By Courtney Potter
Celebrate Bollywood Music and Dancing with New Mira, Royal Detective Specials
Since its premiere in March 2020 and for more than 100 stories, Mira, Royal Detective has highlighted the rich, diverse cultures of India—and now, the acclaimed animated series for preschoolers will culminate with four extended-length specials that celebrate Bollywood music and dancing, while also familiarizing its young viewers with different perspectives and critical thinking. The specials will air on Disney Junior from May 2 through June 20; the series is also currently available on Disney+.
Each episode of Mira, Royal Detective centers on clever heroine Mira and her friends, including her sleuthing mongoose sidekicks Mikku and Chikku, as they help others by solving mysteries in their kingdom community of Jalpur.
The upcoming Bollywood-themed specials celebrate the iconic genre with higher stakes mystery and adventure; amazing musical performances; spectacular costuming; and elaborate dance numbers by series choreographer/dance consultant Nakul Dev Mahajan (FOX’s So You Think You Can Dance). Among the guest voices for these specials are Lilly Singh, Nik Dodani, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Punam Patel, Megan Suri, Kapil Talwalkar, and ESPN sportscaster Kevin Negandhi.
Led by Leela Ladnier as the voice of Mira, the series boasts a talented South Asian cast that includes Freida Pinto, Kal Penn, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Hannah Simone, Jameela Jamil, Aparna Nancherla, Aasif Mandvi, Sonal Shah, and Parvesh Cheena.
5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®
Fill out your viewing calendar this lovely April weekend with some sure-to-be-memorable fun from around the worlds of Disney—including a new episode of Amphibia featuring Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg. And if you’re looking to seize the day, fire up Disney+ for a celebratory viewing of Newsies, which premiered in theaters 30 years ago this Sunday, April 10. There’s more where that came from…
New Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Trailer
A thrilling new trailer for Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was released earlier this week—the perfect way to celebrate the fact that tickets for the film are now on sale! Be among the first to see Doctor Strange take on a dangerous, mind-bending journey through the Multiverse by purchasing advance theater tickets everywhere they’re sold.
This time ’round, the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), who—with the help of mystical allies both old and new—traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
The film, directed by Sam Raimi and produced by Kevin Feige, also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens May 6, in theaters only.
Disneyland Paris Unveils First Look at Frozen-Inspired Land
For the first time in forever, the magic of Frozen is coming to Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. Walt Disney Imagineering Paris recently unveiled the concept art for The Kingdom of Arendelle, a new land coming to the park; the announcement is the latest exciting transformation coming to the park, with Avengers Campus opening this summer.
Soon to be located at the heart of the park, guests will be immersed in the wintry atmosphere of the hit films. Elsa’s ice castle will stand at the top of a 131-foot-high snow-covered mountain, and the village will be home to a shop and restaurant that will serve Nordic-inspired meals. Naturally, a visit to Arendelle wouldn’t be complete without saying hello to beloved characters Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff!
Leading into Arendelle, guests will walk along a new promenade adorned with lush green walkways and themed gardens. A table-service restaurant with an Art Nouveau design and spectacular views will be located on the promenade for guests looking to refuel before embarking on their next adventure—and it’ll also offer meet-and-greet opportunities with Disney characters.
Stay tuned for more news about The Kingdom of Arendelle as it becomes available.
Walt Disney World Earmarks 80 Acres for New Affordable Housing Development
There’s a new affordable housing development, expected to include more than 1,300 units, coming soon to 80 acres of land near Walt Disney World Resort in southwest Orange County, Florida. Read all about the initiative—another innovative way The Walt Disney Company is working to strengthen its local communities—right here at D23.com.
New Fantasy-Competition Series The Quest to Debut on Disney+
Disney+’s upcoming Original Series The Quest is a groundbreaking, immersive, hybrid competition series that drops eight real-life teenagers (aka Paladins) into the fantastic, fictional world of Everealm, where they must save a kingdom by fulfilling an ancient prophecy. Take a look at the trailer for The Quest, above.
For thousands of years, Everealm has been a land of unrivaled beauty and powerful magic. Now, the realm is threatened by a powerful evil sorceress. As a last hope, the noble Fates summon eight strangers from a world beyond to work together to fulfill an ancient prophecy and vanquish the sorceress. The Paladins must unlock the hero within through a series of challenges that push their limits to restore balance to Everealm.
If they fail, all will be lost. Heroes will rise. Kingdoms will fall.
Throughout the eight-episode series, these heroes will be immersed in a fantasy world come to life, complete with a castle, royals, ethereal fates, all forms of mystical creatures, and a sorceress intent on destruction and power. Combining the best elements of scripted and unscripted content to create an immersive competition series, The Quest finds magic where fantasy and reality collide—as the contestants compete in challenges set in a fully realized world of adventure.
The series will be available for streaming beginning Wednesday, May 11.
ICYMI: EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Sets Launch Date
Mark those calendars! Beginning Friday, May 27, guests visiting EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort will be able to blast through the galaxy on the all-new coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. Find out what you can expect from the attraction by clicking here, and take a look at its incredible queue here.