Movie Review: "Beauty and the Beast" is Magnificently Done, Still a Classic

After seeing "Beauty and the Beast" it brought me back to a place of my childhood a rebirth of Disney animation back in 1991. I was just a young toddler back then but seeing the re-make into the fine piece of a motion picture into a live-action film. I won't lie I may have shed a tear towards the end of the film. Bill Condon did a wonderful job directing and the cast was just amazing.

Many had doubts about Emma Watson portraying the role of Belle, but she held her own. I was simply amazed, how well she played the role. Her voice while not perfect was good enough for me to make me satisfied that they had picked her. The true star is Dan Stevens playing the Beast. I can listen to him sing "Evermore" all day long if I had too. I will be humming songs from this film not just the old songs but the new one's as well. 

Back to the cast Luke Evans as Gaston and Josh Gad as LeFou were perfectly cast for their roles. The controversy before the film came out was unnoticeable to the common eye. Josh Gad was perfect and I'm not sure anyone else fit for the role. Emma Thompson as Mrs.Potts while she is no Angela Lansbury who voiced the role in the animated classic, was amazing in singing "Days in the Sun" and even "Beauty and the Beast." I was quite surprised how beautiful of a voice she had. 

I can go on and on about the music from the film as I will be humming and singing the songs for the foreseeable future. Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Tim Rice have all done it again and the addition of Josh Groban and Celine Dion have brought this music to a whole new level. 

I end with saying go see this film and its magnificent and will be a classic just as its animated predecessor was. Relive your childhood as well and you may even shed a tear too. 

Final "Beauty and the Beast" Trailer Released

Tonight, during ABC's "The Bachelor,"  Luke Evans (Gaston) and Josh Gad (LeFou) helped debut the final trailer for "Beauty and the Beast." The trailer did not disappoint as I am still unsure my emotions can handle seeing this film (Don't Judge). Check it out below and try not to cry:

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within. The film stars: Emma Watson as Belle; Dan Stevens as the Beast; Luke Evans as Gaston, the handsome, but shallow villager who woos Belle; Oscar® winner Kevin Kline as Maurice, Belle’s eccentric, but lovable father; Josh Gad as Lefou, Gaston’s long-suffering aide-de-camp; Golden Globe® nominee Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, the candelabra; Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci as Maestro Cadenza, the harpsichord; Oscar nominee Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, the mantel clock; and two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson as the teapot, Mrs. Potts.

"Beauty and the Beast" will waltz into theaters March 17.

Frozen Ever After Opens; Frozen Goes LEGO with "Frozen Northern Lights" Animated Shorts

Frozen Ever After Opens:

The wait is over...... 'Frozen Ever After' is opened and people are waiting and waiting and waiting. For the people that have gotten to ride the newest attraction it has gotten some rave reviews. The problem is with no soft opening of the attraction there have been some kinks and shut downs of the ride have occurred throughout the day.

At one point today, Epcot stopped accepting people in the stand-by line and were only accepting guests with FastPass+ reservations were allowed in line. The wait time posted reached the maximum 300 minute wait. Cast Members were seen handing out cold water and Mickey ice cream bars while guests waited in the hot sun waiting to get on the newest attraction. 

I haven't watched any video of 'Frozen Ever After' as I am trying not to spoil the surprise when I return to Disney World in just 89 days. Again reviews are saying the attraction is well improved over Maelstrom and the animatronics added to the attraction are absolutely amazing. We will see if the kinks get worked out of 'Frozen Ever After' over the next few days and weeks. 

Frozen Goes LEGO with "Frozen Northern Lights" Animated Shorts:

Frozen will be going LEGO with a new animated short series beginning in this fall called, "Frozen Northern Lights." The new series will also include a companion collection of books which will begin release in July. It will be an original story from Arendelle where Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven will embark on an epic journey to restore the glimmer of the Northern Lights.

"Natural phenomenon meets cultural phenomenon in this all new story, Frozen Northern Lights. We're excited to share this new adventure and offer fans great new ways to connect with their favorite characters thanks to a host of related books, digital games, and activities," said Andrew Sugerman, Executive Vice President of Disney Publishing Worldwide.

The new story, which is entitled Disney Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights, will be introduced as a deluxe novelization in July, ahead of an extended collection of books. In the book series, we’ll see some of our favorite characters return alongside a brand new protagonist named Little Rock. 

Back to the shorts, even more exciting news is that the original cast will be reprising their roles for the series. Here is Josh Gad, voice of Olaf, announcing "Frozen Northern Lights."

The shorts will air on Disney Channel this fall.

Disney Officially Announces Wide World of Sports Expansion, Josh Gad Will Take Viewers Around Disneyland, and More

Disney Officially Announces ESPN Wide World of Sports Expansion:

Last week, Disney filed permits for an expansion of its ESPN Wide World of Sports complex for a new 286,000 square foot building. We now know exactly what is being built as Disney made it official today with the announcement they are breaking ground on an 8,000 seat venue geared towards cheerleading and dance competitions. They will break ground this month with an expected completion by mid-2017. 

Disney in conjunction with Varsity Spirit teamed up to create the first state-of-the-art venue that is specifically designed for cheer and dance competitions. The venue will include a flexible design for one large competition space that can be set up for as many as four competition areas. Additional areas are being tailored for warming up and practicing, along with an area for judges and officials. 

The new multi-use sports and entertainment venue will also have the ability to host up to six regulation basketball courts, six regulation volleyball courts, or concert configurations. There will also be concessions throughout the venue with an additional box office and entry to the complex. 

“As our sports business continues to grow, we’re thrilled to work alongside Varsity Spirit to create a sporting and entertainment venue that will not only complement our existing venues, but will be a model for cheerleading and dance team competitions,” said Maribeth Bisienere, senior vice president of ESPN Wide World of Sports. “We value our young athletes and want to give these incredible guests an experience that can only be achieved at Disney.”

“Varsity Spirit invented the modern day cheerleading and dance competition, and we are proud to be the force behind this project, which represents our commitment to providing the very best and safest environment in the world for our athletes and coaches,” said Jeff Webb, Founder and Chairman of Varsity Brands. “Since this building has been designed specifically for spirit teams, we can’t wait to provide an even more high quality competition experience to thousands of athletes each year.”

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex hosts six cheer and dance competitions annually through its collaboration with Varsity Spirit. The events bring tens of thousands of athletes along with there family and fans to Walt Disney World yearly. According to Varsity Spirit, the sport of cheerleading continues to rise in popularity around not only the country but around the world. 

Josh Gad Will Take Viewers Around Disneyland During Disneyland 60 Special:

The actor who plays the lovable character Olaf in "Frozen", Josh Gad, will take viewers around Disneyland to rarely seen places during the upcoming Disneyland 60 special on ABC. Gad will take us on tour to see Walt's famous apartment above Main Street, USA and the Disneyland Dream Suite in New Orleans Square. He will even explore some Disney fan favorites such as everybody's favorite the Dole Whip during the two-hour special on February 21.

It appears as Disney isn't done adding to its list of stars for the special as Ne-Yo, Little Big Town, Fall Out Boy and Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke have all been added to the list for the special night. The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60 special will air from 8-10 p.m. on February 21 on ABC.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to Break $2 Billion Globally This Weekend:

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" continues to slash through records at the box office as it is expected to cross over $900 million domestically on its 50th day since its release. It is the only film in U.S. box office history to cross that plateau. That is not all as the film is expected to cross $2 Billion Globally only the second film ever in its original theatrical release.

“This is a historic moment for Star Wars, for Lucasfilm, and for Disney, and all of us here are extremely gratified to be a part of this journey with fans around the world who have made Star Wars: The Force Awakens such an extraordinary success,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “The film’s achievements are truly astounding, and it’s our great honor to relaunch this cinematic galaxy not only for all the devoted decades-long fans but for a new generation who will keep the Star Wars legacy alive for many years to come.”

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in its 8 weeks since being released has broken numerous records at the box office both domestically and globally. The Star Wars saga will continue with Star Wars: Episode VIII due to be released December 15, 2017 which will pick up where 'The Force Awakens' left off. "Star Wars: Rogue One" which will detail the events leading up to "Star Wars: A New Hope" will be released later this year on December 16, 2016.

Your Daily News from Around Disney 3/13/15

TGIF!!! It's Friday and I am definitely ready for the weekend. Yesterday's shareholders' meeting showed that at any time Disney can break news. Boy, did they break news. For further updates about yesterday's meeting check out yesterday blog and my recap of the meeting. Let's move onto today's news from around Disney.

Josh Gad Joins Disney's Live Action "Beauty and the Beast" Cast:

Today it was announced that the voice of Olaf from Disney's "Frozen", Josh Gad, has joined the cast of Disney's live action remake of the its animated classic "Beauty and the Beast." Gad who has taken the role of Le Fou, the buffoonish and loyal sidekick of villain Gaston. Gad is the first American actor to join the cast of British actors so far as Emma Watson will play Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast/Prince, as well as Luke Evans who will play Gaston. Bill Condon will be directing and David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman will be producing the live-action film. Gad, who was part of Disney's announcement at their shareholders' meeting to announce "Frozen 2", also is reprising his role as Olaf in "Frozen Fever" (the animated short that is appearing before "Cinderella" starting today in theaters).

 Well-known Disney Architect and Designer Michael Graves Passes at the Age of 80:

It is with great sadness to report that well-known Disney architect and designer Michael Graves passed away yesterday at the age of 80. Graves was paralyzed from the chest down from a spinal cord infection since 2003. Michael Graves is most known for being the creative mind behind many designs of well-known Disney buildings. His works include the design of the Team Disney building in Burbank which the Parthenon-inspired facade featuring the dwarves from Snow White as pillars are because of him. He also went onto design the Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts, Disney's Hotel New York in Disneyland Paris, as well some Disney Consumer Products which included housewares, bookends, and watches. He was one of the first outside designers to be granted "artistic freedom" to use Disney characters outside of their character integrity guidelines. I would like to wish my deepest condolences to the Graves family, may Michael Graves rest in peace.

This Day in Disney History:

On this day (March 13) in 1928, Walt Disney on a train back to California from New York City sends a Western Union telegram to his brother and partner Roy that reads: "Leaving tonite, stopping over KC, arrive home Sunday morning 7:30, don't worry everything ok, will give details when arrive." This is in reference to losing right to their creation Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Walt has a new idea for an animated character, that will be what we know as today as Mickey Mouse. 

On this day in 2005, Walt Disney Company directors choose Robert A. Iger to succeed Michael Eisner as CEO of the company. 

Daily Disney Quote:

"There is more treasure in books, than in all the pirates loot on Treasure Island."

-Walt Disney

Well, that all for today's blog, hope everyone enjoys the weekend. I will return on Sunday with part 3 of my in-depth series of Disney's deluxe resorts with Disney's Grand Floridian. As always in the words of Mickey Mouse, "See Ya Real Soon."

Recap of Disney's 2015 Annual Shareholders' Meeting

Well another Disney shareholders' meeting has come and gone and Disney has made waves after today's with some breaking news. Disney CEO Bob Iger started the meeting off with some Star Wars news. Meeting began with a re-watch of the teaser trailer for the upcoming "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" that will open in December. After that is when Iger broke the news that the first standalone Star War film will be called "Rogue One". In other Star Wars news Episode VIII will be released on May 26, 2017.

For other Disney movie news, the average Marvel movie (Disney has released) makes is about a billion dollars each. Shareholders were treated to a scene from Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron." Shareholder's were also treated to the trailer for the upcoming "Tomorrowland" film. Pixar CCO and director John Lasseter joined Iger on stage next for Pixar. They will have two films coming out in 2015 "Inside Out" this summer and "The Good Dinosaur" later this year. 

After a viewing of Disney's animated short "Frozen Fever" that will be released tomorrow before Disney's live-action film "Cinderella" is when Disney dropped more big news. Josh Gad (Frozen's Olaf) joined Iger and Lasseter on stage to announce that Disney Animation is in the works for the production of "Frozen 2", no release date was announced. Frozen 2 will reunite directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee along with producer Peter Del Vocho. 

Iger then briefly discussed now COO Tom Staggs promotion and the business portion of the meeting got under way. Nothing really to report from the business side of the shareholder's meeting. Next, was the start of the open questioning portion of the meeting. First question to Iger is if Figment and Dreamfinder would reunite at Epcot's Imagination pavilion. Iger answered while the new comics are impressive at this time there is no plans to re-imagine the pavilion or attraction. The big question however came from a 6-year old shareholder about a name change to Hollywood Studios. Iger answered with the following reply: "No...... Well we are doing a lot of work there that may result in a name change, wait we haven't announced that yet have we? Can we announce that? Ok, how about this, we will confirm that we will be changing the name of the park, but not tell you the new name, we will announce that later." So Hollywood Studios will be no more just as MGM Studios is no more.

What's Next?

That is a wrap on the 2015 Disney Annual Shareholders' Meeting. What does everyone think of Frozen 2 finally being announced? Again I can't tell you how excited I am about Star Wars and what Disney will bring to the table for the franchise. Last but not least Hollywood Studios is getting a new name. What do you think it will be? Rumor has it will be: Disney's Hollywood Adventure.