Disney’s Maleficent sequel will once again pit humans against the fairy world, but this time Maleficent has some new help. That’s the message of the latest trailer for “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” the sequel to Disney’s box office hit Maleficent. The new movie extends the… Read More »Disney’s Maleficent: Mistress of Evil character descriptions and new trailer
The sequel to Disney’s popular retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story through the eyes of Maleficent is ready to spread the fairy tale magic even further. Announced today, the film will open nationwide on October 18, 2019 and will be titled – “Maleficent: Mistress of… Read More »Maleficent: Mistress of Evil – the Sequel gets a release date and first poster
Ever After meets Joan of Arc. Mirror, Mirror: A Twisted Tale is a fresh, valuable take on Disney’s classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Author Jen Calonita teams up with Disney Press to pay homage to the original Snow White story while embarking on… Read More »Book Review: Calonita’s Mirror, Mirror twists Disney’s Snow White into new adventures
We’re a week away from the debut of Disney Channel’s take on the old good versus evil fairy tale story. Disney’s Descendants, set in the idyllic kingdom of Auradon, playfully presents the unexpected possibilities of what happens after the “happily ever after.” Below, Kenny Ortega,… Read More »Disney Channel Original Movie – Descendants: Watch the First 6 Minutes
Walt Disney’s original animated classic “Cinderella” was visually stunning and masterfully animated. Based on a fairy tale from Charles Perrault, and with beautiful songs and orchestration, it won over theater audiences and helped cement the Disney Studios as the leader in feature animation.
So when news came out that Disney was remaking the movie with a live action cast, the question was why? When I heard that Kenneth Branagh would be directing, I felt a bit better. But it was costume designer Sandy Powell’s costumes that really sealed the deal for me. Even if Cinderella was a 2 hour parade of Powell’s gorgeous costumes, I would have left satisfied.
The good news, is that the rest of the movie works too. It is a refreshing take on the fairy tale that we all know and love with lessons we can all take to heart. Branagh revisited the original Perrault fairy tale and incorporated some more modern motivations to make the film more relevant for today’s audiences. The story actually works better once Cinderella (Lily James) has a little agency.
That agency is delivered to Ella by her parents. First by her mom (played suitably by Hayley Atwell) who tells her to “have courage and be kind,” and by her father who teachs her the strength to endure. She’ll need both of these in spades once her parents die (at least both mom and dad die in this one instead of just mom). Actually dying parents is a fairly strong theme in this movie, something to be aware of if your kids have recently lost any one close to them.
Is there more to the “Cinderella” story than you thought? A new TV spot called “Conspiracy” adds a layer of intrigue to the classic tale:
A new full trailer for Cinderella will come out this Wednesday.
In the meantime Director Kenneth Branagh was recently interviewed about how he’s bringing some of his Shakespearean drama to the classic tale. Also, that the story is about a man rescuing a woman, that Ella has equality in the relationship.
See the full plot synopsis below the jump:
Read More »New Cinderella TV spot adds new layer of intrigue to the classic tale
We are down to the final two hours of Once Upon a Time‘s third season, and we get them both on Sunday night. The show starts at the usual time, but goes an hour later. I’m hearing this was always designed as a two hour… Read More »Once Upon a Time – Season 3 Finale Preview
We’re less than two months away from opening night of Disney’s “Maleficent”, a retelling of the classic Sleeping Beauty fairytale from the perspective of the wicked fairy Maleficent, portrayed by Angelina Jolie in perfect casting. That means it’s time to really ramp up the marketing machine in the halls of Burbank.
Today I was sent this spectacular banner for the movie.
I like that we get a look at some of the other mythical creatures from the movie. Some of them looking very Jim-Henson-esque. What do you think?
By popular demand, you can download the 3000 pixel width full-size version for your desktop or background image.