By Tim Callaway
Anthony and I just couldn't contain ourselves. There was so much new Disney news to talk about, we couldn't wait until Monday. We had to do a show. Now.
Welcome to this special episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. It's the Cinderella/Disney Shareholders Meeting Edition.
I saw Cinderella last night. Going in, I wondered why it was necessary to once again make an updated live-action version of a Disney animated classic that got it right the first time. My disdain for Maleficent and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland certainly hadn't warmed me up to the idea of this fairy tale retread.
But, guess what? Cinderella is a delight from start to finish. It takes a straightforward, confident approach to the oft-told tale and peppers it with spirited performances and sumptuous visuals and costume design. It goes light on the revisionism that has damaged Disney's recent remakes, but makes the characters relatable to contemporary audiences. Cinderella (Lily James) still lives out the ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy, but she's no passive waif waiting for her prince to come. She has the strength and spirit to defend herself, especially against her wicked stepmother Lady Tremaine (a deliciously evil Cate Blanchett).
Listen to my full review of Cinderella in today's episode and ruminate on these other hot topics Anthony and I toss about. Apparently Bob Iger created a bit of a stir at yesterday's Disney shareholders meeting in San Francisco.
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| Lily James is courageous and kind; Cate Blanchett is evil in Cinderella. |
Welcome to this special episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. It's the Cinderella/Disney Shareholders Meeting Edition.
I saw Cinderella last night. Going in, I wondered why it was necessary to once again make an updated live-action version of a Disney animated classic that got it right the first time. My disdain for Maleficent and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland certainly hadn't warmed me up to the idea of this fairy tale retread.
But, guess what? Cinderella is a delight from start to finish. It takes a straightforward, confident approach to the oft-told tale and peppers it with spirited performances and sumptuous visuals and costume design. It goes light on the revisionism that has damaged Disney's recent remakes, but makes the characters relatable to contemporary audiences. Cinderella (Lily James) still lives out the ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy, but she's no passive waif waiting for her prince to come. She has the strength and spirit to defend herself, especially against her wicked stepmother Lady Tremaine (a deliciously evil Cate Blanchett).
Listen to my full review of Cinderella in today's episode and ruminate on these other hot topics Anthony and I toss about. Apparently Bob Iger created a bit of a stir at yesterday's Disney shareholders meeting in San Francisco.
- There are three, count 'em, three new Star Wars movies on the docket. The Force Awakens you've probably heard about. Likewise Episode VIII, being directed by Rian Johnson (Looper), but we've got a release date for it now: May 26, 2017, exactly 40 years and one day after the original Star Wars debuted. New to the mix is Rogue One, a standalone SW film starring Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) and directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla). It begins shooting in London this summer and is scheduled for release on December 16, 2016.
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| Frozen Fever |
- There will be a Frozen 2, which comes as a surprise to no one. No other details yet, not even a release date, but Frozen directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee are apparently hard at work on the project. By the way, Frozen Fever, the short film that opens for Cinderella, is a perfectly awful cartoon experience, but I digress.
- In answer to an innocent question from a child at the shareholders meeting, Bob Iger let slip that Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World will soon undergo a name change. And he won't tell us what it is. Tease.
Enjoy!
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