Star Wars Episode VII Cast Announced!

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After months of silence, Lucasfilm finally announced the main cast of the forthcoming Star Wars revival, Episode VII in a press release below.

The Star Wars team is thrilled to announce the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII.

Actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker in the new film.

Director J.J. Abrams says, “We are so excited to finally share the cast of Star Wars: Episode VII. It is both thrilling and surreal to watch the beloved original cast and these brilliant new performers come together to bring this world to life, once again. We start shooting in a couple of weeks, and everyone is doing their best to make the fans proud.”

Star Wars: Episode VII is being directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and Abrams. Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk are producing, and John Williams returns as the composer. The movie opens worldwide on December 18, 2015.

Pixar Working on Cars 3 and Incredibles Sequel; Star Wars Episode 7 Details

1483059-the_incredibles_the_incredibles_620936_1280_994During the Walt Disney Company Shareholders Meeting, CEO Bob Iger announced that Pixar Studios is working on 2 new upcoming movies. The first movie is a third sequel to the Cars franchise and the second movie is a sequel to the 2004 hit movie, The Incredibles. The sequel for The Incredibles is being written by Brad Bird. No more details about when these 2 movies will be released. Stay tuned to WDWNT for more information on these announcements.

Additionally, Iger didn’t give many details for the upcoming Star Wars Episode 7 film with the exception that it will take place 30 years after “Return of the Jedi”. As of now, the only officially casted robot for the movie is R2-D2.

New MALEFICENT Trailer Released

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XO4XiRop0

A third and new MALEFICENT trailer has been released today for your viewing pleasure. You can find it embedded above and below you’ll find more details about the movie.

“Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.

“Maleficent” is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with AngelinaJolie, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. “Maleficent” opens in U.S. theaters on May 30, 2014.

New Trailer & Free Download Of “Once Upon a Dream” By Lana Del Rey from “Maleficent”

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Viewers of the 56th Annual Grammy Awards® on Sunday, January 26, were treated to a never-before-heard Lana Del Rey rendition of “Once Upon a Dream”, part of a 90-second sneak peek of Disney’s “Maleficent” during the broadcast . Maleficent releases in U.S. theaters on May 30, 2014.

Award-winning, American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey has recorded a unique reimagining of the renowned fairy-tale tune from Disney’s classic animated film Sleeping Beauty, which will feature in the end credits of the upcoming Disney film.

Lana Del Rey’s “Once Upon a Dream” is free for a limited time, only on Google Play. The song is available as a free download exclusively on Google Play through Monday, February 3rd

Maleficent explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from Sleeping Beauty and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

Maleficent stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.  Maleficent is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg.

Maleficent Poster

Maleficent opens in theaters on May 30, 2014.

For more information, check out Disney.com/Maleficent, and like it on Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyMaleficent and use the official hashtag #Maleficent.

WDWNT will continue to bring you all Maleficent news as it becomes available, so keep checking back for updates.

El Capitan Theatre Will Be “Frozen” in Advance Starting November 22nd!

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If you’re thinking about seeing Disney’s “Frozen” at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, then you are in for an even bigger surprise! Moviegoers will have the chance to see “Frozen” five days earlier than the film’s nationwide release. Showings at El Capitan will run Nov. 22, 2013, to Jan. 5, 2014, preceded by ice carving performance artists on stage, as well as “Frozen” characters Anna and Elsa in their first live-on-stage appearances.

In addition, guests will be welcomed by a snow-covered wonderland—complete with ice-capped opera boxes and a flurry of snowflakes.  Sponsored by Kodak, the film will be shown in realD 3D with Dolby Atmos sound.

“The whole company is incredibly excited about ‘Frozen’ and can’t wait to share it with audiences this Thanksgiving. We know that fans come to El Capitan to have a special Disney experience, and we are thrilled to give our guests there the opportunity to be among the first in the world to see this stunning new animated adventure.”

~ Dave Hollis, executive vice president, theatrical distribution, The Walt Disney Studios

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Opening-day guests will receive special souvenir realD 3D glasses (while supplies last). Throughout the run, realD is providing kid-sized 3D glasses, specially made to fit children 8 and under while they enjoy the movie.

El Capitan Theatre is also inviting guests to have breakfast with Anna at 8:30 a.m. prior to the 10 a.m. showing on select days. Seating will be limited, and advance purchase is required with purchase of a movie ticket. Tickets including breakfast and the movie are $41 per adult general admission, $38 for child & senior general admission and $51 for VIP admission, which includes popcorn, soft drink, reserved seating and no waiting in line.

There is a Tiny Tot Tuesday being hosted at 10 a.m. every week at El Capitan Theatre throughout the run of “Frozen”. During these special screenings of the film, parents and small children can enjoy the movie in 2D in a Tiny Tot-friendly way­––complete with lights dimmed rather than out and reduced sound levels. Birthday and holiday parties are also available in the new Hollywood room.

Here’s an exclusive Frozen Limited Edition Pin and Ticket Offer only at The El Capitan Theatre! Purchase a VIP Pin Ticket for Frozen for $32, which will include a reserved seat, popcorn in a souvenir tub, Coca-Cola bottled beverage and this limited edition pin (LE 300)!

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Daily showtimes at El Capitan Theatre are 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (select days only for 9:45 p.m. show). Tickets are available at El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), online at www.elcapitantickets.com or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. General Admission ticket prices are $16 each for adults and $13 each for children (3-11) and seniors (60+). VIP ticket prices are $26 per ticket (for all ages). Special group rates of $12 per ticket for parties of 20 or more are available by calling 818-845-3110. Showtimes are subject to change.

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For tickets to see “Frozen” at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, call 1-800-DISNEY6 or go to www.elcapitantickets.com!

“Frozen” will be released in 3D nationwide on Thanksgiving, November 28th, 2013.

Images courtesy of the Walt Disney Company and El Capitan Theatre.

Production Has Begun on “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”

Production has officially begun on the film, “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”. Based upon the beloved book by Judith Viorst, this will be the first live-action film adaptation of the 1972 illustrated children’s classic. The book, originally inspired by the authors own three sons’ childhoods, has won numerous awards with over 2 million copies in print. Filming will take place in various locations throughout the Los Angeles, California area, including Arcadia, Pasadena, Melody Ranch in Newhall, and the San Fernando Valley. The film will be in theatres nationwide on October 10, 2014.

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Image courtesy of Simon and Schuster, the official publisher page of Judith Viorst

This is the story of Alexander, who is having the most terrible and horrible day of his 11 year life. After telling his family about his woes, he finds little sympathy and thinks that maybe he is the only one who has ever experienced such a bad day! But he soon finds out that his mother, father, sister and brother are all indeed also having their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days.

Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner star as Alexander’s upbeat parents, along with a trio of young talents, including 16-year-old Dylan Minnette as Alexander’s older brother, Anthony; 15-year-old Kerris Dorsey as sister Emily; and 12-year-old Australian native Ed Oxenbould making his big-screen feature debut as the film’s title character, Alexander.

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Ed Oxenbould as Alexander; Image courtesy of www.imdb.com

Other cast members will include Emmy® winner (and Golden Globe® nominee) Megan Mullally, along with Jennifer Coolidge, and Disney Channel Star Bella Thorne.

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Image courtesy of IMDb Resume site for Bella Thorne

The film is a 21 Laps Entertainment/Jim Henson Company production, directed by Independent Spirit Award-winner Miguel Arteta, adapted from a screenplay by Rob Lieber, produced by Shawn Levy, Emmy® nominee and CEO of the Jim Henson Company Lisa Henson, and 21 Laps Entertainment President Dan Levine, and executive production by industry veteran Philip Steuer and Jason Lust. The filmmaking team includes cinematographer Terry Stacey, two-time Oscar®-nominated production designer Michael Corenblith, Oscar-nominated film editor Pam Martin and veteran costume designer Nancy Steiner .

Stay tuned to WDW News Today for all the latest news from Walt Disney Studios.

VIDEO: “Takeoff Tuesdays” Launches Another Exclusive Planes Digital Short

Today, Tuesday, July 16, 2013, Disney released another digital short as part of its “Takeoff Tuesdays” series to promote the August 9 3D release of Planes.

This week’s offering gives us a profile of Ishani, a female, rear-propeller racer in a world a male plane racers.

This reigning Pan-Asian champion from India boasts more than a billion loyal fans. Ishani is exotic and mysterious, but always has her eyes on the prize.

Next week’s featured character: Ripslinger.

Director Mickey For Sale at DisneyStore.com

I try to stay positive. We all understood, after it happened the first few times, that “LocationSpecific” Vinylmation released at Disney Stores in NYC, Chicago, San Francisco and such would eventually end up at the online Disney Store. We all changed our vocabulary from “Exclusive” to “Specific.” But Directory Mickey, released last year at the Burbank Studio Store on the Disney Studio Lot was supposed to be different. It seemed as though this was a limited time (not edition) item that would could only be picked up by Cast Members on the lot. Such other CM exclusive figures have never been available outside the cast only stores at WDW and DLR. But today, Director Mickey showed up available at the DisneyStore.com for $14.95.

I thought it might be an April Fools joke, but sure enough, I was able to add it to my cart and make it to the payment page. I have absolutely no problem making these “Location Specific” figures available to a wider audience online. But I do have a problem promoting a product as something it is not. With it’s discounts and sale policies, the Disney Store continues to set a precedent that makes a mockery of something Disney itself tries to promote as a collectible. What knowledgeable Vinylmation collector will actually purchase any of the upcoming Wild West Vinylmation blind boxes within the first couple months of the April 20 release? There was no reasonable assumption Director Mickey would be available outside of the Burbank Studio Store, and coming on the heels of the “Through the Years” Mickey combo released this past weekend, it makes it even more shocking. By the way, more price drops on DisneyStore.com today as well including blind boxes for $5.99.

I’m Ready For My Close Up Mr. Mouse

Evilos just tweeted us this picture.

It is the Walt Disney Studios Director Mickey. As far as we understand it, only available to Cast Members of the Burbank Studio at the store on the lot.