Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical Moana 2 reunites Moana (voice of Auli‘i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely seafarers. After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana must journey to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything…
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The fact that Moana 2 was originally envisioned as a long-form television series for Disney+ (Moana: The Series, for those playing at home) perhaps explains why this sequel – which was only announced as a reworked theatrical effort at the beginning of the year – never quite reaches the emotional heights of its predecessor, and…
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If there’s one way to follow-up that Robert Downey Jr. announcement at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con last month – if you haven’t heard, the newly-minted Oscar winner is returning to the MCU as Victor Von Doom – it’s by announcing all the films and television series coming our way possible from the House of…
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You know his face, and you REALLY know his voice! From spinach puffs to spoons to Quahog hijinks, we all know and love Patrick Warburton! Amongst dozens and dozens of other roles, he’s starred in shows, films and games including The Emperor’s New Groove, The Tick, Family Guy, Seinfeld, Kim Possible, Get Smart, Men in…
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Disney Cruise Line – which finally arrived in Australia and New Zealand last October – have just confirmed their ship Disney Wonder is set to return for a third season on our shores in 2025/2026. Having already completed its first season, and with a second already announced for October 2024 through February 2025, the confirmation…
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Are you heading to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California anytime soon? We just returned from a visit to the iconic park, and are happy to report a number of new experiences to enjoy across both the OG Disneyland Park, and the accompanying second gate, California Adventure. There’s even a brand new Pixar-themed hotel! Here’s…
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There’s been a lot of chatter around Wish and the fact that its release celebrates Disney’s centennial, where the major theme across a heft of the studio’s films – that of wishes being granted – would be tied together. It’s a sweet notion, without question, but it would appear that the creatives behind the film…
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I grew up in the late 90s watching most of these animated Disney shows, but Gargoyles seemingly evaded me. Be it the limited exposure here in Australia, or my own ignorance, I never really had much of a connection to it. While I’ve certainly watched a few episodes of the series since then, my knowledge…
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Unlike Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise, The Haunted Mansion is one such Disney theme park ride that actually has a decent jumping point for a filmic incarnation. But unlike the Pirates of the Caribbean and Jungle Cruise films we saw defy the odds and turn the most basic of premises into larger-than-life adventure…
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I’m a huge fan of Mickey Mouse and in turn many of Disney’s attempts at giving Mickey his own gaming franchise. While there are admittedly dozens, with each varying in quality, there’s no denying some of them absolutely rule; Castle of Illusion and Mickey’s Wild Adventure, we’re looking at you. The art style and cooperative…
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Conjuring a metropolis that separates the elements – fire, water, earth and air – as if they were diverse ethnicities, Elemental, in the guise of a romantic comedy, operates as a metaphor for the opposing views of race and class. For a Pixar movie it all may seem a little heavy-handed, but Peter Sohn‘s delightful…
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Whilst, for the most part, there’s a certain unnecessary mentality that comes along with Disney and their incessant need to live-action-update their animated back catalogue, some of these efforts have given way to adaptations that are inherently interesting (Jon Favreau’s 2016 take on The Jungle Book), undeniably charming (Kenneth Branagh’s Cinderella from 2015) or have…
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“Tell the kid he’s got it,” said the legendary Mel Blanc with a smile, after listening to a young man’s first demo tape of cartoon character voices. The year was 1984, “the kid,” was Jim Cummings. Since then, the kid has gone on to give life and voice to some of America’s most beloved animal…
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There’s a formula adhered to and a lack of mould breaking throughout Matt Ruskin‘s Boston Strangler, but that doesn’t mean it still isn’t an effective take on an establish genre, with his script executing compelling narrative arcs and supplying the always-watchable Keira Knightley a role with sense and purpose. She stars as Loretta McLaughlin, a…
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Celebrating its 15th year, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has (Hulk) smashed its way to over $26 billion dollars at the global box office, introducing an array of colourful characters along the way and changing the blueprint of what it is to be a cinematic event. Kicking off Phase Five in the biggest way possible is…
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Though it’s created by Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, the screenwriters of the two National Treasure movies, and has links through the casting of guest-spotted performers Harvey Keitel and Justin Bartha, National Treasure: Edge of History has very little of the ultimate charm and adventurous spirit of its predecessors. The films – 2004’s original and its…
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When Mickey’s Toontown opened in 1993 at Disneyland in California, it was the first major expansion to the park since Bear Country (now called Critter Country with Splash Mountain as its centrepiece) in 1972. The inspired design of the land, and the rides that would make their way into the space, brought in elements from…
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With Hocus Pocus 2 proving a sizeable success, The Princess Diaries 3 now officially in the works, and both Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan discussing their interest in a Freaky Friday sequel, the House of Mouse is more than proving itself in the business of revisiting original titles for the sake of nostalgia, fan…
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Before Romeo & Juliet, there was Romeo & Rosaline. Adopting a personality that takes inspiration from the likes of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo & Juliet, 10 Things I Hate About You, and A Knight’s Tale, Rosaline is a charming romantic comedy that manages to present its meta commentary on the pros and cons of Shakespeare’s work…
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Like so many of the House of Mouse’s IPs, Hocus Pocus has been conjured once more. Disney weren’t entirely sure they had a success on their hands some 30 years ago with the release of the original film – what with the studio releasing a Halloween-themed family film in July, for starters – and were…
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Families and Disney fans have a reason to celebrate today, because after two and a half decades of operation, the Disney Cruise Line is finally set to arrive in Australia and New Zealand in late 2023. The only bad news? It’s for a limited time only. In operation since 1998, the Disney Cruise Line has…
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D23 has rolled around for 2022, highlighting some of Disney’s biggest upcoming projects, from Pixar films to Marvel epics and everything in between. This time however, we got a look at the first ever Disney and Marvel Games Showcase, giving gamers, Marvel fans and Disney lovers alike a glimpse at the future of their interactive…
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Once Taika Waititi reinvented the Marvel wheel with 2017’s wild Thor: Ragnarok, it made sense that the studio big-wigs would bestow further free licensing in the character’s shift towards a more humorous mentality. And whilst that’s all well and good – we certainly don’t want the character regressing in any manner – Thor: Love and…
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Chris Hemsworth, Elsa Pataky and Director Taika Waititi walk the red carpet for the Sydney premiere of Thor: Love and Thunder. Joining them at the premiere were local celebrities and VIPs. Our photographer Nathan Atkins was there to bring us all the action.
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When Lightyear was first announced it understandably caused confusion as to how it aligned itself with the Toy Story films its character originated from. Was it a spin-off, something that existed separately from the franchise? Or, did it perhaps focus on a real-life astronaut, suggesting that the Toy Story universe was set in a period…
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The notion of Disney and The Lonely Island collaborating is one that I imagine many failed to place on their 2022 movie bingo card. The comedy team – they of “I’m on a Boat” and “I Just Had Sex” fame – have rightfully added a little of their grown-up twist to the reimagining (of sorts)…
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The Walt Disney Company in Australia & New Zealand has today announced its first wave of local content commissions and acquisitions for Disney+ with nine Australian originals launching in 2022/23. Announced at an event held at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art, the slate of local and sure to be loved content includes three Scripted drama…
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To get to infinity and beyond, we need to explore the before. The upcoming animated sci-fi adventure Lightyear, from Disney and Pixar, is the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired Toy Story‘s fearless space warrior. Lightyear follows the legendary Space Ranger (voiced by Chris Evans) after he’s marooned on a hostile…
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Kingdom Hearts IV has been announced by Square Enix at the Kingdom Hearts 20th Anniversary Event overnight, along with a second game, titled Kingdom Hearts Missing-Link, a smaller title coming to iOS and Android platforms. The 7-minute trailer below features clips of both new games, preceded by footage of Kingdom Hearts Dark Road’s final story…
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So often favouring spectacle over character development, the comic book action movie has gradually skewered its initial action-centric mentality towards a dramatic outreach (however melodramatic) that speaks to the quality talent the films so often manage to lure. And for Marvel, not only are their films consistently cast, but their Disney+ series’ have more than…
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