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Get ready to embrace the dark side of Disney magic as Villains Land is set to bring 13 of Disney’s most notorious baddies to Magic Kingdom! Here’s a look at the sinister lineup and the immersive experience guests can look forward to.

After years of fans hoping for a dedicated space for Disney’s iconic villains, Disney World is finally bringing the dream (or perhaps nightmare!) to life. The exciting reveal, made by Disney Parks head Josh D’Amaro at D23 Brazil, introduces the featured Disney Villians for Villains Land—a brand-new area at Magic Kingdom where guests can get up close with characters they usually love to hate.

“Their evil ambitions give us endless possibilities to tell new stories. This new land will be home to the villains you know and loathe,” D’Amaro shared, standing before an image showcasing 13 classic Disney villains.

He further teased, “In our story,...

The iconic film composer has been scoring your favorite films for over 50 years, and this new doc celebrates them all.

“Star Wars,” “Home Alone,” “Indiana Jones,” “E.T.”, “Harry Potter”; all beloved films that you may not know have one thing in common — legendary composer John Williams. While you may not be familiar with his name, you’ve certainly heard his work before. Many of your favorite films wouldn’t have been the same without the magic of William’s music. The new documentary “Music By John Williams” tells the story of his amazing career and is available now to stream with a subscription to Disney+.

How to Watch “Music by John Williams” When: Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 Where: Disney+ Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+ and from anywhere with a Vpn. Sign Up Now $9.99+ / month disneyplus.com

Get Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ for just $16.99 a month ($14 savings).

Everything You Need to...

Are you a good witch or a bad witch? Either way, beware, there are spoilers for "Agatha All Along" ahead. 

Even in 2024, witches tend to get a bum rap in pop culture -- something that the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe series, "Agatha All Along," is all too aware of. From its end credits lovingly referencing all manner of famous witchy iconography to the show's spell-casters and potions experts constantly complaining about the ways they're typically stereotyped and have had their practices crudely appropriated for mass consumption, the "WandaVision" spinoff has very much worn its love for all things witch-related on its sleeve. That trend has only continued with its seventh episode, "Death's Hand in Mine," which even manages the small miracle of accurately depicting tarot cards and how to interpret them.

Just as with their previous trials, "Death's Hand in Mine" sees Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), the teenager formerly known as Teen,...

Mere mortals have been fascinated by witchcraft for hundreds of years, and the film industry has taken note, with witch-themed movies going back more than 100 years.

In 1922, the silent partly documentary-style Swedish film “Haxan” sought to understand the roots and misunderstandings of witchcraft, and the mania that surrounded the witch hunts. Controversial at the time, it is now considered one of the most influential of the early horror films. Less than 20 years later, Margaret Hamilton would make the Wicked Witch the standard for evil witches, and help make “The Wizard of Oz” a timeless classic.

SEE25 best TV witches, ranked worst to best

In the decades since, witches have appeared in just about every genre of film. Early romantic comedies “I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were so popular they inspired the classic 1960s TV series “Bewitched.” But while a witch’s antics on the small screen were amusing audiences,...

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The first feature film to be released by Walt Disney animation was, as most know, David Hand's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" in 1937. Walt Disney himself, of course, had been working in animation for over 15 years at that point, having founded Laugh-o-Gram Studios in 1921. It was at that studio where Disney developed his taste for well-worn fairy tales, making shorts based on "Little Red Riding Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk," "Goldilocks and the Three Bears," "Cinderella," and "Alice in Wonderland." That last film provided fodder for a long series of Alice Comedies that launched Walt Disney Production in 1923. The first 56 films made by Disney were Alice Comedies before he shifted to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, making dozens for him as well. In 1928, he debuted Mickey Mouse, and the rest is history. 

When it came to shorts, Disney clearly...

From an evil queen pondering “Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who is the fairest of them all?” to Three Weird Sisters chanting “Double, double toil and trouble! Fire burn, and cauldron bubble,” witchcraft has been something of a skeleton key across centuries of storytelling on screen and in print. As old as ghost stories themselves, witches are fabled beings — typically more human than creature, but sometimes vice versa — known for using magic to abuse and manipulate us mere mortals.

Some witches feed on children; see Roald Dahl‘s “The Witches” and its two film adaptations starring Anjelica Huston and Anne Hathaway respectively. Some witches just want to be loved; consider the appropriately-named “The Love Witch” or the middle chunk of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Others crave beauty, youth, power, or something altogether more sinister; think the unending greed examined in Luca Guadagnino’s astounding re-imagining of Dario Argento’s “Suspiria.

Say what you will about the Marvel Cinematic Universe's foray into television on Disney+, but you can't deny that the company knows how to craft a credit sequence. AI-fueled "Secret Invasion" screw-up aside, Marvel shows on Disney+ have signed off with some of the most creative, enjoyable end credits in recent memory, many of them a mini-adventure in their own right.

"Agatha All Along" is no exception. The new series may not be big on mid-credit scenes, but it uses its end credits to tell us exactly what it's about. The first episode ends with the Donovan song "Season of the Witch," which would be too on the nose if it weren't such an excellent, effective tune. It also shows the names of the series' cast and crew over a sort of witchy mood board, one that features witches ranging from creepy to adorable. There's historical information on display, complete...

While the “Nine Old Men” are well-documented and justly praised as the legendary animators of the Disney classics overseen by Walt — “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937) through “The Jungle Book” (1967) — it’s gone unnoticed how the directors made their mark on these movies. That changes with the release of “Directing at Disney: The Original Directors of Walt’s Animated Films” by Disney historian Don Peri and Pete Docter, Pixar’s chief creative officer and Oscar-winning director of “Soul,” “Inside Out,” and “Up.”

Peri and Docter, who spent more than a decade on the book, reveal for the first time the organizational structure for directing at Disney and how the role of the director progressed. Peri, who had a fundamental understanding of how films were made at Disney, spent years at the Walt Disney Animation Research Library, combining interviews, documentation, and a diary into a methodology of the directors’ roles...

Rachel Zegler is receiving all the heat for her upcoming film, Snow White. The film cast Zegler, of Latina descent, as the titular character, which was a move welcomed by many. However, Zegler bashing Disney’s original fairy tale hasn’t helped the film a bit. Amidst the controversy, The Hunger Games actress’ performance at Elsie Fest in New York City is receiving appreciation.

Rachel Zegler in a still from Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story | Credits: 20th Century Studios

Fans on social media agreed that Zegler’s musical theater experience made her an incredible performer and that they couldn’t take their eyes off her during her performance. The new appreciation might finally take the edge off the backlash against her following her Snow White comments.

Rachel Zegler’s Eye-Catching Performance Wins Over Fans On Social Media Rachel Zegler in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes...

When Disney first got into the live-action adaptation game, remaking their classic animated IP with the use of ever-advancing visual effects, first with “The Jungle Book” in 1994, then officially with Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010, it felt odd they would not kick off the endeavor with their first animated film, made in 1937, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

For the most part, many of these remakes, from Guy Ritchie’s Will Smith-led “Aladdin” to Jon Favreau’s photo-realistic “The Lion King,” failed to meet the magic of their source material. But they did rake in big bucks at the box office, and that’s all Disney needs to keep the factory churning them out. But after unveiling the first teaser for “Snow White” at D23 on Friday, August 9, the Mouse House may be whistling all the way to the bank.

In development since 2016, interest was piqued when...

In the Disney pantheon, it doesn’t get much more classic than Snow White. The original 1937 Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs was the film that started it all – the debut feature from the studio, that more-or-less invented the animated film as we know it, and began a legacy that’s still going nearly 100 years later. So, it’s a big deal that Disney is presenting a new take on the fairytale as a live-action adaptation next year – the long-awaited Snow White, with Rachel Zegler playing the original Disney princess, and Gal Gadot vamping it up as the Evil Queen. As revealed at the D23 Expo, here’s the first official trailer:

This version comes from Marc Webb, the director of 500 Days Of Summer and the Amazing Spider-Man movies – and while the focus in this trailer is largely on recreating images and moments from the ’37 original (that spooky tree...

La película llegará a los cines casi 90 años después del estreno de ‘Blancanieves y los Siete Enanitos’. © Disney

Disney ha desvelado en la D23 Expo de Disney el primer tráiler de Blancanieves, el remake de acción real de la película Blancanieves y los siete enanitos, que se convirtió en la piedra angular del imperio Disney.

Dirigida por Marc Webb días juntos), Blancanieves es una reimaginación de la película de animación original de 1937. La original se centra en la joven Blancanieves, que huye del castillo después de que su madrastra, la Reina Malvada, se ponga tan celosa de su belleza que ordena al Cazador que la mate. El cazador no lo consigue y Blancanieves escapa a una cabaña donde encuentra a siete enanitos. Al descubrir que Blancanieves sigue viva, la Reina Malvada la visita en la cabaña y le da una manzana envenenada. Tras ser envenenada, Blancanieves se despierta más tarde...

"Magic mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all...?" Obviously you, Gal Gadot! Disney has revealed a first look trailer for the live-action re-imagining of the classic animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. At D23, Disney revealed the teaser trailer for Snow White, directed by Marc Webb, now set to open early 2025. "Disney invites you to return to the story that started it all..." The magical music adventure journeys back to the timeless story with beloved characters Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy. Featuring all-new original songs from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Starring Rachel Zegler & Gal Gadot, who portray Snow White & the Evil Queen, respectively. With Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, Ansu Kabia as the Huntsman, Dujonna Gift as Maple, and Martin Klebba as Grumpy. Well this doesn't look interesting at all, so cheesy and glossy, doesn't even seem like a live-action movie. What do you think?...

In the past decade, Disney has had immense success by turning all its animated classics into action films. The latest iteration of that model continues with “Snow White,” a live-action musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film “Snow White And The Seven Dwarves.” Coming to theaters on March 21, 2025, Disney released a new teaser trailer for the film at D23.

Read More: Pixar & Disney Announces ‘The Incredibles 3’ & Teases A ‘Frozen 3’ For 2027 & ‘Frozen 4’ [D23]

The film—which stars Rachel Zegler—invites audiences back into the magical world of Snow White with beloved songs and recognizable characters such as the Evil Queen, played by Gal Gadot, and, of course, Dopey, Grumpy, Sneezy, Bashful, Happy, Sleepy and Doc.

Continue reading ‘Snow White’ Teaser Trailer: Disney’s Live-Action Film With Rachel Zegler & Gal Gadot Hits March 2025 [D23] at The Playlist.

Live-action remake “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” has released a trailer.

The new Snow White, Rachel Zegler and the new Evil Queen (Gal Gadot) were both on hand at D23 to address the crowd. “It’s been the honor of a lifetime,” Zegler said of taking on the princess role. “I think any young person, any little girl if you get to put on a Disney princess dress and be her for a day let alone six months… it’s just been the most amazing experience and I cant wait to share it with you all.”

“It was a lot of fun to get to do something that is completely different than anything I’ve ever done before,” Gadot said on playing the iconic Evil Queen. “She’s delicious, she’s evil, she’s magical. We got to sing all these different songs. It was incredible.”

Disney previously unveiled...

Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” has finally completed filming, marking a significant milestone for a project that has faced numerous challenges since its inception. Rachel Zegler, who stars as the titular character, shared the news via her Instagram story, expressing both pride and emotion as she wrapped up the production.

“That’s a wrap on Snow White, and I’m so freaking proud and emotional. Love these people so much,” Zegler wrote, offering a glimpse into the camaraderie developed on set. The announcement comes after an extended production period that included initial filming from March to July 2022, followed by reshoots that began in June 2024.

Directed by Marc Webb, known for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” the film boasts a star-studded cast including Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, alongside Andrew Burnap and Ansu Kabia. The screenplay, co-written by “Barbie” scribe Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson,...

“Inside Out 2” roared into cinema in June, becoming Pixar’s highest-grossing film in a debut weekend of all time, while its current worldwide haul at this time of writing stands at just over one billion.

The first movie — one of the most ingenious films of this century — took audiences inside the head of young Riley as she navigated a move to a new city while her emotions tried to guide her through the move in her head. This second film brings back those emotions as Riley goes through her teenage years. But Joy and Sadness and the gang have to deal with several new emotions in headquarters, including Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui.

But while the film marches towards $1 billion at the box office, could it also be marching towards awards glory? Well, animated flicks don’t get the justice they deserve when it comes to the Academy Awards. So often,...

Joe Dante's "Gremlins" is a monster movie masterpiece stuffed with memorable set pieces. The death of Mrs. Deagle, the near-death of the Futtermans (they live to see "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" if only because Dante couldn't make a movie without his onscreen lucky charm Dick Miller), and, of course, the sing-a-long screening of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" are all wackadoodle gems, but the most smashingly chaotic showcase for the feral beasties arrives when they descend upon Dorry's Tavern.

This is where Dante's Chuck Jones worship transforms "Gremlins" into something hilariously unruly and, if you grew up watching Looney Tunes cartoons, truly holy. The title critters have taken over the Kingston Falls dive bar, leaving poor Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) to keep their beer mugs full and cigarettes blazing. Within this bedlam, Dante and creature designer Chris Walas stage a series of goofball vignettes that find the...

Katy Perry became a judge on “American Idol” in 2018 and instantly set the internet on fire with her unpredictable personality and eye-popping wardrobe. The 13-time Grammy nominee is always at her absolute best on “Idol’s” annual Disney Night, where she goes all-in on the theme and dresses up in extravagant costumes as some of the most well-known characters of all time. Tinker Bell? Check! Snow White? Check! Urusula (with tentacles)? Check! Her cohorts Luke Bryan, Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest have yet to dress up, though they always have fun playing off of Katy’s unbridled enthusiasm. Relive all of Katy Perry’s Disney costumes on “American Idol” by scrolling through our photos above (or click here for direct access). What will she dress up as next?

Katy Perry as Cinderella — April 29, 2018 (Season 16)

In the lead-up to Katy’s first-ever Disney Night, she appeared in a pre-taped video as...

Disney+ gave its home page a makeover to celebrate the launch of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” on the streamer.

For one day only, the home page will take inspiration from each of the Taylor Swift eras for special featured collections, dividing Disney+ and Hulu titles into their appropriate category. Nine of the eras are listed, with her debut self-titled album mysteriously absent.

The “Fearless (Disney’s Version)” collection includes heroic and brave adventures like “Moana,” “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” “Brave,” “The Marvels” and “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth” to name a few.

“Speak Now (Disney’s Version)” focuses on enchantment, princesses and dragons with stories like “The Princess Diaries,” “Enchanted” and “The Princess Bride.”

Taylor Swift takes over the Disney+ home page for one day after launch of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” (Disney+)

“Red (Disney’s Version)” was taken very literally with the tagline “Everything…...

Disney+ is officially in its Taylor Swift era.

With the launch of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version)” on Disney+ on March 14 at 6 p.m. Pt, the megastar is getting a homepage takeover on the streamer. For one day only, the service’s main screen will feature nine curated sets of titles inspired by each of the singer’s eras — including “Fearless” (e.g. “Moana”), “1989” (e.g. “The Little Mermaid”) and “Midnights” (e.g. “Cinderella”).

The Swift takeover of the Disney+ homepage will be worldwide with a few exceptions, including Turkey, where the film will not be available until April 3.

Disney reportedly paid more than $75 million for worldwide streaming rights to “The Eras Tour” concert film, which Swift’s company produced. The newly expanded version of “The Eras Tour” on Disney+ — clocking in at three and a half hours — includes five bonus songs: “Cardigan,” from “Folklore,” plus four...

Disney's live-action reimaginings of beloved classics have made it their mission to update the story's more outdated ideals and expand the canvas of who is being represented on screen and how. Dating back to their first feature in 1937, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the characters in Disney's animated films are mostly white, always straight, and follow the same damsel in distress narratives. The movies reflected the more conservative values of the time.

But today, as society continues to evolve, these new takes on classic fairy tales take many steps to diversify. The remakes give the princesses more chutzpah, allowing them to save themselves without needing the prince. "Beauty in the Beast" made LeFou openly gay (although it is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment). "The Little Mermaid" made waves when Halle Bailey, a Black actress, was cast as the curious redhead Ariel. The live-action "Little Mermaid" improves on the original through its multiracial casting,...

Before the 2001 film year, it had always been a subject of debate in years prior as to whether the Academy Awards should create a category for animated features. That finally came to fruition with an uptick in the amount of animated movies that were released annually. Prior to the category being established, several animated films would occasionally win special prizes. Such films included “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in 1937 (for which Walt Disney received a normal-sized Oscar and seven miniature ones), “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” in 1988 and “Toy Story” in 1995. “Beauty and the Beast” also managed a major feat in 1991 when it became the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture, eventually losing to “The Silence of Lambs.” Tour our photo gallery below to see every Oscar winner for Best Animated Feature, from “Shrek” to the most recent. Gallery updated March 2024.

Distribution

“Kalki 2898 Ad,” the Indian sci-fi epic starring Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone and Disha Patani, will release theatrically worldwide on May 9. The date was unveiled across Indian cities Varanasi, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chennai, Madurai, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Bhimavaram, Kashmir and Vijayawada by actors in the raider costumes featured in the film.

The film, which is directed by Nag Ashwin and backed by Vyjayanthi Movies, was teased at the San Diego Comic-Con last year. While a budget for the film has not been revealed, Variety understands that it is in the region of $75 million, which will make it one of the most expensive Indian films of all time.

Vyjayanthi Movies founder and producer C. Ashwini Dutt said: “As Vyjayanthi Movies marked its 50th year, the importance of May 9 in our cinematic journey remains evident. From the iconic ‘Jagadeka Veerudu Athiloka Sundari’ to the award-winning ‘Mahanati’ and ‘Maharshi,...

The Animated World is a regular feature spotlighting animation from around the globe.The Boy and the Heron.“And what about you? What will you create? You take many things from the world, but I wonder what you will give back in return?”—Genzaburo Yoshino, How Do You Live? Part of the genius of Hayao Miyazaki is his ability to captivate his audience so deeply with his films that they don’t realize he is asking an essential question: how do you live? Yet, his films do. Each of them demands that we think, reflect, and change. Visually, they burst like a star in our mind’s eye while the stories slowly lead us toward realization. They warm our hearts while showing us how complex and contradictory people are—by turns selfish and selfless. From Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) to The Wind Rises (2013), Miyazaki’s stunning, hand-drawn aesthetic and stirring,...

What do an ogre, a clownfish, a rat, a wooden toy and a robot have in common? They’ve all been the stars of Academy Award-winning films for Best Animated Feature.

Film animation has come a long way since pioneering films such as Walt Disney‘s “Steamboat Willie” (1928) captured the hearts and imagination of a loyal public, making characters like Mickey Mouse a permanent and beloved part of our pop culture. But these films have had a harder time gaining recognition from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1939, at the 11th awards ceremony, Disney received special recognition for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the first ever feature-length animated film, and was bestowed one full-size statuette and seven miniature ones. Two years later, Disney would receive the first competitive Oscars given for an animated film, with “Pinocchio” winning Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “When You Wish Upon a Star.

Five years ago, while chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios Jennifer Lee was finishing work on “Frozen II,” she mentioned to her co-director, Chris Buck, that the studio’s 100th anniversary was coming up — and asked whether he’d want to be involved in any projects pegged to the anniversary?

They didn’t have any idea what that animated feature would be but they knew that “we wanted original characters, story and music,” says Buck.

They began gathering stills from every animated feature the studio had done and pinned them to a bulletin board.

They looked at the breadth of colors and styles. From “Pinocchio’s” Jiminy Cricket to “The Princess and the Frog’s” Tiana to Judy Hopps in “Zootopia,” one thing was apparent — that these and many other characters had all made wishes on stars.

“It feels very obvious. Of course, these characters are wishing on the stars.

The holiday season is here and that means there are lots of new releases coming out just in time to make the season bright. Below are some of the picks coming out sure to make the movie fan in your life smile. Whether it is an upgrade to a 4K edition, a reliable Blu-ray, or a special edition Box Set, this list has something for everyone!

One disclaimer: Deals as good as these can be fickle, so there’s no telling if and when a money-saving opportunity might end or if the price may change. So if you want something – snap that shit up quick! Don’t wait, only to have Festivus roll around and discover you’ve nothing to give or the price suddenly changed and you no longer have the bread. And remember that if you want to support JoBlo.com, please make all your purchases by initially clicking through our links,...

Walt Disney was the producer and studio mogul who pioneered in the field of animation, proving it could be used for more than just creating amusing shorts for kids. Let’s take a look back at all 19 animated features produced during his lifetime or that he personally worked on, ranked worst to best.

After years producing amusing shorts, most of them staring a lovable mouse named Mickey (voiced by Walt himself), Disney broke new ground with the first feature length animated film: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937). Both a radical experiment in filmmaking and a revolution in storytelling, it proved cartoons were a viable means of artistic expression. Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, in fact, called it the greatest movie ever made, no small praise for the man who made “Battleship Potemkin” (1925).

With each subsequent feature — “Pinocchio” (1940), “Fantasia” (1940), “Dumbo” (1941), and “Bambi” (1942) — Disney and his team of animators refined their visual and narrative techniques,...

With this year being the 100 year anniversary of The Walt Disney Company and the release of their latest animated title, Wish, we wanted to know what animated Disney film has been your favorite over the years? We stuck to films specifically released by Disney, so no Pixar titles are included. What struck me while compiling the list is the progression of their films. From the innocence of their early work to what many consider their heyday in the early 90’s to the emergence of the CGI era. For many of us, Disney films defined our youth, but which is the one that has remained with you all these years? As always, if you don’t see your favorite listed, please click “Other” and let us know what it is in the comments section as well as any fond memories you have of these timeless classics.

What is your favorite Disney Animated Film?...

With “Wish,” Disney Animation celebrates its 100th anniversary by merging the 2D legacy of watercolor background paintings (dating back to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”) with cutting-edge CG. The result was a revitalization of the retro aesthetic in every department to better display the hand of the artist. Like a gateway drug, it has already carried over into an as-yet-unannounced feature with a very different 2D look.

The musical fantasy (directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn) was the perfect storm for a convergence of the past and present, as it pays tribute to Walt’s beloved wishing star — symbolic of his ethos about the importance of hopes and dreams. Asha (Ariana DeBose), a 17-year-old very much in the mold of the modern Disney heroine, desperately wishes upon a star to save her medieval kingdom of Rosas when Sorcerer King Magnifico (Chris Pine) imprisons their wishes. Asha’s plea...

Spoiler Alert: This story discusses major plot points for “Wish,” currently playing in theaters.

Disney’s animated feature “Wish” features over 100 nods.

As the animation studio celebrates its centennial year, “Wish” pays homage to classic Disney films from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” to “Peter Pan,” “Sleeping Beauty” and more. Speaking with Variety, director Chris Buck explained they are “Disney nods” rather than easter eggs.

“We wanted to get the story to work first,” Buck says. “Once we had that, and we started going into production, we could start layering in all the nods.”

It wasn’t just fellow director Fawn Veerasunthorn and writer and Disney Animation chief creative officer Jennifer Lee helping to incorporate them. According to Buck, “every artist and every department was saying, ‘What if we tried this?'”

While some are more obvious than others, Buck teases, “There are so many that are truly hidden,...

This article contains spoilers for "Wish."

It's been 100 years since Walt Disney created The Walt Disney Company, which first produced short silent films like "Alice's Funnies." That film starred Walt Disney himself, in live-action, showing a little girl how he created his cartoons. The strange and anthropomorphic creations came alive on the screen in front of her in that ambitious early short, and after a day of behind-the-scenes magic, she dreamed herself into the cartoon world.

The events of the next century are much too voluminous to write them all down here but needless to say, Walt Disney's company underwent many changes. Original characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy helped make the studio an industry titan, and feature films like "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Cinderella" cemented its box office clout. Disney's theme parks literally changed landscapes. And by the time the 100th anniversary of those original cartoons came around,...

Spoilers for "Wish" follow.

The villains from Walt Disney Animation's feature films have traditionally been so striking and scary that the company has thought to separate them into their own brand. The brand tends to focus on Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) from 1959's "Sleeping Beauty," Cruella de Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) from 1961's "One Hundred and One Dalmatians," Ursula the Sea Witch (Pat Caroll) from 1989's "The Little Mermaid," the Evil Queen (Lucille La Verne) from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," Captain Hook (Hans Conreid) from 1953's "Peter Pan," Hades (James Woods) from 1997's "Hercules," and Dr. Facilier (Keith David) from 2009's "The Princess and the Frog." 

Occasionally, one might find Gaston (Richard White) from 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" in the mix or Chernabog from 1940's "Fantasia." These characters are all memorable for their scary designs, their misguided lust for power or destruction, their resentment, their hatred of the world,...

Walt Disney Animation Studios is one of the most storied studios in the history of Hollywood. From "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to "Frozen" and everything in between, we're talking about the studio behind some of the biggest, greatest movies ever made, and not just limited to animation. But the pandemic hit the studio pretty hard, with last year's "Strange World" serving as one of its biggest bombs in recent memory. Now, this year's Thanksgiving frame will see the studio get back in the ring with a brand new original animated film in the form of "Wish." The question is, can this movie get Disney's storied animation shingle back on track at the box office?

Things are currently looking promising for "Wish." Per box office tracking provided by Deadline, it is currently expected to bring in around $50 million across the five-day Wednesday to Sunday stretch, as it will be...

Disney CEO Bob Iger admitted during the studio’s earnings call that the studio entered into a creative slump due to the sheer amount of content released. “We lost some focus,” he said.

The studio had 33 major releases put out in 2023 alone across all facets of their subsidiaries, including theatrical and their streaming service Disney+.

Iger did celebrate several of the titles the studio has put out this year, particularly the recent live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” James Cameron’s “Avatar: The Way of Water” and the Pixar animated adventure, “Elemental.” But he admitted that wasn’t enough.

“I’ve looked at our overall output, meaning the studio, [and it] is clear that the pandemic created a lot of challenges creatively for everybody,” he said. “At the time the pandemic hit we were leaning into a huge increase in how much we were making. I’ve always felt that quantity can...

The third quarter of 2023 was strong for AMC Theaters thanks to the box office windfall of Universal’s “Oppenheimer” and Warner Bros.’ “Barbie,” with revenue rising 45% year-over-year to $1.4 billion to allow the theater chain to turn a profit for the second straight quarter and post the highest Q3 revenue in company history.

The Leawood, Kansas-based company faces significant costs that have eroded much of its potential profit, but was still able to report earnings of $12.8 million or 8 cents per share. That beats consensus Wall Street projections of $1.25 billion in revenue for a loss of 22 cents per share, according to Zacks Investment Service.

“What is perhaps most impressive of all is that our success in the third quarter came at a time when our attendance at the domestic box office in the quarter was still 16% below comparable 2019 levels,” said AMC CEO Adam Aron. Attendance reached 73.5 million in Q3, the highest quarterly...

It’s been virtually 100 years to the day since Walt Disney’s animated mouse took the wheel of a steamship and steered himself into immortality. But for anyone who grew up watching Disney movies that might seem surprisingly recent. Since near its very inception, Walt Disney Animation Studios has evoked a timeless sensibility which seems eternal and everlasting. With likely your parents and grandparents growing up on Disney movies, the studio’s brand of hand-drawn magic has always been there in the background of living memory. But every magic has its dark side… and the shadows cast by the House of Mouse have always been faintly more sinister than parents remember until they put a little one in front of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Fantasia. You show a child Chernabog for the first time, and I’ll show you a week of nightmares.

Going back to the days of Walt,...

Talks between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios will resume Tuesday, the guild confirmed in an update to members posted on social media Monday night. But while the guild says the latest round of negotiations has been “productive,” it warned that the two sides “remain far apart on key issues” that could bring the strike to an end, and urged members to stay on the picket lines.

“The committee worked independently today. We will be meeting with the AMPTP Tuesday. While talks over the past week have been productive, we remain far apart on key issues,” the guild said.

“Please help us keep pressure on the AMPTP by showing up on the picket lines, raising your voices at rallies across the country and by posting messages of support and strength on social media,” the statement added.

The guild’s message didn’t explicitly rebut growing optimism that a deal may soon be...

SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers are expected to continue strike talks into this coming week after the actors guild’s negotiating committee and legal representatives from the AMPTP and its member studios continued work on a new contract through the weekend.

Two insiders with knowledge of the Saturday and Sunday talks, which marked four straight days of negotiations for the parties, said that “meaningful progress” was made on actors’ compensation for streaming services, which was said to be the biggest hurdle to a deal, as well as on a compromise on minimum rate increases that are said to be higher than what was negotiated by the AMPTP with the Directors Guild of America and Writers Guild of America.

However, the insiders would not go as far to say that a tentative agreement was imminent, as several other key actor-specific issues still have to be negotiated.

Mere mortals have been fascinated by witchcraft for hundreds of years, and the film industry has taken note, with witch-themed movies going back more than 100 years.

In 1922, the silent partly documentary-style Swedish film “Haxan” sought to understand the roots and misunderstandings of witchcraft, and the mania that surrounded the witch hunts. Controversial at the time, it is now considered one of the most influential of the early horror films. Less than 20 years later, Margaret Hamilton would make the Wicked Witch the standard for evil witches, and help make “The Wizard of Oz” a timeless classic.

SEE25 best TV witches, ranked worst to best

In the decades since, witches have appeared in just about every genre of film. Early romantic comedies “I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were so popular they inspired the classic 1960s TV series “Bewitched.” But while a witch’s antics on the small screen were amusing audiences,...

Disney's streak of live-action remakes continues, and one we're looking forward to is the upcoming film "Snow White," a revival of 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The original "Snow White" was Disney's first animated feature film and, adjusted for inflation, is one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time. The new version stars Rachel Zegler as the titular heroine, with Gal Gadot joining her as the Evil Queen intent on being the fairest of them all.

The movie is directed by Marc Webb and wrapped filming in the summer of 2022, though Walt Disney Studios revealed on Oct. 27 that fans will have to wait until 2025 to see it. Besides that, not a whole lot is known about the film, though the team behind it have teased that there will be some pretty big differences between the original and the new one.

First, there's the casting of Zegler, who is of Colombian descent,...

Disney has unveiled a first look at the upcoming live-action remake of “Snow White.”

In a new image, Rachel Zegler is transformed into the iconic Disney Princess, surrounded by her Seven Dwarfs. As of today, the film, which was originally set to open on March 22, 2024, has been delayed to March 21, 2025.

Zegler stars as Snow White and Gal Gadot plays The Evil Queen. Ansu Kabia co-stars as the Huntsman and Andrew Burnap plays a new character named Jonathan. The Seven Dwarfs have been reimagined for the remake, and Zegler has said that this new iteration will not be as focused on the romantic subplot but instead will show Snow White become the leader her father encouraged her to be. The reimagined storyline and Zegler’s casting — she will be the first Latina to play Snow White — have generated some online criticism for veering from the source material.

The original film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,...

The Walt Disney Company has again shaken up its release schedule, with “Magazine Dreams” removed from the theatrical slate entirely.

Searchlight acquired the Jonathan Majors-starring drama at this year’s Sundance. However, its early December release has been in doubt ever since the actor was arrested for an alleged domestic violence incident this past March. A trial date of Nov. 29 was set in the case on Wednesday.

Disney had previously slated the Emma Stone-starring “Poor Things” on the same Dec. 8 date.

Meanwhile, Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” starring Rachel Zegler as the fairest one of all and Gal Gadot as the wicked queen, has moved an entire year. It will open not on March 22, 2024, but on March 21, 2025.

Pixar’s next original film, “Elio,” will now open not on March 1, 2024, but on June 13, 2025. This cannot help but hurt any positive momentum for the...

Long-time Disney music arranger and orchestrator Dave Metzger is finally getting his “Wish.” After two decades and orchestrating “Tarzan,” “Wreck-It Ralph” and “Frozen,” Metzger is composing his first full animated feature, “Wish.”

Speaking to Variety during scoring session breaks in early September, Metzger says getting the call was amazing. “I’ve always done a lot of composing, but it’s always been as the unknown composer or the additional music person,” he says. But after 25 years of being that additional music person, Metzger wondered if the window on getting his composing credit would ever become a reality. “I had reached the point where I wasn’t sure,” he admits.

A phone call from Matthew Walker, VP of Music at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios changed that. Metzger says, “He said he was considering me to be the composer for ‘Wish.’”

The film, set to be released on Nov. 22, continues...

In 1937, Walt Disney was desperate to find a way to make “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,”the first feature-length animated movie ever made, actually feel like a feature-length movie. He’d been doing his best to ignore the naysayers who christened the very idea of the film as “Disney’s folly.” But they did trigger a nagging concern for the 35-year-old studio chief: Audiences might reject an animated movie if it remained stuck in the realm of the flat, two-dimensional shorts that had propelled Mickey Mouse to worldwide celebrity.

“People said, ‘Nobody will sit through an hour-and-90-minute cartoon,’” Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney archives, tells Variety. “‘Their eyes will start bleeding.’”

So Disney decided to do the thing that had served him so well since he and his brother Roy founded the Walt Disney Co. (originally the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio) in 1923: Innovate.

He tasked...

A 4K restoration version of the 1937 animated Disney classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is coming to Disney+ next Monday, October 16, in celebration of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary. The restored edition is the result of the combined efforts of the Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team working in concert with key artists from the Walt Disney Animation Studios – the same team that earned plaudits for their restoration of Disney’s 1950 classic “Cinderella” (which began streaming over Disney+ on August 25).

Disney Animation artists Michael Giaimo and animator/director Eric Goldberg were honored to re-team with their colleagues at Walt Disney Studios on the project.

SEE30 top grossing movies ever, adjusted for inflation, including ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Gone with the Wind,’ ‘Titanic,’ ‘Jaws’ and more [Photos]

“The opportunity to help restore Snow White was both an honor and a challenge,” said Goldberg. “As the very first Walt Disney feature,...

Heigh-ho! Before Disney yet again tarnishes the beautiful animated memories of the classics that built the studio with a live-action remake, the studio is continuing its 100th-anniversary celebrations with a 4K restoration of the 1937 classic "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," their very first feature-length film. The restoration comes to Disney+ on October 16, 2023, and it's also available on 4K Uhd, including a special Disney 100 SteelBook, starting October 10.

This news comes after Disney released a 4K restoration of "Cinderella" earlier this year, which restored the original colors and the grandeur of the film and helped preserve it for new generations. For this new 4K restoration, the studio tapped the Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team as well as artists from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the same team who worked on the "Cinderella" restoration, which included artist Michael Giaimo (now the production designer for "Wish"), as well as legendary animator/director...

A new 4K restored version of the 1937 animated feature "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", originally directed by Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson and Ben Sharpsteen, noted as the first full-length cel animated movie, streams October 16, 2023 on Disney+:

"... jealous of the beauty of 'Snow White', an evil queen orders the murder of her innocent stepdaughter.

"She later discovers that Snow White is still alive and hiding in a cottage with seven friendly little miners. 

"Disguising herself as a witchy hag, the queen brings a poisoned apple to Snow White, who falls into a death-like sleep that can be broken only by a kiss from a prince..."

Click the images to enlarge...

Hi ho! A 4K restoration of the original 1937 animation classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is set to land on Disney+ later this month.

The 4K version of the film will be available on Disney+ worldwide on Oct. 16, timed for the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Co. Disney previously announced a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition of “Snow White” would be available on starting Oct. 10.

Disney shared before-and-after images comparing the original print to the 4K restoration of the film:

According to the company, the restored version “is the result of the combined efforts of the Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team, working closely with key artists from Walt Disney Animation Studios.” The team, which also recently worked together on the restoration of 1950’s “Cinderella,” including Disney Animation artists Michael Giaimo and animator/director Eric Goldberg.

“The opportunity to help restore Snow White was both an honor and a challenge,...