Disney+ Orders Season Three of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series

By Zach Johnson

Disney+ has ordered a third season of its acclaimed original series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, from Disney Branded Television. Created and executive produced by Tim Federle, season three will follow the Wildcats as they leave the hallways of East High for the ultimate summer at sleepaway camp, complete with campfires, summer romances, and curfew-less nights. Production for the third season will relocate from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles and begin later this year.

Said Federle, “We are overjoyed to be heading to the great outdoors for season three, and grateful to our partners and friends at Disney+ for their continued support of our next-generation Wildcats.”

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Inspired by the immensely successful, two-time Emmy® Award-winning High School Musical franchise that catapulted the likes of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens into stardom and dominated the Billboard charts, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is again taking over the airwaves and helping launch the careers of some of Hollywood’s next big stars. A few of the breakout original songs from the series include “Just for a Moment,” the season one ballad Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo wrote for their characters Ricky and Nini; “All I Want,” the platinum-certified, Billboard Hot 100-reaching hit song that Rodrigo wrote and performed as Nini in season one; and “The Rose Song,” an empowering number that Rodrigo wrote for Nini in season two. The soundtracks for both seasons of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, combined with High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special, have amassed an astounding 1,438,000,000 combined streams to date.

Seasons one and two of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series are set at East High School, the setting and filming location of the original movies. In season one, the series follows members of the drama club and their faculty advisors as they work their way to opening night of their school’s first-ever production of High School Musical: The Musical.  Season two culminates in a performance of Beauty and the Beast. Show-mances blossom, old friendships are tested while new ones are made, rivalries flare, and lives are changed forever as students discover the transformative power only found in a high school theater.

Both seasons of the GLAAD Media Award-winning series are now streaming on Disney+.

This New Pin Set Celebrates the Characters of “The Vacation Kingdom of the World”

By the D23 Team

D23-Exclusive Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Pin Set – ”The Vacation Kingdom of the World” – Limited Edition

We’re excited to reveal the next exclusive pin set celebrating a half century of the Most Magical Place on Earth! This incredible pin set was created just for D23 by artists Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily. The set, a tribute to the boundless activities offered by “The Vacation Kingdom of the World,” features five fan-favorite characters from across the park! These D23 Gold Member-exclusive pins, created in vintage-inspired soft enamel, are the perfect way to celebrate this magical milestone!

To compliment the “Florida’s Fab Five” exclusive pin set included in the D23 Gold Member Collector Set—part of the 2021 D23 Gold Membership—D23 is proud to offer four additional pin sets celebrating 50 years of the Walt Disney World Resort. Read the fall issue of Disney twenty-three for a sneak peek at all four. Want to make your collection complete? Make sure to get the previous set in the series, “A Most Magical Kingdom.”

wdw pin set #2

wdw pin set #2

“The Vacation Kingdom of the World” set includes:

  • Rizzo the Rat from Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D
  • a Triceratops from TriceraTop Spin
  • Dreamfinder from Journey Into Imagination
  • Poly Tiki from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
  • Goofy from River Country Water Park

Our “The Vacation Kingdom of the World” pin set, offered in a limited edition of 2,500, will be available exclusively to D23 Gold Members on shopDisney at 7 a.m. PT on September 13, 2021.

*Available while supplies last. To purchase, you must log in to shopDisney.com with the Disney account tied to D23 Gold Membership. Pin sets are sold for $49.99 each, plus applicable sales tax. Maximum of two (2) pin sets of this style for purchase per D23 Gold Member for online orders. Shipping not available to PO boxes; shipping and handling fees may vary for all online orders. Other restrictions may apply. All information is subject to change including, but not limited to, artwork, release dates, editions sizes, and retail prices.

It’s a Family Thang! Celebrate 20 Years of The Proud Family with a D23-Exclusive Pin

By the D23 Team

D23-Exclusive The Proud Family 20th Anniversary Pin – Limited Edition

Celebrate 20 years of The Proud Family with this stylish pin created just for D23. The pin features a fan-favorite lyric, along with family members Penny, Oscar, Trudy, Suga Mama, and BeBe and CeCe! This D23 Gold Member-exclusive pin, created in hard enamel, is the perfect way to celebrate this magical Disney Channel milestone!

proud family pin

Our The Proud Family pin, offered in a limited edition of 1,500, will be available exclusively to D23 Gold Members on shopDisney at 7 a.m. PT on September 13, 2021.

*Available while supplies last. To purchase, you must log in to shopDisney.com with the Disney account tied to D23 Gold Membership. Pins are sold for $12.99 each, plus applicable sales tax. Maximum of two (2) pins of this style for purchase per D23 Gold Member for online orders. Shipping not available to PO boxes; shipping and handling fees may vary for all online orders. Other restrictions may apply. All information is subject to change including, but not limited to, artwork, release dates, editions sizes, and retail prices.

The Lion King and TikTok to Make Broadway History with Live Streaming Event

By Zach Johnson

There’s more to see than can ever be seen… on Broadway and on TikTok!

In a Broadway first, The Lion King will exclusively partner with TikTok to stream the production’s iconic opening number, “Circle of Life,” on September 14 in celebration of the hit show’s return to the stage, 18 months after the Broadway shutdown. The live stream event will start at 7 p.m. ET and can be viewed on the Disney on Broadway TikTok account.

Disney on Broadway needs your help! Follow the Disney on Broadway TikTok account today to be part of history and join the cast on September 14 to watch this memorable live stream performance of “Circle of Life.” The live stream will include a pre-show hosted by Broadway cast member Adrienne Walker (Nala) that will bring viewers behind the scenes to meet the people who bring The Lion King to life on a daily basis. The event will culminate with a live feed of “Circle of Life” from the Minskoff Theatre, giving fans across the globe the chance to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience that would otherwise be limited to the 1,700 guests inside the theater that night. Click here to watch a video of Walker announcing the partnership.

The live stream event is in support of The Actors Fund, which has provided more than $22.7 million in direct financial assistance to more than 16,700 people since the beginning of the Broadway shutdown. Earlier this year, TikTok firmly established itself as the leading platform for all things musical theatre, as creators and The Actors Fund came together to build out a crowd-sourced version of Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical. Since then, TikTok has remained the hub for fans and creators of theatre, dance, music, and all things Broadway.

The Lion King TikTok

“We are thrilled to welcome audiences back to Broadway. But realizing that only 1,700 guests would get to experience our first performance in the theatre, we wanted to find a way for everyone to be part of this historic Broadway moment,” said Angelo Desimini, Disney Theatrical Productions VP, Marketing, Publicity, Sales & Education. “Partnering with TikTok allows us to literally bring The Lion King into the hands of theatre lovers wherever they are to share in this once-in-a-lifetime evening.”

“TikTok has become a home for Broadway and musical theatre lovers around the world, so we are excited to celebrate this milestone for the industry as the lights go back up on stages,” said Catherine Halaby, Entertainment Content Partnerships Lead, TikTok. “With our partners, we are bringing the most innovative, entertaining and creative content to the thriving musical theatre community on platform. By partnering with major productions like The Lion King, along with our community of creators and top Broadway stars, we want to bring Broadway entertainment to everyone and provide an inside look into the talent and magic of musical theatre.”

“We’re honored to celebrate the return of Broadway with our good friends at Disney Theatrical, The Lion King, and TikTok,” said Joe Benincasa, President & CEO of The Actors Fund. “We can’t wait for the very first ‘Circle of Life’ live performance back at the Minskoff Theatre—which, thanks to the live stream, will also be available to TikTok fans around the world who can experience the magic of Broadway and share their support for the performing arts community.”

Disneyland Paris Announces 30th Anniversary Celebrations—Plus More in News Briefs

By Courtney Potter

Disneyland Paris 30th Anniversary

Disneyland Paris to Celebrate 30 Incredible Years Next Spring

The year was 1992. Some fantastic, fan-fave Disney movies were released across those 12 months: Aladdin, Newsies, The Mighty Ducks… but that’s not all: On April 12, our pals at Disneyland Paris officially welcomed guests for the very first time, after years of planning and imagination to bring Walt Disney’s magical dream to life in Europe. Three full decades later, the resort has continued to delight guests while expanding with new stories, characters, and adventures—including franchises such as Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel—becoming the No. 1 tourist destination in Europe.

With such a major milestone approaching in just six months, guests can anticipate more magic on the horizon as Disneyland Paris kicks off its 30th Anniversary on March 6, 2022. This once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the resort’s enchanting past and exciting future will invite guests to enter a shining new era—one where they will dream bigger, laugh louder, and smile wider! (Check out the anniversary’s gleaming new logo, above.)

Disneyland Paris’ 30th Anniversary will feature a host of unique and festive experiences across Disneyland Park, Walt Disney Studios Park, and the entire resort. Stay tuned as more details of the celebration are released in the coming months.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

It may not be a three-day weekend this time ‘round, but there’s still plenty of chances to catch some choice viewing from around the worlds of Disney. Look for all-new episode of Disney’s Magic Bake-Off themed to The Lion King on Disney Channel; meanwhile, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides joins the Disney+ library, and ABC premieres all-new eps of Celebrity Family Feud and To Tell the Truth. And trust us, there’s more where that came from…

Grogu

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® to Debut a Funko Pop!-Inspired Grogu Balloon

We know summertime’s a favorite for many—but your proprietors here at News Briefs are big, big fans of fall… and this just-released news from the good folks over at StarWars.com has us counting down the days like never before.

Funko and Macy’s, in collaboration with Lucasfilm, have announced that Grogu—the beloved Force-sensitive being from the Emmy® Award-winning series The Mandalorian—will debut as a huge Funko Pop!-inspired balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 25! Taking flight in the annual spectacle, the Grogu-inspired balloon will emulate the Funko Pop! version of the character—and it’s set to measure 41 feet high, 29 feet long, and 37 feet wide. Travelling through Manhattan on Thanksgiving Day, it’s sure to be an adorably memorable tribute to a modern Star Wars fan favorite.

But that’s not all: A limited-edition Macy’s Parade balloon-inspired product line will be available for sale on Funko.com, and Macy’s will have select items from Funko available for purchase at Macy’s Herald Square this fall. For a sneak peek, head over to StarWars.com—and be sure to watch Grogu soar through New York City when NBC broadcasts the 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 25, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. in all time zones.

Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House: 20 Spooktacular Seasons

Now that Halloween Time has begun at the Disneyland Resort (huzzah!), it means another truly breathtaking new gingerbread house inside Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland park! But this year, to celebrate the 20th season of this most merriest of mansion makeovers (inspired, of course, by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas), the cast members from Disneyland Resort Central Bakery and Entertainment Technical Services have truly outdone themselves—paying homage to all previous houses in celebration of this beloved tradition’s milestone anniversary.

In the video above, courtesy our pals at the Disney Parks Blog, viewers can get a taste of how pastry chefs spend hundreds of hours baking and decorating the nearly 13-foot-tall house from scratch, and how the technicians move and assemble the five main pieces in the “St. Nick” of time for all foolish mortals to enjoy.

See (and smell) the gingerbread house in person, now through January 9, 2022, at Haunted Mansion Holiday!

Disney+’s Hallowstream Starts September 24

For the second year in a row, Disney+ is offering up thrilling new originals and beloved Halloween classics as part of their Hallowstream programming event! Mark your calendars for the debut of LEGO® Star Wars Terrifying Tales, Just Beyond, and Muppets Haunted Mansion, plus a slew of Halloween-themed episodes and fave films including Hocus Pocus. Check out D23’s Hallowstream rundown for more.

New Trailer for LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales

Speaking of new (trick-or-)treats coming to Disney+ in time for All Hallows’ Eve, the streaming service just premiered a new trailer for LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales, the all-new scary special from Lucasfilm and the LEGO Group that will have fans ready for a frighteningly fun Halloween season.

The trailer features a look at the three tales that Darth Vader’s loyal servant Vaneé will spin during the special: “The Lost Boy,” the story of how a young Ben Solo first meets Ren; “The Dueling Monstrosities,” which imagines how Darth Maul and General Grievous were reborn; and “The Wookiee’s Paw,” which gives a look at what might have happened if all of Luke Skywalker’s greatest wishes were immediately granted. The special will leave fans with spine-tingling chills and goose-bricks! (Get it? Bricks?)

After the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Poe and BB-8 are forced make an emergency landing on the volcanic planet Mustafar, where they meet the greedy and conniving Graballa the Hutt—who’s purchased Darth Vader’s castle and is renovating it into the galaxy’s first all-inclusive Sith-inspired luxury hotel. While waiting for his X-wing to be repaired, Poe, BB-8, Graballa and Dean—a plucky kid who works as Graballa’s mechanic—venture deep into the mysterious castle with Vader’s loyal servant, Vaneé. Along the way, Vaneé shares these creepy stories linked to ancient artifacts and iconic villains from across all eras of Star Wars. But as Vaneé spins his tales and lures our heroes deeper into the shadowy underbelly of the castle, a sinister plan emerges. With the help of Dean, Poe and BB-8 will have to face their fears, stop an ancient evil from rising, and escape to make it back to their friends.

Look for LEGO Star Wars Terrifying Tales to debut October 1, exclusively on the streaming service.

Sneak Peek at New Song for Disney Enchanted at Magic Kingdom Park

As part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” honoring five extraordinary decades of Walt Disney World Resort, Magic Kingdom park will be premiering an all-new nighttime spectacular called Disney Enchantment this October 1. The show will take guests on a journey filled with adventure, wonder, and empowerment, inspiring guests to believe in magic.

Disney Enchantment will feature music, enhanced lighting, stunning fireworks, and—for the first time—immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A. But wait, there’s more: Grammy®-winning songwriter and producer Philip Lawrence (Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk”) has written an original song for the nighttime spectacular, entitled “You Are the Magic.” Lawrence has certainly pursued his dreams and made them come true; he got his start in show biz as a cast member at Walt Disney World Resort, performing in shows like Festival of the Lion King and Tarzan Rocks! Lawrence sings on “You Are the Magic,” as does another former Walt Disney World cast member, actor and singer Kayla Alvarez.

Check out the creation of the tune in the video, above… and get ready to hear the complete version of the song when Disney Enchantment Presented by Pandora Jewelry makes its big debut next month!

ICYMI: ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Announces Season 30 Cast

It’s time for another cache of celebrities to start their quest for the coveted Mirrorball Trophy! Earlier this week, ABC’s Dancing with the Stars announced the cast of their upcoming 30th season—and it boasts everyone from a recent Olympic gold medalist and a former Radio City Rockette to a Spice Girl and a graduate of West Beverly High. See who to expect on the dancefloor in a few weeks’ time by clicking here.

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. Honors Doogie Howser, M.D.

By Zach Johnson

The coming-of-age dramedy Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., which premiered on Disney+ September 8, is, of course, inspired by the hit medical series Doogie Howser, M.D.—something that will no doubt be immediately obvious to fans who watched the original drama, which aired on ABC for four seasons from 1989-1993. For starters, the theme song—a fresh take on the original—is performed on ukulele by Hawaiian artist Jake Shimabukuro.

“There were a few key things I remember from growing up watching the show, and one of them was definitely the theme song,” Kourtney Kang, creator and executive producer of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D., recalled last month during the TCA Summer Press Tour. The reimagined theme song was always part of her vision, which is why Kang feels “lucky” that Shimabukuro helped make her dream a reality: “He is the best ukulele player in the world!”

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. follows the adventures of Lahela “Doogie” Kamealoha (Peyton Elizabeth Lee) as she juggles a nascent medical career with the everyday trials and tribulations that come with being a teenager. With the support of her caring and comical family and friends, she is determined to make the most of this time and forge her own path.

In addition to referencing the original theme song, another element Kang was keen to borrow from Doogie Howser, M.D. was creating a BFF like Vinnie Delpino (Max Casella), who famously felt so at home with Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris) that he would climb through the young doctor’s window rather than use the front door. It’s a quirky tradition that Steph Denisco (Emma Meisel) continues in Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. “As we were looking for the perfect house for the Kamealoha family to live in, in Hawai‘i, I kept saying, ‘It has to be two stories,’” Kang said. “Steph loves her so much that she’s climbing up two stories to crawl through this window. It’s just not the same if it’s a one-story house.” Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. also updates the journaling scene from the end of each episode of Doogie Howser, M.D., with Lahela recording video diary messages about her day.

Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.

As for how Lahela gets the “Doogie” nickname? Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. is set in a world in which Harris was an actor who played a character named Doogie Howser on television. “Apparently, this is a thing that happens sometimes to young doctors,” Kang explained. “They get nicknamed ‘Doogie,’ so we thought it was fun that she gets nicknamed ‘Doogie.’”

Lee said she had “not personally spoken” to Harris, but she “would love to” do so one day. “We need to connect Peyton and Neil!” said Kang. “And yes, we have been in touch with Neil. I worked with him for nine years on How I Met Your Mother. He is so wonderful. As soon as this all started coming together, we reached out. He has been so supportive of this project and so lovely. We were trying to get him to come out in season one and do something with us.” For a number of reasons, it didn’t work out. But hope is not lost, said Kang: “He was like, ‘In season two’—if there’s a season two—‘I would love to come out.’”

Although Doogie Howser, M.D. creator Steven Bochco passed away in 2018, his widow, Dayna Bochco, and his son, Jesse Bochco, continue his legacy by serving as executive producers of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. Jesse said he was “blown away” by Lee, and Dayna praised the creative team behind the new series, saying, “Steven would love these people.”

“We felt very confident going forward because they were always respectful of what Steven had done and were also respectful of the ideas behind the concept: a child prodigy who doesn’t fit in either world,” Dayna said. “He would have loved the show. I know he would.”

New episodes of Doogie Kamealoha, M.D. stream Wednesdays on Disney+.

The Ron’s Gone Wrong Creators Discuss Technology, Relationships, and the Heart of Friendship

By Jim Frye

Ron may be wrong. But in the end, it’s all right.

Ron’s Gone Wrong, a new animated feature coming out this October from 20th Century Studios and Locksmith Animation, explores what happens when every kid in the country gets a B-Bot—a walking, talking, digitally connected device that is supposed to be their “Best Friend Out of the Box.” But when awkward middle-schooler Barney gets a broken B-Bot named Ron, he has to move past his own insecurities and try to teach it what true friendship is… before it ruins his social life forever.

The specter of over-reaching technology and what it means to our culture is central to the story of Ron’s Gone Wrong. People are connected to their phones, their social media, and their technology in ways we never dreamed a generation ago. It’s into this setting that the creators of Ron’s Gone Wrong have cast their net, telling the story of Barney and Ron, two very different “people” (Ron’s a B-Bot) who crush through their barriers to explore true friendship. Who are our true friends? Can technology substitute for actual relationships? And what does it all mean in today’s society?

The creative team behind Ron’s Gone Wrong recently gathered to talk about their film and how its themes of relationships, technology, and the intersection of the two are so timely with what’s going on in our world today. We heard from writer/director of Ron’s Gone Wong and co-founder of Locksmith Animation, Sarah Smith; director Jean-Philippe Vine; producer and co-founder of Locksmith Animation Julie Lockhart; co-director Octavio Rodriguez; and scriptwriter Peter Baynhamn.

ron's gone wrong

PETER BAYNHAM: “The frustration with technology is that on an hourly basis I want to smash something up! You just get things that make your life better and I become instantly dependent on them and then I’m furious when they won’t work. So, it’ll be terrifying to depend on a device for friendship, because I know, just at the moment it doesn’t work, I would be melting down in a small corner somewhere.”

JEAN-PHILIPPE VINE: “Our movie really talks about friendship and what is a good healthy friendship and how messy that can be. I really connected to it, especially as a parent because my oldest son was really struggling with friendships in his pre-teen period and kind of really struggling with which group he belonged to. And it helped me as we worked with Barney, the main character, and just thematically—this idea that a good friendship has conflict and that’s okay. And that’s a good thing; that’s a healthy friendship. I think that’s a beautiful idea, so I connect with that.”

SARAH SMITH: “My passion as a movie-maker is wanting to do movies that actually talk to stuff that really matters to kids. And I was very aware of my own daughter, as every parent is. At some point your kid comes home and says, ‘They all had someone to play with at recess except me.’ You feel like ‘Oh my God,’ and then you remember having that experience yourself. It’s like the universal problem we all have of feeling like everyone else has it down except us, and at the same time being super aware of how technology made all that really even more complicated for kids. I literally remember sitting on a sofa with a glass of wine watching her, thinking, ‘We have to make that movie for kids, because kids don’t understand that maybe what their experience is online, maybe there’s different.’ Then it became a kind of journey to try and find how could you put the idea of our online relationships into a fun, animated format. And the answer is, the idea that there’s a device out there that replaces your phone and your iPad, but it runs around and talks to you.”

SARAH SMITH: “We watched all of the robot movies. And all of those movies have one thing in common—they’re either the evil baddy or they’re the goodie. And in a way this movie’s not really so much about the robot A.I. idea, it’s not about that kind of Artificial Intelligence. It’s actually about something which kids have in their homes. It’s about the way their iPad talks to them. It’s really about social media and the online experience.”

PETER BAYNHAM: “Ron just wants to help you and wants to learn. And that, therefore, then teaches Barney about friendship. So, Barney sets out to teach Ron friendship, and in the end Barney’s the one who gets the real lesson, and Ron’s the one who teaches him.”

SARAH SMITH: “The movie is the not saying that technology’s bad or even good. The thing is, it’s here to stay, and there was a time at the beginning when I thought I wanted the end of the movie to be that all the B-Bots were gone, and the kids were back in the playground looking at each other and relating again. And then eventually someone said to me, ‘You know that’s not going to happen, right?’ And we realized we needed to make a more challenging movie, which is about how do we—as parents, as children, as kids growing up in a world in which this is all they’ve ever known—how do we learn to live with the tech?”

Ron’s Gone Wrong opens October 22.

5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

By Zach Johnson

We’re not saying we make our plans around what to watch… but we’re not not saying that! This Friday, Disney Channel will present an all-new episode of Disney’s Magic Bake-Off that’s themed to one of our favorite films: The Lion King! That same day, the sensational, swashbuckling film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will join the Disney+ library. On Sunday, ABC will broadcast all-new episodes of Celebrity Family Feud and To Tell the Truth, while Freeform’s movie marathon will include another fan-favorite: The Game Plan.

5 fantastic things

Disney’s Magic Bake-Off—Friday, September 10, at 8 p.m. ET on Disney Channel
Be prepared! In this episode, co-hosts Issac Ryan Brown and Dara Reneé help guide the contestants as they bake spectacular cakes inspired by The Lion King. Baking influencer Jocelyn Adams joins Disneyland Resort pastry chef Gracie Gomez as the kid bakers showcase the majestic animal kingdom and the beauty of Africa in their delicious creations.

5 fantastic things

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides—Friday, September 10, on Disney+
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, director Rob Marshall’s 2011 action-adventure introduces Angelica (Penélope Cruz), a ravishing pirate who shares a dubious past with Captain Jack Sparrow (Disney Legend Johnny Depp) and forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge—aka the ship of the legendary pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane)! Jack soon finds himself on an unexpected journey to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. Along the way, he must use all his wiles to deal with Blackbeard and his crew of zombies, not to mention Angelica, some enchanting mermaids, and crews of Spaniards also looking for the fountain.

5 fantastic things

Celebrity Family Feud—Sunday, September 12, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
The Nanny co-stars Fran Drescher and Charles Shaughnessy will reunite and battle it out for their chosen charity: Cancer Schmancer, which Drescher founded. In the next game, country music star Jessie James Decker, former NFL player Eric Decker, and their family take on NBA star Chris Bosh and his family and friends. The Decker family will play for Graham’s Foundation, while “Team Bosh” will play for the Boys and Girls Club of America.

5 fantastic things

The Game Plan—Sunday, September 12, at 8:30 p.m. ET on Freeform
Famous quarterback Joe Kingman (Dwayne Johnson) is shocked when Peyton (Madison Pettis), the 8-year-old daughter he never knew existed, shows up on the doorstep of his not-so-kid-friendly bachelor pad. But as an all-important game nears, Joe starts to realize the most meaningful win he can achieve is the heart of the little fan who counts the most.

5 fantastic things

To Tell the Truth—Sunday, September 12, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC
D’Arcy Carden, Brad Garrett, and J.B. Smoove make up the celebrity panel. Join the party this week with an explosive group that features the Hollywood Sign caretaker, a NASCAR tire changer, the prettiest pie winner, a manure specialist, and a master piñata maker!

Marvel Launches All-New Marvel Unlimited App

By Zach Johnson

Marvel Unlimited really lives up to its name!

Today, Marvel relaunched its award-winning digital comics subscription service, Marvel Unlimited. The fan-favorite app offers members access to over 29,000 issues of classic and newer titles. From the roots of Marvel’s iconic characters to the ever-evolving universe behind its blockbuster films, games, and series, the app boasts over 80 years of storytelling!

marvel unlimited

Want to follow all the adventures of your favorite Super Heroes and Villains? Need a curated reading guide? Curious about a comic creator? Marvel Unlimited has you covered!

That’s not all! As part of the relaunch, Marvel Unlimited is also introducing its exclusive Infinity Comics: full screen high-resolution vertical comics designed for phone and tablet. There are currently 27 Infinity Comics available on the app, with over 100 issues planned by the end of 2021. The comics, which live in universe, come from top Marvel creators including Gerry Duggan, Geoffo, Dax Gordine, Jonathan Hickman, Declan Shalvey, Nathan Stockman, Kelly Thompson, Lucas Werneck, Alyssa Wong, and Skottie Young, among others. Infinity Comics will feature series including Amazing Fantasy, Black Widow, Captain America, Deadpool, Giant-Size Little Marvels, It’s Jeff, Shang-Chi, Venom/Carnage, and X-Men Unlimited. Take a peek at just a few of the Infinity Comics covers in the gallery below:

“The goal for Marvel Unlimited has always been to provide the best digital experience for our fans by giving them direct access to all of their favorite Marvel comics,” says Dan Buckley, President of Marvel Entertainment. “With this relaunch, we’re bringing fans an even richer experience with Marvel stories designed in a vertical format for the first time. Our new Infinity Comics give our creators a chance to tell stories in entirely new ways, and we’re looking forward to connecting our fans to those stories in the months to come.”

Marvel, working with Technology teams in Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED), is relaunching Marvel Unlimited with new capabilities to dramatically improve how fans discover and read comics. The app now offers unlimited downloads, so fans can dive into new stories anytime and anywhere. The app also features best-in-class speed and search tools, greater stability, and personalized reading guides based on user preferences. Other new additions include content sharing capabilities outside of the app, an annual plan app subscription option, and new comic titles added weekly. New titles are added as soon as three months after they’re in stores.

“These updates and a focus on personalization will allow us to reach a new generation of Marvel fans and enhance the experience of current fans,” says Doug Vance, VP of Product and Marketing, DMED Technology. “When we redesign apps like this from the ground up, we align with business goals of our different partners and subsidiaries of The Walt Disney Company with the ultimate goal of growing our audience and digital subscriptions while also delivering an even more visually immersive experience.”

Marvel Unlimited, available to download on both iOS and Android, now has multiple subscription tiers for members to choose from. There is a monthly tier for $9.99, an annual subscription for $69/year, and an annual plus subscription for $99/year. The new annual plus subscription comes with the benefits included in monthly and annual tiers, as well as an exclusive membership kit, invites to in-person events, and 10% off ShopDisney.com. Marvel Insider loyalists will also benefit from the new in-app integration. Members can earn points, see their progress as they consume, and get rewarded for returning to the app.

For the latest updates, follow Marvel Unlimited on Facebook and Twitter.

Director Aphton Corbin Talks Pixar SparkShorts’ Twenty Something

By Courtney Potter

Picture it: You’re a filmmaker, and you’re given six months to pull together a team and create an animated short. No real “rules” apply—all you need is the passion to tell a story and a clever, resourceful approach.

That’s the premise behind Pixar Animation Studios’ SparkShorts program, where Pixar’s up-and-coming animators are paired with a producer and given the chance to make something totally personal and unique, exploring fresh new storytelling techniques along the way. SparkShorts is responsible for several beloved Pixar shorts, including Oscar® nominees Kitbull and Burrow. And this month, Pixar is releasing two brand-new SparkShorts, beginning with Twenty Something—which premieres on Disney+ this Friday, September 10.

Directed by Aphton Corbin, Twenty Something demonstrates that adulting can be hard; some days you’re nailing it, while other days, you’re just a stack of kids hiding in a trench coat hoping no one notices. Gia, our Twenty Something protagonist, finds herself in this exact scenario the night of her 21st birthday. All told, sometimes—as the short hilariously, vividly confirms—you’ve gotta “fake it ‘til you make it.”

D23 recently attended a special virtual look at the short, presented by Corbin herself; here are a few memorable highlights:

Twenty Something sparkshorts

On when she was asked to participate in the SparkShorts program:
“I’ve been at Pixar since 2016,” Corbin explains, “and I worked on Toy Story 4 and Soul… While I was working on Soul, I was asked if I wanted to direct my very own SparkShort. I did what many of you might’ve done: I panicked. ‘What were they thinking?’ I felt like I had been at the studio for such a short time; were they asking the right person? After hyperventilating for what felt like months, I decided to dig deeper into my imposter syndrome. I like to draw comics, especially when I’m feeling insecure, and this comic I drew back in 2018 [dealt with those feelings]… After I was given this opportunity to direct a SparkShort, that [insecure] feeling crept back up again—feeling like an adult one minute [and] feeling like kids stacked in a trench coat the next. Something about this idea clicked… So, the first part of my journey was taking that [comic] idea and turning it into a fleshed-out story.”

On the process of brainstorming the story, and starting work with the short’s producer:
“After I finished my time on Soul, I went on vacation and tried to [storyboard] the whole idea from beginning to end,” she says. “I placed my main character, Gia, in an office setting, and came up with how an entertaining story would unfold. After time at the office, she and her friends would go to a club and continue shenanigans there. But something about this story didn’t feel right,,, it felt like the story didn’t really take off until Gia entered the club with said friends. Given my more introverted personality, the awkwardness of going out to the club felt so relatable and a better location to tell the story. So, I scrapped my boards, which was a hard thing to do—but I realized it was necessary.”“To make the film run smoothly, I had Erik Langley, my fearless producer extraordinaire,” Corbin continues. “We didn’t know each other before this experience, and we both were new to our respective leadership positions. Erik immediately got to work, scheduling out a ‘game plan’ for how this film would be made.”

On why she decided to make the short in 2D:
“In order to pull off this crazy idea, I knew I was going to need to make this a 2D film,” she explains. “Since we’re a SparkShort, our budget is a little smaller. And if I was going to pull off a movie with dialogue and all of these extra characters—in the club setting, too—it was the route to go. It’s honestly my first love; I got into animation because I loved drawings, and seeing those drawings come to life [is a] super special moment. And I was encouraged by seeing amazing 2D SparkShorts that had come out before, like Burrow and Kitbull, and I knew it was a path for me.”

On some of the short’s visual inspirations:
“I was really inspired by older, ‘vintage’ cartoons—specifically in the ’60s and ’70s; trying to get some of that charm and that appeal into the design. But it didn’t just stop there. Yingzong [the short’s character design artist] had design a whole slew of background characters, with both adult and baby forms, [which are] important in Act 3 of the short. So, it really put her to the test—and she delivered in an amazing way.”

Twenty Something sparkshorts

On the challenges that came with, well, everything about 2020:
“We were feeling really confident and ready to get started with animation,” admits Corbin, “and then COVID-19 global pandemic [hit] and we thought, ‘What are we going to do?!’ We weren’t sure it was going to happen, as the [Pixar] campus completely shut down and we all had to go home. We scrambled onto Zoom and brainstormed a ‘work from home’ plan. Led by [SparkShorts production supervisor] Mike O’Brien and [producer] Erik, our ‘offline’ work flow started to gain traction, and we were determined to make our film happen. Adjustments were made, [our] haircuts were postponed,” she says, laughing, “but we kept motivation up and moved forward into animation.”

“I knew I was going to need a very skilled animation supervisor,” she adds. “I picked Lucas Pacheco, who is a friend from school and a very skilled animator; I knew he’d be perfect for the job. Lucas assembled an awesome team of equally amazing animators to work from home and rally together to create this short. Lucas was instrumental in creating model sheets for all of the characters, complete with expression sheets and style guides,,, Lucas did an amazing amount of work, and earned himself the title of ‘fluid animator,’ as he volunteered to take on most of the liquids [seen in] the short—including projectile baby [spit-up] and a huge amount of tears,” Corbin explains, chuckling.

On seeing the finished product:
“Ultimately, we had to get to sound editing and ‘last looks,’” the director says. “And we were able to head into [Pixar Animation Studios] for a socially distanced sound check… it was our first time meeting [in person] in several months—and like a magical, perfect scenario, somehow all the colors worked and it sounded great. And like that, the production was finished. I’m extremely thankful to have the chance to work on this film. As you can see, it was a huge amount of work and it speaks to my amazing team. It was such an exciting [project], and I can’t wait for everyone to finally see it!”

The Pixar SparkShort Twenty Something debuts this Friday, September 10—only on Disney+!