspaper will still be called Walt.)1987:Disneyland introduces Disney Dollars, its exclusive line of currency featuring Mickey Mouse on the $1 bill and Goofy on the $5 bill.1994:Disney announces plans to create a cruise line.1977: Space Mountain opens in Disneyland. Based on concepts by Imagineer John Hench, Space Mountain at Disneyland was designed by Bill Watkins. It is the second Space Mountain in existence, as the first one opened at WDW in January 1975. Also opening as part of the Space Mountain complex is the Starcade arcade, Space Place Restaurant and Tomorrowland Space Stage. 2001:Seventy mile-per-hour winds shut down five rides at Disney's California Adventure.2004The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has its official grand opening at Disney's California Adventure.2005:Disneyland closes to the public on this day for a VIP and Celebrity party in honor of the 18-month 50th Celebration event (which will officially kick off the next day). A gold carpeted Main Street leads guests to the entrance of Frontierland where the festivities are being held. Earlier in the afternoon the premier of "Disneyland – The First 50 Years" takes place with a ceremony hosted by Steve Martin and Donald Duck. Also in attendance is actress Julie Andrews, Disneyland's 50th Anniversary Honorary Ambassador. The evening ends with the premiere of the "Remember Dreams Come True" fireworks spectacular.In an historic first, all 10 of the Disney theme parks around the world collectively kick off the festivities for the "Happiest Celebration on Earth" to mark the 50th anniversary of Disneyland. (The opening of Hong Kong Disneyland in September will add #11 to the18-month long global celebration. In Anaheim, the opening ceremony for Disneyland's 50th Anniversary takes place in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.2006:At 9:02 a.m., Disneyland welcomes 12-year old Emmalee Mason of Colorado Springs, Colorado - the honorary two-billionth guest to visit a Disney Park! Emmalee is presented with a giant golden key and a lifetime pass to all 11 Disney Parks around the world.Topic 2 - News Currently, theme parks are listed as some of the final businesses that will be able to reopen according to governor newsom’s four stage plan that was announced on Wednesday 4/29. The 4 stage plan is pretty complex and could change from day to day or week to week, so definitely go and take a look at it. Bob Iger had made comments about temperature checks being implemented at other Disney Parks, like they’re doing in Shanghai, but nothing is confirmed and we still don’t have a date on the horizon.If you are a DVC member, keep an eye out for an email regarding some policy changes and updates to points and expiration dates. There is A LOT of information in the email they’re sending out that could affect trips you have planned or have rescheduled!AP payments have changed https://disneyland.disney.go.com/travel-information/Disney Music released a playlist of Peaceful Piano Versions of classic disney songs. The playlists are available on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora and YouTube Music. We listened to them while we prepped for this episode and they’re so soothing..A small family owned grocery store in Alabama was selling pallets of Galaxy’s Edge themed coca cola products, with 12 packs being sold for 6.99. The expiration date on all of it was listed as April 20 so they may have shipped it out to get it sold instead of it all going to waste...but who knows.Disneyland Paris has released downloadable interactive coloring pages. You print the page, color it, and then download the WAKATOON app. Once you have the aoo enter the keyword MICKEY and take a picture of your coloring page. The app will bring your image to life!Topic 3 - MerchLimited Edition Star Wars May the 4th Lightsaber Disney Store Key coming to shopdisney. The store keys are usually only sold in store but with stores being closed they will be available, in limited supply, on shopdisney on May 4th. Concept art has been released that shows the key being designed with the Skywalker Lightsaber and the Star Wars logo as the teeth.New Disney Eats cookbook featuring more than 150 recipes is available for pre-order on amazon with a release of Oct. 6th. The book description reads “The kitchen is a great place to make memories. And Disney Eats inspires people to make food memories by helping them discover how the making of food can not only be fun and tasty, but also joyously impactful. Disney Eats is about taking the ordinary and mundane and making it extraordinary and fun by adding some Disney-inspired creative flair. From making a Minnie Mouse inspired crudité platter and a savory dish such as Mulan’s Blossom Stir-Fry, to preparing Disney character bento lunch boxes or whipping up Frozen Banana Dalmatian Pops, author Joy Howard shows that creative ideas are endless. With an Introduction by beloved baker Joy Wilson and more than 150 dynamic full-color photographs, Disney Eats not only inspires, but leads to memorable, creative success in the kitchen.”Tangled collection available for pre-order to celebrate the movies 10th anniversary. The collection includes a backpack with Rapunzel's paintings, a cylinder shaped crossbody bag with rapunzel and finn and Finn’s wanted posters, and a frying pan shaped crossbody. Collection is set to release in September.Disney Park Pals released two new additions, Sully from Monsters Inc and a Grim Grinning Ghost from the haunted mansion. These little figures come with a clip on the back to attach to anything and carry it around with you or a small stand to display with your other collectors items.New Alex and Ani bracelets are available on ShopDisney. The new releases include Pocahontas, Meeko, Flounder and Cinderella’s glass slipper. The two Pocahontas bangles are copper and the flounder and slipper are silver. Each bracelet is 44.99.Her Universe is also releasing a few Tangled items in honor of the 10th Anniversary. Her Universe Disney Tangled Floral Icons Dress, featuring the sundrop flower, Corona Kingdom lanterns and pascal along with a floral design. A lace up design is featured on the bust as well as puffy sleeves...and POCKETS! Pink button front ribbed top with a lace trim, the neckline is embroidered with lanterns, sundrop flowers and the corona kingdom sun.Stance has released a Pixar Collection in honor of Pixar’s 25th anniversary. The collection will include Wall-E, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Up and Luxo the pixar lamp. The socks will be available in adult and kids sizes.Topic 4 - Hidden MickeyTopic 5 - FoodTopic 6 - Events/EntertainmentLive action HerculesWhat to watch on Disney+STAR WARS - all 9 episodes of the Skywalker Saga are on Disney+ May 4thDo you need a good cry? Go follow Kermit the Frog on Twitter and check out the video he posted of himself singing Rainbow Connection.The Disney Family Singalong Volume II is coming! Sunday May 10th at 7 pm, part 2 will air on ABC. Performers are still TBD.Our YouTubeYoutuber Ashley Fasso uploaded a Disney Sunrise Series, where you can watch videos of the sun rising over multiple WDW properties, Aulani and Castaway Cay.#DisneyMagicMoments:Go! Go! Go! for a Ride on Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosA Virtual Tour of Walt Disney Imagineering – Part 5Find Your Zen with Peaceful Scenes from Disneyland ResortVirtual Viewing of ‘Happily Ever After’ at Walt Disney World ResortCreate Magical Mickey Mouse-shaped Beignets at Home with this Fan-Favorite Classic Disney RecipeDapper Dans Sing ‘When I See An Elephant Fly’MAIN - Not So Happy Haunts of Disneyland See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Pocahontas is remembered as the Native American Powhatan princess who saved the life of Englishman John Smith, married John Rolfe and fostered peace between English settlers and Native Americans. In 1995, Disney released an artistically beautiful animated film showing the supposed events that unfolded between John Smith and Pocahontas. Although Disney is known for creating fictional tales, many people believe that Disney’s account of the life of Pocahontas was a true reflection of past events: the love between Pocahontas and John Smith, the bravery Pocahontas showed when saving John Smith’s life, and the tragic ending when John Smith returned to England for medical treatment. However, this depiction is a far departure from the actual events that occurred, and from the real life of Pocahontas. This episode is the shortest i have ever done as i couldn't find a lot of information on The true story of pPocahontas but i hope you will enjoy it nonetheless Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InsanityForever/ Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/InsanityForeverofficial/ Mental Health Page https://www.facebook.com/KingInsanityfrenzy/ Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/InsanityFrenzyMatters/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/insanityforever/message
The 1964 classic “Mary Poppins” was practically perfect in every way. Although Disney’s cheery sequel, “Mary Poppins Returns” is nearly a slavish remake, Emily Blunt is delightful. “Mary Poppins Returns” goes down nicely with or without a spoonful of sugar. Jason Momoa is a likably lunky lead in “Aquaman.” Sadly, he has to battle a […] The post Freeze Frame: “Mary Poppins Returns” (PG), “Aquaman” (PG-13), “Ben is Back” (R), “Vox Lux” (R), “Mary Queen of Scots” (R), “Shoplifters” (R), “Welcome to Marwen” (PG-13) appeared first on KKFI.
With Nancy Maultsby from the cast starts Nov 15. A MERMAID’S TALE. Although Disney’s The Little Mermaid and Dvorák’s Rusalka are based on the same Hans Christian Andersen fable, this isn’t your daughter’s Ariel. A hauntingly poetic libretto matched with a lush score, Rusalka tells the story of a lovely yet lovelorn mermaid who yearns to become human. The searing aria, “Song to the Moon,” is filled with longing as she prays for the prince to return her love. Her wish is granted, but she discovers that what we desir e can also destroy and redemption is seldom granted.