December 2015 – Page 3 – WDWNT Archive

6/29/15 Marvel News Mash-Up (HULK Movie, New Spidey, Lando Comics, ETC.)

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

Update On The New “Spider-Man” And His Role In “Captain America: Civil War”

After it was announced that Tom Holland was cast as the new “Spider-Man”, a little more information leaked out which included several candidates for the role meeting with some of the actors on the set of “Captain America: Civil War”.

From Variety:

The studio has been flying them (the candidates) out to Atlanta, where Marvel is filming “Captain America: Civil War,” over the last month to have them test with the actors they would be starring opposite.

Variety also mentions that unfortunately it is more than likely that Spider-Man will have a very minor role in “Civil War”.

Spider-Man is only expected to have a cameo in “Captain America: Civil War,” so there wasn’t a rush to make a decision since the thesp would only be shooting for about a week.

Variety also mentions that Marvel and Sony were down to three directors, (Johnathon Levine, Ted Melfi and John Watts) but the other two pulled out, which left only Watts.

Over the last two weeks, the decision was made to cut the list down to Levine, Watts and Melfi for director, and Holland and Rowe for the role of Spider-Man. Sources did not reveal the exact reason why Sony and Marvel chose Holland but as for Watts sources are now saying over the past ten days Levine and Melfi became frustrated with the process and worried this may carry over to the production and pulled themselves out allowing Watts to move in and land the job.

Source: Variety

Fan Art Of Tom Holland As “Spider-Man”

I just saw this over at ComicBookMovie.com and think this looks fantastic! Tom Holland definitely looks like a great choice if he looks as good as this fan art by Boss Logic!

Source: Comic Book Movie, Boss Logic

Marvel Hails The New “King Of The Box Office”

With Jurassic Park breaking the record held for the highest grossing opening weekend, Marvel and Kevin Feige gave the movie the respect it deserves and had the Avengers pay homage to Chris Pratt, riding a T-Rex (who is also holding Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir).

And here are the top three biggest opening weekend movies of all time:

Source: Kevin Feige at Twitter, Box Office Mojo

New “Ant-Man” Posters Showcase Some Famous Friends

Marvel released some movie posters for “Ant-Man” showcasing some of The Avengers and/or their equipment. Here’s hoping they can bring “The Avengers” audience onboard to see “Ant-Man”.

The next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe brings a founding member of The Avengers to the big screen for the first time with Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man.” Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, protect the secret behind his spectacular Ant-Man suit from a new generation of towering threats. Against seemingly insurmountable obstacles, Pym and Lang must plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

Marvel’s “Ant-Man” delivers a high-stakes, tension-filled adventure on July 17, 2015.

Universal Studios Is ‘Not’ Holding Back A New Hulk Movie Being Made

After Hulk’s performance in “The Avengers”, most people expected to see The Hulk get his own solo movie like most of The Avengers. Word had come out that although The Hulk could appear in The Avengers, Universal Studios had the rights to all of the stories that appeared in the comics and also any future solo Hulk movie. It turns out that was not completely accurate.

According to Forbes:

It is true that Universal still holds the distribution rights to any future Hulk movies, but the character rights and licenses firmly belong to Marvel after Universal didn’t act on a sequel to Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk. What that means is that Universal has “the right of first refusal,” to future Hulk films. For example, if Marvel decides they want to make The Incredible Hulk 2, or make rumors about Planet Hulk or World War Hulk come true, Universal has first crack at deciding whether or not they want to distribute. If they refuse, that doesn’t mean the film won’t move forward, it just means another studio will distribute instead.

It still sounds like there is some red tape involved but another solo Hulk movie could be in the cards.

Source: Forbes, Screen Rant

First Look At “Star Wars: Lando #1”

It looks like that smooth talking scoundrel Lando Calrissian is getting his own comic book series and it will premier this July 8th. Lets take a look at some alternate covers and some of the first panels for “Star Wars: Lando #1”.

Source: Comic Book Resources

Sideshow Collectible Corner

“The Wolverine – Brown Costume”

Ahhh! Will we ever see Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in his mask? Unfortanetly, probably not. But with Sideshow Collectibles newest premium collectible figure, you get to see The Wolverine wearing his mask and costume in all of it’s glory.

Inspired by the events of Wolverine’s breakout comic book mini-series, collectively known as ‘the Japan Saga’, Logan embarks on a personal mission away from the X-Men to the land of the rising sun, where he must fight for the woman he loves and restore his honor. Expertly sculpted with dynamic detail, the mutant berserker crouches in anticipation of a fight over a snowy bridge riddled with arrows from unseen adversaries. Disguised in his popular classic brown and yellow costume, collectors can further define their favorite look for Logan with masked and unmasked portraits, each depicting his savage ferocity. Ready to tear through his enemies like an angry God, the lone warrior unsheathes his razor-sharp Adamantium claws, and Japanese steel forged by the swordmaster Muramasa. Because let’s face it, Bub – he’s the best there is at what he does, and what he does isn’t very nice…

“The Wolverine – Brown Costume’ is currently available for preorder exclusively at Sideshow Collectibles with a price of $479.99 and is expected to ship July 2016.

Source: Sideshow Collectibles

That’s it for this week!

Marvel & Sony Pictures Announce Tom Holland Will Be New “Spider-Man”; Jon Watts To Direct

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

Marvel and Sony Pictures have made it official that actor Tom Holland (“The Impossible”) has been cast in the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the upcoming Spider-Man film, which is expected to be released July 28th, 2017. They also announced that Jon Watts (“Cop Car”) will direct the film.

Tom Holland is 19 years old and is an English actor best known for his performance as the title role in “Billy Elliot: The Musical”.

From Marvel:

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are proud to announce that after a full worldwide casting search, Tom Holland will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the next Spider-Man film, in theaters in IMAX and 3D on July 28, 2017. The film will be directed by Jon Watts, director of “Cop Car,” the upcoming thriller that made its debut earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.

Marvel and Sony Pictures, and producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal conducted an extensive search for both the actor and the director. The studios and producers were impressed by Holland’s performances in “The Impossible,” “Wolf Hall,” and the upcoming “In the Heart of the Sea,” and by a series of complex screen tests. Following Marvel’s tradition of working with the brightest next wave of directors, Watts also went through multiple meetings with Feige, Pascal, and the studio, before winning the job.

Commenting on the announcement, Tom Rothman, Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group Chairman, said, “It’s a big day here at Sony. Kevin, Amy and their teams have done an incredible job. The Marvel process is very thorough, and that’s why their results are so outstanding. I’m confident Spider-Man will be no exception. I’ve worked with a number of up-and-coming directors who have gone on to be superstars and believe that Jon is just such an outstanding talent. For Spidey himself, we saw many terrific young actors, but Tom’s screen tests were special. All in all, we are off to a roaring start.”

Feige commented, “As with James Gunn, Joss Whedon, and the Russo brothers, we love finding new and exciting voices to bring these characters to life. We spent a lot of time with Jon and find his take and work inspiring.”

Pascal added, “Sony, Marvel, Kevin and I all knew that for Peter Parker, we had to find a vibrant, talented young actor capable of embodying one of the most well-known characters in the world. With Tom, we’ve found the perfect actor to bring Spider-Man’s story into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”

There was still no announcement made as whether we will first see Tom Holland portray Spider-Man in “Captain America: Civil War” but have a feeling that that announcement will come soon.

Source: Marvel

Review: Put Me In The Story’s “Avengers: Black Ops Field Guide” Children’s Book

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

I was fortunate enough to get a review copy of Put Me In The Story’s new book, “Avengers’s: Black Ops Field Guide”. Geared towards children, this is a unique way of personalizing an adventure just for your young ones. You get to enter in their name, photo, and even a dedication in an easy to use online format, and then order a hard copy of the book with all of the info sprinkled throughout. It’s a really cool idea, but since I don’t have any kids of my own to dedicate the book to, I had to get creative. I chose to dedicate it to myself from Nick Fury.

The first thing you see right on the front cover is some of the most popular Marvel characters with your name underneath. It’s a great way to make you feel involved right from the beginning, like this is your own personal guide to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Opening it up, the first thing you get is a page that can be ripped out, with a name tag that includes your own photo and identification info. Pretty cool! Next comes the dedication, which is more info that is filled out online beforehand, followed by a special decoder used to decipher secret messages throughout the book. This is all followed by a special message from Nick Fury himself (I guess, in my case, this is my second message from Nick Fury).

Next up is the Mission Brief, which is the heart and soul of the book. It explains to you all the information that is going to be included with each hero throughout the book, as well as the scoring system. It looks a little confusing at first, but once you start going through the almost endless pages of heroes, it all starts to make sense.

I could see a child looking through this for hours, trying to learn everything they can about their favorite heroes (and villains!!!). There’s even space for you to write in your own “notes” about each hero or villains, which I’ll definitely be working on later. I included some of my favorite pages in pictures below.

At the very end of the book is a chance for you to evaluate yourself! You can choose to be “sneaky” like Black Widow, “strong” like the Hulk, or a combination of both. You can use this to see how you stack up next to your favorite heroes.

After going through my own personal “Field Guide”, I think this would be an awesome gift for any young Marvel fan. Put Me In The Story does a great job of really personalizing this to make it feel like your own, and I can’t believe how quickly the book came to me after I placed my order. The decoder at the beginning is really cool, and its fun to use at the end of every page. Also, there’s a great assortment of characters here, and I love that even some villains made an appearance. To order your copy of the Avengers: Black Ops Field Guide head over to www.putmeinthestory.com.

RUMOR: The Magic of Disney Animation Set To Close at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

With Inside Out hosting the biggest opening weekend ever for a completely original film, one might wonder why you can’t meet Joy or Sadness at the Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios right now. Well, the reasoning seems to be that the location, or at least most of it, will be closing soon for major changes.

If what we are hearing is true, the Magic of Disney Animation will close in a few weeks time, leaving the park without the “Mushu film”, Animation Academy, and the character meet and greets that currently are hosted in the space. The Incredibles meet and greet already moved out a few weeks back, being replaced in the budget by Doc McStuffins who now meets outside of Disney Junior: Live on Stage.

Should the space return, rumor has it that the Animation Academy will return in a new or expanded space (possibly multiple theaters) to better accommodate the hoards of guests who love the “learn-to-draw” attraction. It is unclear what would happen to the remaining space in the attraction beyond this. If the plan comes to fruition, the long-unused outdoor queue at the Magic of Disney Animation should become a stand-by queue for Animation Academy, while FastPass+ guests are routed past eh queue and inside through doors near the former Incredibles meet and greet.

Details are still sketchy, and the only really solid information we have is that the space is closing for some reason very soon. Obviously, this is all connected to the ongoing, unannounced expansion of Disney’s Hollywood Studios which may or may not finally be announced at the 2015 D23 Expo and this is a park-capacity change that would help them handle crowds better during periods of heavy construction.

Stay tuned for more details as they become available.

RUMOR: New “Indiana Jones” Film Coming In 2018

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

For a few months there have been rumors that Lucasfilm is ready to bring back Indiana Jones to the big screen, but now Ain’t It Cool News is reporting that we can expect to see the next Indiana Jones movie in the last quarter of 2018.

From Ain’t It Cool News:

What Harry heard was that internally at Lucasfilm they have finally dated a new Indiana Jones film, penciling in December 2018.

I asked some friendly spies in and around Lucasfilm for confirmation and didn’t get it, but also didn’t get a denial, either. As with any early rumor take this with a grain of salt, but it makes sense to me even though Indy has traditionally been a summer release franchise.

The rumors have been all over the place with Chris Pratt said to have been hand picked by Spielberg to take over the fedora (even though Pratt denied it), but no matter what we know that Lucasfilm will be making more Indiana Jones movies. There’s too much money in the franchise. Kathy Kennedy herself said as much.

I think Lucasfilm’s main concern right now is just getting “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” out the door. Lucasfilm knows that the Indian Jones franchise has always been a hot property and I think it helps that “Jurassic World” has been so successful at the box office. On top of that, the star of that film and “Guardians Of The Galaxy” is by far the fans’ front runner as the next actor to portray Indiana Jones.

But dont count Harrison Ford out just yet. I have heard that in order to get Ford to sign on to “Episode VII,” Ford wanted a guarantee from Disney that he would play Indy one more time. Most people wanted to see Indy go out an a high note and even Ford knows that “Indiana Jones And The Crystal Skull” was far from a high note.

This is just speculation on my part but they could bring in Chris Pratt to play Indy’s son, who was played by Shia Lebeouf in “The Crystal Skull” (no way is Shia coming back). Then Indy could hand off the mantle to his son and he becomes the new Indy. Or they could just go the James Bond route and just have another actor play him ever few years.

One thing is for sure, we will see Indiana Jones again. It’s just to valuable of a property to just ignore.

Source: Ain’t It Cool News

PHOTOS: Starbucks inside Creature Comforts Opens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

Yesterday, the long-awaited Starbucks location at Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened to guests:

The exterior got a nice new paint scheme

The interior is quite different

Yes, they have the Animal Kingdom mug

Creature Comforts Starbucks Coffee is now open on Discovery Island in Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN CAREY

Tom Corless’ 6/17/15 Magic Kingdom Photo Report (New Pirate Items, Hub Construction, Jungle Cruise Restaurant, ETC.)

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

Last night I visited the Magic Kingdom and I took some newsworthy photos of what’s going on at the park while I was there, so let’s see what’s new and exciting:

Work continues on the northern hub area

A lot of the old Adventureland Veranda and the backstage area inside has been gutted for the upcoming Jungle Cruise restaurant

On the other side of the hub, a structure reminiscent of those that housed the food and drinks stands has appeared

Tarps still up for this set of turrets

The center hub area is finally finished

The Little Orange Bird has returned to signage and inside the Sunshine Tree Terrace

Not sure why this took 6 months…

The egg roll cart in Adventureland has moved over between Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is closed until September for modifications

More new Pirates of the Caribbean merchandise is rolling out, including this mug

This strange plush

AND THIS PEG LEG PETE PLUSH!!!

New notebook set

For $3.99, you can get a paper map of the one that appears in the Disneyland attraction

D23 Expo 2015: Walt Disney Animation Studios Announces Expo Schedule

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

Walt Disney Animation Studios today announced its most exciting presence at D23 EXPO yet. The event, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, will take place August 14–16 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Calendar of Key PRESENTATIONS/ PANELS/ Events:

Every Story Is a Journey: The Upcoming Films of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios

Friday, August 14, 3:00 pm – Hall D23

After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents “Every Story is a Journey.” Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent. Cell phones, cameras and all recording devices will be checked for this presentation.

Welcome to Zootopia!

Saturday, August 15, 1:30 pm – Stage 28

Welcome to Zootopia, a magnificent mammal metropolis, and home to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ next feature, the comedy-adventure Zootopia. Join directors Byron Howard (Tangled, Bolt) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), producer Clark Spencer (Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt), and artists from the incredible production team as they introduce rookie rabbit-officer Judy Hopps, con-artist fox Nick Wilde and a host of dynamic animal characters, sharing footage and behind-the-scenes stories with D23 EXPO-goers.

Aladdin – The Making of a Classic

Saturday, August 15, 6:00 pm – Stage 28

Join Walt Disney Animation Studios filmmakers, including legendary directors John Musker and Ron Clements, animators Eric Goldberg (Genie) and Mark Henn (Jasmine), as well as Jasmine herself, Linda Larkin, and the two actors who gave life to the character Aladdin: Scott Weinger and Brad Kane, as they unveil the stories behind one of the great Disney classics, Aladdin, a film that led to a “whole new world” for animation.

The Shorts of Walt Disney Animation Studios: from Paperman to Prep & Landing, Feast to Frozen Fever

Sunday, August 16, 11:30 am – Stage 28

When Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923, their first medium for storytelling was the animated short. More than 90 years later, Walt Disney Animation Studios continues this tradition, making groundbreaking and award-winning shorts including Feast, Paperman and this year’s hit Frozen Fever. Join the filmmakers behind these shorts and so many others, including Get a Horse!, John Henry, Lorenzo and The Ballad of Nessie for a conversation about this truly animated art form.

Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration!

Sunday, August 16, 3:00 pm – Hall D23

Join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar^®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your favorite friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film—including Anna and Elsa––with sing-along experiences and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.

The Tunes Behind the Toons: Screening/Q&A

Sunday, August 16, 6:00 pm, Stage 28

D23 EXPO invites you to a special screening and Q&A panel for The Tunes Behind the Toons, a short form documentary that celebrates the power of music in animation. From the silent film days when organists played live accompaniments, to the music within today’s animated features, this documentary traces the origins of cartoon music and its pioneers. Featuring interviews with Alan Menken, Randy Newman, Patrick Doyle, Mark Watters, Bruce Broughton, Richard Sherman and many others. Producer/director Dave Bossert will lead a star-studded Q&A following the presentation.

ON THE EXPO SHOW FLOOR:

Animation – Show Floor Exhibition

For the first time at D23 EXPO, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios have created a joint experience no Disney fan should miss. With live demonstrations, presentations and autograph signings with top filmmakers from each studio, plus free giveaways and interactive displays featuring the films Inside Out, The Good Dinosaur, Zootopia, Finding Dory and Moana, this is a can’t-miss attraction for animation fans.

An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg

D23 EXPO 2015 hosts the first public exhibition anywhere of “An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg.” Celebrate Goldberg, whose artistry at Walt Disney Animation Studios began with his groundbreaking work on Genie in Aladdin, and continues to this day on projects such as the upcoming Moana and the 2014 Oscar^®-nominated Mickey Mouse short Get A Horse! The exhibition features a collection of more than 100 of Goldberg’s caricatured creations of Disney characters, drawn in a style reminiscent of art seen on the famed walls of Sardi’s Restaurant and The Brown Derby. This incredible collection of art is from the newly released book An Animator’s Gallery: Eric Goldberg Draws the Disney Characters, and will be available for purchase in the Walt Disney Publishing pop-up shop on the EXPO show floor.

Frozen Album Signing

With the purchase of Frozen: The Songs or Frozen Picture Disc at the Disney Music Emporium, guests will be issued a wristband to secure a space for an album signing with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez and Tom MacDougall (Co-Producer, Frozen Soundtrack) on Saturday, August 15 at 10:30 am.

Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. Through June 30, 2015, tickets are $67 for a one-day adult admission and $48 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $58 for a one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $188 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.

WDWNT.com will continue to bring you updates on the D23 Expo 2015 as they become available.

VIDEO: New Video Of Disney Infinity 3.0 “Star Wars: Rise Of The Empire”; “Boba Fett” Announced

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

A new video for the Disney Infinity 3.0 play set “Star Wars: Rise Of The Empire” was introducing at Sony’s E3 Press Conference as well as the introduction of “Boba Fett” as the newest Star Wars character to join Disney Infinity 3.0.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBlg_7NyJoA]

Currently Boba Fett is exclusive to Sony consoles but more than likely it is just a timed exclusive and make its way to other platforms eventually.

From IGN:

The Star Wars Saga Starter Pack featuring Boba Fett is coming exclusively to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, VP of production John Vignocchi at Disney announced during Sony’s E3 2015 press conference today.

Sony’s platforms will also get Star War Rise Against the Empire Play Set nearly a month before it hits retail for US$114.99.

The Star Wars Saga Starter Pack features classic character figures, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Boba Fett, along with Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker. Boba Fett is also unlockable in all of the Star Wars Play Sets.

The new starter pack also consists of Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition game, base, Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set and Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set pieces. A web code card that unlocks content for PC and mobile is also thrown in.

Source: IGN

Tom Corless’ 6/16/15 WDW Photo Report (Disney Springs, New Polynesian Merchandise, ETC.)

WDWNT on December 7, 2015

I visited Disney Springs/Downtown Disney, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios this week and took a ton of newsworthy photos to share, so let’s take a look:

Work continues on the Town Center in Disney Springs