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Disney joins “The BFG” a Steven Spielberg Directed, Roald Dahl adaptation

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Steven Spielberg is drifting closer to Walt Disney Studios with every movie it seems. In addition to the spy thriller “Bridge of Spies,” Disney has been brought on board to co-produce and co-finance Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG.” This marks the three-time Academy Award winner’s first time directing a Disney-branded movie.

“The BFG” is the exciting tale of a young London girl and the mysterious Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, “The BFG” (Big Friendly Giant) was published in 1982 and has been enchanting readers of all ages ever since. Dahl’s books, which also include “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” “Matilda” and “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” are currently available in 58 languages and have sold over 200 million copies worldwide.

Previously announced cast include three-time Tony Award winner Mark Rylance who will play the titular “Big Friendly Giant” and newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. They are now joined by Bill Hader, Jemaine Clement, Michael David Adamthwaite, Daniel Bacon, Chris Gibbs, Adam Godley, Jonathan Holmes, Paul Moniz de Sa and Olafur Olaffson, all cast as giants. Buckingham Palace has also found its residents with Penelope Wilton being cast as The Queen and Rebecca Hall as Mary, the Queen’s maid.

“In more than 40 years of making movies, I have been on the producing end of a number of films for The Walt Disney Company, but never as a director,” said Steven Spielberg. “It is a special joy to be in the director’s chair as we start ‘The BFG,’ alongside my long-time friends and film collaborators Kathy Kennedy, who introduced me to this project, Frank Marshall and Melissa Mathison. Together with them and Disney, there are many reasons why I am so excited about this joint venture.”
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A Super-Cut of Disney’s Live-Action Movie Legacy

“I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty.” — Walt Disney There’s no denying The Walt Disney Company of today is a behemoth compared to the Walt Disney Studios… Read More »A Super-Cut of Disney’s Live-Action Movie Legacy

New Poster for Disney’s Tomorrowland, plus Q&A with Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof

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Disney’s just released a new poster for the much anticipated movie – Tomorrowland. On Monday, Walt Disney Studios will premiere a new trailer right after a Facebook chat with Director Brad Bird and Producer Damon Lindelof.

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I love that they snuck a Space Mountain in the cityscape. Must be a gateway to this version of the future at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom.

The Q&A takes place Monday, March 9 at 1:30pm ET / 10:30am PT only on Facebook: https://facebook.com/WaltDisneyStudios.

What do you think of the poster and will you join in the chat on Monday?

In case you want to jog your memory, watch the first Tomorrowland Trailer here.

“Tomorrowland” opens in U.S. theaters on May 22, 2015.

Plot synopsis below:

Read More »New Poster for Disney’s Tomorrowland, plus Q&A with Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof

Top posts of the week at The Disney Blog – Week 6

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In case you missed them, here are the most visited stories of the week on The Disney Blog.

We had two major construction updates last week.

A lot of news coming out of Walt Disney Studios too:Read More »Top posts of the week at The Disney Blog – Week 6

Cinderella Sneak Preview at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

As we announced last week, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is currently hosting a special sneak preview of Walt Disney Studios “Cinderella.” Now through March 21st visit the ABC Sound Studio for shows that begin every 30 minutes. Also, beginning Feb 1 and running through April 11th,… Read More »Cinderella Sneak Preview at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney moves back The Jungle Book, Announces More 2016 Release Dates

Disney has made some adjustments to its movie release calendar and announced release dates for a couple upcoming films. Shakeups like these happen all the time, but a delay usually means early previews of the film weren’t playing quite as intended and the movie is… Read More »Disney moves back The Jungle Book, Announces More 2016 Release Dates

More behind the scenes interviews and clips from Disney’s Into the Woods

Disney’s musical “Into The Woods” has been nominated for 3 Golden Globe awards including Best Picture (Musical or Comedy) and Best Actress. It’s also breaking records at the box office with a fantastic opening of $31 million and great ‘legs’ as audiences return multiple times… Read More »More behind the scenes interviews and clips from Disney’s Into the Woods

2015 Disney Movie Slate Predictions

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The 2015 Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures schedule has been discussed before here on the blog, but with a new year I wanted to take a stab at some predictions for how well the films will be received by critics and at the box office. We’d also like to have your preductions in the comments.

2014 was a really weak year for the box office, and I don’t expect market conditions to change too much in 2015. That means Disney already has a steep slope to climb. But Disney was the king of 2014 and the 2015 movie slate Disney appears to have that box office win in hand already.

In order of release here we go.

JANUARY 23, 2015 – Strange Magic

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This movie came out of nowhere, aka Lucasfilm Animation Singapore. This film has a very similar feel as Fox’s 2013 animated flick “Epic.” I see it doing just about the same at the domestic box office. I expect the public will enjoy it more than the critics who didn’t like “Epic” at all.

Domestic total: $112 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 59

FEBRUARY 20, 2015 – McFarland, USA

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Disney really hopes that “McFarland, USA” does better than “Million Dollar Arm.” Kevin Costner should attract some viewers, but the story seems like it will fall flat to me.

Domestic total: $46 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 49

MARCH 13, 2015 – Cinderella

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The fairy-tale is a staple of Disney movies and it’s been a few years since one as pure as Cinderella has been on the big screen. Director Kenneth Branagh will bring his ‘A’ game for Disney and the supporting cast will make this a must-see film for the spring.

Domestic total: $255 million
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 65

Read More »2015 Disney Movie Slate Predictions