Cast Unveiled for Aladdin North American Tour

By Alison Stateman

The smash Broadway musical Aladdin will be hitting the road again this fall with a stellar cast.

Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, President of Disney Theatrical Productions, announced casting for the highly anticipated North American tour, which debuts in Schenectady, New York, at Proctors Theatre, from October 11 through October 23, 2022. It will go on to delight audiences in 36 cities during the 2022–2023 season, with additional cities to be announced.

The cast will feature Adi Roy as Aladdin, Marcus M. Martin as Genie, Senzel Ahmady as Jasmine, Anand Nagraj as Jafar, Aaron Choi as Iago, Sorab Wadia as Sultan, Ben Chavez as Omar, Jake Letts as Babkak, Colt Prattes as Kassim, Dwelvan David as standby Genie, Jafar, and Sultan, and J. Andrew Speas as standby Genie, Sultan, and Babkak.

Roy most recently played Phoenix in the reopening cast of Jagged Little Pill on Broadway.

(from left to right) Adi Roy, who will take on the lead role in Aladdin’s North American tour, smiles and turns toward the viewer. He wears a grey and navy striped crewneck sweater. Marcus M. Martin, a regional theater veteran, will play Genie in the North American tour of the hit Broadway musical Aladdin. Marcus faces the viewer with a broad smile and wears a maroon crew neck sweater. Senzel Ahmady, a native of the San Francisco Bay area and NYU student, is set to star as Jasmine in the North American touring production of Aladdin. She faces the viewer with a closed-mouth smile, her long, dark hair parted in the center and wears a scoop-neck white shirt.

Rounding out the cast are Alyssa Anani, Carina R. Avila, Daniel Brackett, Victoria Byrd, Edward Cuellar, Cody Hernández, D. Jerome, Joshua Kenneth Allen Johnson, Tyler Johnson-Campion, Maya Kazzaz, Brandon J. Large, Lauren Louis, Melissa Hunter McCann, Angelina Mullins, Omar Nieves, Ryan Rodiño, Cameron Sirian, Taylor Mackenzie Smith and Asten Stewart.

Aladdin, the hit musical based on the Academy Award®-winning animated film, opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014, and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 14 New Amsterdam Theatre house records.

The North American tour will be one of six productions around the world, joining those currently running on Broadway and in Tokyo, the Netherlands, Mexico City, and Germany. Worldwide, Aladdin has welcomed an audience of more than 14 million people.

A previous North American tour of Casey Nicholaw’s Broadway production played 1,201 performances in 41 cities date to date, drawing more than 2.7 million people.

You can find out more about the newly imagined North American tour by clicking here.

Watch the Disney & Marvel GAMES SHOWCASE on Friday, September 9 – Live from D23 Expo 2022

By the D23 team,

D23 Expo is about to level up! Disney is streaming the Disney & Marvel GAMES SHOWCASE to fans worldwide on Friday, September 9, at 1 p.m. PT/4 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in to the showcase, hosted by Kinda Funny’s Blessing Adeoye Jr.

The digital showcase will feature incredible new content from Disney & Pixar Games, Marvel Games, Lucasfilm Games, and 20th Century Games. In addition to all-new announcements, fans can expect new reveals from titles including Disney Dreamlight Valley, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and LEGO® Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, as well as a sneak peek at an upcoming Marvel ensemble game from Skydance New Media.

The Disney & Marvel GAMES SHOWCASE will be livestreamed from D23 Expo and available to watch on a variety of platforms, including:

Fans attending D23 Expo in person will be able to watch the showcase live on the Premiere Stage, with a presentation following the livestream featuring developer interviews, special guests, and exclusive giveaways. 

On the D23 Expo show floor, fans can visit Aniplex’s Disney Twisted-Wonderland booth to learn more about the unique anime-style game inspired by iconic Disney Villains. Attendees will be able to discover the different dorms of Night Raven College with a fun photo opportunity and see Twisted-Wonderland characters at the Infinity Cube, an immersive experience featuring live 2D animation. While supplies last, everyone who visits the Disney Twisted-Wonderland booth will receive a hand-fan featuring Grim, a cat-like monster who aspires to be a great mage and your roommate in the game. 

D23 Expo is sold out. The Disney & Marvel GAMES SHOWCASE and select additional presentations will be streamed for guests at D23 Expo Live! throughout the show, on September 9, 10, and 11. For more information, visit D23Expo.com.

Schedule and talent are subject to change.

A Magical Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Reunion—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

It’s Possible—Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20 to Air August 23

In 1997, The Wonderful World of Disney presented an incredible version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, starring Brandy as the titular princess and the iconic Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother, along with a truly all-star cast. And to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, ABC News Studios will present Cinderella: The Reunion, A Special Edition of 20/20 on Tuesday, August 23, at 8 p.m. ET.

Featuring Brandy as well as castmates Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg, Paolo Montalban, Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Jason Alexander, and Veanne Cox, the one-hour special will air during Disney’s World Princess Week and will explore how the revolutionary made-for-television musical expanded society’s view of the term “princess.” Look for interviews with original cast members, as well as rare behind-the-scenes footage with Houston.

It’ll also dive into the film’s positive impact on representation in Hollywood and feature interviews with stars who share a connection to the project—including Tony®, Grammy®, and Emmy® Award-winning actor and singer Billy Porter; actress Jade Jones, who plays Belle in the off-Broadway tour of Beauty and the Beast; and singer-songwriter and choreographer Todrick Hall, a Cinderella superfan who has drawn inspiration from the film throughout his career.

Following the special, The Wonderful World of Disney will air—for the first time on broadcast television in more than two decades—the original film at 9 p.m. ET, which is also available to stream on Disney+.

Always remember: Impossible things are happening every day!

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®

Temps remain pretty darn warm around much of the country, even as schools are starting back up—so why not stay nice and cool indoors and check out some fantastical fun from around the worlds of Disney? There’s X-Men: Days of Future Past on FX; the 2016 retelling of Pete’s Dragon on Disney+; a new episode of Celebrity Family Feud on ABC; and so much more.

More Mummy, More Problems: Under Wraps 2 Coming This September

Ready for another spooktacular good time? Disney Branded Television’s Under Wraps 2, the anticipated sequel to the eerie-sistably fun Halloween Disney Channel Original Movie Under Wraps, will debut Sunday, September 25, on Disney Channel and will stream on Disney+ shortly thereafter.

Under Wraps 2 picks up as Marshall (Malachi Barton), Gilbert (Christian J. Simon), and Amy (Sophia Hammons) are getting ready to attend Amy’s father’s Halloween-themed wedding to his fiancé Carl. However, plans soon go awry when the three friends discover their mummy pal Harold (Phil Wright) and his beloved Rose (Rryla McIntosh) may be in danger. Sobek (T.J. Storm), an evil mummy with a 1,000-year-old grudge against his best-friend-turned-bitter-rival Harold, is unexpectedly awakened and out for revenge. With help from his hypnotized lacky Larry (Jordan Conley), Sobek kidnaps Rose—so Gilbert, Marshall, Buzzy (Melanie Brook), and Harold must use their skills once again to save her and get back in time to attend the wedding.

The film also stars Claude Knowlton as Amy’s father, Pop; Antonio Cayonne as Carl; and Adam Wylie (Disney Channel’s 1997 version of Under Wraps) as Beuller, owner of Beuller’s Jewelry.

Merriment, Mirth, and Murder Mystery in Hulu’s Wedding Season

Earlier this week, Hulu shared the new trailer for the original series Wedding Season, starring Rosa Salazar and Gavin Drea. All eight episodes of the rom-com thriller will premiere next month on the streaming service.

The genre-busting series tells the story of Katie (Salazar) and Stefan (Drea), who fall for each other at a wedding and begin an affair—despite Katie already having a fiancé. Two months later, at Katie’s wedding, her new husband and his entire family are murdered. The police think Stefan did it. Stefan thinks Katie did it. And no one knows for sure what the truth is…

Wedding Season is an action-packed romp across the United Kingdom and the United States, as Katie and Stefan go on the run—all while trying to prove their innocence.

Jade Harrison, Jamie Michie, Callie Cooke, Bhav Joshi, Ioanna Kimbrook, and Omar Baroud round out the cast. Look for it beginning Thursday, September 8, on Hulu!

Dan Povenmire Proves Even Hamsters Can Be Superheroes

D23 recently sat down with our friend Dan Povenmire for a freewheeling chat about his brand-new animated series Hamster & Gretel, premiering this week on Disney Channel. See what he had to say about—among other things—how the series fits into the Phineas & Ferb universe; how the music is created for the show; and the story behind how his daughter became the voice of Gretel.

Hulu Debuts the Trailer for the Final Season of Trolls: TrollsTopia

The seventh and final season of Hulu’s Trolls: TrollsTopia has just debuted this week—and it proves anything is possible with a little teamwork, a bit of glitter, and a lot of fun!

When the vacation that Val (voiced by Lauren Mayhew) organizes doesn’t go to plan and R&B (voiced by Kat Graham) hosts a disastrous pancake breakfast, Poppy (voiced by Amanda Leighton) and the Trolls must get creative. And when Cloud Guy (voiced by Walt Dohrn) is accepted to Cloud College he embarks on a hunt to find a replacement to annoy Branch in his absence. But does one even exist?

See the series now, streaming only on Hulu!

ICYMI: Meet the New Student at Cal U on Freeform’s grown-ish

Class is back in session for lots of schools around the country, and that includes fictional Cal U on the Freeform series grown-ish. This season, just-graduated Zoey (Yara Shahidi) will be helping brother Junior (Marcus Scribner) learn how to navigate college—and D23 heard from both Scribner and Shahidi, as well as other members of the shows cast and creative time. Click here to read more.

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ Offer the Best in Streaming Inside The Disney Bundle Pavilion at D23 Expo, Including Special Perks for Disney+ Subscribers

By the D23 Team

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ make their return to D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, showcasing the ultimate streaming lineup of live and on-demand content. During the three-day Ultimate Fan Event, presented by Visa, attendees can enjoy immersive experiences, talent appearances, and photo opportunities at The Disney Bundle Pavilion along with live demos of the latest features on Disney+, special perks for Disney+ subscribers across the show floor, and much more.

This year, the global celebration of Disney+ Day returns on Thursday, September 8, leading into D23 Expo from Friday, September 9, through Sunday, September 11. To continue the festivities, attendees will be treated to news, first looks, and talent appearances from upcoming Disney+ Originals as part of the highly anticipated Hall D23 showcases including the Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disney Live Action presentation on Friday, September 9, and the Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Disney Branded Television presentations on Saturday, September 10. Throughout the weekend, Disney+ subscribers attending D23 Expo will be able to unlock special giveaways or promotions at Offer Spots on the show floor when they present their Disney+ subscriber pass, which can be picked up at D23 Expo starting on Thursday, September 8.

In honor of Dancing with the Stars’ new home, Disney+ ​​invites guests to step back into the ballroom for a special celebration on the Backlot Stage on Sunday, September 11. Co-hosts Tyra Banks and Alfonso Ribeiro will be joined by a panel of executive producers and judges to share their favorite memories from the show and reveal new details about Season 31, premiering Monday, September 19, on Disney+.

The Disney Bundle Pavilion
On the show floor, The Disney Bundle Pavilion will showcase the unprecedented collection of entertainment and sports content offered across Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ with special programming and experiences.

Disney+ will exhibit two unique installations for fans to experience. A lenticular installation offers guests an opportunity to look for their reflection among the moving images, while a Disney+ holographic display will surprise guests with beamed-in appearances by their favorite characters.

Hulu invites guests to “Check in to Their Obsessions” as they walk through the iconic Hulu green vessel and are transported to a world filled with all their Hulu favorites, offering something for every type of viewer—whether they’re a pop culture aficionado or reality TV buff, or whether their watch list is filled with adult animation or critically acclaimed dramas. They will be able to join the Belchers for a Bob’s Burgers family photo opportunity, as well as put themselves in the hot seat of a confessional from their favorite reality TV shows, as they navigate a variety of immersive experiences. 

ESPN+ will offer fans a backstage pass that will give them a close-up look at some of the most iconic memorabilia in sports, including the College Football Playoff trophy, the UFC Championship belt, an El Clásico game ball, and more. Then, fans can complete their VIP fan experience by snapping a photo sitting behind a sports news desk. 

The Disney Bundle Pavilion Stage Programming
Additionally, The Disney Bundle Pavilion stage will host three full days of panels, trivia, activities, fan-favorite screenings, and more, highlighting the diverse offering of shows, movies, and sports from Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.

Highlights of the tentative schedule are as follows, with times subject to change (all times PT):

Friday, September 9
11:35 a.m. – Pixar’s Onward Story Presentation by Story Supervisor Kelsey Mann

12:00 p.m. – To the Edge of the Unknown from National Geographic with Jimmy Chin and Alex Honnold
12:35 p.m. – Sketch with an Animator: Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Eric Goldberg
1:55 p.m. – The History of Cars: Road Trip from the Original Film to New Series Cars on the Road with Creative Director Jay Ward
3:50 p.m. – Across the Bundle Spotlights: Hispanic Voices Panel
6:25 p.m. – Hulu Dance Party

Saturday, September 10
12:10 p.m. – A Conversation with Frozen Filmmakers with Academy Award® Winners Chris Buck (Director) and Peter Del Vecho (Producer)

1:10 p.m. – Sketch with an Animator: Solar Opposites’ Lindsay Carrozza
3:50 p.m. – Across the Bundle Spotlights: Made by Her Panel
4:50 p.m. – Meet the Muppets: The Muppets Mayhem Conversation Hosted by Tahj Mowry
6:25 p.m. – Hulu Dance Party

Sunday, September 11
10:00 a.m. – A Conversation with Encanto Filmmakers with Academy Award Winners Jared Bush (Director/Writer), Clark Spencer (Producer), and Yvett Merino (Producer)

3:50 p.m. – Across the Bundle Spotlights: Black History Always Panel
6:25 p.m. – Hulu Dance Party

Stage Presentations featuring Disney+ Content
Continuing the Disney+ Day celebration, fans will be treated to exclusive first looks at some of the new movies, series, specials, and shorts coming to Disney+ in 2023 and beyond during the following panels, including the newly announced Dancing with the Stars 31st Season Celebration on September 11.

Highlights of the tentative schedule are as follows, with times subject to change (all times PT):

Friday, September 9
10:45 a.m. – The Simpsons! (Premiere Stage)

3:30 p.m. – Studio Showcase, Day 1: Celebrate the Magic of Disney and Pixar (Hall D23)
5:45 p.m. – National Geographic and Disney+ Special Screening: Epic Adventures with Bertie Gregory (Hyperion Stage)

Saturday, September 10
10:00 a.m. – Studio Showcase, Day 2: Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios (Hall D23)

3:30 p.m. – Disney’s Epic Entertainment Showcase: The Musical: The Extravaganza! (Hall D23)
5:45 p.m. – National Geographic and Disney+ Special Screening: Limitless with Chris Hemsworth (Hyperion Stage)
6:00 p.m. – The Santa Clauses: Conversation with Cast and Creators (Premiere Stage)
6:00 p.m. – Sneak Peek at Zootopia+ from Walt Disney Animation Studios (Backlot Stage)

Sunday, September 11
10:00 a.m. – Disney Original Documentary’s Sneak Peek of Mickey: The Story of a Mouse (Backlot Stage)

10:30 a.m. – The Cast and Creators of the Disney+ Series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Premiere Stage)
6:00 p.m. – Dancing with the Stars’ 31st Season Celebration (Backlot Stage)

D23 Expo is sold out. Select presentations will be streamed for guests at D23 Expo Live! For more information, visit D23Expo.com.

How Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Is Raising the Bar in the MCU

By Andie Hagemann

Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is smashing courtroom opponents and breaking the fourth wall all while balancing her new Super Hero persona in Marvel Studios’ new series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Debuting Thursday, August 18, exclusively on Disney+, the series centers around the single, 30-something attorney who happens to transform into a 6-foot-7-inch green hulk.

Following a serious car accident and her subsequent efforts to help her cousin, who happens to be none other than the Hulk, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Jen is bestowed superpowers, which she begrudgingly must learn how to embrace with her cousin’s help. Jen is obsessed with her work as a lawyer specializing in superhuman-oriented legal cases, and while she openly resents her new form and the attention associated with it, she also secretly loves it. “Jen has had her life planned out for her and has worked really hard to get to where she is as a lawyer,” says Maslany. “To have this thing happen to her that sort of derails everything, it is a bit of an identity crisis.”

Actor Mark Ruffalo with CGI green skin and both arms extend outward.

The nine-episode comedy series welcomes veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Tim Roth as Emil Blonksy/Abomination and Benedict Wong as Wong, and also introduces Jameela Jamil as Titania; Josh Segarra as Augustus “Pug” Pugliese; Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki Ramos; Jon Bass as Todd, a bad date and new client; and Renée Elise Goldsberry as fellow attorney Mallory Book. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is directed by Kat Coiro (Episodes 1-4, 8-9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5-7), with Jessica Gao serving as head writer.

“What I find really compelling about the story is how, depending on who Jen presents as, she’s treated very differently as She-Hulk than when she’s Jen,” says Maslany. “When she’s Jen, there’s a lot of having to affirm her intelligence and try to get respect, whereas when she is She-Hulk, there is this inherent awe inspired by her. I think Jen is really at odds with how she wants to be perceived”

Unlike Hulk , Jennifer maintains the same consciousness as she changes between Jennifer and She-Hulk. Gao adds, “So much of identity is not just about your perception of yourself, but also how the world receives you and how the world changes. As she changes physical forms, she can see in real time how people treat her differently and it completely changes the dynamics of every relationship she’s in—coworkers, friends, and family.”

Actress Tatiana Maslany with CGI green skin and hair walks by a crowd wearing a silver beaded ballgown.

As Jennifer grapples with her She-Hulk identity, she breaks the fourth wall, taking control of her narrative. She-Hulk was breaking the fourth wall well before Deadpool and WandaVision in John Byrne’s The Sensational She-Hulk comic series, so incorporating the asides into She-Hulk: Attorney at Law thrilled Gao.

“It was very tricky finding the balance, because if I had my way, [Jennifer would] be breaking the fourth wall every other sentence,” says Gao. “The show is very meta and self-aware, in the same way that the Byrne run was very meta and self-aware. It is present in the show, but it’s not overpowering.”

Coiro adds, “Jessica really captured it amazingly in the show—the essence of that spirit.”

Celebrate Bambi’s 80th Anniversary by Heeding Thumper’s Best Advice

By Victoria Hunt

On August 13, 2022, we are delighted to celebrate 80 years of the animated classic Bambi, which has remained a beloved film among Disney fans of all ages. Between the heartfelt lessons and adorable characters, it is no wonder why audiences continue to find themselves enamored by one of Walt Disney’s first films. To celebrate eight decades of Bambi, we turn to Bambi’s bestie Thumper for advice that has stood the test of time.

Thumper stands on his hind two legs atop a log. His right foot is up in the air as he tilts his head upwards.

“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all” –Bambi (1942)
When Bambi had trouble finding his balance upon walking for the first time, Thumper’s mother reminds Thumper of this advice, which he repeats, before being tempted to criticize the young fawn.

“Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears and great big feet, but it sure is awful to eat…I made that last part up myself.”-Bambi (1942)
Thumper prefers tasty blossoms but never forgets to incorporate nutritious greens to keep him healthy with a little nudge from his mother. When showing Bambi his favorite snack, Thumper passes on his father’s advice, while also sharing a bit of his own with his friend.

Bambi stands looking at Thumper. Thumper is standing on a ledge of a rock with his two front feet in the air.  

“The trick is to be scarier than whatever’s scaring you”Bambi 2: The Great Prince of the Forest (2006)
When Bambi needs to prove himself to his father, Thumper gives him some lessons on being “scary,” to scare off any hesitancy and anxiety. With a little help (and some adorable growling), Bambi is ready to face his fears!

“You can do it!”Bambi (1942)
Bambi was terrified to jump over a log for the first time but Thumper continued to show his friend support by reminding him of these four simple words. With Thumper’s encouragement and a little assistance, Bambi overcomes his trepidation.

 

Dan Povenmire Shares the Superhero Origin Story Behind Hamster & Gretel

By Zach Johnson

Talk about going from zero to hero!

Premiering this Friday at 9:35 p.m. ET/PT, Disney Channel’s animated superhero comedy Hamster & Gretel follows the adventures of siblings Kevin (voiced by Michael Cimino) and Gretel (voiced by Meli Povenmire). Their lives are forever changed when space aliens suddenly show up and announce they’re bestowing special abilities on two beings below. Gretel gains superstrength and the ability to fly, but not Kevin—because as it turns out, Gretel’s hamster, named Hamster, is the other new superhero.

Hamster & Gretel hails from Dan Povenmire, who co-created the series Phineas and Ferb (2007–2015) and Milo Murphy’s Law (2016–2019). As he was writing Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (2020) for Disney+, he found himself sketching the character later known as Hamster (voiced by Beck Bennett). “I always doodle when we’re in the brainstorming process, but I don’t always know what I’m drawing until I’m done,” he explains. “One day I drew a superhero hamster, and I kept that little three-by-five card. I took a picture of it, and as I was tucking my daughter into bed that night, I showed her this picture. I started pitching her ideas for what that show could be—sort of as a joke—and she laughed at everything. The show basically wrote itself. There’s a lot of fun you can have with a superhero hamster, so it grew from that.”

The timing couldn’t have been better. As production on Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe was wrapping up, Dan was called in to pitch a new idea. “I went on vacation where I storyboarded and wrote the whole cold open in the pilot,” he recalls. “Then, I made an animatic of it. I called my daughter and said, ‘Hey, Meli, could you read me some lines for this?’ And she was really good! So, instead of going in and pitching them with just a script and bunch of pictures of drawings, I showed them the opening so they could see what the show was about. That gave them all the information they needed. Because they liked it, we did the pilot the same way, and it tested it tested really well. And then, we were off to the races after the movie ended.”

Watch a clip (below), then read more about Hamster & Gretel in our exclusive Q&A.

D23: What made your daughter the perfect person to voice Gretel?
Dan Povenmire (DP): Originally, Meli voiced Gretel, my older daughter did all the other female voices, and I did all the male voices—because this was during the pandemic and that’s who was available in the house! We later recast all the other parts, including the ones I thought I might do. We left Meli in and decided, “If it’s not broke, we shouldn’t try to fix it.” We listened to a whole bunch of actresses for Gretel, but only one girl hit the comedy as well as Meli did—and because Meli grew up with me as her dad, she’s got that sense of humor. When I write something, she says it the way I want it. She just gets to the jokes. They actually did a “blind taste test” with some of the executives, and they all chose Meli.

D23: In the first few episodes, Gretel goes up against the supervillains Professor Exclamation (voiced by Phil Lamarr), Luchador (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui), and Rodney Thunderpants (voiced by James Adomian). Great names aside, what can you tease about the other villains who might pop up throughout the rest of the season?
DP: We have a villain that’s played by Karina, a Latin pop star from when my wife was young in Venezuela. Her superpower is that she can talk to onions, which is about as useless a superpower as you can have! I was able to write a really great tango for her to sing—and she’s got an amazing voice. There’s also a villain called The Earworm, who has figured out how to write jingles so that they control people’s minds. And there’s a villain who’s just a social influencer in this whole episode about online bullying. And then you meet Lyle and Lauren at the end of the pilot. They come back a bunch; they’re the repeating villains, along with Professor Exclamation. The rest of them will start to repeat more, since we’re building a rogues’ gallery and adding to it periodically.

D23: Speaking of Lyle and Lauren, the space aliens also bestow them with superpowers, then instruct them to do evil. Will we ever find out why the space aliens chose these specific beings—and why they gave each set of them a different purpose?
DP: We will… but not really. By the end of the first season, you will find more clues about it. But there’s a two-season arc we’ve thought up with those guys. That ends up being the big question at the end of the first half-hour: “If they’re giving them powers and telling them to be evil, but they tell these other guys to be good, what is this all about? Are we pawns in some weird game? Are they really bad?” It becomes the central story by the midpoint. They’re like, “That doesn’t make any sense.” When Gretel and Kevin realize this is going on, it starts driving the second half of the season.

Hamster wears an orange cape and a yellow unitard that bears an orange H, outlined in white, on his chest. He is slightly frowning and surrounded by orange and yellow bursts of energy.

D23: Music is a big part of the series. In general, do you come up with the idea for a storyline first, or are you inspired to write a song and then build the story around that?
DP: We usually leave a space in the story. The writers will often say, “…and we figured the song would go here.” And then I read the script and go, “Actually, I think the song goes here. I think we’ll make this sequence into a song sequence.” But it’s so much easier to write the song to the story, because then you know lyrically what you need to get to. I would never have written “Squirrels in My Pants” for Phineas and Ferb if we didn’t have a scene where squirrels jump in Candace’s pants. It’s easier to write a pop song if you know what the chorus needs to be. I think that’s the easiest way to get to it.

D23: You’ve previously mentioned that Hamster & Gretel is set in the same universe as Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy’s Law. Could a possible crossover be in the works?
DP: Yeah. When we did Milo, we had a crossover, but we knew exactly where we were going from the first episode; we knew that at a certain point, we were going to do a crossover, so we pointed everything to that. We have the idea in our brain that we’ll eventually do a crossover, but it’s not in this first big story we’re telling. So, we’ll see. In success, we would definitely do a crossover. I’d like to do Phineas and Ferb, Milo Murphy’s Law, and Hamster & Gretel all together. It’d be a fun thing to throw together.

D23: You’ve obviously amassed a massive following over the years with each series. What do you hope Disney fans take away from this all-new series that you’ve created?
DP: I hope they have the same kind of fun they had watching Phineas. It’s got that same kind of humor and pacing, as well as the songs. But it’s got even more heart than Phineas did—because even though it’s a superhero show, it’s a satire on a superhero show. It’s very much about family, whether it’s the brother-sister relationship or the relationships they have with their parents and their friends. It’s a very human show.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®

By Andie Hagemann

Prepare for a weekend full of fantasy and adventure! On Friday, watch the mutants fight for survival in X-Men: Days of Future Past, airing on FX; and celebrate the sixth anniversary of Pete’s Dragon by streaming the live-action adaptation on Disney+. Then, Sneakerella makes its network debut Saturday with a special presentation on Disney Channel. Finally, ward off the Sunday scaries with a viewing of The Pacifier on Freeform and a hilarious new episode of ABC’s Celebrity Family Feud.

Actors Nicholas Hoult and Hugh Jackman walk down a hallway with dark blue tiles covering the walls and floors. Actor James McAvoy sits in a motorized wheelchair between Hoult and Jackman

X-Men: Days of Future Past—Friday, August 12, at 4:40 p.m. ET/PT on FXM
The X-Men commence an epic battle for survival across two time periods after Dr. Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage) devises highly efficient killer robots that detect and wipe out mutants. Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) goes back in time to rally the X-Men of the past to help change a pivotal moment in history and save their existence. The all-star cast includes Patrick Stewart as Professor X; Ian McKellen as Magneto; James McAvoy as Charles Xavier; Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr; Jennifer Lawrence as Raven; Halle Berry as Storm; Elliot Page as Kitty Pryde; Nicholas Hoult as Beast; Shawn Ashmore as Iceman; Anna Paquin as Rogue; and Daniel Cudmore as Colossus.

A computer generated image of a giant, green dragon carries a large tree in its mouth and walks through a dense forest. Actor Oakes Fegley, portraying Pete, walks in front of the dragon.

Pete’s Dragon (2016)—Friday, August 12, on Disney+
It’s been six years since the fantastical live-action adaption of the classic tale soared onto the big screen! The film follows Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford), a woodcarver who thrills children with tales of a giant, green dragon residing in the nearby woods of the Pacific Northwest. His daughter Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) thinks the stories are all hogwash until she meets a 10-year orphan named Pete (Oakes Fegley) who lives in the woods with the enormous jolly green dragon. Grace then enlists the help of a young girl named Natalie (Oona Laurence) to learn more about the mysterious creature.

(Left to Right) Actors Devyn Nekoda and Chosen Jacobs sit across from each other in a dimly lit back room with office supplies and shoe-making materials in the background

Sneakerella—Saturday, August 13, at 5 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel
The modern twist on the Cinderella fairy tale dances onto your TV screens this weekend when it makes its network debut. El (Chosen Jacobs), an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, works as a stock boy in the shoe store that once belonged to his late mother all while dodging his mean-spirited stepbrothers and stepfather. After El meets Kira King (Lexi Underwood), the daughter of an ex-basketball star and sneaker mogul, the two bond over their love of shoes. Thanks to his best friend, Sami (Devyn Nekoda), El finds the courage to show off his artistry and pursue his dream.

Actor Vin Diesel wears a grey T-shirt and holds a male infant

The Pacifier—Sunday, August 14, at 10:40 a.m. ET/PT on Freeform
After Navy SEAL Shane Wolf (Vin Diesel) fails to thwart the assassination of top scientist Howard Plummer (Tate Donovan), he’s offered a chance at redemption by protecting Plummer’s five children. Shane may be an elite warrior, but he quickly realizes the rowdy kids are more than he bargained for. The hilarious and heartwarming film also stars Brittany Snow as Zoe Plummer; Max Thieriot as Seth Plummer; Morgan York as Lulu Plummer; Kegan and Logan Hoover as Peter Plummer; Bo and Luke Vink as Tyler Plummer; Brad Garrett as Dwayne Murney; Lauren Graham as Claire Fletcher; and Faith Ford as Julie Plummer.

(Left to Right) Actors Kathy Najimy and Kristin Chenoweth stand at podiums with one hand on a red buzzer button. Host Steve Harvey stand center holding a blue card with the Family Feud logo.

Celebrity Family Feud—Sunday, August 14, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC
Kristin Chenoweth and Kathy Najimy run amok in the first game as the two legendary actresses and their families compete for their respective charities on the newest episode. Then, it’s a battle of reality stars as the casts of Netflix’s My Unorthodox Life and Bravo’s Summer House go toe-to-toe with big bucks on the line.

Meet the Characters of Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

By Andie Hagemann

The wait is nearly over! Marvel Studios’ smashing new series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law debuts Thursday, August 18, on Disney+. Allow us to introduce the newest Super Hero to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk, along with her friends and famous cousin who help her to navigate her newfound superpowers.

Actor Tatiana Maslany portrays Jennifer Walter/She-Hulk with CGI green skin and hair and a graphic t-shirt.

Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk

Jennifer Walters is a 30-something attorney who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases at her law firm GLK&H while also navigating her transformations into a 6-foot-7-inch green Hulk. A reluctant Super Hero and cousin to Bruce Banner aka Hulk, Jennifer wasn’t born with superhuman abilities nor did she ask for them. Instead, she gains Hulk’s incredible strength by accident.

“I’ve never played anything close to a Super Hero before, so it took me a little while to wrap my head around it,” Maslany says. “I was so thrilled because not only am I stepping into being a Super Hero for the first time, but I’m also getting to do a flat-out comedy, which feels like a different world.”

Adds head writer Jessica Gao, “She-Hulk is so different than anything we have seen in the MCU. Only Tatiana Maslany could have made Jen Walters and She-Hulk both feel like real people. She brought so much humanity and complexity to the character that you feel everything she’s feeling. She’s taken the character to a level that I never could have imagined. Tatiana is a true professional who is so good at what she does and takes her job very seriously.”

Actor Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Smart Hulk appears with CGI green skin and hair and holds spandex shorts

Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk
Bruce Banner is living off the grid in a remote part of Mexico, having created the Zen-like lifestyle he has always longed for. He soon becomes Jennifer’s unasked-for mentor as she learns how to embrace her Hulk.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with what he’s offering,” Ruffalo says. “But she doesn’t understand the power that she’s been given or what it’s going to mean for her life, and he knows that it’s not an easy thing to live with, so he’s trying to prepare her as best he can. They have a great rapport, and Bruce is just excited to have a person who can relate to him on a Hulk level.”

Maslany adds, “Nikki Ramos is a very necessary person to have around. Jen can be wound quite tightly and fixated on work as her only defining feature. Nikki consistently reminds her that there is a life outside of her job and to embrace the She-Hulk side of herself—something Jen is super resistant to. So, Nikki draws her out and helps her feel that being She-Hulk can be part of her identity as well.”

Actor Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk stands in court with a suit sleeve torn, and Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki Ramos looks on from a chair.

Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki Ramos
Nikki Ramos is Jennifer’s closest friend and paralegal, providing unwavering support in both personal and professional matters. She’s the one Jen can turn to help her let loose and color outside the lines.

“Ginger has this infectious kinetic energy that is completely opposite of Tatiana, who has a very grounded energy,” says director Kat Coiro. “Every scene with them is really engaging and exciting because they operate on different vibrations—they’re totally believable as friends. The first scene we shot in the series was the two of them chatting at the bar, and after the first take we all looked at each other and said, ‘Oh yeah, this is going to work.’”

Maslany adds, “Nikki Ramos is a very necessary person to have around. Jen can be wound quite tightly and fixated on work as her only defining feature. Nikki consistently reminds her that there is a life outside of her job and to embrace the She-Hulk side of herself—something Jen is super resistant too. So, Nikki draws her out and helps her feel that being She-Hulk can be part of her identity as well.”

ctor Jameela Jamil as Titania wears a black jumpsuit adorned with strings of rhinestones.

Jameela Jamil as Titania
Titania is a narcissistic social media influencer who also possesses superhuman strength. After her misguided effort to solicit attention leads to a confrontation with She-Hulk, the two commence a rivalry that is fueled by Titania.

“Titania considers herself to be the strongest woman in the world and cannot believe that there is someone who can challenge her, never mind defeat her,” Jamil says. “She’s all narcissism and ego. But then She-Hulk steps in and humiliates her publicly. When you take someone with a fragile ego and piss them off, it starts a grudge that grows and grows. All Titania wants to do is be a thorn in She-Hulk’s side.”

(Left to Right) Actors Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki Ramos, and Josh Segarra as Augustus “Pug” Pugliese sit at a large round table, talking. 

Josh Segarra as Augustus “Pug” Pugliese
Augustus “Pug” Pugliese is a member of the legal team at GLK&H, who is quickly cementing himself as part of a formidable trio along with Nikki and Jen.

“Pug really cares deeply about She-Hulk and Nikki,” says Segarra. “They make him part of their family and he’s loyal to them. Jen is struggling with the process of accepting both sides of her new existence and understanding how to meld the two. Pug loves and supports her either way and is impressed by the way that she handles herself inside and outside of the courtroom. He can see how hard she works and has so much respect for her.”

Jon Bass as Todd
Todd is a potential suitor for Jen who has recently decided to try online dating. Despite her growing list of terrible dates, Todd becomes one of her worst experiences EVER.

“Todd is a billionaire playboy philanthropist douchebag who wants more than anything to feel like Tony Stark, but comes off as Jon Bass,” says Bass. “He is used to getting whatever he wants, but he’s a total creep who starts popping up everywhere.”

Adds co-executive producer Wendy Jacobson, “Jon Bass is so funny and he’s so good at playing this terrible person—it’s really fun to watch. The character of Todd plays on the social commentary of misogyny and cancel culture and the unfair views of women. He’s annoying but mostly harmless, and it’s really about embodying these awkward interactions you have with someone when they keep showing up in your life over and over again.”

Renée Elise Goldsberry as Mallory Book
Mallory Book has clawed her way to the top to become one of the best at GLK&H, and when She-Hulk arrives, she’s quickly threatened by having the Super Hero lawyer as the new head of the superhuman law division.

“Perfection is a daunting status to live up to, and there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on her,” says Goldsberry. “Mallory is great at her job and many people look up to her. She’s interested in She-Hulk but pretends she doesn’t notice her at first. I think she sees her as a threat until she sees the humanity in Jen and recognizes that perhaps there’s some value in the relationship for both of them.”

Actor Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky sits in a jail cell and wears a bright orange jumpsuit 

Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky/Abomination

Emil Blonsky aka Abomination is Jennifer’s first assignment at GLK&H, as She-Hulk represents him at his parole hearing, despite his longstanding conflict with her cousin.

“Emil Blonksy was born in Russia, raised in England—a Royal Marine who was injected with a super serum that turned him into this monster, Abomination,” Coiro says. “He’s a very tricky character—he’s not necessarily to be trusted and you get the feeling that he’s a con artist. What I love is that Jen decides that there was a lack of justice, and he needs to be represented as part of the American due process of law. To me, that really harkens back to the comics—to the Jen Walters who fights for what is right, no matter what.”

Adds Roth, who is reprising his character 14 years after he first played the role, “It was actually something we thought about all those years ago,” says Roth. “Back then the question was, if they brought Blonsky back for another film, where would they find him? It was a very interesting question with some wild ideas.

“For Blonsky in this series, they took the character in a very different direction,” Roth continues. “So, in a sense it didn’t feel my job was to reprise the character. It was to find a new version of the character and play around in that.”

Are You a Disney Expert? Try This Week’s Trivia Challenge!

As a member of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, you know your magic! This week we’re putting your Marvel Cinematic Universe knowledge to the test to see if you are the ultimate Disney fan.

In which MCU film did Spider-Man make his first appearance?

Correct! Wrong!

Spider-Man made his first MCU appearance in Captain America: Civil War.

Are You a Disney Expert? Try This Week’s Trivia Challenge!
Just keep swimming! Just keep swimming!
Thank you for participating in this week’s Trivia Challenge! These questions are tricky, so don’t stop swimming yet. We’ll see you next week for your chance to earn the title of the ultimate Disney fan!
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