New ‘Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’ Trailer Launches Epic Battle with the Seven Evil Exes
Tell me if you’ve heard this one before. A brokenhearted boy from Toronto, who is dating a high schooler, meets a girl from New York. The boy falls in love but learns that to date that girl from New York, he will have to fight her seven evil exes. Such is the premise of the story for Edgar Wright’s film adaptation of Bryan Lee O’Mally’s Scott Pilgrim comic book series.
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‘Once Upon a Studio’ Pays Tribute to the Past and Makes Way For the Future
Disney Animation has had a profound impact on all our lives. At some point in our time, we may have seen one, two, or even all of those films and shorts that have made us laugh, cry, cringe, or even sing. With the studio celebrating its centennial anniversary, Disney’s newest short, Once Upon a Studio, pays to generations of animators who have walked through the doors and hallways of the studios and have helped us get in touch with all those emotions for the past 100 years. The result is a nine-minute short that gathers nearly all the characters from the films, shorts, and more from across every era of Disney’s history.
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‘Once Upon a Studio’ Creators Reflect on a 100 Years of Disney Animation Magic
Making a short that covers 100 years of the legacy of Walt Disney Animation Studios is an incredibly daunting task, and yet, directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy were able to pen a love letter to the visual storytelling medium while also honoring the studio that brought us some of our favorite and unforgettable stories that helped shape our childhoods and future generations in their new short, Once Upon A Studio. And in our interview with Abraham and Correy, along with producers Yvett Merino and Bradford Simonsen, we get into finding out how they fit a centuries worth of our favorite characters and films into one eight-minute short, which characters almost didn’t make the cut and more.
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FDI Cast 177: We Watch ‘Ahsoka’ for the Plot
Brandon attempts to explain the intricacies of the plot for the latest Star Wars live action show, Ahsoka, to someone who never watched Rebels.
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New Trailer for ‘Monarch’ Unleashes the Legacy of the MonsterVerse
The MonsterVerse is expanding! Perhaps one of the only good cinematic universe clones to come out of the age of MCU knock-offs has been Legendary’s MonsterVerse.
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God Built Us Different: A Conversation with the Women of ‘Rise’
Pulled away from the Company of Angels Theater at Hazard Recreation Park as the lights were dimmed and the locks were shut after a lively post-production reception, and into the dark of the studio parking lot, I had the opportunity to discuss the makings of COA’s newest community play — Rise by Kimba Henderson — with the cast and creators themselves.
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New ‘Wonka’ Trailer Teases A Candy Coated War Between the Haves and the Have-Nots
The Willy Wonka, played by the late Gene Wilder, that most of us know was an enigmatic man who hatched an elaborate plan to pass his candy company to a child by disguising it as a factory tour. In reality, the tour tested each of their integrities, and he would base his decision on which one was the most honest and deserving. But before all of that, he was just a humble dreamer who wanted to share his innovative candy concoctions with the world. Now, a newly released trailer gives us a better look at the man who would change the candy making industry by providing to those who were less-fortunate, all the while starting a war with the rich candy company CEOs.
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Understanding ‘The Irrational’ with Creator/Showrunner Arika Lisanne Mittman
The NBC Fall Line Up has officially kicked off. And three weeks into its run, one of the anticipated procedurals of the fall, The Irrational has seen steady ratings growth week to week, on top of strong numbers. And it makes sense why. With a really intriguing premise, and a deep dive into behavioral psychology, plus the sharp writing of creator, writer, showrunner, and executive producer Arika Lisanne Mittman, the show continues to thrive under the charisma and charm of its lead Jesse L. Martin (The Flash). Recently we were given the opportunity to chat with Mittman about the show, its origins, Martin’s involvement, and why it’s going to be NBC’s newest hit of the Fall.
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‘The Space Race’ Featurette Spotlights the Bright Dreams of Afrofuturism and Space
While some may recognize the Space Race defined the competition between two Cold War rivals — America and the former Soviet Union, National Geographic Documentary Films’ The Space Race, from co-directors Lisa Cortés and Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, weaves together the stories of Black astronauts seeking to break the bonds of social injustice to reach for the stars. Now a new featurette takes a look at one of those early Black astronauts who eventually paved the way for the future for those like him.
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NOC Review: ‘The Exorcist: Believer’ is Not Very Compelling
What a disappointing start to the Fall Movie Season. First The Creator, now The Exorcist: Believer. These were two highly anticipated films for me this year, with this one supposedly being a follow up to my favorite horror movie of all time. And sadly, Believer simply doesn’t live up to what’s been otherwise a pretty solid year for horror, much less the legacy of its namesake.
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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Tacos LA Brooklyn’
Having its world premiere at the Latino Theater Company and produced in association with East West Players, Tacos LA Brooklyn is a vibrant love letter to downtown Los Angeles and its people that can be felt from the beginning to the end of this terrific play. Its strength lies in the fantastic world and the characters written by Joel Ulloa and directed with gusto and care by Fidel Gomez and is a piece of modern theatre that cannot be missed.
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Disney and Make-A-Wish Launch Wish Together Campaign
Disney and Make-A-Wish have been making life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses come true for the past 40 years. And with the impending release of the animation studio’s Wish, the two are launching their biggest campaign yet.
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Bishal Dutta and Betty Gabriel on the Making of ‘It Lives Inside’
It Lives Inside, written and directed by Bishal Dutta, follows the life of young Samidha (Megan Suri) an Indian American Hindu teenager attempting to fit in her all-American high school. But when her childhood best friend Tamira (Mohana Krishnan) begins acting strangely, Samidha finders herself at the center of a supernatural horror tale, rooted in her own culture. With the help of her family and friends, including her teacher Joyce (Betty Gabriel), she battles the supernatural threat while learning more about herself and her culture in the process.
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Rich Murray on Designing Ben Glenroy’s Apartment in ‘Only Murders in the Building’
While at the Only Murders in the Building: Backstage at the Goosebury Experience in New York, I had the opportunity to speak with Rich Murray, who is the show’s set decorator for seasons one, two, and three.
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Preston Choi’s ‘This is Not a True Story’ Examines the Dark History of Asian Heroines
“Why do I have to die so you can learn your lesson?” says Kim (Chacha Tahng), the ill-fated character from the Tony Award-winning musical Miss Saigon, in Preston Choi’s This is Not a True Story. She continues on her tirade with her fellow doomed counterparts, CioCio (Julia Cho) from the tragic Madame Butterfly, and Kumiko (Jo Yuan) from the 2014 film, Kumiko: The Treasure Hunter.
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Believe in the New Motion Poster and Featurette for ‘The Exorcist: Believer’
We’re one week out from the release of The Exorcist: Believer. And to celebrate, Universal and Blumhouse have put out a new motion poster and featurette for the new horror film, debuting October 6.
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Jennifer Lee on Ushering in the Future While Honoring the Past with ‘Wish’
Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Wish is a momentous celebration for many reasons. The 62nd animated musical, which commemorates Disney’s 100th anniversary, centers on the legend of the wishing star while utilizing a hybrid of watercolor styles and CG animation. And Disney animation’s chief creative officer Jennifer Lee wants audiences never to forget that a dream is a wish that your heart makes, and that Wish is an ode to see the greatest possibilities of who we can be.
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Jack Daniel’s Launches ‘Arts, Beats + Lyrics’ VR Experience Called ‘The Verse’
When you think of Jack Daniel’s whiskey… the first thing you don’t think about is hip hop. Yet, Brooklyn-based music group Phony Ppl and Jack Daniels want to change that perception by collaborating on an immersive virtual experience and concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of hip hop.
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Learn What Goes into Making Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ‘Wish’
Wishing is a common theme for almost all Disney protagonists with dreams of wanting something better. That thematic legacy goes as far back as 1937, when Snow White was first released, with the star element being added later to the iconic Pinocchio song “When You Wish Upon a Star” — a song that became an icon of the company itself and used in the present day openings.
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‘Wish’ Producers Discuss Bringing Julia Michaels to Write Seven Songs
Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Wish is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. And with good reason. Just in time to celebrate the studio’s 100th anniversary, Wish is a hybrid of two different animation styles. The 2D watercolor techniques combine with modern CG technology. And it creates for a unique look that has been tested many times through their shorts.
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Discover the Origins of the Wishing Star Through Animation and Song in ‘Wish’ Trailer
Walt Disney’s animated musicals are built upon a legacy of rich innovation, resonating storytelling, and heartfelt songs. So for Wish, its 62nd feature, which also celebrates the studio’s 100 anniversary, Disney veteran director Chris Buck and first-time director Fawn Veerasunthorn, using a script written by Disney Animation Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, are delivering audiences a celebration of the visual storytelling medium. Now a new trailer gives us a better look at how 2D watercolor techniques and 3D animation work in tandem to create something that’s a century in the making.
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‘Wish’ Directors on the Power of Making Wishes and Honoring Old and New Animation Techniques
Disney recently held a special presentation of their forthcoming Wish for a select group of journalists. And we walked away from the experience feeling excited to see generations of visual artistry and wonderful music merging together to commemorate the studio’s 100th anniversary. So it seems fitting that Chris Buck (Tarzan, Frozen) and Fawn Veerasunthorn (story artist for Raya and the Last Dragon) be paired to direct Wish. And we got to talk to Buck and Veerasunthorn about the upcoming film and what it means to celebrate such an occasion.
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‘Wish’ Footage Celebrates Generations of the Classic Disney Animated Musical
The wishing star is a timeless way to make your dreams come true. It is also the source of visually stunning and recurring thematic magic for almost all Walt Disney Animation Studio features, past and present. So, it only makes sense that Disney would be celebrating its centennial anniversary with Wish. The studio’s 62nd film is an all-new original animated musical that honors when you wish upon a star while blending watercolor techniques and contemporary 3D animation to create a unique look 100 years in the making.
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