Disney Cancels 'Gigantic' Its Version of "Jack and the Beanstalk"

In 2015, Disney showed off a massive model of an animated film they were working on based of the classic childhood story, "Jack and the Beanstalk", called "Gigantic" at the D23 Expo. Shortly before this year's expo the film which was supposed to premiere in 2018 was pushed back until 2020. Now as of yesterday the film and ideas are being shelved. 

It was an updated take on the classic fairytale in which Jack befriends a female giant. Meg Lefauve (Inside Out) and Nathan Greno (Tangled) were slated to co-direct the film. While Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Frozen) were slated to write songs for the film. Part of the reason the film was delayed from 2018 and 2020 was because Robert and Kristen were busy with writing the music for "Frozen 2" due out in 2019. 

Disney & Pixar Animation President Ed Catmull had this to say in a statement:

"It's impossible to know when we begin a project how the creative process will unfold, and sometimes, no matter how much we love an idea or how much heart goes into it, we find that it just isn’t working. With Gigantic, we've come to that point, and although it's a difficult decision, we are ending active development for now. We are focusing our energies on another project that has been in the works, which we'll be sharing more about soon, now set for Thanksgiving 2020."

No details on the new project were not released but Disney fans can prepare for the next two films in animation in Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It-Ralph 2 due out on November 21, 2018 and the much anticipated sequel in Frozen 2 due out November 27, 2019.

Now what does this mean for the parks? Rumors had been swirling for months before this year's D23 Expo that Disney had plans to build a Spain Pavilion at Epcot with an attraction based on Gigantic. That rumor was pushed back once it was delayed until 2020. Now it could be in jeopardy with the film being shelved.

Of course Disney can build a Spain Pavilion without an attraction based on 'Gigantic' but it seemed they had high hopes for the film since they had an attraction already in the works before the film even hit theaters. Now the film has been cancelled and now only questions remain. One of those big questions is: Will Disney build a Spain Pavilion at Epcot now that 'Gigantic' is shelved or will it choose another country to debut on World Showcase?

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

First Permits for Hollywood Studios Answer Some Questions; Meet the Characters of 'Zootopia'

First Permits for Hollywood Studios Answer Some Questions:

Today, a WDWMagic member uncovered the first of probably many permits for the upcoming Hollywood Studios expansion. The permits are scheduled to begin in January 2016, as announced, and a completion date of October 2018.

The first image shows Hollywood Studios marked in yellow filling in existing wetlands and creating new wetlands on the other side of World Drive. The new wetlands are marked in blue. This area where the park will take over existing wetlands could very well be the site of some parts of the new 14-acre Star Wars Land. It hasn't been confirmed by these permits however as they aren't clearly marked.

The second image details a new Victory Way and Osceola Parkway interchange, along with new bridges into the parking lot area.

With the expansion of the park it has been speculated that Hollywood Studios will see a significant upgrade to its infrastructure with the speculation of possible parking garages and new entry and exit roadways. Stay tuned as the expansion of Disney's Hollywood Studios is just beginning and the details are just starting to be revealed.

Meet the Cast of Characters of Disney's 'Zootopia':

Last night, the cast and their character names of Disney's next animated film "Zootopia" were released. We already know that ABC's "Once Upon a Time" star Ginnifer Goodwin will voice Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman will voice Nick Wilde. Here is the rest of the cast and characters as seen above:

Chief Bogo (Idris Elba) - Elba (BBC's Luther) voices Chief Bogo, head of the Zootopia Police Department. A tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude, Bogo is reluctant to add Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s first bunny cop, to his squad of hardened rhinos, elephants and hippos.

Mayor Lionheart (J.K. Simmons) - Simmons (Juno, Oscar winner for Whiplash) voices Mayor Leodore Lionheart,  the noble leader of Zootopia, who coined the city’s mantra that Judy Hopps lives by: “In Zootopia, anyone can be anything.”

Officer Clawhauser (Nate Torrence) - Torrence (Weird Loners on Fox) voices Officer Benjamin Clawhauser, Zootopia Police Department's most charming cheetah. Clawhauser loves two things: pop star Gazelle (voiced by Shakira) and donuts. From his reception desk, he greets everyone with a warm smile and a helpful paw—covered in sprinkles.

Bellwether (Jenny Slate) - Slate (Marcel the Shell) voices Bellwether, the Assistant Mayor of Zootopia, a sweet sheep with a little voice and a lot of wool, who constantly finds herself under foot of the larger-than-life Mayor Lionheart.

Yax (Tommy Chong) - Chong (That 70's Show) voices Yax the Yak, the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia. When Judy Hopps is on a case, Yax is full of revealing insights.

Mrs. Otterton (Octavia Spencer) - Spencer (Oscar winner for The Help) voices Mrs. Otterton, a desperate otter who turns to Officer Judy Hopps for help in solving her husband’s mysterious disappearance.

Bonnie and Stu Hopps (Bonnie Hunt & Don Lake) - Hunt (Return to Me) voices Bonnie Hopps, mother of Judy—and her 275 brothers and sisters. Mrs. Hopps loves and supports her daughter, but is a hare nervous about Judy moving to Zootopia to become a big-city police officer. Lake (Dumb and Dumber To) voices Stu Hopps, Judy's father, a carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow. Along with Mrs. Hopps, he is worried about Judy moving to Zootopia and the untrustworthy big-city mammals who live there—especially foxes.

Duke Weaselton (Alan Tudyk) - Tudyk (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is the voice of Duke Weaselton, a small-time weasel crook with a big-time weasel mouth, who tries to give Judy the slip during a police chase.

Finnick (Tommy "Tiny" Lister) - Lister (The Fifth Element) voices Finnick, a fennec fox with a big chip on his adorable shoulder.

Flash (Raymond Persi) - Persi (Wreck-It Ralph) voices Flash, the fastest sloth working at the DMV—the Department of Mammal Vehicles.

Disney's "Zootopia" hits theaters March 4, 2016.

D23 Expo 2015 Promises Larger that Ever Presentations; Parks and Resorts to Present as Well

Today, Disney and its official fan club, D23, officially announced what would happen during the D23 Expo that is happening August 14-16. Disney will be creating a new 7,500-seat venue, called "Hall D23," to be located in Hall D of the Anaheim Convention Center. More guests than ever will be able to see the presentations at the expo. To kick off the expo, the fan-favorite Disney Legends Awards Ceremony will take place on Friday and is hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO, Bob Iger.

The ceremony which has honored those who have made major contributions to the Disney legacy will kick off the ceremonies. In the past Disney stars Julie Andrews, Annette Funicello, Alan Menken, Tony Baxter, Steve Jobs, and many other Disney legends. Later on Friday the expo will continue with presentations on sneak peeks of all the latest from Disney Animation and Pixar. On Saturday morning, fans will get a preview from Walt Disney Studios the slate of live-action films from Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm (Star Wars). Saturday afternoon will bring a presentation from chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Bob Chapek. At the 2013 D23 Expo there was no presentation from Parks and Resorts. 

The presentation for Disney Parks and Resorts is interesting as they are saying they are going preview the new and exciting things that are coming to the parks. Will it be a continuation and preview of Pandora (Avatarland) or even what coming to the new Shanghai Disney Resort. What everyone is asking and hoping for is an announcement of maybe a Pixar Play Place and Star Wars coming to Hollywood Studios. Also, will this be the place where they announce the new name for Hollywood Studios? All this will be answered in the coming months.

Tickets for the D23 Expo are now available at a discounted price for a limited time offer. Until June 30, tickets for one-day adult admission will be $67 and $48 for children ages 3-12. For D23 members tickets are $58 for adults and $42 for children for one-day admission to the expo. Multi-day money saving tickets are also available. For more information on tickets and other questions, guests can visit D23EXPO.com.