San Diego Comic-Con Re-Cap
The 2014 San Diego Comic-Con was the setting for some big announcements
. . . and updates about many of your favorite—and soon-to-be-favorite—Disney properties.
Here’s a round-up of some of the biggest news that was shared this weekend:
- Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be written and directed by James Gunn and will land in theaters on July 28, 2017.
- Marvel announced that actor Josh Brolin has joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will play Thanos, “Marvel’s most cosmic villain.” The actor can first be seen and heard in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (in theaters August 1) and will subsequently play Thanos is future Marvel Studios films.
- Evangeline Lilly and Corey Stoll will appear in Ant-Man, due in theaters July 17, 2015, as the female lead and antagonist, respectively. Lilly will play Hope Pym, the daughter of Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) while Stoll will play Darren Cross, aka Yellowjacket. Paul Rudd was previously announced for the role of Scott Lang, Ant-Man himself.
- Marvel unveiled three new Star Wars comics helmed by all-star creative teams: Star Wars, an ongoing series by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday will arrive in January 2015. Star Wars: Darth Vader, an ongoing series by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca will debut in February 2015. And Star Wars: Princess Leia will be a five-issue miniseries, by Mark Waid and Terry Dodson, coming in March 2015. Each book will pick up where Star Wars: Episode IV left off, filling in important, previously unexplored gaps for some of the saga’s most iconic characters.
- Hasbro gave Star Wars fans a preview of their line of Star Wars Rebels toys, which will reflect the work and style of Ralph McQuarrie and the classic Star Wars feel. Hasbro also featured the higher end Black Series (including Hoth Luke with wampa), the smaller Star Wars Command figurines and vehicles, and the Saga Legends line.
- Disney Consumer Products revealed the toy line inspired by Big Hero 6 that will be available this fall at retailers. A full toy line from Bandai was showcased, along with Disney Store’s new Big Hero 6 Vinylmation series. The blind-box series features all-new characters from the highly anticipated film, which opens in theaters November 7.
- At the Comic-Con Once Upon a Time panel, co-creators Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz unveiled two never-before scene clips from Season 4. The first clip showed Frozen‘s Elsa and Anna at their parents’ grave and revealed that Anna is preparing for her wedding. The second clip showed recently reformed villain Regina telling her old friend, the Mirror, that she needed help getting rid of an enemy.
- Lucy Lawless will be joining Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Isabelle Hartly, a veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, with Nick Blood playing Lance Hunter, a mercenary Director Coulson enlists. And in a video presentation, Agent Koenig and Agent Koenig (Patton Oswalt) revealed that Bobbi Morse will be coming to the series… but all further details remain classified.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives Summer and Fall 2014 D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration August 2 Walt Disney Studios and Archives Tour August 24 Mary Poppins 50th Anniversary Celebration September 27 D23 Member Night at Aladdin on Broadway November 8 Walt Disney Studios and Archives Tour November 11 The Hunchback of Notre Dame VIP Experience November 22-23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World Through January 4, 2015 Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago August 14-16, 2015 D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California Television August 15 How to Build a Better Boy premieres on Disney Channel (8 p.m. ET/PT) |
Parks June 7-August 9 (Saturdays) Harambe Nights at Disney’s Animal Kingdom August 23 Villains Unleashed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, and 28; and October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 31 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties at Magic Kingdom Park September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, and 28; and October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 31 Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Resort September 26, 30; October 3, 6, 8, 10, 14, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29, and 31 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties at Magic Kingdom Park Studios August 1 Marvel Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theaters October 10 Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day opens in theaters. November 7 Big Hero 6 opens March 13, 2015 Cinderella opens in theaters June 19, 2015 Inside Out opens in theaters (along with the short Lava) |
Mark Your Calendars for a New Pirates Movie
Walt Disney Studios has announced that the fifth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean will open in theaters on July 7, 2017. The film will be directed by Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg, who directed the Oscar®-nominated Kon-Tiki.
Disney Infinity 2.0 is Bringing On the Villains
Check out the latest trailer for Disney Infinity 2.0, which spotlights some formidable villains who are making their way to the game. Play sets featuring Loki from The Avengers, Green Goblin from Spider-Man, and Ronan from Guardians of the Galaxy will be available for Disney Infinity Marvel Super Heroes (2.0 Edition) when the game hits stores this fall.
Award-Winning Actors Join the Cast of Jungle Book
Academy Award®-winning actor Christopher Walken has joined the voice cast of Disney’s The Jungle Book as King Louie, the ruler of a troop of monkeys and apes. Emmy®-nominee and Critics Choice Award winner Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad) will provide the voice of Akela, the leader of the wolf pack. They join Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, and Scarlett Johansson as Kaa. Ten-year-old Neel Sethi will play Mowgli, and will be the only actor to physically appear on screen in the film, which will combine both live-action and animation. Jon Favreau is directing from a script by Justin Marks. The film will be released in theaters October 9, 2015.
Galaxy Getaways Highlights Destinations That Are Out of This World
Guardians of the Galaxy opens in theaters August 1, but in the meantime, you can explore some of the universe’s most exotic destinations, with Galaxy Getaways, which bills itself as “more than just a travel agency.” In fact, the Galaxy Getaways website offers a closer look at the film’s imaginative locales, like Xandar, Morag, and Knowhere, as well as the characters who you might find there. Check out the video above, then head to Galaxy Getaways to see more of what the “Best Galactic Travel Agency” has to offer.
Check out Santa’s Disney Cruise Line Vacation . . . and Plan a Holiday Cruise of Your Own
Disney Cruise Line sent Santa on a cruise this summer, to give him a chance for some R & R before his busy season starts. But he’ll be back to the Disney Cruise Line this holiday season. DCL’s Very Merrytime Cruises, departing in November and December, will feature holiday-themed entertainment, activities and décor—including a life-sized gingerbread house, 24-foot Christmas tree, garlands, poinsettias, shimmering lights, and more. Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island, will be transformed with “snow” flurries, a Christmas tree, and more. Visit the Disney Cruise Line site for more details.
New Star Wars Rebels Trailer Features Some Familiar “Faces”
The team behind Star Wars Rebels unveiled a new trailer at San Diego Comic-Con last week that includes two of Star Wars fans favorite droids. The show’s executive producer, Simon Kinberg, told Comic-Con attendees that the show’s creators wanted the show to have the tone of the original movies. “The first decision we made was that it was going to be pre-New Hope.” Star Wars Rebels is scheduled to premiere in October 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, and will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.
The Villains Are About to Be Unleashed…
Disney Hollywood Studios is preparing for its new, separately ticketed event, “Villains Unleashed,” on August 23. More than 50 Disney villains will invade the park for one evening only. Some of the wickedly wonderful events planned include Hades Hangout, a party at the main event stage that kicks off at 8 p.m., “Villains Dominion,” in which the Streets of America area of the park will be swarming with villains, “Oogie Boogie’s Freaky Funhouse Show” at Theater of the Stars on Sunset Boulevard, plus a special villain-themed pre-show to the evening’s Fantasmic performance, and a Villainy in the Sky fireworks display in honor of the occasion. Get your tickets for Villains Unleashed here before they’re all gone.
Get Ready for Violetta: Rhythm & Music
Disney Interactive and Little Orbit, a worldwide video game publisher, have announced Violetta: Rhythm & Music, based on the hugely successful tween telenovela from Disney Channel Latin America, Violetta. The musical rhythm game will immerse players into Violetta’s star-studded world playing as Violetta and performing hits from the popular television show. Featuring hit songs from the show’s star Martina Stoessel, players will experience all the excitement of a star performer with creative rhythm games based on both songwriting and performing. Kids can play along to music videos on the Wii and 3DS platforms and as Violetta on the DS. Violetta fans will put their knowledge to the test with creative quiz questions from the entire Violetta universe! The game will launch later this year.
