Tag Archives: Disney Movies

A Wrinkle in Time

Posted on by

A Wrinkle in Time

By Erin

 A Wrinkle in Time has now tessered into theaters! Get ready for an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light. This is a movie for kids and anyone who was a kid and is a kid at heart!

Reese Witherspoon is Mrs. Whatsit and Storm Reid is Meg Murry in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.

Meg Murry is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who just wants to fit in. The daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother, Charles Wallace, but she has yet to realize it for herself. Complicating matters is the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Murry, which has left Meg devastated and her mother broken-hearted. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin to three celestial beings (Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Who) who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they embark on their formidable quest. Traveling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil force. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must face the darkness within herself in order to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness rapidly enveloping the Universe.

Storm Reid is Meg Murry and Levi Miller is Calvin O’Keefe in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME, an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timless classic directed by Ava DuVernay.

A Wrinkle in Time, at its core, is about family, love and emotion. One thing you will notice right away is the gorgeous scenery and breathtaking detail in the costumes and everything else that comes across the screen. The complex journey is captured through musical themes that bridge the gap between fantasy and drama. Ramin Djawadi’s score for the film was recorded in Los Angeles with a 71-piece orchestra, 29-person choir and 24-member children’s choir. The score has a variety of instrumentation from various cultures around the world such as the Indian tabla and hammered dulcimer.

Madeleine L’Engle’s novel, A Wrinkle in Time has been inspiring readers of all ages since 1962. Now, Ava DuVernay’s imaginative new adaptation is sure to create legions of new fans and something epic and meaningful to last for years to come. Meg Murry is an imperfect girl who takes us on a fantastic journey, not to become perfect, but to learn to embrace her flaws, which is a great lesson for us all. Through this journey we reflect on the big themes in life that we all share, regardless of where we’re from, what we look like and what we believe. We all know that love and hate, light and darkness, the themes of our very humanity, are something that we each struggle with. It is something we all share, the human struggle…and the human triumph.

Oprah Winfrey is Mrs. Which, Reese Witherspoon is Mrs. Whatsit and Mindy Kaling is Mrs. Who in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.

Oprah Winfrey stars as Mrs. Which, the oldest and most knowledgeable of the three Mrs.’s. Along with Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), they are self-proclaimed warriors who strive to protect all that is good and bright in the universe and have dedicated themselves to helping Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin in their search for Mr. Murry.

Oprah Winfrey is Mrs. Which in Disney’s A WRINKLE IN TIME.

A Wrinkle in Time is a movie where bravery, love and believing in yourself can save the universe. Read more about the film and what the cast had to share about being a light and ray of hope in a world filled with darkness here. Then start tessering and head to the theater to see this beloved classic!

Like A WRINKLE IN TIME on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WrinkleInTimeMovie/

Follow A WRINKLE IN TIME on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WrinkleinTime

Follow A WRINKLE IN TIME on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wrinkleintime/

Visit the official A WRINKLE IN TIME website here: http://movies.disney.com/a-wrinkle-in-time

A WRINKLE IN TIME is tessering into theatres now! 😉

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Sets Sail in Theatres Today!

Posted on by

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

By Mary Lansing

One of my very first memories of Disneyland is going on The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. Having anticipated this ride for what felt like forever, I would watch the segment of the Buccaneers’ adventures on my Disneyland Sing-a-Long VHS (remember those?). When the big moment arrived and I was at last on the Pirate ride, guess what? I was an absolute wreck. I was scared and not happy at all. I may have only been three or four years old, but, I vividly recall vowing to my Grandma I would never go on the ride again.

Fast forward to adult Mary, and Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my favorites to hit first when I get to Disneyland. So, you can imagine how clever I thought it was back in 2003 when producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, and Walt Disney Pictures unveiled their newest action franchise: The Pirates of the Caribbean movies. With the inaugural The Curse of the Black Pearl, Bruckheimer and Disney didn’t look back and, here we are, on our 5th installment, The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

In his newest (and maybe, possibly, his most interesting to date) tale of mishaps, we meet up with Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack. Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced. 

We are first introduced to a young Henry, who turns out to be none other than Will Turner’s (Orlando Bloom) son with the beautiful Elizabeth (Keira Knightly). Cursed, and with no sign of the spell being broken, Will urges Henry to get far away and make his own life away from the world of Pirates, and, especially, Captain Sparrow. Fast forward nine years, and a handsome and grown Henry is convinced Jack may be his key to break the spell and free his Father from The Devil’s Triangle.

Enter Captain Salazar. Easily one of the most scary villains for Captain Sparrow yet, Salazar will stop at nothing to get his revenge on the lackluster pirate. After a rousing and heart-racing opening, we soon are reunited with everyone’s favorite good pirate in a hilarious introduction that only Depp’s Sparrow could pull off.

And, what is a Pirates of the Caribbean tale without some romance?! Enter the mysterious, gorgeous and poised Carina Smyth. Being held captive for her “witch craft”, Smyth escapes and soon finds herself knee-deep into the frolics and mis-happenings of the somewhat loony Sparrow, and his new ally, Henry. Carina turns out to have interesting tides to one of our pirates, and let’s just say there were some gasps when I screened the film!

As always, the entire cast of Pirates of the Caribbean is superb. Academy award winner Bardem creates a sinister Captain Salazar that will easily become a Disney legend for his villainous ways. Think no further than Pirates first antagonist, Captain Barbossa.

Scodelario’s Carina is fantastic as the head-strong young astronomer searching for answers to The Devil’s Triangle and stopping at nothing to make her Father proud, who is presumed to be dead. Scodelario brings to mind the recent actresses that have shined in Disney productions. Think The Force Awakens; Daisy Ridley and The BFG’s Ruby Barnhill.

And, last, but definitely not least: Johnny Depp. Although Depp has been starring as Captain Sparrow for over a decade, he treats the role with such audacity and a gregarious nature that one can only have when they truly love what they are doing. Depp’s youthful, playful characteristics make you instantly love and root for his alter-ego. It is no surprise that he has been nominated for an Academy Award for this portrayal.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theatres everywhere TODAY and the perfect film to catch this Memorial Day weekend!

Mary Lansing is the Editor of the popular LA lifestyle and travel blog, Along Comes Mary. When she is not keeping busy with her Social Media Managing business, you can find her out exploring all Southern California has to offer, or off on a trip! Visit her on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Born in China with Fun Facts From Producer Roy Conli

Posted on by

Born in China with Fun Facts From Producer Roy Conli

By Erin

Disneynature’s latest gem Born in China, features epic beauty, hidden majesty and endless wonder. It centers around the families of three native species; snow leopards, pandas, and golden snub-nosed monkeys. Already having great acclaim and box-office success in China, it is now open today for U.S. audiences to join in on all the wonder and amazement this film has to offer. We had the amazing opportunity to chat with the movie’s producer Roy Conli to learn how the production crew got the film’s majestic nature footage, and why this was such an important project to him. He shared many fun and interesting facts with us about the film. Take a look below to see some of my favorite things that I learned about Born in China & Roy Conli.

Producer Roy Conli attends the New York Premeire Of Disneynature’s “Born In China” at Landmark Sunshine Cinema on April 8, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images or Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

 Roy Conli: joined Disney in 1993 and co-produced “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” and went over to Paris to run the Paris studio in 1995, where he completed portions of “Hunchback.” He also worked on “Hercules” and “Tarzan” over there, and then came back in 1998 to work on “Treasure Planet,”“Tangled”, and then “Big Hero 6,” which came out in 2014 which was a lot of fun for him, as he won a big award.

“Born in China” is the seventh theatrical release for Disneynature, the first new Disney-branded film label from The Walt Disney Studios in more than 60 years. Born in China is narrated by John Krasinski.

 Shane Moore, the cinematographer for the snow leopards, spent 253 hours shooting over four trips, over six seasons. He was living in a little, uninsulated shack next to a monastery in the Quinghai Plateau. He and his very small team would leave before dawn and get back after dark, and shoot straight for the length of their Visas.

 Since they were coming in on journalistic Visas, they would have to leave after three months. The first shot of the snow leopard was at 90 days into his first stay. He had to leave the day after he got his first shot. But it’s a testament to the perseverance and professionalism these guys have. They track these animals and get to understand their movement and start to understand the thought process, their habits and customs as well.

 Pandas are incredibly isolated and they don’t like a lot of companionships around them, and they’re also 800-pound animals. So a mother panda with her cub can be somewhat intimidating and dangerous. What the cinematographers and the crew did was wear panda suits and they would put panda scent on them. As you build a relationship with these animals, and those animals see that you are not a danger, then they start getting closer and closer.

Description: Cinematographer Justin Maguire filming golden snub-nosed monkeys.

 The monkeys were the easiest to film. They just wanted to play with the cameras.

 Roy Conli told us about the importance of letting nature take its course while filming and “The Pinocchio Factor”–Amazing and frightening experiences that show life as it is and how children can handle more than we give them credit for.

One Last thing Roy Conli wanted everyone to know was to make sure to see the film this first week, when it first comes out. “Disney does something, and they’ve done it on every Disneynature release that I can remember: a portion of the proceeds from that first week is going to the World Wildlife Fund, and specifically targeted toward panda and snow leopards, in terms of the protection of those populations. We always say that Disneynature is a title that is there to educate, that is there to inspire, and then that is there to entertain. And in this particular case, it’s also there to serve. The work that Disneynature has done over the last ten years has helped protect 130,000 acres of chimpanzee reserve, create 65,000 acres of plain land for cats in Kenya, 400,000 acres protected in the U.S. National Park system, a 40,000 acre marine reserve in the Bahamas, protection of endangered monkeys in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, three million trees planted in the Amazon, in Brazil. This work is really, really important and it’s one of the greatest things that Disneynature provides. The World Wildlife Fund, in this particular instance, is going to be the beneficiary of that. And it’s going to help protect those populations for generations.”

Help protect snow leopards and pandas with Disneynature’s Born in China!

China is home to many iconic species and the WWF works to protect them, including giant pandas and snow leopards like the ones we see in the film. Premiering today, Born in China brings them to the big screen—and for every ticket sold in participating markets through April 27, Disneynature will make a donation to support WWF’s work in China. How awesome is that?? Happy Earth Day! 🙂

Character: Red-Crowned Cranes

Like Disneynature on Facebook: Facebook.com/Disneynature

Follow Disneynature on Twitter: Twitter.com/Disneynature

Follow Disneynature on Instagram: http://instagram.com/disneynature

Visit the official BORN IN CHINA website: http://nature.disney.com/born-in-china

BORN IN CHINA is rated G and is in theatres everywhere NOW!