Marvel SDCC Roundtable Teases Roadmap for Future of Marvel Cinematic Universe

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige chaired an intimate roundtable discussion about the future of the cinematic branch of the Marvel universe mere hours before giving fans a peek at the first footage from Avengers: Age of Ultron at San Diego Comic Con this past weekend.

The studio head told lucky journalists present that films have been plotted out for some years to come yet, with Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 just some of the titles been worked upon.

When asked if the recent release dates (announced for currently unnamed properties) were mainly sequels, Feige clarified:

“We’ve only really, really announced through “Ant-Man,” But if you look at 2014 and 2015 — now, let’s hope that “Guardians” succeeds when it opens next week — but I do like the notion of the existing franchise with “The Winter Soldier” that we had this year, doing unexpected things with it. Taking it to new unexpected places, and then, the second movie of the year being an entirely new franchise, entirely new storyline. Next year, we’re doing the same thing with “Age of Ultron” and with “Ant-Man.” And I see that that could continue where it fits.”

Feige also confirmed, that whilst there are no current plans to cameo the characters starring in the co-productions with Netflix currently in pre-production, he admitted that they exist in the same world, so it isn’t an impossibility that they may show up in the coming slew of films from Marvel Studios.

The head of Marvel Studios also confirmed how they choose which of Marvel’s huge roster of characters to move into the cinematic universe.  On this, he said:

“I would say it’s a combination, but it ultimately comes down to, what do we think would be cinematic? What do we think would be the kind of movie we want to make? So with “Guardians,” we very much wanted to — you’ve heard me say this before — go to the other side of the cosmic universe. [There is] an amazing amount of outer space-based storylines in our comics, and we only sort of just scratched the surface of that in the other movies. And it felt like time, with “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and our tenth Marvel Studios MCU movie, to do that. That we’d earned the right to say, “Let’s bring a bunch of characters no one’s ever heard of.” If it was just about public consciousness, I’m not sure we would have done half the characters that we’ve done up to this point, and certainly not Guardians. But it’s about what we think the public would be interested in, because it’s what we sort of are interested in as we want to spend two or three years working on a project.”

Mr. Feige also confirmed that as the film juggernaut keeps rolling that the output will increase, with some years having three films hitting cinema screens per year from Marvel Studios, and this, he says, gives them opportunities to highlight new characters.

Marvel Studio’s Guardians of the Galaxy releases Friday 1 August in the US and UK.

The poster to Marvel's Ant-Man was also released at SDCC

The poster to Marvel’s Ant-Man was also released at SDCC

 

Walken, Esposito Join Voice Cast of Disney’s “Jungle Book”

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

The Walt Disney Studios today announced that two more actors are on board as voice talent for Disney’s The Jungle Book, a combination of live-action and animation, directed by Jon Favreau.

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Giancarlo Esposito & Christopher Walken

Academy Award winner Christopher Walken will take on the role of King Louie, the ruler of a troop of monkeys and apes, while Giancarlo Esposito will voice Akela, the leader of the wolf pack.

Walken and Esposito join Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Golden Globe winner Idris Elba as Shere Khan, and Scarlett Johansson as Kaa. The Jungle Book also marks the debut of newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli, who will be the only actor to physically appear on screen.

The Jungle Book will be released in 3D and arrives in theaters on October 9, 2015.

Meet the Villains of Disney Infinity 2.0!

WDWNT on August 7, 2014


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Monday morning, fans were treated to a new trailer for Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes, which revealed some of the villains we’ll see in the game; Green Goblin from Spider-Man, Ronan the Accuser, and Loki. Green Goblin is Spider-Man’s hulking arch-nemesis, we’ll soon see Ronan the Accuser as one of the villain’s of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and who can forget Loki famously terrorizing his brother Thor and the rest of the Avengers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Interestingly, all three villains will be released as figures and playable in their respective play sets and Toy Box Mode. In a release, Disney Interactive detailed some of the villain’s features:

Ronan: Wielding the Universal Weapon, the ruthless Ronan the Accuser is an unstoppable force in both the Guardians of the Galaxy universe and in the Toy Box mode. Cloaking, energy blasts and super human strength are all part of the powerful arsenal at Ronan’s disposal as he vies to become the mightiest villain in the galaxy.

Green Goblin: Armed with Pumpkin Bombs, the brilliantly nefarious Goblin uses his Electro Shock Gauntlet to dispatch opponents handily in the world of Spider-Man. Super human strength, spectacular super jumps and the ability to charge his bombs into more powerful bolas all make him a villainous force to be reckoned with for both symbiotes and Super Heroes alike.

Loki: The God of Mischief is at your command when you play as Loki in Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes. Whether hassling Thor and Hulk in the Avengers Play Set or exploring the treasures found in the Toy Box mode, Loki’s sure to have a few tricks up his sleeve. From defeating his opponents with a powerful scepter to projecting decoy versions that bewilder even the cleverest of heroes, Loki is the villain you’ll love to hate. Creating mischief has never been so fun!

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With this trailer, Disney Interactive has now revealed twenty-three playable characters for the sequel. Given that there are 29 playable characters in the original game, surely we haven’t seen all that Disney Infinity has up its sleeve. The sequel to last year’s best selling-game will be released in North America on September 23 and currently available for pre-order.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEpM67QFslg]

 

 

First Look at New Star Wars Comics Coming to Marvel

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

Star_Wars_1_Cassaday_cov-690x1024Star Wars is ready to blow up the comics world like Alderaan! During Saturday’s Cup o’ Joe panel at the San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel’s CCO Joe Quesada helped introduce three new Star Wars titles to be published in 2015.

Each of the series will be headed up by different creative teams, but all will be set directly after the events of Star Wars Epsode IV: A New Hope. First to be published will be Star Wars, an ongoing series about Luke and the rebellion’s battles against the Empire. Next out will be Star Wars: Darth Vader, as the Sith lord tries to keep the Empire together after the destruction of the Death Star. Finally, we’ll see Star Wars: Princess Leia, a five-issue mini-series that will give us some background on everyone’s favorite princess turned rebel-leader. As if this wasn’t big enough news on its own, Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso also noted that these new books will be canonical and Lucasfilm will be involved to insure that these series are as integral to the Star Wars universe as the new trilogy.

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Back in January, Marvel announced that they would begin publishing Star Wars-related comics beginning in 2015, confirming what fans had been speculating about since Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. The announcement is also something of a homecoming for Star Wars, as Marvel published comic books based on the original trilogy back in the ‘70s.

We’ll have to wait until January to get our hands on Star Wars #1, but these books should make great holdover until we see the original trilogy cast reunited for Star Wars Episode VII in December 2015. Let us know in the comments section if you’re excited for these new books.

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PHOTOS: First Look at Over 100 Haunted Mansion Items Coming to Disney Parks

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

Remember when we told you over 100 new Haunted Mansion items were on the way, ready to fill the Yankee Trader store at the Magic Kingdom when it re-opens as a Haunted Mansion emporium in the fall? Well, Disney released a preview of many of the new attraction-inspired items coming to the park today:

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Here is a preview of some of the new drinkware, dinnerware (plates, bowls, wine glasses), figurines, bookends, cloth napkins, tablemats, and much more. Yes, that item in the top right corner is an urn…

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Take note of the bat stanchion ice cube tray… the hostess smock is pretty cool too…

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For accessories, Guests will soon find several new jewelry items including bat stanchion earrings. There are also women’s shoes that use the infamous purple wallpaper pattern from the attraction. That wallpaper pattern will also be used on three new Dooney & Bourke items. All the new items will have a purple colored liner not red like the first incarnation.

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New apparel will include both long and short-sleeved options for women, men and children. Some resemble Cast Member costumes from the attraction. Some of the shirts will also include a glow-in-the-dark element.

These items will also be available at Disneyland Resort and through the Disney Parks Online Store in the Fall.

So, what do you think of all of this new Haunted Mansion merchandise?

7/25/14 Magic Kingdom Photo Report (Hub Work, TTA, Frozen, ETC.)

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

WDWNT Reporter John Corigliano visited the Magic Kingdom one evening this week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:

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Another curb flattened, this time by Tony’s, probably having to do wioth the eventual pathway around the back of Main Street that will dump guests here

We thought it strange that there were no fences near the new Casey’s seating area, well, that has since been rectified

Work on the Hub continues

Tarps are still up at the Enchanted Tiki Room

July seems like a good time to board up the Peter Pan’s flight queue, right?

We expect it to just be some routine painting and such

The FastPass sign with tic tock croc is gone… it dated back to the days of Hook’s Tavern which was located here

New Simba and Mufasa plush for sale

Instead of overloading the queue, guests are now being given stand-by return times for Anna and Elsa, as this point they were gone for the day

The fancy new FastPass and Stand-By line sign at Mad Tea Party was taken down for some modifications

Work continues on the TTA and the Astro Orbiter in Tomorrowland

Tomorrowland Terrace is open, TRY THEIR FROZEN LEMONADE* (Item not related to Disney’s animated hit Frozen)

A closer look at the work near the Plaza Restaurant for the new Magic Kingdom Hub

Another look at the new flattened curb by Tony’s

PHOTOS: Disneyland Tiki Room “Barker Bird” Migrates To The Walt Disney Family Museum

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

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The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presideo of San Francisco has a new “resident.” He looks familiar, but the specifics of his personality and mannerisms are for you to decide.

At the heart of the museum’s newest exhibit is Pepe del Presideo, a replica of the Audio-Animatronic Barker Bird formerly perched outside the entrance to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. Museum guests will first experience a brief show and film about the history of Audio-Animatronics, then guests will be invited to use an authentic programming joystick to interactively experience the fine art of three-dimensional animation for themselves.

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The original Disneyland Barker Bird, whose name by the way was Juan, flew the coop after continually attracting a flock of gawkers and restricting access to Adventureland.

Walt Disney once said of Audio-Animatronics, “it’s just another dimension in the animation we have been doing all our life.” The new interactive exhibit, is a gift to the museum from Garner Holt Productions, Inc., the world’s largest creator of animatronic characters, and the primary animatronics provider for Disney theme parks.

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The Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street, The Presidio of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94129. They can be found online at at http://www.waltdisney.org/.

Written by Tim Middlebrow

Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes To Release September 23 – Pre-order Now

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

The highly anticipated Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes will be available at North American retailers on Tuesday, September 23, 2014.

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The sequel to the #1 best-selling new family game of 2013 expands the platform with the introduction of all new super-powered Marvel play sets and characters that players can experience exclusively inside of the new version of the game. The popular Toy Box mode also returns with enhanced features where users can create their own adventures and share them online with friends.

Disney Interactive also announced the official launch of its pre-order program.  Starting July through September 22, as a bonus for pre-ordering the Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Starter Pack, consumers will receive a Disney Infinity 2.0 Marvel figure (valued at $13.99) from top retailers nationwide.

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The game will be available for pre-order this week at San Diego Comic-Con at the Disney Infinity Pop-up Shop (343 4th Ave. San Diego, CA 92101) and at the Marvel booth (#2329) inside the San Diego Convention Center. The game will also be available for hands-on demos at both locations during the show.

Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes is rated E10+ rating by the ESRB. All characters and power discs from last year’s release of Disney Infinity will be compatible with the Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes Toy Box.

Disney Bets Hard on Guardians of the Galaxy at SDCC 2014

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

The first film, Guardians of the Galaxy, may have not even been released in theatres yet, but with initial reviews of Marvel Studios’s latest flick being some of the best the company has received thus far, it was perhaps not unexpected that the future plans for the comedy sci-fi series would form a large part of the film studio’s presence at San Diego Comic Con.

Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series

Guardians of the Galaxy Animated Series

The animated series was first rumoured to be in the works as early as January 2014, and was considered by some a risky move on Marvel’s part as a spin-off from an already fairly unknown property.  However, as buzz keeps building Guardians of the Galaxy (which, remember – is the the first non-sequel to come out of Marvel Studios since The Avengers) it seems like a sound business decision.

Sixty seconds of test footage for the animated series were shown at Marvel Animation panel at Comic Con but details about it are still fairly sketchy, other than that it will bridge the gap between the first film and the 2017 sequel, which was also announced at the San Diego event this weekend.

Guardians of the Galaxy is being created by Marvel Animation and will be a key property on the Disney XD channel.  A release date is yet to be announced, but it is likely to be sometime in 2015.

Marvel Animation also confirmed second season renewals for Hulk & the Agents of S.M.A.S.H and Avengers Assemble which will form part of their Fall 2014 lineups.

More Details On “Villains Unleashed”, Live Action Maleficent Meet-and Greet & More Characters Revealed

WDWNT on August 7, 2014

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Disney has released more details on the “Villains Unleashed” event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 23rd, including the addition of a meet-and-greet with the live action Maleficent character, as well as some rarely-seen baddies, and much more:

  • Hades Hangout – The party kicks off at 8 p.m. at the main event stage, where hosts Hades, Megara, Pain and Panic are killing ‘em with comedy. They’re joined throughout the night by the Underworld Dancers, DJ Igg Nite, live music from Bernie Briquette and Brimstone, and a rogues gallery of roaming rottens, from the Queen of Hearts and Sheriff of Nottingham to the Big Bad Wolf and Captain Hook.
  • Villains Dominion – For this one special night, the Streets of America area of the park will be swarming with baddies. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to meet favorites like Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Dr. Facilier and Gaston, along with more rarely seen baddies such as Shan Yu from “Mulan,” Bowler Hat Guy from “Meet the Robinsons,” or Captain Gantu and Dr. Hämsterviel from “Lilo & Stitch: The Series.” In addition to these dedicated villain encounters, you may spot even more wandering evildoers in the area. Look for Judge Claude Frollo, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, and more!
  • The Dark Side – During “Villains Unleashed,” the area around Star Tours – The Adventures Continue becomes a wretched hive of scum and villainy, the place to find nefarious bounty hunter Boba Fett, Sith apprentice Darth Maul, and the ultimate villain – Darth Vader! And that’s not all! Wandering the area, you’ll stumble upon more malcontents from that galaxy far, far away: Zam Wessel, Aurra Sing, Asajj Ventress, Jango Fett, Greedo, Jawas, and others.
  • Villainous Encounters – Visit Stage 4 (where The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attraction is seen during the day), and you can “Parlay” with the one and only Hector Barbossa. And just around the corner in the Animation Courtyard is where you’ll discover a bit of the Moors, where you can have an audience with the mistress of all evil, Maleficent!
  • Oogie Boogie’s Freaky Funhouse Show – Over on Sunset Boulevard, Theater of the Stars presents a production of extreme performances, hosted by the original master of scare-monies, Oogie Boogie. It’s an all-new show that’s sure to thrill!
  • Fantasmic! – Strolling up Sunset Boulevard, a gang of villainous henchmen, known as the Night Crawlers, tempt you to join them for a special pre-show to the evening’s performance of Fantasmic!, itself a celebration of the power and intrigue of some of the greatest Disney villains.
  • “Villainy in the Sky” Fireworks – Ultimately, Hades summons Maleficent to the main event stage to close things out with a devilishly dazzling display of pyrotechnics!
  • You can get a Villains ExScream Makeover with complimentary face painting at stations around Echo Lake
  • Join in on one of the dance parties taking place in the park
  • Enjoy a wicked cabaret atmosphere – not to mention some delectable, small-plate menu items – at Club Evil in the Hollywood Brown Derby.