disney

Disney Creating a ‘Monster Relocation Program’

Published on: 24th August, 2010

Walt Disney Pictures has picked up an original idea titled Monster Witness Relocation Program from Ahmet Zappa and Michael Wilson. Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment is producing the project as a possible starring vehicle for his son and recent Karate Kid, Jaden Smith.

Disney Picks Up Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion

Published on: 5th August, 2010

Walt Disney Studios has secured the rights to the Radical graphic novel “Oblivion” from Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski. His mentor, David Fincher, will executive produce.

According to Deadline, the Mouse House’s exclusive window to acquire the project ended Monday night while bids from Fox, Paramount, and Universal waited in the wings. But Disney snapped it up for mid-six figures, keeping Kosinski around after rescuing him from shooting TV commercials. The studio took a risky, expensive chance on Kosinski circa 2007 following a sizzle reel presentation showcasing what a modernized version of 1982’s Tron might look like.

Disney Sold Miramax for $660 Million

Published on: 2nd August, 2010

Last Thursday, Disney closed a deal with Filmyard Holdings to offload the Miramax label for around $660 million, ending a lengthy bidding war since the studio closed in January.

Leading the investors was billionaire Ron Tutor, a California-based construction executive, who plunked down a $40 million deposit to finalize the sale. The other major investor is Tom Barrack’s Colony Capital with financial help from actor Rob Lowe. TheWrap reports while the deal was a reported $660M on paper, the final agreement was closer to an even $600 million after cash and adjustments.

Elizabeth Banks Playing Live-Action Tinkerbell

Published on: 18th July, 2010

Elizabeth Banks is set to star in Tink, Disney’s live-action romantic comedy centered on the “mischievous nature of the Tinkerbell character.”
According to Variety, producing alongside Banks and her husband are McG, Adam Shankman, and Jennifer Gibgot, which doesn’t inspire confidence.  Banks has comedic timing and a sort of light, pixie quality, but the others’ involvement spells [...]

Joe Wright to Direct Live-Action ‘Little Mermaid’

Published on: 8th July, 2010

Working Title has attached British filmmaker Joe Wright (Atonement) to direct a live-action version of The Little Mermaid.
According to Variety, the film would be based on Danish author Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairytale published in 1837, and not a remake of Disney’s cartoon musical.  Abi Morgan (Brick Lane) wrote the new take that is inspired [...]

Disney Developing Live-Action Cinderella Movie

Published on: 19th May, 2010

Disney’s live-action re-telling of Alice in Wonderland has the studio interested in revisiting more of their classic cartoon titles from the early Fifties.
(It may have something to do with the nearly $1 billion worldwide since its March release, but I don’t want to make wild assumptions.)
The Mouse House has made a seven-figure deal for Cinderella, [...]

SXSW: Waking Sleeping Beauty Review

Published on: 21st March, 2010

In the mid-1980’s a series of mediocre movies and box office flops threatened to shutter the Disney animation department forever.  Studies showed children “wouldn’t be caught dead” near a cartoon film like The Black Cauldron and live-action classics such as Flight of the Navigator were dominating the zeitgeist instead.  Teetering on the brink of extinction, [...]

Teaser Trailer for Disney’s Tangled

Published on: 28th February, 2010

The March 16 DVD/Blu-ray release of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (which was excellent, by the way) will feature the first footage from their next non-Pixar project Tangled.  The 3D fairy tale was originally titled Rapunzel after its main character, voiced by Mandy Moore, but the Mouse House recently changed the name for unknown reasons.
Perhaps [...]

Disney Dreaming Up ‘Enchanted 2′

Published on: 4th February, 2010

Disney’s Enchanted was a surprisingly pleasant experience, I suppose.  It was at the very least a clever way to revisit the classic Mouse House fairy tales by mashing together the animated and “real” worlds.  Of course, the studio isn’t accustomed to leaving their cute meta film alone.
Unfortunately for fans of the 2007 film, Disney is [...]

Disney Closes Miramax, Summit Interested?

Published on: 28th January, 2010

Walt Disney Studios closed down the arthouse studio Miramax Films today after 31 years of developing indie films.
New York and Los Angeles offices were shut down and 80 employees are out of a job.  A representative for Disney told The Wrap the studio isn’t entirely dead, but will be rolled into the operations of Walt [...]

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