5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend

October 22, 2020October 28, 2020

By Zach Johnson

Whether you’re a fan of sharks or spaceships, or spades or spiders, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this weekend! ABC delivers another can’t-miss episode of Shark Tank on Friday, two nights before the game show Card Sharks returns to the network for its second season. Meanwhile, the space race continues on Disney+ Friday with an exciting and intense new episode of The Right Stuff. National Geographic’s two-part special Photo Ark wraps up Saturday, and the next night, the season finale of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Maximum Venom on Disney XD sees a trio of guest stars from Disney Channel reprising their roles.

Shark Tank—Friday, October 23, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
Sharks Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, and Kevin O’Leary and guest Shark Kendra Scott meet four new entrepreneurs, including a woman from California who wants them to invest in a women’s undergarment subscription service. A chef from Virginia thinks he’s found the recipe for success when he unveils an easy approach to a classic breakfast meal. Later, an entrepreneur from New York shows the Sharks her eco-friendly alternative to collecting dog waste, while a scientist and former competitive body builder from New Jersey asks the Sharks to work it out as he pitches his healthy take on a beloved snack food.

The Right Stuff—Friday, October 23, on Disney+
The fourth episode of the original series from National Geographic shows the Mercury 7 team heading home for Christmas. The holidays are tense for Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman), as his parents’ arrival coincides with the adoption of his wife’s niece. Things are also tense for Gordon Cooper (Colin O’Donoghue), whose former mistress has forced her way back into his life, jeopardizing his already fragile marriage. Meanwhile, John Glenn (Patrick J. Adams) tries to win over a rising political star and presidential hopeful: John F. Kennedy.

Photo Ark—Saturday, October 24, at 10 p.m. ET on National Geographic
Follow National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore on his quest to use the power of photography to inspire people to save species at risk. Inevitably, Sartore must constantly adapt his “photo studios” to accommodate animals with unpredictable habits in order to create a connection with a global audience, showcasing various species like never before.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Maximum Venom—Sunday, October 25, at 9 p.m. ET on Disney XD
In the highly anticipated and action-packed season three finale, “Maximum Venom,” Spider-Man (voice of Robbie Daymond) and his allies try to track down the missing and dangerous Lizard (voice of Yuri Lowenthal)… only to discover that Venom (voice of Ben Pronsky) has returned to exact his revenge on Earth! ZOMBIES 2’s Meg Donnelly, Carla Jeffery, and Kylee Russell return to guest star as Scream, Mania, and Scorn, respectively.

Card Sharks—Sunday, October 25, at 10 p.m. ET on ABC
Host Joel McHale is joined by four contestants from California—Curtis Baxter of Riverside, Silvia Karafilis of Los Angeles, Kim Peoples of Valencia, and Christian Yeung of West Covina—as they up the ante in the game show’s season two premiere. The road to riches begins with two players facing off in a head-to-head elimination game… but only one player makes it to the money card round, where he or she needs to risk it all to win it all!

Remembering Marge Champion

October 22, 2020October 22, 2020

By Beth Deitchman

We are sorry to report that Disney Legend Marge Champion, a gifted actress and dancer who was the live-action reference model for several of the most beloved characters of Walt Disney’s golden age of animation, most notably the iconic heroine of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, has passed away. She was 101.

In addition to Snow White, Champion’s expressive movements also helped inspire Disney animators as they created Pinocchio’s graceful Blue Fairy and the poised Hyacinth the Hippo from the “Dance of the Hours” segment of Fantasia, a ballet parody that she also helped choreograph. Champion’s Disney memories also included doing some modeling for Mr. Stork from Dumbo and Dopey from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

“Marge Champion brought all of her many talents to help bring iconic silver-screen women—from Snow White, to the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio, to characters in Fantasia—to animated life,” Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios, said. “Walt Disney Animation Studios owes Marge, a Disney Legend and pioneer in animation, our deepest respect and gratitude.”

Born Marjorie Celeste Belcher on September 2, 1919, in Los Angeles, Champion had an affinity for dance from an early age. Her father, Ernest Belcher, was her first teacher. He was a noted Hollywood ballet coach who trained Shirley Temple, Cyd Charisse, and Gwen Verdon. Champion became a ballet teacher at her father’s studio by the time she was 12, and it was soon after that when a talent scout came to the studio and invited her to audition for a cartoon—an idea that seemed preposterous to Champion at the time.

“The atmosphere was like a giant high school or college, as far as I was concerned. Mr. Disney, for me, was like a very friendly head principal. Now, that’s a 14-year-old’s point of view. I later on learned that he was probably one of the most important men, certainly in animation, and probably in the movie industry,” Champion recalled.

As the live-action reference model for Snow White, Champion acted out scenes and performed dances and special movements so the animators could caricature her actions and make their celluloid princess as human as possible. She told Entertainment Weekly in 2016, “There was no choreography: I was making it up as we went along and showing them how to dance.”

Under the name “Marjorie Bell,” Champion appeared in the films Honor of the West and All Women Have Secrets, but she truly became a legend after embarking on a creative partnership with Gower Champion, whom she married in 1947. The pair appeared together in hit musical films that included Show Boat, Lovely to Look At, Give a Girl a Break, and Jupiter’s Darling, becoming the screen’s most popular dance team since Astaire and Rogers.

The Champions’ popularity soared through their many television appearances on series such as The Red Skelton Show, General Electric Theater, The United States Steel Hour, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, and Toast of the Town. The couple even starred in their own situation comedy, The Marge and Gower Champion Show, which ran briefly in 1957, in which Marge played a dancer and Gower a choreographer.

Extending their incredible partnership to the stage, Marge and Gower Champion also staged the dances for the Broadway musical revues Lend an Ear and Make a Wish.

Following the couple’s divorce in 1973, Champion co-authored two books with Marilee Zdenek, Catch the New Wind and God Is a Verb. She choreographed Whose Life Is It Anyway?, The Day of the Locust, and Queen of the Stardust Ballroom, for which she received an Emmy Award®. In 1997, Massachusetts honored Marge with its Commonwealth Award, citing her “leadership as a true patron of the arts.”

Champion was honored as a Disney Legend in 2007.

In 2019, in celebration of Champion’s 100th birthday, animator and animation historian John Canemaker paid tribute to the Disney Legend on his blog and shared some of her recollections of helping bring Snow White to life. In the post, Champion recalled “a crude set” intended to evoke a fairy-tale forest, and spoke of using props and listening to the film’s soundtrack on playback while embodying the heroine through her movements. She found it to be an enjoyable process, and shared with Canemaker her delight in seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for the first time on the big screen: “When I finally saw the finished product,” Champion said, “I realized that every single movement was mine.”

QUIZ: How Well Do You Know High School Musical 3: Senior Year?

October 22, 2020January 15, 2021

By Zach Johnson

Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat! In celebration of High School Musical 3: Senior Year’s anniversary on October 24, we’ve created a pop quiz. (“Surprise!”) Think you know all there is to know about Chad (Corbin Bleu), Taylor (Monique Coleman), Troy (Zac Efron) Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens), and Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale)? Answer 18 questions to find out—and if you score high enough, you might even graduate with honors!

1. Cue the closeup! Which character appears onscreen first?
A) Chad
B) Gabriella
C) Taylor
D) Troy

2. What is the halftime score in the state championship final game?
A) East High Wildcats (23) vs. West High Knights (48)
B) East High Wildcats (48) vs. West High Knights (23)
C) East High Wildcats (26) vs. West High Knights (47)
D) East High Wildcats (47) vs. West High Knights (26)

3. What is Chad’s jersey number?
A) 8
B) 14
C) 32
D) 44

4. What is Jimmie Zara’s nickname?
A) “Babe Magnet”
B) “Little Pickles”
C) “Rocket Man”
D) “Wildcat”

5. Which Aly & AJ song plays during Troy’s championship party?
A) “Do You Believe in Magic”
B) “Like Whoa”
C) “No One”
D) “Rush”

6.Which childhood toy does Gabriella find in Troy’s tree house?
A) Furby
B) Robo Rob
C) Skip-It
D) Stretch Armstrong

7. What does Sharpay’s license plate say?
A) BRDWAY
B) FABULUS
C) SHRPAY
D) SPRSTAR

8. Which of these items is NOT on the New York deli platter?
A) Big Apple parfait
B) Corned beef on rye
C) Pepperoni pizza
D) Potato salad

9. Which Disney Legend is calling Ryan and Sharpay again in “I Want It All?”
A) Diane Sawyer
B) Oprah Winfrey
C) Regis Philbin
D) Whoopi Goldberg

10. Which High School Musical 2 song is Gabriella’s ringtone?
A) “All for One”
B) “Gotta Go My Own Way”
C) “What Time Is It”
D) “You Are the Music in Me”

11. What is the theme of the East High prom?
A) Cloud Nine
B) Fire and Ice
C) Last Waltz
D) The Night of Nights

12. How many “promposals” does Chad attempt before Taylor says yes?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4

13. What did Chad and Troy NOT pretend to be as kids at the junkyard?
A) Basketball players
B) Rock stars
C) Spies
D) Super Heroes

14. Who said this line?: “Oh, perfect! Go for it! Save the day! Whoopee!”
A) Ryan
B) Sharpay
C) Tiara
D) Zeke

15. Where does Troy decide to go to college?
A) The Juilliard School
B) University of Albuquerque
C) University of California, Berkeley
D) Yale University

16. Which major does Gabriella plan to study at Stanford University?
A) Political Science
B) Pre-Law
C) Theatre
D) Undecided

17. How many hats does Ryan wear in the movie (including his graduation cap)?
A) 7
B) 9
C) 11
D) 13

18. How does Taylor sign her yearbook? (Hint: It appears in the credits!)
A) “It’s not over yet!”
B) “Long live musicals!”
C) “Off on a quest for the perfect jazz square!”
D) “You should visit me at the Oval Office.”

Correct Answers:

1. D, Troy
2. C, East High Wildcats (26) vs. West High Knights (47)
3. A, 8
4. C, “Rocket Man”
5. B, “Like Whoa”
6. B, Robo Rob
7. B, FABULUS
8. C, Pepperoni pizza
9. B, Oprah Winfrey
10. D, “You Are the Music in Me”
11. C, Last Waltz
12. B, 2
13. A, Basketball players
14. B, Sharpay
15. C, University of California, Berkeley
16. B, Pre-Law
17. C, 11
18. D, “You should visit me at the Oval Office.”

If you got…

1-6
It might be time for a tutor. The good news? You can stream High School Musical 3: Senior Year on Disney+ right now and get caught up in time for the “Senior Year Spring Musical!”

7-12
You want it all—and with another viewing, a higher score can be yours!

13-18
Everyone is special in their own way… and being a High School Musical 3: Senior Year whiz is clearly your way! Your attention to detail is so outstanding even Ms. Darbus is impressed.

Kree Kruh Vergo Gebba Kalto Kree: Conjuring a Portrait of Captain Blackbeard

October 22, 2020October 19, 2020

By Nicole Carroll, Walt Disney Archives

The spooky and lighthearted Disney classic Blackbeard’s Ghost (1968) is perfect for a ghastly October viewing. The film focuses on the dead, yet still mischievous pirate Captain Blackbeard, played by legendary actor Peter Ustinov, who is trapped in limbo until he performs a good deed. Accidentally conjured by unsuspecting Godolphin track coach Steve Walker, played by Disney Legend Dean Jones, the two set off on a comical adventure to save the Daughters of the Buccaneers and their home, Blackbeard’s Inn.

Archives Blackbeard's Ghost — Production still showing the portrait of Captain Blackbeard behind the Daughters of the Buccaneers band.

One of the many memorable props from the film was Captain Blackbeard’s iconic life-size portrait, prominently displayed in the Inn. The artwork’s creator and illustrator, David Jonas, was a Disney Studio artist from the late 1960s to early 1970s and contributed to such films as Lt. Robin Crusoe, USN (1966), Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), and The Black Cauldron (1985). In press materials from the film, Jonas noted that it was difficult to create a likeness of someone without a recent photograph. “I did a lot of research on what the actual Blackbeard looked like and portraits of that period so that I could give the figure an authentic pose and background,” Jonas recalled.

Even before filming began he worked with wardrobe designer Bill Thomas to determine what costume Blackbeard would be wearing. “By the time Peter arrived at the studio for production, the painting for all but subtle modeling and little details was finished.” Using old photographs of Ustinov, Jonas sketched in his face, creating a perfect blend of the historic Captain Blackbeard and the film’s lead. “Extraordinary,” remarked Ustinov upon coming face to face with the portrait for the first time. “It’s a very good likeness. But I believe I would be afraid to hang it in my house. My dogs would never stop whining at it, wanting it to pat them or feed them.”

Blackbeard fans have had a couple of opportunities to see later versions of this iconic set decoration, too. First, in 1997, a smaller replica of the portrait was added to Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park in honor of the film’s then-upcoming 30th anniversary. The portrait could be seen towards the end of the attraction, sticking out of an overflowing bag of plunder two pirates attempt escape with just as the attraction vehicle begins to ascend the final hill. This scene was reimagined in 2006 when the attraction was updated to incorporate elements from the hit Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise, including appearances by another popular pirate captain—Jack Sparrow.

Then in 2017, with planning underway for the Archives’ exhibit at the D23 Expo, Rebecca Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives, knew that no Disney pirate-themed display would be complete without the portrait. She recalled:

“I love pirate movies—especially Disney ones—and Blackbeard’s Ghost has always been one of my favorites! Peter Ustinov was an incredible actor, and his performance in that film is genius— especially opposite another of my favorite Disney stars, Dean Jones. Pirate magic! The portrait of Peter as Blackbeard was a must-have for our D23 Expo pirate exhibit in 2017. I wanted it to have pride-of-place and full size, as Blackbeard was the biggest, baddest buccaneer of them all!”

The portrait was then meticulously recreated by the Walt Disney Archives using a photo transparency of the original and specs from the film’s publicity material. This true-to-size reproduction of the portrait was on display in the Archives’ exhibit, Walt Disney Archives Presents – A Pirate’s Life for Me: Disney’s Rascals, Scoundrels, and Really Bad Eggs. The portrait was aptly presented alongside a plethora of historical riches from the film, including a screen-worn tri-corn hat, storyteller record album, preview screening invitation from The Walt Disney Studios, as well as tickets, a program, and police pass from the film’s premiere at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre held on February 8, 1968.

Be sure to see David Jonas’ masterpiece for yourself in Blackbeard’s Ghost, now streaming on Disney+!

This Blue-tiful Product Collection Celebrates 40 Years of Wish Granting in a Very Special Way

October 22, 2020November 9, 2020

The Disney Parks Blog has just revealed a product collection that’s sure to be at the top of every Disney fan’s wish list for reasons that extend beyond the items’ truly gorgeous blue hue. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products’ brand-new color collection, Wishes Come True Blue, celebrates the incredible 40-year relationship between Disney and Make-A-Wish®, and it’s the first of three all-new product offerings launching over the next few months that will each unlock a special donation to the nonprofit. For more than four decades, Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together to grant life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, bringing Disney magic to wish kids and their families when they need it most.

The Wishes Come True Blue color collection is the first to celebrate and support a nonprofit’s impact and ongoing collaboration with Disney. The collection features spirit jerseys, face masks, ear headbands, and more, and will be available at select Disney parks around the world, the Disney store, and online at shopDisney.com beginning this Thursday, October 22. For each item purchased in the Wishes Come True Blue color collection now through World Wish Day 2021 (April 29, 2021) in the U.S., Canada, and across Europe, Disney will donate 25 percent of the purchase price (up to US $500,000) to Make-A-Wish.

The new collection includes two firsts: an adjustable children’s Mickey Mouse ear headband, making it possible for children of all abilities to wear their ears with comfort and joy, and the first cloth face masks made for children and adults alike by Spirit Jersey®. Disney is donating 10,000 cloth face masks from the collection to Make-A-Wish in honor of the collection’s launch.

Disney fans across North America will find Minnie Mouse & Mickey Mouse ear headbands, a new mini backpack and wristlet by Loungefly, and spirit jerseys for the entire family—even the pets!—at their local Disney store. The celebration continues virtually at shopDisney.com, where these products and more—including clogs by Crocs, leggings, and hats—will be just a click away. Visit shopDisney.co.uk to see the latest products, and for more details plus terms and conditions, visit TheWaltDisneyCompany.eu/TrueBlueWishes.

In Disney Parks, look for the Wishes Come True Blue color collection at the Walt Disney World Resort, where products featuring the Walt Disney World logo, including spirit jerseys, face masks, and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse ear headbands, will be available beginning this Thursday. In the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort, guests can visit World of Disney and the Disneyland Resort Backlot Premiere Shop for spirit jerseys, sweaters, headbands, and even face masks, all with the Disneyland Resort logo. Items will also be available at some of Disney’s international parks, as well.

And a unique assortment of products for you and your ‘ohana is also coming to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, where a plumeria-adorned Minnie Mouse ear headband, spirit jerseys, the adjustable Mickey Mouse ear headband, and more will be available soon.

To find out more about the life-changing power of a wish, visit Wish.org/Disney, and spread the word using #WishesComeTrueBlue.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 9, 2020

Following the debut of the Wishes Come True Blue color collection, the 40-year anniversary celebration of Disney and Make-A-Wish® continues with a Mickey Mouse plush, unlocking another donation to Make-A-Wish and a brand-new animated short!

This holiday season, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has launched a three-minute animated short, From Our Family to Yours, highlighting festive traditions and shared experiences that connect generations and make lifelong memories. It features two new lovable characters, Lola and her granddaughter, and a familiar friend: Mickey Mouse. It also includes the song “Love Is a Compass” by 19-year-old British singer-songwriter Griff.

Want to own the adorable Mickey Mouse plush seen in the animated short? It’s available now at shopDisney.com and at Disney stores in Europe and online at shopDisney.co.uk. For every Mickey Mouse Vintage Holiday Plush sold through January 31, 2021, shopDisney will donate 25 percent of the purchase price to Make-A-Wish to help grant wishes. The Wishes Come True Blue color collection and Mickey Mouse vintage holiday plush are just part of the celebration, with another drop coming in December. Visit Wish.org/Disney to learn more.

Disney+ Original Movie Sneakerella Begins Production for a 2021 Debut

October 21, 2020

By Zach Johnson

The shoes fit! Talented up-and-coming actors Chosen Jacobs and Lexi Underwood have been cast alongside four-time NBA Champion John Salley in the new Disney+ original movie Sneakerella. Now in production, the pop/hip-hop musical leaves a sneaker culture imprint on the Cinderella fairy tale. Jane Startz and Rachel Watanabe-Batton are executive producers, and co-executive producer Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum will also direct the film.

Set in the avant-garde street-sneaker subculture of New York City, Sneakerella introduces El (Jacobs), an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens who works as a stock boy in the shoe store that once belonged to his late mother. El hides his artistic talent from his overburdened stepfather and two mean-spirited stepbrothers who constantly stomp on any opportunity that comes his way. But when El meets Kira King (Underwood), the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King (Salley), sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity for sneakers. With a little nudge from his best friend and a sprinkle of Fairy Godfather magic, El finds the courage to use his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a “legit” sneaker designer in the industry.

“Sneakerella brings a vibrant, modern approach to a beloved story by suggesting that magic is the result of hard work and determination and exists within each of us,” said Lauren Kisilevsky, vice president, Original Movies, Disney Channel. “Liz Allen’s unique vision, Lexi and Chosen’s amazing chemistry, the incredible music and the gravity-defying choreography, will bring this movie to life and inspire audiences of all ages.”

Sneakerella also stars Devyn Nekoda as El’s best friend Sami; Juan Chioran as El’s neighbor Gustavo; Robyn Alomar as Kira’s sister Liv; Bryan Terrell Clark as El’s stepfather Trey; and Kolton Stewart and Hayward Leach as El’s stepbrothers, Zelly and Stacy, respectively. Written by Tamara Chestna and George Gore II & Mindy Stern, Sneakerella features choreography by Emilio Dosal and Ebony Williams, and Christopher Scott is a co-producer.

black-ish Returns for a Seventh Season of Stories That Shine a Light on our “Now”

October 20, 2020October 20, 2020

By Beth Deitchman

The Johnsons are back! ABC’s Emmy®– and Golden Globe® Award-nominated comedy series black-ish kicks off its seventh season on Wednesday, October 21 (9:30 p.m. EDT) with an episode that takes the family—and viewers—back to the beginning of the global pandemic. First responder Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross)—an anesthesiologist—receives praise from the rest of the Johnsons for her role as a frontline worker, and Junior (Marcus Scribner) is her biggest fan. But over time, the family loses their enthusiasm for the quarantine, and Bow discovers someone in the household is breaking lockdown rules. Meanwhile, Dre (Anthony Anderson) tries to convince everyone that he, too, is an essential worker.

The initial plan was for season seven to begin later in the 2020–21 season, but current events dictated that black-ish would return to the schedule earlier in the fall, so that it could continue to tell stories that are about “now” in the moment when they’re most needed. In making the announcement, Karey Burke, president, ABC Entertainment said, “black-ish has a long-standing history of shining a light on current events and honoring Black voices through the lens of the Johnson family. After speaking with Kenya and our creative partners, we decided it was important to tell these meaningful stories during this moment in time, so we are adjusting our premiere schedule and are committed to doing whatever it takes to bring this series back as soon as we possibly can. Following recent monumental events, it’s imperative that the dialogue continues and empowers viewers to raise their voices, and there is no other show that does that like black-ish.”

The stars of black-ish and series creator Kenya Barris shared their excitement for the show’s earlier-than-anticipated return during ABC’s recent TCA press event. Barris shared that everyone was in agreement that in years past, black-ish has been “an amplifier” for cultural and social issues. “We felt like during this time in particular, the show would be unusually but importantly necessary,” he said, adding that ABC shared that opinion and, through a team effort, black-ish returned to production, safely and following all recommended protocols.

Ahead of returning to the soundstage, however, the cast of black-ish returned to their roles through animation. On October 4, ABC aired a standalone television event featuring two back-to-back episodes of black-ish, with the second being the first-ever fully animated episode. Oscar® winner Matthew A. Cherry (Hair Love) directed both episodes of the election-themed special. The decision to try animation was motivated by a desire to be “pandemic-proof,” Barris explains, and it was sparked by a suggestion from Tracee Ellis Ross. “The animation idea actually came out of my desire to stay safe from COVID,” she recalls. She approached Karey Burke to discuss how they might be able to get back to work quickly, and wondered, “Would there be a way for us to do an episode that was animated?”

Led by executive producer Courtney Lilly, Barris says that the animated episode came together quickly. “This is a group of people who had been working together, and everyone is putting egos aside. People stopped talking about who did what, and what was what, and who was this, and it was, like, ‘What’s the best way to get this done?’ I’m really, really, really proud of what it came out to be,” he said. If you missed the black-ish election special when it first aired, it’s available for streaming now on Hulu and on ABC.com.

In addition to the animated special, black-ish also unveiled another exciting artistic expression to represent the show beautifully and authentically. Season seven’s key art has been painted by esteemed and award-winning American author and artist Kadir Nelson, who has created a stunning family portrait of the Johnsons. Nelson’s work, which frequently graces the cover of The New Yorker magazine, can be found in the permanent collections of notable institutions including the United States House of Representatives, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Through his art, he focuses on historical narratives and heroic subjects in American culture.

black-ish stars Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow Johnson, Yara Shahidi as Zoey Johnson, Marcus Scribner as Andre Johnson Jr., Miles Brown as Jack Johnson, Marsai Martin as Diane Johnson, Laurence Fishburne as Pops, Jenifer Lewis as Ruby, Peter Mackenzie as Mr. Stevens, Deon Cole as Charlie Telphy, and Jeff Meacham as Josh. The series was created by Kenya Barris and is executive produced by Barris, Courtney Lilly, Laura Gutin Peterson, Anthony Anderson, Laurence Fishburne, Helen Sugland, E. Brian Dobbins, and Michael Petok.

The Conners Navigate the New Normal as a Family, Both On- and Off-Screen

October 20, 2020October 21, 2020

By Beth Deitchman

Tune in for a total “fam-demic” in the return of ABC’s popular comedy The Conners, which finds Dan (John Goodman), Jackie (Laurie Metcalf), Darlene (Sara Goodman), Becky (Lecy Goranson), and D.J. (Michael Fishman) quarantining together. As the series’ key art notes, the Conners have been “socially distant since always,” but they’ll get through the global pandemic as they face all challenges: as a family. Season three finds the Conners confronting not just the global health crisis, but financial issues closer to home. Dan struggles to catch up on back mortgage payments and the Lunch Box is forced to remain closed for all but takeout and delivery. Becky and Darlene are both forced to search for additional income at the newly reopened Wellman Plastics plant, where their Aunt Jackie worked way back at the beginning of the Conners’ story more than three decades ago.

There was never a question as to whether The Conners would incorporate the pandemic into the new season’s storyline. “The characters were built for disaster, and we’ve been following their life and their trials through all the things that have been going on since the 1980s,” executive producer Bruce Helford noted during ABC’s recent VirtuFall Panel Series. “It just seemed natural that we would be in—you know, in the middle of this and do it. I know there are a lot of shows that probably aren’t going to be reflecting what’s really going on, but we felt that it was an obligation to our viewers and to stay relevant and to show them what it’s like for a family that knows how to get through hard times but is thrown a curve like never before.”

The Conners recently returned to production, carefully and with safety and COVID-19 protocols a top priority—and the series’ cast and creative team is also navigating the pandemic, albeit with a more agreeable dynamic and outlook than that of their on-screen counterparts. “I felt nervous coming in on the first day,” Laurie Metcalf admitted. “But when I saw all the safety precautions that had been taken and had talked with fellow cast and crew members about how seriously we were all committed to keeping the set extremely safe, I felt much more comfortable.”

The cast has been a second family for Fishman, Gilbert, and Goranson for almost their entire lives. At the start of the pandemic, Goranson had hoped to travel back east to where she lives part of the year, but when those plans fell through, she found herself quarantining alone in Southern California and welcomed the opportunity to return to the soundstage. “For me, not only being able to see other people that I love and many of whom I’ve known for 30 years, and to be able to have a focus, to be able to contribute to society in a way that I feel like I can do as being part of our show, to address some of the feelings and the things that we’ve all been going through, I feel very, very blessed,” she said.

John Goodman shared that he has coped with the pandemic by focusing on his gratitude for the things in his life that make him happy. “I’ve been working very steadily for the last few years. I’ve been grateful for that, but it was nice to have some time off and just appreciate the things that make up my life,” he said. “And it’s just the gratitude that I have now is something I hadn’t had earlier in my life, and I’m glad it’s come to me now.”

Fishman hopes that in watching the Conners come together on screen, viewers will be inspired by the characters’ strength and ability to depend upon each other, and that they’ll see that reflected in their own families. “I think it’s a tough time for everybody. I think you lean on your friends and you lean on your family. We’re very lucky to get to lean on each other and get to come to work with amazing people and do an amazing show that is topical and socially aware,” he emphasized. “It’s what you strive for, to get to do good work with good people. And it’s not just the ones you see in front of the camera. It’s all of the multitudes of people behind the camera that make coming to work kind of a paradise. It’s an oasis in a tough time.”

Be sure to catch America’s favorite working-class family on an all-new night. The new season of The Conners begins Wednesday, October 21, at at 9/8c on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

7 Sunny Stories from Once Upon a Snowman’s Filmmakers

October 20, 2020October 21, 2020

By Courtney Potter

If you’ve seen Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Oscar®-winning 2013 animated hit Frozen—and honestly who amongst us hasn’t, at least two or 26 times?—you might have found yourself wondering… what really happened after Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) creates that adorable snowman Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad) as she sang the iconic anthem “Let It Go” and just before he meets Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) and Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff)? Well wonder no more, because Olaf’s origin story is here in the form of a brand-new animated short debuting on Disney+ this Friday, October 23!

Once Upon a Snowman film follows Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle. Written and directed by Trent Correy (animation supervisor, “Olaf” in Frozen 2) and Dan Abraham (veteran story artist who boarded Olaf’s “When I Am Older” musical sequence in Frozen 2), the short promises to draw viewers into the sunny snowman’s innocent but insightful world like never before.

D23 recently heard from Correy and Abraham—as well as head of animation Becky Bresee and creative consultant Peter Del Vecho (producer of Frozen and Frozen 2)—at a virtual press conference celebrating the short’s upcoming release on the streaming service. Read on for a look at some of the sunniest behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the short, and why the filmmakers can’t wait for you to see it!

Correy and Abraham on how Once Upon a Snowman came to be:
“I started in the [Walt Disney Animation Studios] training program in 2012, and actually my very first film at Disney was the first Frozen, where I get to meet Becky and Peter and later met Dan,” Correy explains. “I started as a crowd animator, and my very first character to animate was Olaf—and I was very lucky to get to animate Olaf for the rest of the show. And I very clearly remember seeing Chad Sellers’ animated shot [of Olaf] during ‘Let It Go’ while I was a trainee. Elsa just makes Olaf and it’s beautiful—but then she just walks away. She creates life and she walks away—and I thought there’s gotta be a story there.”

“I love Pinocchio, I love Bambi—and [as with those films], I want to see what Olaf’s first steps are like,” Correy continues. “I actually found sketches last week when I was moving, of original ideas from 2013—some ‘beat boards’ and writing and ideas of Olaf taking his first steps and learning about who he is. Cut to last year [at D23 Expo] when Jennifer Lee, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and our fearless leader, stood on stage and said we’re going to be partnering with Disney+. And I thought, right then, that this is the perfect opportunity to have this short come out.”

“I had a ball working on Frozen 2,” Abraham adds. “Working with Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and Peter Del Vecho—I guess they liked what I had done and thought, ‘Oh, this guy has a handle on who Olaf is.’ And so Jennifer asked if I would partner with Trent and direct this great idea that he’d had all those years ago. So the two of us just kinda went arm-in-arm from there.”

Del Vecho on creating Once Upon a Snowman immediately after finishing work on Frozen 2:
“I’m sure Trent and Becky and Dan can attest—when you make these movies, you get to know these characters really well and it becomes a ‘family’,” Del Vecho explains. “And as hard as the movies are to finish, it’s also hard to step away. So I think the fact that Trent and Dan had this story ready to go, we could build on that enthusiasm of having just finished Frozen 2 and bring all that skill and momentum that we had as you finish a movie—bring that right into the short. And I think it was a nice way to continue to celebrate the finish of Frozen 2.”

Bresee on what drew her to the world of Frozen, and what she loved about working on this short:
“Well, when I started on the first Frozen, I was really in it for the fairy tale of it,” says Bresee. “I’ve always loved fairy tales and Disney art… but after a while, it started with to become a sister story, and then it spoke to me in a very different way because I have sisters—and more so, I have daughters and they’re my little Anna and Elsa. So I was more invested now, even more so than before. [And] what’s wonderful about Olaf is he’s a reflection of the love between these two sisters.”

“It really is not often that we get to revisit characters,” she continues. “When Frozen 2 came up, I thought, ‘Yay! We get to visit these characters again!’ And then to continue on with this story, that’s very special and ties everything together from those first moments of [Olaf’s life]—it’s a really neat way to revisit those [early] scenes and think about the people who animated them on the first movie and then how it all ties in.”

On working with Josh Gad, and a memorable moment from the wrap party:
“Josh is just as funny in the movie and on his Instagram and social media as he is in person,” Correy admits. “He is hilarious. In fact, Dan and I were in the recording booth with them [for Once Upon a Snowman], not behind the glass. And I think the hardest part about that was just trying not to laugh so we didn’t mess up the take… He’s so generous with his time; he came in right after Frozen 2 to record this with us. He gives you so much as an actor and a comedian. I just loved working with him.”

“Josh came in [to our Once Upon a Snowman wrap party] excited—he brought his family, his little kids, which was adorable,” Correy adds, chuckling. “And this cracks me up, I still think of it all the time: His little daughter came up to me, and she shakes my hand and she says, ‘I didn’t like the short… I loved the short!” And I was like, she is Josh Gad’s daughter! The timing was perfect!”

On the fun Easter eggs viewers should keep an eye out for in Once Upon a Snowman:
“Well, there’s a lot of little fun tidbits throughout the short because we’re showing [events seen in the original Frozen] from a different perspective,” says Correy. “One of the ones I love has to do with Anna’s coronation dress.” “There’s other little Easter eggs within the cards that Olaf looks at through a stereoscope,” Abraham adds. “There’s a few different shots in there, that people might be keen on, from other Disney animated films.”

On exploring those particular events from the original Frozen from a different POV:
“We know who animated the first moments, and then seeing those moments from a totally different angle is just so interesting,” Bresee admits. “Because I have it in my head who animated the shot, the movements they did, the acting they did. And we have insight into what’s happening next and before and all that—it’s just really fun to see it all connect. And y’know, Anna and Olaf narrowly miss each other [in the first film]… it’s just neat to see these moments play out.” “We didn’t want to force it in any way,” adds Abraham. “So the story of what Olaf was trying to accomplish and [to] discover who he was and all that—it sort of led us to these different locations. And then we thought, ‘Oh, you know what’s happening at Oaken’s right now?!’ It all guided us. When we knew the story that we wanted to tell, it took us to these places. It worked naturally, really.”

The filmmakers on why we all love returning to the world of Olaf:
“Olaf has this overwhelming optimism and sincerity about him and that just never gets old,” Abraham admits. “It’s something that we all sort of aspire to and sometimes fall short—but Olaf is always there, charging ahead with this eternal optimism and sweetness that I think is a part of all of us, but maybe we wish we had more of.” Correy agrees: “I grew up on Disney movies in the 1990s. I loved Aladdin—by far my favorite movie, and Genie was my favorite character. And what I loved about Genie was that he could be hilarious and change shapes, but he could also be sincere. And from an animator’s point of view, Olaf is everyone’s favorite character to [work on] because he can be very emotional—like Becky mentioned, he’s connected to the sisters—but he’s also fun to just break apart.” “And I think we can all relate to his innocence, as a child—that slightly naïve look at the world,” Del Vecho adds. “But in doing, he can really hit on some profound, emotional things. He can zero in on things that maybe as adults we miss.”

See how Olaf became the cuddly character we all know and love when Once Upon a Snowman begins streaming exclusively on Disney+ beginning Friday, October 23!

What’s the Buzz — A look at The Fly

October 19, 2020October 1, 2021

By Cesar Gallegos, Walt Disney Archives

To help celebrate the Halloween season, let’s take a look back at a classic science fiction tale of transformation, The Fly. This 20th Century Fox film from 1958 starred David Hedison, Patricia Owens, and notable horror and science fiction actor, Vincent Price. Adapted from George Langelaan’s short story of the same name, the film’s success helped spawn two sequels and the eventual 1986 remake starring Jeff Goldblum.

Ben Nye Sr. also added to the film’s success. The prolific makeup and special effects artist, who worked on more than 500 films throughout his career, created the titular fly’s head and prosthetics. And what better way to celebrate the season than enjoying some “fly-on-the-wall” photos taken during the making of the film, exclusively from the Walt Disney Archives.