Disney This Week: Black Panther, Beauty and the Beast & More!
Welcome to another edition of our new regular weekly feature Disney This Week here at ComingSoon.net. We’re rounding up the latest news on all things Disney, including movies, TV, Blu-ray/DVD, Marvel Studios, theme parks, fan art and Disney history. Let us know what you like or want to see more out of in Disney This Week in the comments below!
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Movies
Black Panther Movie Set to Flashback to T’Challa’s American Education
A new report reveals an interesting development about Marvel‘s upcoming Black Panther movie, as the outlet reveals the production has secured the rights to a 1990s-era model of one of the area’s public transit buses for a scene set in T’Challa’s past. They go on to report that the scene will show off the young hero’s American education at Saint Mary’s College High School in Berkeley.
Part of the character’s origin in the comic books is him leaving his home of Wakanda to attend the best schools in America and the UK, having graduated from Oxford University with a Ph.D. in Physics, though it seems his schooling in the film will be more of a fun Easter egg as it’s the alma mater of director Ryan Coogler.
Michael Keaton Talks The Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming
Michael Keaton took time out to talk about his role as Adrian Toomes — a.k.a. The Vulture — in Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios‘ upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming.
“Not to give too much away, but interestingly, he is and he isn’t, that character,” Keaton said of The Vulture being a villain. “He’s a really interesting — and more interesting than I thought — villain because there’s parts of him that you go, ‘You know what? I might see his point.’ Really, really. It makes it interesting to play.”
The actor broke big in the late ’80s/early ’90s playing Batman, and then later skewered superhero culture in the Oscar-winning Birdman. However, he seemed to have no hesitation in diving back into the comic book movie well.
“No, I mean, not at all. It’s just a thing. A gig,” Keaton stated. “I don’t mean it’s just a gig, it’s the next job. And you think you can do it or want to do it and in fact I said no, because I couldn’t, it didn’t work in my schedule. Then I’m glad to say, they kind of shifted the scheduling and it worked out. So it fit in and I’m glad I did it.”
Karen Gillan Talks Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Teases Avengers Appearance
Actress Karen Gillan is set to return to the cosmos of the Marvel Universe with this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 as the cyborg assassin Nebula, and she previewed a bit of what we can expect from her character in the sequel.
“What I love about the second movie for Nebula in particular is that we get — We know that she’s a pretty angry woman with some daddy issues. [But] in the second movie, we’re going to start to see how much pain her father actually caused her, and we’re going to delve right into the relationship with her sister Gamora. I think we might even feel a tinge of sympathy towards Nebula this time, because we really start to see the emotional crack in her character,” she added. “I was just allowed to completely explore that and take it to a completely different dimension with her. I was really happy about that.”
In related news, she offered a tidbit for the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, saying, “I’ll be making a little appearance in the next Avengers movies.”
Celine Dion to Perform All-New Song for Beauty and the Beast
Five-time Grammy winning and best-selling recording artist Celine Dion will perform an all-new original song, “How Does A Moment Last Forever,” for Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast. The song will also be included on the film’s soundtrack. Check out the soundtrack cover in the gallery below, along with a new triptych poster and international posters!
Written by eight-time Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin) and veteran lyricist and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Evita), “How Does A Moment Last Forever” is an emotional ballad about holding onto life’s precious moments. Portions of the song are performed throughout the film and interpolated into the underscore before Dion’s full-length version debuts in the film’s custom main-on-end title design.
Says Dion, “Being a part of the original ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was such a magical experience in my life, and I’m truly honored to be a part of this film again.”
Jump for Joy as you uncover these hidden objects in @DisneyPixar films! pic.twitter.com/fivVkuJWG0
— Disney (@Disney) January 19, 2017
JUST ANNOUNCED: Owen Wilson, voice of Lightning McQueen in “Cars 3,” will be the #DAYTONA500 Grand Marshal!
: https://t.co/xaDDgtLduj pic.twitter.com/M4W1LBxxPp
— Daytona IntlSpeedway (@DISupdates) January 19, 2017
Countdown to a castle of enchantment. #BeautyAndTheBeast is in theatres March 17. pic.twitter.com/DrlpW51krA
— Disney (@Disney) January 17, 2017
LIVE with @Ava from the set of A #WrinkleInTime in #Periscope360. Don’t Mrs. it! https://t.co/W7POm8KxOE
— Wrinkle In Time (@WrinkleInTime) January 17, 2017
Disney films with storybook beginnings: https://t.co/7nNJDrY2TL pic.twitter.com/YSWruHAa1E
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 20, 2017
Raise your hand if you’re excited for #WrinkleInTime! #OnSet #BTS pic.twitter.com/xd3dfKFcDP
— Wrinkle In Time (@WrinkleInTime) January 19, 2017
#BehindTheScenes coffee break with @draperjames #LoveYall #AWrinkleInTime #OnSet pic.twitter.com/Pp0x0s1vzQ
— Reese Witherspoon (@RWitherspoon) January 17, 2017
#Zootopia won this year’s Golden Tomato Award for Best Wide Release. For more winners: https://t.co/vktt9DpTzD pic.twitter.com/n8S0iClC5d
— Rotten Tomatoes (@RottenTomatoes) January 12, 2017
DVD/Blu-ray
The Light Between Oceans
Disney will release this unfairly overlooked drama to Blu-ray on January 24. It stars Michael Fassbender as a lighthouse keeper whose wife (Alicia Vikander) loses their baby in childbirth. Miraculously, a baby in a boat washes ashore and they decide to raise it as their own rather than report it, which causes complications once they discover the real mother (played by Rachel Weisz). This is an old fashioned weepie that is sure to tug at your heartstrings, although Fassbender’s character is something of a blank slate who’s a little hard to connect with.
The Blu-ray includes a making of doc, a feature about what a lighthouse keeper’s life was like, as well as an audio commentary with filmmaker Derek Cianfrance.
Click here to pre-order your Blu-ray copy of The Light Between Oceans!
No wish is too big. Pinocchio joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere: https://t.co/OiNVc3WIiP pic.twitter.com/f2ciPqgXYv
— Disney (@Disney) January 15, 2017
TV
Roel Reiné Set as Inhumans Director
Marvel has found their first Inhumans director today as The Hollywood Reporter brings word that Roel Reiné is set to helm the two-part pilot. Produced in conjunction with ABC Studios and filmed entirely with IMAX digital cameras, the pilot will run worldwide exclusively in IMAX for two weeks at the beginning of September 2017. ABC plans to then premiere the weekly series this fall, offering additional exclusive content that can only be seen on the network.
It was recently revealed that Marvel’s Iron Fist showrunner Scott Buck has been tapped to serve as the Inhumans showrunner. Reiné, meanwhile, is best known for his direct-to-home video sequel fare with films like Death Race 2, Death Race 3: Inferno and The Man with the Iron Fists 2. He’s also known for his Dutch work, including the acclaimed features The Delivery and Admiral. Recently, Roel Reiné directed an episode of Black Sails that is set to air next month as part of the STARZ series’s final season.
The New Descendants 2 Poster and Tease
Disney Channel has debuted the Descendants 2 poster and a new teaser that you can both view below. Descendants 2 will premiere this summer.
The story deepens in the music-driven sequel to the global smash hit Descendants as the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most infamous villains — Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay (also known as Villain Kids or VKs) — try to find their place in idyllic Auradon. When the pressure to be royally perfect becomes too much for Mal, she returns to her rotten roots on the Isle of the Lost where her archenemy Uma, the daughter of Ursula, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen of the run-down town. Uma, still resentful over not being selected by Ben to go to Auradon Prep with the other Villain Kids, stirs her pirate gang including Captain Hook’s son Harry and Gaston’s son Gil, to break the barrier between the Isle of the Lost and Auradon, and unleash all the villains imprisoned on the Isle, once and for all.
Dash over to see #TheIncredibles on @FreeformTV January 21 at 6:45|5:45c! #FUNDAY pic.twitter.com/v52Vfs7DWk
— Disney (@Disney) January 20, 2017
Find out the meaning behind each of the race car numbers featured on @DisneyJunior‘s new show: https://t.co/XYcbr36IE4 pic.twitter.com/mvnEctCUYP
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 18, 2017
Theme Parks
The Main Street Electrical Parade makes a bright return to @Disneyland pic.twitter.com/q7NX58KhBG
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 20, 2017
7 technological wonders predicted by @Disneyland and @WaltDisneyWorld attractions: https://t.co/DsQtp2S2oQ pic.twitter.com/724rvZsw8A
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 18, 2017
On our first Walt Disney Studios tour of 2017! Check out our new pin #D23OnTheLot pic.twitter.com/IB6QNNX7G5
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 14, 2017
Check out the top 5 places to celebrate National Cheese Lover’s Day at Walt Disney World Resort: https://t.co/quODHkf7tF pic.twitter.com/mglBKhdGhw
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 20, 2017
There are just five more weekends to experience the inaugural Epcot International Festival of the Arts: https://t.co/ct9FdOV8nn #ArtfulEpcot pic.twitter.com/n17ylLyWvV
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 20, 2017
Celebrate Minnie Mouse for National Polka Dot Day 2017 with these products from Disney Parks! #RockTheDots https://t.co/ZCRkZteTWv pic.twitter.com/AIRmZesCL1
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 20, 2017
Here are the top three reasons guests are loving Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom Park: https://t.co/poCY8pfKJP pic.twitter.com/yNf9CW1qmJ
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 20, 2017
VIDEO: Oscar Martinez, the longest-tenured cast member at Disneyland Resort, celebrates 60th service anniversary: https://t.co/DY5gLod7oY pic.twitter.com/oFYDadEe4r
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 19, 2017
Take a visit to Disneyana on Main Street, U.S.A. at @Disneyland park! https://t.co/kXTbZA4Bvv pic.twitter.com/B59zpt66rE
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 19, 2017
The Season of the Force celebration is now underway at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris! Learn more: https://t.co/lgc1ESbQD0 pic.twitter.com/Sbj4c3BcZ5
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 17, 2017
Toys
Ego the Living Planet from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Gets Cute Toys
Following the debut of the adorable line of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 toys from Funko, director James Gunn has taken to Facebook to reveal another new toy from the line – Kurt Russell’s Ego the Living Planet in his human form. Check out the full gallery at this link!
Celebrate the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade to @Disneyland park with these electrifying new products: https://t.co/z6QHdYJcZy pic.twitter.com/qM9FhIlWdu
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 18, 2017
See the commemorative merchandise you may find during the #StarWars Day at Sea with @DisneyCruise Line in 2017: https://t.co/miYUKwxcZH pic.twitter.com/5j94dHrATb
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 17, 2017
Fan Art of the Week
This week we chose this gorgeous pencil rendering of Beast from 1991’s Beauty and the Beast by Russian artist Gildhartt Einsiedler. Check out her full gallery at this link!
This Week in Disney History
This week in 1975, the Space Mountain attraction opened in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Colonel James Irwin, pilot of Apollo 15 lunar module, is first official rider of Space Mountain.
This week saw the openings of Son of Flubber in 1963, The Wild Country in 1971, Superdad in 1974, Good Morning, Vietnam in 1987, White Fang in 1991, Alive in 1993, Iron Will in 1994, Mr. Holland’s Opus in 1996, and Snow Dogs in 2002.
What team? #HighSchoolMusical debuted on this day in 2006 pic.twitter.com/BxoN4o8iIQ
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 20, 2017
Happy Birthday, Betty White! Read more about the Disney Legend: https://t.co/IKZSR7gXBT pic.twitter.com/HAFgXVQd1G
— Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) January 17, 2017
VIDEO: Oscar Martinez, the longest-tenured cast member at Disneyland Resort, celebrates 60th service anniversary: https://t.co/DY5gLod7oY pic.twitter.com/oFYDadEe4r
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) January 19, 2017
Disney Vault
Each week we highlight an underappreciated Disney classic. This week we’re remembering 1944’s The Three Caballeros, part of Walt Disney’s olive branch to Latin America that also included Saludos Amigos. It sends Donald Duck through an often colorfully psychedelic romp through Latin culture, music and history via his Brazilian pal José Carioca (a cigar smoking parrot) and a Mexican rooster named Panchito Pistoles. It’s a wild little movie with some amazing sequences, like the one below!
Click here to rent or buy a digital copy of The Three Caballeros today!