Film release cancellations in Russia added to boycotts in response to invasion
Just days ahead of the highly anticipated theatrical release of “The Batman”, Warner Bros. made the swift and necessary decision to cease any distribution plans in Russia. A spokesperson for the studio said in a statement, “In light of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, WarnerMedia is pausing the release of its feature film ‘The Batman’ in Russia”.
While getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, British actor, known for his latest roles in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “The Power of the Dog” also called specifically for action to bring the assault on Ukraine to an end, when he emphasized in his speech that “This is no longer a time for avarice or sloth or inactiveness or ineptitude. We need to act.”
Walt Disney Co. and Sony Pictures also have plans to pause any releases of their films in Russia which includes the previously scheduled release of the Pixar film “Turning Red” for March 10, as well as Sony’s “Morbius” which is currently slated for release early April.
The Ukrainian Film Academy called for an international boycott of the Russian film industry. The Motion Pictures Association also condemned Russia for its attack and made the statement that it “stands with the international community in upholding the rule of law and condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.”
Trickster god Loki, show dedicated to the brother of Thor
Spinoff series from Marvel out today is Loki, which will premiere on, where else, Disney+ , originally slated to start June 11, 2021 is is now available with a new episode coming each Wednesday. The only way to watch Loki on Disney, currently, is via subscription. In the new trailer below Tom Hiddleston appears as the title character and the clip reveals just a bit more about his new role.
Taking place in a Marvel-esque alternative universe, with a shadow of Umbrella Academy attitude we see Loki approached by Mobius, embodied by the inimitable Owen Wilson, the upshot helps to put right the timeline that was disturbed via the Tesseract influence from The Infinity Saga
Loki takes the Marvel universe into yet another version of alternative directions, and yet it manages to feel fully believable within its own invented genre.
Disney’s prequel to show a whole different side to the well-known evil character
Oscar winner Emma Stone is playing as the new role of villain- Cruella de Vil in the upcoming live-action version of the Disney’s iconic “101 Dalmatians”. Glen Close, who played the same role back in the 1990’s version to the cartoon is also on the scene, this time as producer.
The first official trailer has been launched and by the looks of it, there is a dark punk feeling as fans get a sneak behind the back story of a younger Cruella.
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According to Disney, the synopsis for the 2021 version: “In 1970s London, young fashion designer Estella de Vil becomes obsessed with dogs’ skins, especially Dalmatians, until she eventually becomes a ruthless and terrifying legend known as Cruella.”
“Cruella” is scheduled for theatrical release on May 28, 2021.
During the 2021 Disney+ Winter TCA Press Conference, the panel unloaded some major content coming to the streaming platform this spring. Just coming this March, there will be no shortage of content to choose from; a handful of new TV shows and movies, a Premiere Access movie debut and a season finale.
Kicking off the month, on March 5, “Raya and the Last Dragon” the theatrical release/Premier Access animated movie inspired by Southeast Asian folklore. The movie will not be available under the base tier for Disney+ subscribers as there will be an additional charge for access for those subscribers.
Rest assured, there are also many more on the way, with a preview, below, of free-with-subscription new TV shows and movies coming soon.
Next up are for all those Superhero fans, particularly the Avengers , we can look forward to the upcoming “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Marvel Studios: Legends” and (crying) the season finale of “WandaVision”.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – March 19:
The new series will premiere March 19, 2021 a spinoff starring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as their reprised roles of The Falcon and Bucky Barnes. The show will follow the events from “Avengers: Endgame”.
Marvel Studios: Legends – March 12:
The series will feature different characters in the Marvel Universe and debut on March 12, 2021.
“WandaVision” fans, no need to fret, aside from Wanda and Vision kicking off the first episode of “Legends” there will also be more content with Wanda, Vision and Agnes a week after the finale (March 5th with “Assembled: The Making of WandaVision” showcasing behind-the-scenes on the inspiration and challenges of the show.
Mighty Ducks: Game Changer – March 26:
Also dropping at the end of March, the moving picking up on the iconic blast from the past movie “Mighty Ducks”. Emilio Estevez is back as Coach Gordon Bombay to lead a whole new group of skaters in “Game Changers”.
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Much to look forward to in May and June 2021
Other exciting streaming titles that Disney+ recently dropped include premiere dates coming later in the spring including “StarWars: The Bad Batch” coming May 4th and Marvel Studio’ “Loki” staring June 11.
The movie makes waves in its portrait of the iconic jazz singer
Grammy nominated singer Andra Day appears in her first lead acting role in the new Hulu film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”. The film has already earned the actress two Golden Globe nominations, for best original song and for best actress in a motion picture drama.
The film’s cast also includes Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, Natasha Lyonne, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
The film has been met with some criticism, in the mean time, as some that have already watched the film point out the movie fails to fully encapsulate the vibrance and stardom of Billie Holiday. Yet others offer praise in how the film explores the singer’s rough up-bringing and shines a light on the treatment of African Americans living in a Jim Crow America during the 1940’s.
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The movie follows the jazz singer, chronicling how the government went after her for her ballad, an anti-racist song titled “Strange Fruit” that spoke about the lynching of African American people and racism. For fear that its popularity would spark a civil rights movement, Holiday became the target by the Federal Department of Narcotics with much of the film focusing on her drug addiction as government tries to quiet and derail the star.
“The United States vs. Billie Holiday” streams on Hulu starting February 26, 2021.
Disney’s prequel to show a whole different side to the well-known evil character
Oscar winner Emma Stone is playing as the new role of villain- Cruella de Vil in the upcoming live-action version of the Disney’s iconic “101 Dalmatians”. Glen Close, who played the same role back in the 1990’s version to the cartoon is also on the scene, this time as producer.
The first official trailer has been launched and by the looks of it, there is a dark punk feeling as fans get a sneak behind the back story of a younger Cruella.
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According to Disney, the synopsis for the 2021 version: “In 1970s London, young fashion designer Estella de Vil becomes obsessed with dogs’ skins, especially Dalmatians, until she eventually becomes a ruthless and terrifying legend known as Cruella.”
“Cruella” is scheduled for theatrical release on May 28, 2021.
Scarlett Johansson will make her first solo movie as the iconic character ‘Black Widow’ aka Natasha Romanoff, as well as set out to be the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
The Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow” has already been delayed, originally set for release in May 2020 and pushed again to December, a year later is now slated for the new release date of May 7, 2021. With the pattern of postponements to the film, another delay would not be much of a surprise.
There has also been been rumors that Disney will not even release the film on Disney+ and rather only roll out on theaters. If there will be a streaming option, based on speculative reports, it would only be via Premiere Access and cost an additional fee from monthly subscription. There has yet to be any comment from Disney regarding the rollout, we anticipate updates and confirmations closer to spring.
Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour portrays Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz is Melina. The film is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.
The runtime for “Black Widow” has been announced by Disney, and it is pretty big, or rather long, it will be the longest Marvel movie (aside from Avengers) in over 3 years. The total movie time is set for 2 hours and 133 minutes.
The action-packed spy thriller Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
First look at Disney’s new adventuress and superhero
The recently dropped trailer gives Disney lovers a glimpse of the upcoming movie inspired by Southeast Asian folklore. Voices will feature Kelly Marie Tran as Raya and Awkwafina as Sisu, the dragon. Writer, Qui Nguyen spoke about the character Raya in an interview, being a new kind of female lead, and her special qualities as more of a “superhero” than a “princess”.
“Raya and the Last Dragon” will premier simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access (additional fee required apart from Disney+ monthly subscription) on March 5, 2021.
“Growing up in Southeast Asia, we’re very proud of our culture and our history. But you don’t really ever see it on a Hollywood big screen. I had lots of action heroes on screen growing up, but it was like Hong Kong action kung fu. And now, the idea to be part of a Disney movie that can really celebrate everything that’s beautiful about our culture and how strong our women are is great. And that Raya’s not just an ass-kicker. She’s got so much personality. I feel that it’s so much of the spirit of a lot of the women I grew up with. And so, I’m very excited for the world to see this too.”
Qui Nguyen and Adele Lim
Disney’s synopsis:
“Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it’s up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good. However, along her journey, she’ll learn that it’ll take more than dragon magic to save the world—it’s going to take trust as well.”
Emilio Estevez is back and coming to Disney+, he will reprise his role from “Mighty Ducks” as hockey coach Gordon Bombay. A new trailer just dropped the trailer and release date.
Set in present day in Minnesota, the new TV show based on the iconic movie takes place 30 years after the Mighty Ducks first took to the ice. Unlike the movie, where the young hockey players were underdogs, this time around they are an ultra-competitive team. Enter, young hockey player Evan, who gets cut from the team for not being good enough. Evan’s mom, Alex, played by Lauren Graham sets out to form a new team for any “misfits”.
The new series will have a total of 10-episodes for the first season. Disney+ will premier “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers” on March 26, 2021.
As the year gets it’s “legs” more and more often there’s a fresh batch of streaming releases popping up. There are so many different platforms where you can stream: Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+ and on and on.
Not only are there a lot of different platforms with various pricing plans and specialties, for example on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video there are tons of videos available as pay-per-view (with an uncharge that can be significant), while Netflix is all included (and therefore has a more limited choice).
Add onto all that the fact that each platform is trying to win your attention and loyalty by producing and acquiring new content as often as possible. So, to make things a little bit easier, we’ve gathered some of the notable new and upcoming releases for one platform (and others in our similar articles on the various platforms).
Here’s the news on what will be available to watch on Disney+.
Pixar Popcorn
The series follow everyone’s favorite Pixar characters in shorts, including from movies: “Toy Story”, “Finding Nemo”, “The Incredible”, “Cars”, “Coco” and more .
WandaVision
Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Wanda and Vision are living in an the idealized suburbs, hiding their super-powers from everyone around them, when the two begin to suspect that everything is not what it seams. Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Evan Peters and Kat Dennings.
Isle of Dogs
Directed by Wes Anderson, this animated film is about when, by executive decree, all the canine pets of Megasaki City are exiled to a vast garbage-dump called Trash Island, 12-year-old Atari sets off alone in a miniature Junior-Turbo Prop and flies across the river in search of his bodyguard-dog, Spots. There, with the assistance of a pack of newly-found mongrel friends, he begins an epic journey that will decide the fate and future of the entire Prefecture. With voices from big name actors including: Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Bryan Cranston and Edward Norton.
Wild Uganda
Above: Wild Uganda / NatGeo
From NatGeo: Uganda is still what travelers consider an ‘insider tip’. Off the tourist map, a place still in the shadows of its past. Visitors, including scientists and conservationists, had a difficult time in the civil war-stricken country. Poaching had endangered many of Uganda’s most iconic animals including Mountain gorillas, cave elephants, the chimpanzees and even the tree-dwelling lions. But now the national parks have been restored and Uganda’s wildlife is once again thriving. This is a celebration of their survival.
Coup of Deplorables falls flat, led by Trump, Giuliani, McConnell
Stephen Colbert had a one-two punch lined up to kick off the Late Show on Friday night. First, was the hilarious and almost eight minute long animated clip: “Twas The Coup Before Christmas” A Late Show Animated Holiday Classic.
Starring is the whole gang of perpetrators; Rudy Giuliani, Moscow Mitch McConnell, looking like the ultimate villain, echoing the “melting face trench-coat guy” from ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ and, naturally, Trump. Spoiler alert; the coup is finally thwarted by a team-up between Santa & Biden.
Next up, George Clooney appear and put in some great promo banter while seeking attention for his new sci-fi film “The Midnight Sky”, which has been lauded already by critics. There’s even been Oscar talk on this one.
Trump’s attempt to enlist entertainers for taxpayer funded propaganda program fails spectacularly
Lately, the Trump Administration has been looking for a celebrity to be the face of its new COVID-19 PSA campaign. Well, kind of. While the $265 million taxpayer-funded ad campaign is supposed to raise coronavirus awareness, the White House has unsubtly been twisting it into an explicit Trump promotion.
According to U.S. Heath and Human Services Secretary Michael Caputo, the theoretically non-partisan campaign’s message is “Helping The President Will Help The Country.” Interestingly, this whole fiasco arrives just days before the 2020 Presidential Election, where Trump is behind in the polls.
Regardless of the hidden meaning behind the campaign—or perhaps directly because of it—the Administration has had trouble finding a suitable face for the ads. According to documents that Democratic lawmakers revealed to the Washington Post, the Administration went down a list of 247 celebs considered for the PSAs, but hardly any of them fit the bill.
Notes from the documents suggest a strict pro-Republican criteria for the job. Behavior that disqualified celebrities included if they had ever been critical of Trump, if they ever expressed support for Barak Obama, and if they ever supported gay marriage or LBGTQ+ rights. Unsurprisingly, these stipulations left options rather thin.
Names on the list included comedians Judd Apatow and George Lopez (both disqualified for expressing anti-Trump sentiments); singers Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine and Justin Timberlake (all ruled out for endorsing Obama and championing gay rights); actress Jennifer Lopez (eliminated for her so-called radical Super Bowl halftime show); and actors Johnny Depp and Jack Black (both excluded for simply aligning with the American left).
The name on the list that met the most scathing response was probably singer/songwriter Billie Eilish. Notes on the eighteen-year old celebrity recount that she “Made a political statement on gun control in 2019; will be a first time voter in 2020; not a Trump supporter, stated he ‘is destroying our country and everything we care about.'”
Of the 247 names initially listed, only ten survived the President’s elimination process— Dennis Quaid, Marc Anthony, Enrique Iglesias, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miranda Lambert, Garth Brooks, Dwyane Wade, Dr. Mehmet Oz, CeCe Winans, and Shulem Lemmer.
There are also a number of celebrities listed as “pending” or “declined.” Among the latter are Dwayne Johnson, Selena Gomez, and Sandra Oh.
Trump Train about to Derail or will Celebs like Lil Wayne & Kanye come to the Rescue
These slim pickings show that Trump does not garner the strongest support (or any) from American entertainers. In addition to all of the listed names considered and rejected for this campaign, there are many more celebrities who have publically denounced the POTUS, several of whom were formerly apolitical or even republicans (Clint Eastwood and Arnold Schwarzenegger) before the current term.
Not all celebrities are steadfastly anti-Trump, though. The President has actually found support in some unlikely places. Because of Trump’s recent Platinum Plan to assist black Americans, he has created seemingly positive relations with rappers such as Lil Wayne, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, and Lil Pump. It’s unclear if any of these recognizable names actually endorse Trump, but they’ve all shown degrees of support via social media.
Trump doesn’t have all rappers on board, though. Kanye West retracted his longstanding support for the President when he decided to run for the office himself this year. Meanwhile, when rapper Lil John was solicited to support Trump on Twitter, he responded bluntly:
Evidently, while there are some exceptions, few recognizable entertainers fully support the President. Ironically, Donald Trump himself has a strong background in entertainment— perhaps boasting the most show business-savvy resume of any President since Reagan.
However, while Reagan was an accomplished actor and later President of the Screen Actor’s Guild, Trump was more of a crude businessman slapped before the camera for a reality TV paycheck.
Entertainers carry a lot of influence. Unfortunately, Trump has struggled to win the hearts of such influencers. In fact, many of them are now using that very influence against him.
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Moving up the major release of “Rise” a full 2 months
Break out the lightsabers and pour yourself a tall glass of blue mile, because Monday is May the 4th (be with you), a global holiday celebrating everything Star Wars. Disney is getting in on the action by bumping up the home release of “Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” on Disney+. Releasing the ninth and final film in the Skywalker saga now comes a whopping two months earlier than its originally scheduled debut for the streaming site— a sure treat for cooped up moviegoers itching to binge more content during the quarantine.
The Star Wars fun does not stop there, though. Disney+ is also airing the final episode of “The Clone Wars” on the 4th. The acclaimed and beloved animated series has been off the air since 2014, but Disney decided to make a final season for their streaming site in 2020. Episodes have come out stagnantly since February 21st, and the conclusion arrives appropriately on May the 4th, putting Star Wars fans of the edges of their seats.
As if all that wasn’t enough, Disney+ still has one more surprise up its sleeve for the global Star Wars day. On the 4th, the site is also releasing a making-of documentary on “The Mandalorian,” the first live action Star Wars series that met immense praise at the end of 2019. “The Mandalorian” wrapped its first season in December and has already been renewed for a second and third season. It met record-breaking viewership figures and was a huge draw for Disney+ subscribers upon the service’s launch last November. Given that “The Mandalorian” sports some of the best writers, directors, and VFX people in the television game (not to mentioned executive producer John Favreau), the making-of story is bound to spark intrigue from Star Wars fans and general cinephiles alike.
Photo / Disney
Making the most of this springtime celebration of the saga to boost Disney+ awareness
Clearly, Disney is doing its best to make May the 4th a special occasion. This is the first May 4th that Disney+ has been in existence for, and it also falls at a time when audiences are stuck at home with nothing but streaming services to keep them entertained. This would not be the first time that Disney+ pleasantly surprised fans during the quarantine, though, as the site also expedited releases of “Frozen II” and Pixar’s “Onward” in light of the pandemic.
Moreover, the holiday arrives at a potentially uplifting time, as movie theaters are slowly opening up again. Perhaps a few theaters in the newly reopened Texas and Georgia will be able to host some May 4th Star Wars celebrations on the big screen.
While there are currently no new Star Wars theatrical releases on the horizon, 2020 remains an active year for the franchise. Not only is “The Mandalorian” season 2 scheduled for release in October, but the creative minds at Disney and Lucasfilm are currently working on a Ewan McGregor-starring Obi-Wan series for Disney+ as well as an enigmatic multi-media project titled “The High Republic” which launches in August. Meanwhile, the long awaited Cassian Andor series remains in development as well as an additional Star Wars show helmed by “Russian Doll” co-creator Leslye Headland.
Not only is “The Mandalorian” season 2 scheduled for release in October, but the creative minds at Disney and Lucasfilm are currently working on a Ewan McGregor-starring Obi-Wan series for Disney+
Disney’s parks—and therefore Galaxy’s Edge and Rise of the Resistance rides—sadly remain closed right now. Nevertheless, the House-of-Mouse is offering a lot for May the 4th 2020. Fans will surely have more than enough to get them through the day, lost and relishing in the plethora of new and familiar stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.
Streaming was Growing and Expanding before the Pandemic and now it’s in Overdrive
The last time that a pandemic gripped the planet, the film industry was in its mere infancy. Nickelodeon theaters played silent motion pictures for middle class audiences and studios were hardly the global conglomerates that they are today. Thus, the contemporary COVID-19 outbreak poses an unprecedented threat to the entertainment sphere, as theaters for the first time in history, are being forced to close their doors for the greater good.
This novel situation is causing studios to be creative in how they will persevere without theatrical releases. A number of movies have already been postponed such as MGM’s “No Time To Die,” Paramount’s “A Quiet Place Part II,” Disney’s “Black Widow,” Universal’s “F9” and many, many more.
Likewise, the coronavirus has also brought production to a halt, as work on several shows and movies are being put on pause. Among them are Warner Brothers’ “Fantastic Beasts 3” and “Matrix 4,” Disney’s live-action “The Little Mermaid,” and Amazon’s “The Lord Of The Rings” series.
Consequentially, there has been a lot of pressure for studios to release movies directly to Video-On-Demand or other home video markets. So far, the companies have been reluctant to do so, due in no small part to the theaters not wanting to sacrifice their piece of the profits. One notable exception, however, has been DreamWorks’ “Trolls World Tour,” which Universal has slated to be released directly to VOD, on the date the theatrical run would have begun.
For the most part, though, studios have responded to the situation by shortening the lapse between theatrical runs and home video releases. Disney, for example, expedited the release of “Frozen II” on Disney+ as a treat/marketing ploy for subscribers practicing safe social distancing. Meanwhile, Disney also announced that it will add the latest Pixar film, “Onward” to its streaming service in early April. “Onward” came out mere weeks ago on March 6th, just before theaters starting closing down and postponing releases became the new norm for 2020.
Additional studios have followed suit and started putting their movies (that would otherwise remain in theaters) straight to VOD. On top of “Trolls World Tour,” Universal recently made “The Invisible Man” and “The Hunt” available on home video markets. Likewise, movies that were on the tail ends of their theatrical runs such as Warner Brothers’ “Birds Of Prey” and Paramount’s “Sonic The Hedgehog” have also sped their way to the VOD market ahead of schedule.
This trend has been so popular in the past couple weeks that Amazon even started a new section of its Prime video streaming service titled “Prime Video Cinema.” The section is dedicated entirely to these new releases taken straight from theaters. Albeit, many of these direct-to-home-video releases are costlier than your average rental—running around $20 to emulate a movie-ticket price.
Other “Early Access” titles that have been added to Amazon’s pay-per-view slate include: “Emma“, “Bloodshot” and “The Way Back“.
Uncertain times for Theaters raises Specter of a Streaming-only Future
Some are still hoping that studios will forgo the theatrical process altogether and start releasing new movies straight to home video in these unconventional times. Particularly, many have solicited the Walt Disney Company to put out its newly-postponed live-action “Mulan” on Disney+. The company, however, has not complied, probably for the same reason that Universal was okay with releasing “Trolls World Tour” on VOD on Amazon and Apple’s iTunes on Friday April 10th, but not “F9.”
Namely, “Mulan” and “F9” are more-or-less guaranteed blockbusters. They will make more money in theaters, presumably, once the lock-down is over, than they ever could on streaming or On-Demand platforms. Therefore, the studios are willing to wait until things blow over to get the biggest bang for their bucks in the cinema.
Theaters already face enough strife in the modern age of ubiquitous streaming, and the current virus is certainly not helping them gain any leverage. While the entertainment industry’s setbacks might seem trivial in comparison to everything going on the world right now, movies and movie theaters in particular operate on the backs of many hardworking, vulnerable people from managers, to ushers, to ticket takers, to projectionists, and more.
While the studios themselves may have enough money and power to remain afloat through these unconventional times, lets hope that they do not lose sight of their foundational workers as they search for alternative solutions.
Idris Elba announced today via his twitter account that he has been diagnosed with covid-19, also known as the novel coronavirus. He posted a video along with the tweet and indicated that he has no symptoms so far and feels ok. Along with Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, who are in isolation recovering in Australia, this announcement is the second recent one involving a major Hollywood star.
Long lines all over L.A. with people trying to buy staples, Sports events and Concerts cancelled, empty shelves everywhere and now both Disney and Universal are releasing current upcoming films for streaming – since box office will be zero or even cancelled for an undetermined time period. Not to mention the Dow is down nearly 3000 points at closing today (-2997.10 / -12.92%). Yikes.
This morning I tested positive for Covid 19. I feel ok, I have no symptoms so far but have been isolated since I found out about my possible exposure to the virus. Stay home people and be pragmatic. I will keep you updated on how I’m doing 👊🏾👊🏾 No panic. pic.twitter.com/Lg7HVMZglZ
This news, based on the incredible familiarity that we all have with stars of this magnitude, is making the pandemic more and more “real” for all of us. In the chart below a big reason for the extreme precautionary measures can be seen:
The line all the way to the right, almost straight up vertical is the number of cases not in China. As is clear the total is nearly as many as all that have been reported in China to date and will soon overtake that number. Most alarming is the vertical rise – far steeper than the gradual increase that was seen since February 16th, after the drastic measures were taken in China by that time.
In a widely shared graphic, a tan curve represents a scenario without social distancing measures and where the U.S. hospital system becomes inundated with coronavirus patients. Chart / PBS
Just such a slow down in additional cases will “flatten the curve” of non-China cases and is the goal of the extreme and increasingly invasive measures we are taking in the US and Europe. Although the feeling in the air, especially if shopping for supplies, seems somewhat panicked, it is important to recognize that all of these measures, most of all self-quarantine and social distancing are meant to protect us, and ultimately, flatten the curve to a point where the number of cases can actually slow down enough that this chart will actually be on a downward slope.
The interactive chart of Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases can be accessed here, courtesy of the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The mobile version of the chart can be accessed here.
The animated movie does indeed move forward with successful numbers to prove it
Disney-Pixar’s latest movie, “Onward,” hit theaters on Thursday, March 5th and despite it coming out at the height of coronavirus hysteria, it managed to hold its own at the box office, meet critical expectations, and pave the way for a surplus and possibly the House-of-Mouse’s first 2020 blockbuster.
“Onward” had its initial premiere at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival on February 21st. Leading up to its worldwide release, however, some speculated that the film would be postponed due to the coronavirus, which has been spreading rapidly and keeping folks out of movie theaters worldwide. While most theaters remain open and operating in the US, many theaters in China have closed their doors because of the virus. Considering that Pixar’s last film (“Toy Story 4”) made over $8 million at the Chinese box office during its opening weekend last June, one could understand why “Onward” might get pushed back.
Nevertheless, “Onward” persevered and raked in over $40 million in its opening weekend, right about on par for what critics predicted. This may be a far cry from “Toy Story 4” or “Incredibles 2,” Pixar’s last two films that respectively made over $120 million and $180 during their openings. However, “Onward” expected more modest earnings from the get-go.
The movie is Pixar’s first non-sequel release since 2017’s “Coco,” which earned $50 million its opening weekend, only marginally better than “Onward’s” current figures. Unlike “Finding Dory,” “Cars 2,” “Incredibles 2,” or “Toy Story 4,” “Onward” is an entirely original film and has to herald in audiences without pre-existing IP doing the heavy lifting. On top of that, it also has to deal with the virus.
COVID-19 has already delayed the release of the upcoming James Bond movie, “No Time To Die.” MGM Studios pushed the opening back from April to November in hopes that the virus will pass and theaters will be back in full business by then. Some predict that other potential blockbusters such as “Mulan,” “Black Widow” and “F9” will also get delayed due to the virus.
Nevertheless, “Onward” stuck to its original release date and while figures might’ve been higher had Pixar waited a few months, the movie had a respectable opening all the same. Furthermore, the movie still has additional markets to debut in such as Italy, Korea, and Japan. Also, given that “Onward” is a family film, its earnings will likely increase over the next few weeks as more kids get out on spring break. Thus, we can expect an upsurge in “Onward’s” already reasonable box office success. It will likely be Disney’s first bonafide Blockbuster of the year, and earn the studio a surplus on the film’s estimated $100 million budget.
Click to Buy “The Art of Onward” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon
“Onward” is directed by Dan Scanlon, a Pixar veteran with a previous directorial credit for “Monster’s University” and creative contributions with the studio that date all the way back to 2006’s “Cars.” The movie is about two adolescent elf brothers, Ian and Barley, going on a quest to bring their late father back from the dead using sorcery. Marvel stars Tom Holland and Chris Pratt lend their voices to the two protagonists. The cast also includes Julia Louie-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Mel Rodriguez, and many more, all voicing mythical creatures in the movie’s fantastical (yet familiar) world.
A strong and deeply original addition to Pixar’s impressive filmography, “Onward” is touching, funny, memorable, and sweet, Given the studio’s success with the Academy and animation’s uncertain outlook for 2020, “Onward” might just be our first Oscar-winning movie to come out this year.
Disney’s Slate Continues to Outperform Commercially, if not always Critically
Although the first animated feature film debuted way back in 1939 with “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” the Best Animated Feature category at the Academy Awards has only existed for nineteen years, arriving in 2001 when DreamWorks’ “Shrek” won the inaugural prize.
Although “Shrek” may have taken home that initial award—beating out fellow nominees “Monsters Inc.” and “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius”—DreamWorks would not be the animation studio to rein supreme over the category in the coming years. In the nineteen years that the category has taken place, Disney’s Pixar has won ten times, making it the unrivaled champion of the Best Animated Feature title.
In fact, almost every time Pixar releases a movie, it gets a nomination, and almost every time it gets a nomination, it wins. Only three times has a Pixar movie been in the runnings, but lost to one of its competitors. Following “Monsters Inc’s” initial loss to “Shrek,” “Cars” lost to “Happy Feet” in 2006 and “Incredibles 2” lost to “Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse” just last year—albeit, the studio won Best Animated short with yesteryear’s “Bao.”
Many were happy to see “Spider-Verse” win in 2019. The movie was original and its animation was captivating, far from the predictable family narratives and re-hashed 3D style of Pixar that audiences have become all too familiar with over the past twenty-six years. Furthermore, with Disney being a conglomerate juggernaut in modern Hollywood, there is something cathartic about seeing an underdog beat them out—in addition to the ten Pixar wins, Walt Disney Animation studios have also won three of the nineteen Best Animated Feature titles, leaving the House-of-Mouse with all but six of the total trophies for the category.
With “Spider-Verse” winning last year, some assumed that Pixar might be losing its power, and when “Toy Story 4” lost to the commercially unsuccessful, but critically acclaimed “Missing Link” at the 2020 Golden Globes, many were optimistically foreseeing another Pixar defeat at the upcoming Oscars—making it Disney’s first consecutive defeat in the category since 2006.
Overrated or Just still too Big to Ignore, Toy Story’s Success is Undeniable
“Toy Story 4” is by no means a bad movie, and it grossed over a billion dollars at the Box Office, but many movie goers grow weary of Pixar’s cash-out sequels. Likewise, the fourth installment in the “Toy Story” series feels a bit unnecessary, especially considering how excellently “Toy Story 3” seemed to conclude the saga in 2010. Also, it is hardly a stretch of the imagination to think that Disney insisted on a fourth film just to sell more Woody and Buzz toys to a younger generation.
Moreover, the Animated Feature category was filled with some suburb competition this year. “Missing Link” was a visual masterpiece from unsung stop-motion animation company Laika. “How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” was a wonderful conclusion to DreamWorks’ heartfelt fantasy trilogy—all three of the films losing to Disney titles in previous years’ Oscars. Then, Netflix’s “Klaus” was an aesthetic stunner, and Jérémy Clapin’s “I Lost My Body” was a mature meditation on the human condition and the first animated movie to win the esteemed Nespresso Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
In short, the competition was stacked for Best Animated Feature and while the winner was anything but a sure thing, the divisive “Toy Story 4” hardly felt like anyone’s first pick. Thus, when actress Mindy Kaling presented the award partway through the evening, few expected and many were disappointed when she announced the Pixar title as the victor.
When director Josh Cooley and producers Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera took the stage, their acceptance speech was sincere. All involved in “Toy Story 4” seemed grateful for the prize, but audiences cannot help but feel like some of the other titles deserved it more.
Everything New is Old Again
In a year of Oscar firsts and progressive wins—from “Parasite” being the first foreign film to earn Best Picture, to the animated short “Hair Love” and the documentary “American Factory” winning with stories that celebrate multiculturalism—the Best Animated Feature category seemed a little regressive, championing the default, blockbuster Pixar nominee over some truly innovative pieces of cinema.
At least Pixar claims that it is done with sequels now and that the studio will be returning to original stories from here on out. 2020 promises the releases of “Onward” and “Soul” from Pixar, a couple movies with no connection to any previous intellectual properties. When they inevitably get nominated at the 2021 Academy Awards, let’s hope that they deserve their opportunity for hardware, and that the Academy keeps up its progressive tendencies when deciding on animated movies going forward.
In Spite of the Oscar Drought, 2019 was an Unmitigated Success
2019 was Disney’s year. Countless blockbuster releases including “Avengers: Endgame,” “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” “Captain Marvel,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” “Toy Story 4,” and more (not to mention the launch of Disney+ and the opening of “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” at Disney World) made 2019 the Walt Disney Company’s most lucrative year by a landslide.
As Disney enters 2020, however, the entertainment conglomerate seems to be pumping the breaks, or at least shifting gears. So far this year, there is yet to be a major theatrical release from Disney, and its highly anticipated films such as Pixar’s “Onward,” the live action “Mulan” or Marvel’s “Black Widow” will not come out until March 6th, March 27th, and May 1st respectively.
So what is Disney doing in the meantime? Is CEO Bob Iger just counting his paychecks from last year, or is the company plotting something new? Or are they scrambling for new ideas now that Marvel has concluded its eleven year Infinity Saga and Star Wars is on a filmic hiatus according to Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy?
The answer lies somewhere in the margins between everything above. It is unlikely that the company will top its 2019 earnings in 2020 and it is also unlikely that they will have the same dominance over the box office.
However, it seems as if Disney is turning its attention away from the big screen this year and onto its other entertainment mediums. For example, even though the company has not yet released a major movie for 2020, it has been doing immense marketing for the new “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance” ride at Disney World and Disneyland theme parks.
“Rise of the Resistance” is a narrative, interactive attraction at the parks’ Star Wars themed Galaxy’s Edge. The attraction opened at Orlando’s Disney World in December and has since been expanding to the company’s other parks around the globe. Attendance and spending at the parks has gone up since the ride debuted, likely making it Disney’s most profitable draw of 2020 thus far.
“The Child” a.k.a. Baby Yoda
Full-on Entry into Streaming Wars and an Impressive Initial Push
Likewise, with Disney+ coming out in late 2019 and receiving an immense number of subscribers in just its few months of existence, the novel online streaming site will certainly be one of Disney’s biggest priorities for 2020. Production has already begun for Season 2 of “The Mandalorian”—the service’s most popular original show, set in the Star Wars universe—and a number of additional original programs are set to come out this year including Marvel’s “WandaVision” series and a late final season of Disney Channel/Cartoon Network’s “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Given the copious number of streaming services set to come out in 2020, Disney will have to put its best foot forward to keep Disney+ above the competition.
What consumers often forget about Disney, especially after a year like 2019, is that the company is far more than a just film production enterprise. The Walt Disney Company encompasses amusement parks, books, radio, music, television, comics, and much, much more. While Disney might seem like it is slowing down based on its movie catalogue for 2020, the business is still running strong thanks to its many other sectors.
Furthermore, Disney owns more than just Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. 20th Century Fox, ESPN, Blue Sky Studios, Searchlight Pictures, Hulu, National Geographic and over a dozen more labels also fall under its corporate umbrella. Therefore, the studio will presumably continue profiting from the box office in 2020, even if it’s signature logo is not always plastered on the content.
Nevertheless, Disney still does have a handful of movies in the works for 2020. In addition to the aforementioned “Onward,” “Mulan,” and “Black Widow,” Disney will come out with “Call of the Wild” on February 21st, a Harrison Ford starring retelling of Jack London’s classic canine-centered novel. It will then team up with Pixar again to release “Soul” on June 19th, the animated comedy from the director of “Inside Out” and “Up.” We can also look forward to the releases of “Artemis Fowl” on May 29th, “Jungle Cruise” on July 24th, and “The One and Only Ivan” on August 14th before Disney comes out with more highly anticipated titles towards the end of the year such as Marvel’s “The Eternals” in November and Stephen Spielberg’s “West Side Story” remake in December.
Once again, 2019 was Disney’s year, but that does not mean that its momentum will stop in 2020. The 2010s marked the company’s acquisition of Lucasfilm and Fox as well as its game-changing capitalization on Marvel. What Disney has in store for the next decade is unknown, but it is likely to be just as magical—and highly profitable—as always.
Massive Library May be included and Increase Streaming Compitition
NBCUniversal and Comcast will be making their debut into the media market’s ongoing streaming war on July 15th, 2020. On that Wednesday in the midst of the summer, the globally renowned entertainment conglomerate will launch “Peacock,” the ultimate online service for all things Comcast.
Just to set the record straight, NBCUniversal owns far more than just the Nightly News and old horror movies. DreamWorks, Illumination, Focus Features, G4TV, USA Network, and Syfy amongst others all fall under the company’s corporate umbrella. Thus, there is a lot of reason behind consolidating all of its content to one streaming service, especially when competitors Disney, WarnerMedia, and CBS are all starting to do it.
Comcast first announced that it would be starting its own streaming service over a year ago in January 2019, and it released the name “Peacock” (based on NBC’s colorful feathered symbol) on September 17th. At that time, NBCUniversal also stated that the website would be launched in April 2020 and that it will eventually be the sole place to stream NBC favorites “The Office” and “Parks & Recreation.”
Obviously, the launch date has been pushed back since then. Nevertheless, the announcement that “The Office” and “Parks & Rec” will be barred from other streaming services is a big blow for the competition. Netlflix, for one, will certainly suffer from the loss of these shows, as “The Office” in particular has been one of the most popular programs in its catalogue for years. With shows like “The Office” and “Parks & Rec” (and “Saturday Night Live” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) having such vast, dedicated fan bases, one can imagine customers subscribing to Peacock just for the access to specific programs.
Peacock will also have movies from Universal Pictures and its subsidiaries, and a slew of original content from veteran NBC and USA showrunners such as Mike Schur of “The Good Place” and Sam Eslami of “Mr. Robot.” Hopping on Hollywood’s current nostalgic bandwagon, Schur will be creating a reboot of 1980s sitcom “Punky Brewster” for the service and Eslami will be leading a revival of “Battlestar Galactica.”
From “Free” to $10 per Month with Comcast Customer Link
When it comes to pricing, Comcast is offering Peacock at three different tiers. The least expensive tier costs absolutely nothing. This version of the platform will be called “Peacock Free” and it will have limited, ad-supported content. The next level up will again be ad-supported, but it will have access to the service’s full library. This will be free for Comcast customers and cost $5/month for everyone else.
The final tier will be called “Peacock Premium.” It will cost $10/month and will run ad-free. Like the second tier, it will have access to the service’s complete catalogue plus live sports, including Premiere League soccer, which is a television rarity in the United States.
At $10/month, even Peacock’s priciest option is relatively cheap compared with the competition. While it costs more than Disney+’s generous $7/month fee, it remains thriftier than Netflix and Amazon Prime’s standard $12/month plans and HBOMax’s forthcoming $15/month price tag.
Still, Comcast is willing to offer even better Peacock deals for their loyal customers. Comcast and Cox cable users can get Peacock Premium for free with ads, or for half price without ads. Those who subscribe to Comcast Xfinity X1 or Flex will be also able to get Premium early—in April.
As opposed to Netflix that began its business in streaming or Disney and Warner that are only now starting to transition, NBCUniversal is evidently trying to keep its foot in conventional television with Peacock. The deals that Comcast is making with its cable subscribers are direct incentives to stifle the cord-cutting phenomenon while still keeping up with the times.
With Netflix getting copious nominations this awards season, Apple TV coming in hot with “The Morning Show,” Disney+ estimating to earn $2.2 billion in 2020, and HBOMax coming out it May, the streaming wars are in full swing. Throw Hulu, Amazon Prime, Quibi, and multiple other platforms into the mix and one can clearly see that the competition is quite fierce. The media sphere is changing, and NBCUniversal is straddling the line between the old and the new. We’ll just have to wait until July to see where Peacock stands and how it plays out.
The Carnage and Consumer Choice Explosion has only just begun
2019 will go down in history as a game-changing year for television. It was the year that put the nail cable’s coffin as major networks and production companies turned over to the Internet, creating a streaming war between the various online platforms for consumers to watch content on.
The war unofficially began when the Walt Disney Company launched Disney+ on November 12th. In its first day, the service attained over 10 million subscribers. One month in, it had over 24 million, an unprecedented growth rate.
Much of Disney’s success has come at the expense of other streaming services, though. At just $7 a month, Disney+ is one of the less expensive streaming subscriptions on the market. Amazon Prime costs just under $10 a month and Netflix can cost up to $16 a month depending on the plan.
Since Disney+ launched, Netflix has lost 1.1 million subscribers. This is a 5.8% reduction in the company’s customer figures, and it is likely correlated to the fresh competition.
Netflix has tried to combat its rivals by focusing on their in-house productions and creating Oscar-savvy films. While the Academy picks are still yet to come, Netflix is already the most nominated production company for the 2020 Golden Globes. Their movies “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story,” “Dolemite Is My Name,” and “The Two Popes” were all nominated for best picture. “Marriage Story” and “The Irishman” even lead the race with six and five nominations respectively.
Many, however, believe that these prestigious projects are not enough to keep Netflix afloat in the long run. With the rise of Disney+, Netflix is losing all of its licensed-out Disney content, and its library will continue to dwindle as more studios create their own platforms. Perhaps the company’s recent deal with Viacom to produce new Nickelodeon content will help keep Netflix safe for a little while longer. After that, it might have to consider lowering the monthly cost, or even selling the data that it keeps so close to its chest.
Launch Announcement at Apple Special Event in 2019
Apple TV+ could be a Sleeper Hit with Upside Potential to Grow
One of the few streaming services that costs less than Disney+ right now is Apple TV+, another new kid on the block that launched on November 1st. Apple TV+ costs only $5 a month, and since its emergence it has garnered around 9 million subscribers. These figures seem small when standing next to Disney, but that 9 million may not account for all of the people who bought new Apple devices this year. As an extension of the tech company, Apple TV+ is included free-of-charge for one year on all new iPhones, iPads, Apple SmartTVs, or Mac computers.
Like Netflix, Apple TV+ is also making a big debut in the upcoming awards season. Its original series, “The Morning Show” already earned the company three Golden Globe nominations. This marks the first time that a streaming service has achieved recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in its inauguration year.
On the other end of the spectrum from Apple TV+’s affordable price is the forthcoming HBO Max, which AT&T’s WarnerMedia will launch in May 2020. HBO Max will cost a hefty $15 a month, and its release date has been pushed back multiple times since its announcement in 2018.
Thus, HBO Max has been a confusing and quiet underdog in the streaming war. Part of the confusion surrounding the future service is the fact that WarnerMedia already has two different premiere subscription services—HBO Go and HBO Now (not to mention the DC Universe streaming service also under Warner’s corporate umbrella).
Netflix Facing new competition from all sides
To put it plainly, HBO Max will combine HBO Go and HBO Now to offer both service’s entire libraries plus original shows, all the DC content, and additional intellectual properties from other TimeWarner networks such as TNT, TBS, CNN, and Cartoon Network. It will have all episodes of “Friends,” “South Park,” and “Game Of Thrones.” Oddly, it will not have Warner Brothers’ famed Harry Potter or Fantastic Beast films, as their streaming rights are still licensed out to Universal.
This consolidation of all TimeWarner content will be another hit against Netflix. Based on viewership, Netflix’s two most popular shows are “Friends” and “The Office,” and they will be losing both of them to HBO Max and NBC’s Peacock respectively.
These streaming services are the major players in the game, but they are not alone. Amazon Prime, Hulu, YouTube TV, Philo, CBS All-Access, fuboTV and others may not be as talked about, but they still have stakes in the streaming wars. Competition amongst the entertainment conglomerates in the cybersphere will undoubtedly continue into the new year, and it will likely come to redefine television in the approaching decade.
Blue Sky Studios has made a mix of movies over the years. Being the animation subsidiary of 20th Century Fox, Blue Sky hasn’t become a household name quite like Pixar, DreamWorks, Illumination, or even Sony. The studio found initial success with “Ice Age” in 2002, which sparked a five movie, fourteen-year franchise that still remains very popular overseas. In between these Pleistocene Epoch-themed successes, they have also produced movies such as “Robots,” “Rio,” “The Peanuts Movie,” and “Ferdinand.”
There is nothing wrong with any of these movies. Some of them even managed to fare well at the box office. Critically, however, none of them have really made an enormous splash, and they tend to fall behind films made by Blue Sky’s competitors.
As of this past March, though, 20th Century Fox has been under Walt Disney Studios’ control, making Blue Sky a Disney property. Therefore, Blue Sky’s next project will be the studio’s first to be released under Disney’s watch.
That next release is titled “Spies In Disguise,” and despite getting its release date perpetually pushed back since January, the film will finally hit theaters on December 25th.
Although “Spies In Disguise” will be Blue Sky’s first release under Disney, the project entered into development back in 2017—long before the Fox acquisition. Likewise, production predominantly took place in 2018. Thus, Disney really didn’t have much oversight in the making of the movie.
The film is partially based off of a 2009 animated short titled “Pigeon: Impossible,” directed by Lucas Martell. This feature adaptation will be the directorial debuts for Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, both of whom have worked in the animation and art departments on previous Blue Sky productions. Meanwhile, Brad Copeland (“Ferdinand”) and Lloyd Taylor (“The Wild”) wrote the screenplay.
The first personnel that Blue Sky signed onto the project, however, were actually the two star voice actors: Will Smith and Tom Holland, both recognizable faces with fairly familiar voices (especially the former). The studio casted these two as the leads way back in 2017 during development.
In the film, Will Smith plays superspy Lance Serling, a suave hero who continually saves the world from destruction—the cartoon character design even looks a little like Smith. Holland, on the other hand, plays Walter Beckett, Serling’s tech officer who invents gadgets to aid the spy on his missions. The plot takes off when Serling ingests Beckett’s latest creation—a “biodynamic concealment”—which zanily turns him into a talking pigeon.
Humbled by this change in species, Serling must team up with the nerdy Beckett to save the world from archvillain Tristan McFord, who is voiced by Ben Mendelsohn. Along the way, the two protagonists learn the perks of being a pigeon when it comes to spying, creating many quirky, action-packed, and humorous instances in the process.
There is no telling what critics might say about “Spies in Disguise.” The animation looks good (it is computer animated with sharp edges and caricature-esque figures in a similar style to “The Incredibles”). Simultaneously, the casting is on point and the story seems funny enough. However, with “Frozen II” still being in theaters and family-friendly sensational blockbusters like “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker” also coming out in December, “Spies In Disguise” will have a lot to compete with, and will most likely fall to the wayside for most moviegoers.
On May 25th, 1977, 20th Century Fox released a low-budget, science fiction fantasy film from an up-and-coming director named George Lucas. That movie was called “Star Wars,” and to everyone’s surprise at the time, it became a worldwide sensation that would change the face of cinema and culture forever. In the forty-two years since “Star Wars” came out, the lowly first film has inspired four sequels, three prequels, several TV shows, millions of action figures, hundreds of comics, dozens of books, numerous parodies, and countless spin-offs—not to mention video games, soundtracks, accessories, clothes and other kinds of merchandize that have been embraced across the globe.
In 2012, George Lucas sold his creation to the Walt Disney Company, and since then, new Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has revamped the franchise with additional content, starting with “Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens” in 2015 and continuing with “Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi” in 2017, along with some spinoff anthology movies and cartoon TV series in between.
Now, “Star Wars: Episode IX—The Rise of Skywalker” is just days away. This is the movie that will mark the end of the original Star Wars story that began in 1977 with episodes IV, V, and VI, continued at the turn of the millennium with episodes I, II, and III, and now wraps up with the recent Disney movies. Altogether, episodes I-IX make up the “Skywalker Saga,” as they focus on the members of the Skywalker family that the original movies revolve around.
Much has already been said about “The Rise of Skywalker,” and there is certainly a lot of pressure on director J.J. Abrams (who also directed “The Force Awakens”) to successfully follow up on Rian Johnson’s divisive “The Last Jedi” and also bring the saga to a satisfying, impactful close.
With the return of “Force Awakens” and “Last Jedi” stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, and Oscar Issac, “Rise of Skywalker” will be many fans’ last chance to see these actors’ beloved characters on screen. Also, veteran characters from Episodes IV, V, and VI portrayed by original actors Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, Ian McDairmid, and the late Carrie Fischer will also appear in the movie, creating acute senses of nostalgia and authentic emotion.
However, as heavy as “Rise of Skywalker” might be, fans can take solace in the fact that although the Skywalker Saga is ending, Star Wars as a whole is not really going anywhere. Perhaps we may not be getting any further content focusing on characters like Luke, Leia, Rey, or Anakin, and we may not be seeing another movie in the theaters for a while. Nevertheless, under the supervision of Disney, the forty-two year old franchise is bound to continue for many more. In fact, we have already seen the next steps taking shape.
With the launch of Disney+, Lucasfilm has recently made a boom with its first ever live-action series, “The Mandalorian.” Spearheaded by executive producer Jon Favreau, the show has received wonderful reviews from critics and fans alike and it has already been renewed for a second season.
Disney+ has announced two additional live-action Star Wars series as well, each of which will focus on a pre-existing character. One will center on Cassian Andor, the rebel hero played by Diego Luna in 2016’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” The other will be about Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Jedi master first portrayed by Alec Guinness in the original “Star Wars” and then portrayed by Ewam McGreggor in the prequel trilogy. McGreggor will be reprising the role for the series. Evidently, at least a couple familiar faces from the Skywalker Saga will be sticking around the Star Wars universe. We can probably even expect a few surprise cameos from other fan-favorite characters and actors as well.
Aside from television, Respawn Entertainment recently released “Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order,” a videogame with a storyline fit for the Star Wars cannon. The same goes for “Vader Immortal” a VR experience that Disney is releasing on a one-episode-at-a-time basis. Disney also opened “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” in its theme parks earlier this year, offering its patrons an immersive narrative experience within the Star Wars universe. Clearly, Disney is taking Star Wars into experimental and expansive new territories.
Then, of course, there are still the movies—the medium from which all this fanaticism and transmedia entertainment began. While it might seem like there is nothing left for Star Wars to say after “Rise of Skywalker” closes the book on the original story, in actuality, there are many more books yet to be opened in the Star Wars universe. Rian Johnson has already been approved for his own spinoff movie trilogy, and with anthology films like “Rogue One” and “Solo” already finding success in between the Skywalker Saga movies, we can expect to see Star Wars back on the big screen soon enough.
In total, “The Rise of Skywalker” may be a little bitter sweet. We are excited to see the last chapter of this larger-than-life story, but we are also sad to say goodbye to it. Happily, though, Star Wars is one of Disney’s most lucrative pieces of intellectual property right now. Episode IX will likely be Disney’s biggest hit this year after “Avengers: Endgame,” and 2019 has been a very successful year for the company.
As long as Disney is chasing profits—which they do oh so prolifically—we can expect to see more Star Wars growing and expanding into different forms of media while also keeping a foot in their filmic origins. For even though the story famously takes place a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away… Star Wars will never really stray too far from its Earthly home and its die-hard fans that have stuck with it through and through.
