By Courtney Potter
Wreck-It Ralph is back for more shenanigans, and a huge expansion is coming for our Disney Parks friends “across the pond”… Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!
Hysterical Teaser Trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2
Lovable Ralph is getting ready to wreck his way into our hearts once again in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2… and now, we have an all-new teaser trailer detailing a bit of what we can expect this Thanksgiving! Check it out, above.
The much-anticipated sequel leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind and ventures into the uncharted, expansive, and thrilling world of the Internet—which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking! Video game “bad” guy Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope must rely on the citizens of the Internet—the netizens—to help navigate their way, including a website entrepreneur named Yesss (voice of Taraji P. Henson), who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making site “BuzzzTube.” Directed by Rich Moore (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph) and Phil Johnston (co-writer, Wreck-It Ralph; Cedar Rapids; co-writer, Zootopia), and produced by Clark Spencer (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph, Bolt), Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-Ralph 2 smashes into theaters on November 21.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives March 8, 2018 Be a Warrior During a Complimentary Advance Screening of A Wrinkle in Time March 24, 2018 Celebrate the Opening Weekend of Frozen on Broadway in New York City November 16-18, 2018 Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse Parks February 28–May 28, 2018 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2–April 12, 2018 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival April 13, 2018 Pixar Fest begins at the Disneyland Resort April 26, 2018 Disney•Pixar Toy Story Land opens at Shanghai Disneyland May 27, 2018 Star Wars: Galactic Nights Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios June 23, 2018 Pixar Pier opens at Disney California Adventure June 30, 2018 Toy Story Land opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2019 Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World |
Studios March 9, 2018 Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time opens in U.S. theaters May 4, 2018 Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War opens in U.S. theaters May 25, 2018 Solo: A Star Wars Story opens in U.S. theaters June 15, 2018 Incredibles 2 opens in U.S. theaters July 6, 2018 Marvel Studios’ Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in U.S. theaters opens in U.S. theaters August 3, 2018 Disney’s Christopher Robin opens in U.S. theaters November 2, 2018 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms opens in U.S. theaters December 19, 2018 Mary Poppins Returns opens in U.S. theaters Television March 4, 2018 The Oscars air live on ABC (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) March 11, 2018 American Idol premieres on ABC (8–10 p.m. ET) March 23, 2018 Muppet Babies premieres on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW (10 a.m. ET) |
Huge Expansion Plans Announced for Disneyland Paris
Big news for our Disney Parks friends from “across the pond”: Just this week, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced plans for a massive multi-year expansion for Disneyland Paris—including three new areas based on Marvel, Frozen, and Star Wars. Read all about it right here!
Disney Cruise Line Adds New Destinations for Summer 2019
Get ready to see more of the world than ever before with Disney Cruise Line (DCL), starting in summer 2019! Just over a year from now, DCL will set sail on new itineraries and to seven new ports in Europe, including a first-ever round-trip cruise from Rome and first-time visits to destinations in Europe. Plus, adventures will continue for DCL fans with sailings to Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas—including new cruise lengths aboard the Disney Fantasy.
When in Rome, do as DCL would do during their first-time visits to this unbelievably historic city—which will bookend the experience in a single cruise. On June 14, 2019, the Disney Magic will sail an eight-night cruise from Civitavecchia (Rome); ports of call include Salerno (Positano, Amalfi, Pompeii) and La Spezia (Florence, Pisa), Italy; Villefranche (Monte Carlo, Cannes, Nice) and Marseilles, France; and Barcelona, Spain. Elsewhere on the continent, DCL will call on seven new ports in Europe for the first time in 2019, including Gothenburg and Nynashamn (Stockholm), Sweden; Toulon (Provence) and Brest, France; Cartagena, Spain; Fredericia, Denmark; and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Bookings open to the public on March 8, 2018! For more information on all of the above (and on DCL in general), visit DisneyCruiseLine.com.
Marvel Kicks Off Campaign to Help Children’s Charities
The Avengers are assembling for a few very good causes… Disney just announced Marvel: The Universe Unites, a truly epic campaign in support of children’s charities including Make-A-Wish®, Starlight Children’s Foundation, and Give Kids The World. Throughout this week-long event, stars of Marvel Studios’ hugely anticipated film Avengers: Infinity War will team up for a series of hero acts and social media challenges to raise funds and awareness for charities that support kids and families impacted by serious illness.
As part of Marvel Studios: Hero Acts, a charitable initiative launched in 2016, some members of the cast of Avengers: Infinity War will receive a special toy care package filled with cool new products, celebrating their Marvel character, to be donated to children’s hospitals. And their mission? To take a creative photo or video to reveal the new toys to fans and post it to their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter channels using the hashtag #HeroActs. So that’s how you, the fans, come in—when the stars’ collective posts hit 1 million likes, they’ll unlock a $250,000 donation to Starlight Children’s Foundation® from Marvel!
But that’s not all: Hasbro will donate $1 million in cash and products to Give Kids the World; Funko will make a $1 million toy donation to Starlight; and if you purchase something Marvel from shopDisney.com or at Disney stores across the U.S. this weekend (March 3 and 4), they’ll donate 10 percent of those sales (up to $50,000) to Make-a-Wish…
“Being a Marvel Super Hero gives us a powerful platform to directly influence positive change,” says Chadwick Boseman, star of Black Panther. “Giving back to kids is the most impactful role you can play. Marvel: The Universe Unites and #HeroActs is just a fun way to support a noble cause while entertaining kids and fans around the globe.”
Youth STEM Program Gets Panther-tastic Boost from Disney
Speaking of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther… Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda (portrayed by Letitia Wright) is a veritable genius when it comes to super-cool advanced tech. Could the next Shuri be living in your neighborhood? The Boys and Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) youth STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs hope to find out—and to that end, in celebration of Black Panther’s record-breaking success, The Walt Disney Company is donating $1 million to BGCA’s STEM projects.
The organization will use this one-time grant to further develop its existing national STEM curriculum, and establish new STEM Centers of Innovation in 12 different areas across the country. The curriculum and new centers will serve and inspire kids and teens in communities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Harlem, Memphis, Oakland, and Washington, D.C.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s Centers of Innovation provide youth with hands-on, advanced technologies that stimulate creative approaches to STEM exploration, including 3-D printers, robotics, and high-definition video production and conferencing equipment. Plus, a fully dedicated STEM expert will offer individual and group support, using real-world applications to help Club members develop their STEM skills and critical thinking. Says Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, “Thanks to Disney’s support, we can expand our outreach and allow more youth to find their passions and discover STEM careers.”
Disney Junior to Bring The Rocketeer to Life Once More
There’s a new animated series on the horizon, inspired by the popular comic books by Dave Stevens (which also informed the fan-favorite 1991 Disney film) and ready to bring high-flying adventure to young kids and their families! Disney Junior just started production on The Rocketeer, and it’s set to debut in 2019; read more about the series here at D23.com.
Muppet Babies Set to Premiere Next Month!
Here’s a bit more Disney Junior news: The adorable pint-sized versions of your favorite Muppets are almost ready to hit the airwaves!
The channel’s reimagined Muppet Babies will premiere Friday, March 23, with two back-to-back episodes on Disney Channel (10 a.m. EDT) and in the DisneyNOW app. Based on the original Emmy® Award-winning series, the all-new CG-animated Muppet Babies chronicles the hilarious playroom antics of the young Kermit the Frog, Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, and a brand-new Muppet Baby named Summer Penguin. The series will also feature guest appearances by fan-favorite Muppets including Statler and Waldorf, Bunsen and Beaker, Rowlf the Dog, Rizzo the rat, and even Dr. Teeth.
And guess what else? The series’ soundtrack, featuring the theme song performed by Tony Award®-winner Renée Elise Goldsberry (Broadway’s Hamilton) and additional songs from the series, has just been released digitally by Walt Disney Records. If you’re a huge Muppet fan (like ourselves), it might be a great add to your music collection…
Hear a Brand-New Song from Frozen on Broadway
Disney Theatricals’ Frozen is now in previews at the St. James Theatre in New York City, with its official opening night on March 22. Feel like getting into a monstrous-ly good Frozen mood right this minute? Check out a fabulous video of one of the show’s new songs, “Monster,” sung Elsa herself (B’way vet Caissie Levy), and written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez… watch it here.
A Wrinkle in Time Stars Surprise Disneyland Resort Guests
Our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog recently chronicled a very cool event that happened at the Disneyland Resort: The stars of Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time—Storm Reid, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey—surprised fans during an exclusive preview of the film at Disney California Adventure’s Sunset Showcase Theatre, and then headed over to Disneyland park to pose with fans for a photo in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle!
See how the surprise played out in the video, above—and make sure to catch Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, directed by Ava DuVernay, when it hits a theater near you on March 9.
