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Disney CEO Bob Iger has reportedly claimed that hackers have targeted the studio and have held one of their flagship future releases, rumoured to be the fifth instalment of Pirates of the Caribbean, to ransom.

The Disney head honcho told ABC employees that hackers had taken one of the studio’s films and held it ransom, threatening to release it to the public unless an undisclosed sum was paid, at a town hall meeting in New York City on Monday (May 15th), according to The Hollywood Reporter. The studio is refusing to pay up, and is working with federal investigators.

Disney CEO Bob Iger at the premiere of 'Beauty and the Beast'

Continue reading: Disney CEO Reveals One Of Its Movies Has Been Hacked And Held For Ransom

The live-action re-boot of Disney’s smash hit The Lion King is in the process of assembling a truly star-studded cast, with new reports suggesting that director Jon Favreau is lining up the one and only Beyonce to voice the character of Nala.

Sources intimated to Variety on Thursday (March 30th) that the pop superstar is on the top of Oscar-winning director Favreau’s list to provide the voice for Nala, the childhood best friend of Simba, and that the studio and team will do “whatever it takes” to get her on board and work round her schedule.

Beyonce has reportedly been offered the voiceover role of Nala in 'The Lion King' re-make

Continue reading: Beyonce The Top Choice To Provide Voice For Nala In 'The Lion King' Re-Make

Disney is being sued by a screenwriter who claims the company stole his idea for the Oscar-winning animated film Zootopia.

Gary L. Goldman, who wrote 1990 sci-fi flick Total Recall and executive produced Minority Report, claims in a lawsuit that Disney’s Zootopia is “substantially similar” to a project he once pitched with the same title.

Zootopia’s bunny cop Judy and sly fox Nick Wilde

Continue reading: Screenwriter Accuses Disney Of Stealing The Idea For 'Zootopia'

After the monumental success of Frozen - now the biggest animated movie of all time - and the impressive box-office of Maleficent, writer and director Jennifer Lee has been singled out to adapt the children's book A Wrinkle in Time for the heavyweight studio.

Jennifer Lee's 'Frozen' Was A Monster Hit for Disney

The book, written in 1962 by Madeleine L'Engle, follows the adventures of 14-year-old Meg Murry, a troublesome student whose family is largely perfect but for her absent scientist father. Joined by her school pal Calvin and prodigious brother, Meg goes on the hunt for her father, passing through different worlds and eras

Continue reading: 'Frozen' Director Jennifer Lee Unsurprisingly Snaffled For 'A Wrinkle In Time'

Disney has confirmed that Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales will be released on July 7, 2017 – a six-year gap between franchise entries. The tentpole, which stars Johnny Depp in the now-iconic lead role of Captain Jack Sparrow, was supposed to hit cinemas in the summer of 2015, but scripting issues have lead to major delays.

Johnny Depp in his most lucrative on-screen role to date as Captain Jack Sparrow

Disney will be looking forward to getting Dead Men off the ground; the last Pirates movie - On Stranger Tides - grossed $1.04 billion in 2011. So far, the franchise as a whole has accumulated something like  $3.7 billion in ticket sales alone, and merchandise for the movies sells well, too. 

Continue reading: 'Pirates Of The Caribbean 5' Is Coming In 2017 - Whether You Like It Or Not

Disney classic Dumbo is set to become the latest animated feature to get the live action remake treatment, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 1941 film, about a big eared baby elephant who can fly, is one of Disney’s most loved creations. So in anticipation of just what a new Dumbo movie could be like, we’ve dug up 10 facts about the original. Here’s 10 things you probably didn't know about Dumbo.

Dumbo was first released in 1941

1. Dumbo was Walt Disney’s 4th animated feature.The character was based on a 1939 story written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl, the tale was originally written for a pro type toy.

Continue reading: 10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Disney's 'Dumbo'

In a Hollywood atmosphere that currently seems obsessed with stretching even the most moderate of box-office successes into a full blown franchise, sequels and prequels are a ubiquitous presence in cinema multiplexes. But in the world of animated cinema, where the construction of a film requires infinitely more hard work and dedication than a live action picture, sequels tend to emerge that better the original- a much rarer occurrence amongst many Hollywood pictures.

Gerard Butler stars in How To Train Your Dragon 2 which has won copious plaudits.

That’s not to say there aren’t a few howlers either, animated studios such as Pixar and Disney are just as susceptible as the rest of the film world in dispensing some truly woeful and misguided follow ups. The likes of Cars 2 and Rio 2 left no-one with the life affirming sense of warmth that truly brilliant animated films of this type should provide. As is universally recognised, a mark of greatness from an animated film is its ability to simultaneously appeal to children and the adults who accompany them to the big screen. The likes of Shrek 1 & 2 and the Toy Story trilogy are prime examples of catering for both age groups through crafty pop culture references and subtle entendre.

Continue reading: What Is It About Animated Sequels?

50 Cent made the world premiere of the trailer for his latest film whilst appearing on Jimmy Kimmel live on Thursday (5th June). Or so it may have initially seemed. 

50 Cent AKA Curtis Jackson appeared on Jimmy Kimmel live on Thursday.

The rapper has created a spoof trailer sending up Angelina Jolie's latest Disney movie in which he appears in the horns and cloak of Maleficent. The tagline for the fake movie, MaleFiftyCent, is 'get witch or die tryin', evidently in homage to 50 Cent's biopic Get Rich or Die Tryin'. 

Continue reading: Fifty Cent Is 'MaleFiftyCent' In Spoof Trailer Of 'Maleficent', Premiered On Jimmy Kimmel

Anything Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez put their name to will immediately turn to gold given the monumental success of Frozen and their hugely respectable selection of highly regarded past projects. The animated Disney film not only won an Oscar for the song “Let It Go”, which featured Idina Menzel on vocals, but also attracted audiences so extensive it helped cement the film as the biggest Disney smash in years. Children were enraptured by the soaring anthems penned by the Lopez duo whilst it also found acceptance and admiration from adults.

 The songwriting duo celebrate winning the Oscar for Best Original Song.

They also provided the music for 2011’s stage adaptation of Winnie The Pooh as well as the stage translation of Finding Nemo. Robert Lopez has also won accolades for his song writing that helped spur South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s The Book Of Mormon, as well as puppet-based musical Avenue Q, to box-office smashes. The next venture from the in-vogue song writing duo will be the stage musical Up Here which is set for a run at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse during the 2015-16 season.

Continue reading: 'Up Here': Everything You Need To Know About The New Musical From The 'Frozen' Songwriters

Tyra Banks is set to host and produce her own lifestyle show on Disney ABC, due to premiere next year.

Tyra Banks is set to host the new series.

Former model Banks will host a lifestyle show due to be launched in 2015. The show is currently without a title but promises to be aimed at women and will deal with a huge range of lifestyle choices and topics. Guest speakers will be appearing on the show to offer their expert opinions on the show's various subjects. Banks, in a statement acquired by USA Today, said "I'm excited to be partnering with Disney-ABC to usher in a new era of lifestyle, beauty and entertainment that will inspire women to be the CEO of their lives via honesty, humor and the newest tips and tricks without being intimidating or precious."

Continue reading: Tyra Banks Promises To "Shake Up Daytime TV" With New Lifestyle Show

Angelina Jolie has been doing the rounds promoting Maleficent this week but it's not her soon-to-be-released Disney film which has us all talking. The 38-year-old actress has revealed a great deal of personal information including her stance on motherhood in Hollywood and her wedding plans with fiancé Brad Pitt.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the Maleficent event at Kensington Palace in London, May 2014.

Motherhood

Continue reading: Angelina Jolie On Motherhood, Future Collaboration With Brad Pitt & Wedding Plans

Angelina Jolie described the difficulties of acting alongside her 4-year-old daughter Vivienne whilst in Maleficent and how Vivienne was the only child she knew who didn’t cry when they saw her in her Maleficent costume.

Jolie explained how she had not wanted her daughter in the film for the sake of being in a role but because Vivienne was the only child who didn’t cry when she saw Jolie as Maleficent! Speaking to the BBC, Jolie said Vivienne is “in two scenes, they’re cute little scenes – but I’m her mom,” adding “It wasn’t that I wanted her in a film, it was out of necessity.”

Continue reading: Angelina Jolie's Daughter, Vivienne, The Only Child Not To Cry At 'Maleficent' Costume

Remember the Titans, Mighty Ducks, Cool Runnings - could Jon Hamm's Million Dollar Arm be Disney's next classic sports movie? It certainly looks like one of the aforementioned family flicks and Hamm has that 90s sports agent/manager/coach thing down to a tee.

Jon Hamm in 'Milion Dollar Arm'

The movie - a true story - tells the tale of JB Bernstein, a once-successful sports agent who finds himself edged out by bigger, slicker competitors. He and his partner face closing their business for good, but whilst watching cricket in India on television, JB has a light-bulb moment and sets off to Mumbia with a cantankerous scout (Alan Arkin) to find the next big pitching sensation. 

Continue reading: Is Jon Hamm's 'Million Dollar Arm' The Next Classic Disney Sports Movie?

You might be looking at this weekend’s film releases and thinking The Amazing’ Spider-Man 2 is the hottest ticket in town. But woah there, have you checked out ‘Bears’? We suggest you avoid the Spidey crowds this weekend and check out Disney’s beautifully shot nature-drama.

What are these two up to? 

"In an epic story of breathtaking scale, Disneynature’s new True Life Adventure “Bears” showcases a year in the life of a bear family as two impressionable young cubs are taught life’s most important lessons,” reads the official synopsis on the Disney Website.

Continue reading: Disney's 'Bears' Is Ready To Charm You And The Family This Weekend [Clips]

We all know Disney likes to take a little liberty with it’s adaptations, indeed Disney often loves to bring us the more joyful side of life and of course include a happy ending. However if you chose to delve a little deeper into the origins of some of your favourite Disney movies you might find things are a lot darker. Take these 6 for example:

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid

Continue reading: Not So Happily Ever After: The Not So Disney Origins Of Some Of Our Favorite Movies

Peter Mayhew is to reprise his role as Chewbacca in Disney and Lucasfilm's upcoming movie Star Wars Episode VII and could even have begun shooting his scenes at London's Pinewood studios. Mayhew played the Wookiee and Han Solo's co-pilot in the original trilogy, beginning with Star Wars Episode IV - A New Hope in 1977.

Peter Mayhew Is Reprising His Role As Chewbacca

Rumors began surfacing of Mayhew's reprisal after he cancelled an upcoming appearance at Texas convention Comicpalooza "due to filming" and sources have since confirmed to the Hollywood Reporter that the actor is busy working on Episode VII with J.J. Abrams.

Continue reading: Peter Mayhew Heads To Pinewood To Play Chewbacca In Star Wars Episode 7

This week Frozen surpassed Toy Story 3 to become the highest grossing animated film of all time taking over $1.072 billion at the box office. The Disney feature, based on Hans Christen Andersen’s The Snow Queen has not only raked in mega bucks, but has also picked up critical acclaim and two Academy awards, one for best animated feature of course. Whilst Frozen is now at the top of the list followed by Toy Story 3, we thought we’d take a look at the other big money animated films which make up the top 10.

Disney's Frozen is now the highest grossing animated film of all time

The Lion King

Continue reading: 'Frozen' And The Other Highest Grossing Animated Films

The soundtrack for Disney's smash-hit movie Frozen has continued its strong run at the top of the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 161,000 copies last week to bring its total to 1.8 million, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan.

'Frozen' Is The Biggest Grossing Animated Movie of all Time

Billboard said 1.5 million of the soundtrack sales were from 2014, making it this year's biggest selling album so far - by an absolute mile. Beyonce's self-titled album that she released in December is in second with 604,000.

Continue reading: 'Frozen' Soundtrack Maintains Vice-Like Grip On Billboard 200

On Wednesday (March 26, 2014) a new report on the Latino Review suggested Disney was ready to go ahead with a new INDIANA JONES movie. Not too much of a surprise you may have thought, and you'd be right, a fifth Indie movie has been rumored for a couple of years. Only, this report suggested the studio was ready to replace Harrison Ford with Bradley Cooper.

Bradley Cooper Is NOT playing Indiana Jones

The story also suggested Frank Darabont - who apparently wrote a far better script for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull than the one produced - had pitched a new idea for a new movie. 

Continue reading: Bradley Cooper Is NOT The New Indiana Jones. Got That, Internet?

‘Easter Eggs’, as their known have become a bit of a hidden staple in Hollywood movies. It seems directors just can't help hiding a little something in their work that will make us have to go back and pause our DVD’s numerous times. Whether it’s a subtle cameo or a nod to another work, there's lots of hidden fun to be found in our favourite movies. So how many of these 10 easter eggs were you able to spot?

Did You Spot Mickey Mouse in Dumbo?

Mickey Mouse (in nearly everything Disney)

Continue reading: Top 10 Movie Easter Eggs: Featuring Indiana Jones, The Departed, Tron

Did you think that cosplay was reserved just for the wealthier dress up fans among us? Well think again, because three friends from Thailand are taking Facebook by storm, uploading their own low cost costume versions of some of our best loved characters. Often hilarious and always inventive, this trio are proving you don’t need a big budget to engage in some fancy dress fun. Instead you just need some everyday items and your imagination. Oh and a sense of humour.

'X-Men's' Wolverine is ready for dinner

Ever wanted to be Wolverine from the original X-Men comics? Though it would be too expensive to recreate those claws? Well an alternative is just to go into the kitchen put some forks between your fingers! Though we can't be sure where that butterfly mask came from.

Continue reading: Low Cost Cosplay: Three Men's Ingenious Creations!

Disney's hugely successful animation film 'Frozen' is currently enjoying its sixth non-consecutive week at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 200.

In doing so, the film's soundtrack becomes the first album of 2014 to have sold over $1 million copies.

Since being released back in November (2013), the Disney album has sold 1.4 million copies, and 338,000 of those were shifted last year.

Continue reading: Disney's 'Frozen' Soundtrack Reaches 6th Week At No.1

Disney and Pixar have signalled that the era of animation movies is on its way back as two new sequels are announced.

'The Incredibles', a film about retired superheroes being forced back into action to save the world, is expected to get a sequel almost ten years after it was first released, which earned $631 million worldwide.

'The Incredibles' was first released in 2004

Continue reading: Disney Announce Plans For Two New Sequels: 'The Incredibles 2' And 'Cars 3'

Pastor Kevin Swanson of the Reformation Church claims Disney's smash hit family movie Frozen encourages homosexuality and bestiality. Just give yourself a couple of seconds to soak up that argument. Ok - now you're back in the room.

Kristoff and his Reindeer in 'Frozen'

Pastor Swanson, who also hosts a Christian radio show in Colorado, insists he is not your average "tinfoil hat conspiratorialist" described the movie - which sees a young girl teaming up with a hilarious snowman named Olaf for a frosty adventure - is "very evil".

Continue reading: Be Careful Parents, Disney's 'Frozen' Promotes Homosexuality, Bestiality

A conservative US pastor has lifted the lid on his beliefs towards Disney's award-winning animation, Frozen, which he says promotes both homosexuality and bestiality in children. Pastor and Colorado-based Generations Radio host Kevin Swanson and co-host Steve Vaughn bounced some theories on the movie's hidden "agenda" despite neither having actually seen the movie.

Two Religious American Radio Hosts Have Condemned Disney's 'Frozen' For Its Perceived Promotion Of Satan.

"Man, how many children are taken into these things and how many Christians are taking their kids off to see the movie Frozen, produced by an organization that is probably one of the most pro-homosexual organizations in the country? You wonder sometimes, I'm not a tinfoil hat conspiratorialist, but you wonder sometimes if maybe there's something very evil happening here," ranted Swanson.

Continue reading: Disney's 'Frozen' Promotes Homosexuality, Bestiality And Satan, Says US Pastor [Trailer]

Anne Sweeney, who many believed to be the most powerful women in television, has just stepped down as one of Disney's most coveted executives.

The co-chair of Disney Media Networks and president of Disney/ABC Television Group leaves the entertainment company after 18 years of service, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The reason for this shock decision is so the 55 year-old can follow her real passion, which is film-making.

Continue reading: Anne Sweeney Walks Away From Disney/ABC To Become Film Director

The folks at Disney will be pretty happy with Frozen’s performance; not only did the film clinch a first Animated Picture Oscar on Sunday night (March 2, 2014), but it surpassed the $1 billion mark in the global box office standings, and with the DVD yet to be released and a Japanese market to exploit, the story doesn’t finish there.

According to Disney, Frozen is the 18th all-time highest grossing movie and their 2nd best performer after Toy Story 3. Not bad for a film that reportedly cost $150m to make and market. That’s a tidy profit for sure. Other Disney movies that have reached $1 billion globally include The Avengers, Iron Man 3, the second and fourth Pirates of the Caribbean films, and Alice in Wonderland.

Continue reading: 'Frozen' Joins The $1 Billion Club, While Disney Joins The Oscars Club

Sometimes it seems as if Disney has taken a back seat in the animation world to Pixar. Disney might be Pixar’s owners, but it doesn't stop the two studios competing to make the best animation around. Whilst Pixar has had some massive hits since 2000, such as 'The Incredibles', 'Toy Story 3' and 'Up', Disney hasn't done too bad either. Here's ten films that show why after nearly 80 years of making movies the studio is still going strong.

Disney's 2002 Movie Lilo and Stitch

1. ’Lilo and Stitch’ (2002)

Continue reading: Forget Pixar, Here's Disney's 10 Best Animated Movies

In light of The Lego Movie’s success, we’ve taken a look at some of the best computer-animated films out there. Based on Rotten Tomatoes ratings, combined with Metacritic ratings (the most accurate way we could think to rank them) the latest Lego romp finds itself in some pretty prestigious company indeed…

To be clear: films included in this top 5 are computer animated, rather than the complicated, classic style of animation employed in films like Pinocchio from 1940. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of animation cells and Zerox, but we’re going for a modern slant with this list. So without any further ado, let’s see where The Lego Movie fits in with its contemporaries.

Continue reading: 'The Lego Movie' Shoots Its Way Into The Top 5 Animated Movies Of All Time

Disney has reached a deal with Paramount Pictures to take over distribution duties for future movies in the Indiana Jones franchise. Essentially, the deal gives Disney total control over all future films though Paramount "will receive a financial participation on any future films that are produced and released," says the statement from the studios, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Harrison Ford Could Return as Indiana Jones

The four movies in the franchise - starring Harrison Ford - are 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1984's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1989's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. All the movies were directed by Steven Spielberg with the latest grossing $786.6 million at the worldwide box-office.

Continue reading: Disney Secures Rights For 'Indiana Jones' - Harrison Ford, Stand By Your Phone

In a move that has terrified fans the world over, Disney have acquired the full rights to the INDIANA JONES movies series, meaning they are now free to film future Indie titles as and when they please. According to Deadline, Walt Disney Studios and Paramount Pictures came to an agreement on Friday, 6 December, that secures marketing and distribution privileges for the Indiana Jones franchise.

Will Harrison Ford be appearing in another adventure?

The deal between the two picture houses comes a year after Disney took their first steps towards securing the rights to the Indiana Jones series, when the company purchased Lucasfilms in a multi-billion-dollar deal last October. The new deal gives Disney marketing and distribution rights to any future Indie films and also means that Lucasfilm retains the ownership rights to all the Indiana Jones films. Essentially, the deal means that Disney are now the sole owners of the Indiana Jones movie franchise and have full authority to do whatever they please with it.

Continue reading: Disney Secures Full Rights To 'Indiana Jones' - Future Movies Could Be On Their Way

Earlier this week, Joe Jonas made the news when an open letter he penned was published in the latest issue of the New York magazine, Vulture, a letter in which the former Disney star tore into the company that launched him to stardom, slamming them for restricting his and his brother's creative freedom. Jonas ripped the company for being too overbearing and for putting too much pressure on its younger stars, however his sentiment is not shared by all of the Disney alum.

Jonas' sentiment isn't shared by Sprouse

Jonas moaned that Disney restricted his creativity and refused him and his brothers the chance to branch out musically by dictating their career. Joe recalled with horror the times he was forced to shave everyday in order to retain his youthful appearance and went on to criticise the company for trying to maintain its image as a family company by supposedly putting Vanessa Hudgens on lockdown following her nude photo scandal in 2007. But fellow one-time Disney fledgling Sprouse reckons the Jonas bro is being a Jonas biatch, claiming the 24-year-old must have been too busy enjoying the highs of fame during his Disney days to actually confront the company and tell them "no."

Continue reading: Former-Disney Star Dylan Sprouse Calls B.S. On Joe Jonas' Criticism Of The Company

In the wake of last week's Catching Fire fever, new releases this week are a little more low key. Thanksgiving audiences in America will be choosing between Disney's acclaimed new animated film Frozen and Spike Lee's much more adult remake of the 2003 Korean thriller Oldboy. 

Meanwhile in the UK moviegoers will get a taste of Thanksgiving in the wacky animated romp Free Birds, plus a chance to savour the awards-buzz on Saving Mr Banks, about Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) trying to coerce PL Travers (Emma Thompson) into signing over the rights to her book Mary Poppins. Read our Saving Mr. Banks review here.

Continue reading: A Week In Movies: More High-Profile Releases, Trailers For Muscle-Man Movies, And A New Life Of Jesus

The Hunger Games has enjoyed a lucrative stint atop the box office mountain, breaking records and – pretty much – living up to its expectations both critically and fiscally. But the Thanksgiving weekend usually sees family films prevail, and it doesn’t get more nuclear, sociologically speaking, than an animated musical from Disney.

Can Disney's Frozen usurp the powerful Hunger Games?

Today, (Wed 28 Nov) is The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’s sixth day of release, and the day we expect it to move past the $200m mark domestically, bringing it’s global haul up to the $350m mark. It’s been a triumph, no doubt, but could Frozen change the aesthetic of the box office this weekend?

Continue reading: Fire Or Ice? Disney’s 'Frozen' Set To Challenge The Hunger Games' Box Office Dominance

It looks like Disney have hit the jackpot once again, as their latest animation, the festive Frozen, is a hit with critics and looks as though it could be a hit in cinemas too. Starring Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Kristen Bell and directed by Chris Buck, the film follows Anna, the future Queen of Arendelle, as she races against time to prevent her sister from unwittingly turning the kingdom into an eternally icy realm, meeting some new friends and learning some important lessons on the way.

The film is being commended for its visuals

"This is an icy, snowy world that Disney has never done before," director Chris Buck insisted in a recent featurette for the movie. Stars Kristen Bell and Josh Gad both gushed over the extent of the visuals on offer, with producer Peter del Vecho adding, "We did draw a lot of inspiration from Norway, in fact we sent our art direction team to Norway as the jumping off point."

Continue reading: What Makes 'Frozen' So Good? Review Round-Up Of Disney's Latest Hit

It seems Angelina Jolie's icy exterior has transferred pretty well to the screen, with the Hollywood actress starring as the cold-hearted Queen in the first trailer for Disney's Maleficent. Billed as the "untold story" of the iconic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale, Maleficent - due out in May 2014 after being brought forward by Disney - also stars Elle Fanning as the young princess Aurora as well as Sharlto Copley, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.

Angelina Jolie as 'Maleficent'

The plot synopsis from Disney reads: "A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal-an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. 

Continue reading: With Angelina Jolie As Maleficent, Disney Can Rule 2014 [Trailer]

Producers working on the next Star Wars movie have postponed the planned open auditions in Glasgow to find a bigger venue amid huge interest in the vacant parts.

Lucasfilm/Disney had planned to audition for several parts in J.J Abrams' new movie on Saturday and Sunday at Glasgow's Wasp Studios in the Southblock building in Merchant City, though that plan has been scrapped and the auditions will now take place on November 30 and 1 December with a venue to be announced in the next few weeks.

The decision comes after an unexpected amount of aspiring actors turned up to auditions in Bristol.

Continue reading: Does Scotland Have A Venue Big Enough For Star Wars Auditions?

A major deal was struck between online streaming service Netflix and the Disney-owned comic book publishing house Marvel this week, securing the website's rights to four new superhero-based programmes and a mini-series. Described as an “unprecedented deal” and “Marvel‘s most ambitious foray yet into live-action TV storytelling,” the deal will see the programmes come to life beginning in 2015, Deadline reported on Thursday, 7 November.

Netflix are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with

A live action series is to begin based upon the heroes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, culminating in a mini-series The Defenders, which probably means we'll have a couple of inter-twining story-lines between shows. The four heroes are all to be based in the gritty setting of Hell's Kitchen, New York, and Netflix have initially signed on for at least four, 13 episode series over “multiple years,” beginning in 2015. The introduction of the heroes will then lead to the spin-off mini-series, The Defenders, which according to Netflix/Disney “reimagines a dream team of self-sacrificing, heroic characters.”

Continue reading: Marvel & Netflix Leaves Competitors Out In The Cold With New TV Deal

Star Wars: Episode 7, is a phrase that either strike fear into the hearts of Star Wars fans the world over, or instil a sense of reluctant optimism in others. No matter how you feel about the rebooting of George Lucas' genre-defining sci-fi series, it is happening and there is nothing we can do about it. What we can do though is mull over every little rumor and tidbit that Disney have managed to let sneak on to the internet, and try to understand exactly where the movie's makers are in the filmmaking process.

Lucas is handing the baton over to Abrams

We do have some concrete facts about the movie so far; that Jj Abrams is directing it, or at least we're pretty sure that he still is anyway. During the summer there were rumors that the Lost creator was on the verge of stepping down from the project amidst creative differences with Disney. Having initially declined the invitation to direct the next instalment of the Star Wars franchise, his commitment to the project had always seemed somewhat in doubt, but as the months have gone by it does look as though he is committed to the job. Abrams is a pretty competent director and his involvement in the project is a promising one, providing that he doesn't go overboard with the lens flare like he did on Star Trek.

Continue reading: What Do We Know About 'Star Wars: Episode 7' So Far?

Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney are the latest Hollywood couple to end a once beautiful relationship following a period of uncertainty prompted by a series of missteps. Unlike most Hollywood splits though, this one is being handle amicably as both parties agreed to go their separate ways following a difference of opinion on the studio's creative direction.

Bruckheimer (L) and Disney chief Alan Horn (R) both say The Lone Ranger had nothing to do with the split

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney released a statement to press on Thursday, 19 September, stating that the studio will look to end it's first-look deal with the producer in 2014. Bruckheimer spoke with THR about the split and insisted that his departure from the studio has nothing to do the failure of his last film, The Lone Ranger. He said that the split comes down to the fact that Disney no longer want to make the kind of movies that he's interested in making and insists their relationship has simply run it's course. However, he did mention that he plans on resolving the matter before it is finalised, and had no concerns as to whether he would be able to reach another contract agreement following the fallout.

Continue reading: Disney To Sever Ties With Jerry Bruckheimer In 2014

Officially, and this is from Jerry Bruckheimer’s mouth: Pirates of the Caribbean 5 has been delayed to 2016 because of a scripting issue. He and everyone involved want to get it right. Sounds plausible enough. But given the problems Disney had with a big-money Johnny Depp, Bruckheimer-produced blockbuster last time out, suggestions are that the giants are mulling things over.

Are Disney ready to ride with Depp again?

“We have an outline everyone loves but the script is not done,” revealed Bruckheimer in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s all a factor,” he said, answering a question on price tags. “We want a script that everyone’s signed off on and a budget that everyone’s signed off on.” Jeff Nathanson is working on the screenplay for Pirates 5 and Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg are signed up to direct.

Continue reading: 'Pirates Of The Caribbean 5' Delayed, Are Disney Stalling, Biding Their Time?

Ship crews on the way into English port must have truly thought the seasickness had got to their minds when they saw enormous, brightly coloured characters moving about where land should have been. This was no hallucination though: Disney projected some of their most loved digital characters on to the sheer face of the white cliffs of Dover along with their "Disney Infinity" logo.

Disney Promoted Their New Game Disney Infinity With Some Creative Use Of Dover's Cliffs.

Toy Story's Jessie and Woody, Monsters Inc.'s Mike and Sully, The Incredibles' Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible, and Pirates of the Caribbean's Jack Sparrow all graced the cliffs The stunt was part of a promotional campaign for Disney Interactive's new game, Disney Infinity, that will allow gamers to combine physical toys with a digital gaming experience.

Continue reading: Disney Characters Projected On To White Cliffs Of Dover [Pictures]

It’s been done before and didn’t really work, but Disney think they can do something different by merging tangible action figures with an on-screen video game environment with Disney Infinity. This time, it’s a world building game, as opposed to PlayStations 3 battle arena style Eye of Judgement game, which really didn’t take off.

Micky and Minnie will surely be involved

With Disney Infinity, players will be able the create action toys on a special pad, and watch them appear in the game. They can then build their own utopia in the style of popular Disney franchises, like Monsters Inc., The Incredibles and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Continue reading: Additional Figures Sold Separately, 'Disney Infinity' Is A Physical Video Game

Maleficent may leave the audience perplexed at Disney's stance on the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale. It may have been some time since the 1959 Disney animation and times certainly seem to have change: instead of a fearful and malevolent Maleficent, we may be faced with a "deliciously cruel" villain we want to see beat the charming prince.

Angelina Jolie at the UK premiere of World War Z.

Angelina Jolie surprised fans at the D23 fan expo with a guest appearance. She discussed the film and how she had long dreamed of playing Maleficent. On the subject, she said: "since I was a little girl, Maleficent was always my favourite. I was terrified of her, but I was also drawn to her. I wanted to know more about her. She had this elegance and grace, yet she was wonderfully, deliciously cruel."

Continue reading: Angelina Jolie, At Disney Expo, On Playing "Deliciously Cruel" Maleficent

Planes is the latest animated feature from Disney-owned animators Pixar. Set in the same anthropomorphic world as previous Pixar hits Cars and Cars 2, the new film takes to the skies to see this animated world from above, but is is a world that we want or need to see? If the critical reception for the film so far is anything to go by, then no, we don't need or want this latest Pixar film at all.

Dane Cook lends his voice to lead character Dusty Crophopper

See all the pictures from the Planes premiere in LA

Continue reading: 'Planes' Crash-Lands As Pixar's Worse Film To Date: Critical Round-Up

Walt Disney has released its third quarter results, which show that Gore Verbinski's doomed blockbuster The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer, has lost the company somewhere between $160 million and $190 million.

Johnny Depp [L] and Armie Hammer [R] In The Lone Ranger

Disney failed to pull in the crowds for the $250 million reboot of the classic western, despite heavy spending on a promotional campaign. Still, the company said it earned $1.85 billion in the quarter to the end of June, up from $1.83 billion last year. However, the losses from the Lone Ranger movie will show up in the next quarterly figures.

Continue reading: Disney Loses $160 Million On 'The Lone Ranger,' But Don't Cry For Them Yet

Ryan Gosling attended a meeting with a view to playing Luke Skywalker's son in Jj Abrams forthcoming Star Wars Episode 7 movie, according to the Latino-Review, which 'broke' the news that Harrison Ford would be returning to the franchise.

Disney is keen to land Gosling for the role though missed out on another high profile star.

According to the website's sources, the studio had a meeting with Leonardo Dicaprio who eventually passed on the project to concentrate on Robotech, a forthcoming "sprawling sci-fi epic" where mankind is forced to use technology to fend off three successive waves of alien invasions.

Continue reading: Ryan Gosling To Play Luke Skywalker's Son In Star Wars Episode 7?

See this is what happens when we don’t keep an eye on things; rumors are abounding that J.J Abrams is on the verge of a Star Wars Exit. LucasFilm are denying it vehemently, but where did this specualtion come from and is the next Star Wars film moving along as smoothly as we thought?

J.J Abrams has gone from Trek to Wars... we think

IGN reported that Badass Digest's Devin Faraci was "hearing tons of rumors that Jj Abrams is on the verge of dropping out of Star Wars" at Comic-Con this weekened.

Continue reading: Is J.J Abrams REALLY The Star Wars Episode VII Director?

Actor Johnny Depp has come out fighting over the criticism levelled at his movie The Lone Ranger, saying his performance as Tonto was a "salute to the Native Americans" and that it's disappointing box-office performance in the United States didn't trouble him because he had no expectations.

Johnny Depp at the UK Premiere of 'The Lone Ranger'

When quizzed by the BBC's Lizo Mzimba at the UK premiere of the movie, Depp played down the extent of the 'flop', saying, "I don't have any expectations, I think critics were especially upset that it didn't really tank. I think they were hoping that it would really tank, you know?"

Continue reading: Johnny Depp On Lone Ranger, "The Critics Are Upset That It Didn't Tank"

Yeah, we had a feeling this might happen. The $190 million budget of Pacific Rim is seemingly looking further away than ever after Guillermo Del Toro's blockbuster took just $38.3 million on its box-office debut over the weekend. The Idris-Elba starring movie - which courted mainly negative reviews - is now on course to become a loss making movie for Thomas Tull's Legendary Pictures.

As expected, it was the superb Despicable Me 2 that maintained the No.1 spot on its second weekend, grossing $44.8 million for a domestic total of $229.2 million and establishing itself as one of the success stories of the year. The animated flick featuring the voices of Russell Brand and Steve Carell also topped the global box office for the weekend with $100.5 million in ticket sales, Pacific Rim followed with $91.3 million. 

Sony executives will have been jumping for joy on Sunday, with news that Adam Sandler's comedy sequel Grown Ups 2 opened to a stellar $42.5 million domestically. In fact, Sony were so happy they released a cheery statement for us all to read, via the Hollywood Reporter:

Continue reading: Poor Pacific Rim: Is Sandler's Soaring 'Grown Ups 2' The Worst Movie...Ever?

George Lucas has chucked a massive bucket of cold water on the entire Star Trek/Star Wars rivalry by suggesting Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi television show paved the way for his legendary space franchise. A new documentary titled Trek Nation sees Rod Roddenberry attempt to uncover the importance of his father's TV series, and rivalry producer Lucas is hugely complimentary of the show, reports Yahoo Movies.

"Star Trek softened up the entertainment arena," he explains in the documentary, "so that Star Wars could come along and stand on its shoulders." The filmmaker suggested that Star Trek crucially proved to studios that audiences were hungry for science fiction, "There was an effective group of people in the beginning who accepted it," he said, "That it wasn't that far out. For the studios it was way far out. [They said] 'What is this?' But there was a fan base out there - primarily the Star Trek fan base -who understood science-fiction, understood visual science-fiction, and was ready for something like [Star Wars] to be in the feature arena."

Lucas certainly has plenty to be thankful for, recently selling LucasFilm to Disney for a cool $4 billion, safe in the knowledge that his sci-fi franchise will continue with new movies and TV series. Set to hit theaters in 2015, Star Wars Episode 7 will be directed by Star Trek's Jj Abrams.

Continue reading: George Lucas Admits Star Trek Paved The Way For Star Wars: Agree?

Ok, so by now everyone's well aware that Jerry Buckheimer and Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger is a monumental flop - a serious disaster that could cost Disney $150 million. The Johnny Depp-Armie Hammer starring western took just $48.9 million over the usually lucrative five-day Independence Day weekend - leaving it miles from its $175 million marketing budget, not to mention its $250 million production costs.

Johnny Depp starred as Tonto and Armie Hammer played The Lone Ranger

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney is praying for a return of $150 million abroad, taking its worldwide total to $275 million and $150 million short of its $425 million total budget. "It's very disappointing," said Disney executive vice-president of worldwide distribution Dave Hollis. "Everything was perfect on paper, so today was incredibly frustrating." The problem is, nothing could be described as perfect. If Hollis is referring to Johnny Depp than it's lazy marketing. If he's referring to Verbinski in the directorial seat, or the bloated budget, than it's just stupid talk. The Lone Ranger has received some of the worst reviews of the year - it's a terrible movie - and unfortunately, nobody wants to watch big-budget westerns. Did Cowboys and Aliens teach them nothing? 

Continue reading: Where Does 'The Lone Ranger' Rank In List Of Biggest Movie Flops?

You'd be forgiven for assuming Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger was still weeks away from its cinematic release, with animations Despicable Me 2 and Monster's University dominating the movie talk ahead of the weekend's box-office. Hell, people are still talking about World War Z and The Heat more than Johnny Depp's new movie.

Johnny Depp [L] and Armie Hammer [R] Star In 'The Lone Ranger'

The Hollywood actor plays the Native American spirit warrior Tonto in Verbinski's re-telling of the classic story, with The Social Network's Armie Hammer the underwhelming choice as John Reid, aka, the Ranger. It's difficult to figure out why Disney's big-budget new movie has flown under the radar, though a flurry of tragic reviews and grumblings over the representation of Native Americans has severely dented public anticipation.

Continue reading: The Lone Ranger: When Was The Last Time Johnny Depp Got So Little Attention?

Monsters University spent its second week at No.1 in the US Weekend Box Office grossing $46.2 million. The sequel of Monsters Inc. follows the early, not so jovial, relationship of Sulley and Mike as they attend college. Monsters University includes some big names from the acting community including Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Dame Helen Mirren.

Billy Crystal with ‘Mike Wazowski’, the character he voices in Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. 

Disney Pixar’s animation has fended off competition from Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy’s cop comedy The Heat. The comedy has received favourable reviews and the weekend box office reflects this, grossing since its release on Friday $40 million.

Continue reading: 'Monsters University' Fends Off 'The Heat': Still No.1 In US Box Office

Monsters University, the prequel to Monsters Inc., has done extremely well during its first weekend of release. The Disney Pixar animation has made $82.4 million, placing it ahead of World War Z and Superman: Man of Steel in the box office charts. 

The animation has outdone its predecessor, Monsters Inc. which, released in 2001, made $65.5 million during its opening weekend. In Monsters Inc. we saw the monster's world powered by the terror of children scared by Mike and Sulley during their night-time adventures into the human world. The two best friends overcome adversity to ensure a predictable happy ending in true Disney style. 

Monsters University follows the relationship between Mike (the green Cyclops) and Sulley (the fluffy blue one) as they attend university. As it turns out the pair were not always as close as they were in Monsters Inc. 

Continue reading: Monsters University Earns $82.4 Million On Its Opening Weekend

Movie companies Sony Pictures and Disney have begun a bold new campaign in Asia in a bid to ward off piracy; by streaming movies online whilst they are still available in cinemas. The two massive movie companies have quietly begun testing a new on-demand service in South Korea, giving people the chance to rent movies whilst they are still available to watch in cinemas.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the new strategy taken by the two film companies, noting that they are the first American companies to try out the risky move, with Django Unchained, Wreck-it Ralph and Brave all been used in the past to test the viability of the move. The studios have made tickets available to buy online, giving people the opportunity to watch a movie in their own home using their cable, internet, or satellite-TV subscription, or alternatively they can use the ticket to watch a film in the cinema. Disney have been testing out new ways to release their films over the past few years, reducing the time Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland spent in UK cinemas from 17 weeks to 12 weeks in order to bring forward the DVD launch, trying out a similar method in Portugal when the company brought out Tangled - giving Portuguese audience the chance to watch the movie on an on-demand service too. Other than these two instances, the company haven't tried the method again, however if the trial scheme works out in Asia we might not have long to wait in the Western world.

South Korea is a good place for Disney and Sony to start their trail, with the Asian country currently the eighth largest movie market in the world. If the move does make its way out west, it will undoubtedly be met with stern opposition from cinema companies and other movie producers. Still, the four other major Hollywood studios are said to be watching the situation intently and should it prove to be a success, may follow suit, putting further pressure on theater chains and the tradition of film watching. Of course, there is still life left in the cinemas, with movies like Iron Man 3 and The Avengers performing outstandingly at the US box office and abroad.

Continue reading: Sony And Disney Plan Bold Move To Stream Movies Online While Still In Cinemas

Olaf meets Sven in 'Frozen'

'Frozen' is the new Disney animation based on a much-loved tale that is due to hit the UK this winter (most appropriately) starring Kristen Bell.

Fairytales are definitely becoming popular again with some of the world's favourites being transferred to stunning, high-energy and often grisly live action flicks, among them being 'Jack the Giant Slayer', 'Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters', 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and not to mention the TV series 'Once Upon a Time' which is now in its third season. However, Disney has brought the delight back to children and reverted to what they are known for with their (albeit vague) rendition of Hans Christian Andersen's 'The Snow Queen' in an animated adventure entitled 'Frozen'. Starring Kristen Bell, Josh Gad and Broadway sensation Idina Menzel, it tells the story of Anna's quest to undo her sister Elsa's power over the kingdom of Arendelle, which she has cursed into eternal winter, accompanied by her friend Kristoff, his reindeer Sven and a snowman called Olaf.

Continue reading: 'Frozen' Sees Disney Doing What They Do Best In The Latest Fairytale Movie Adventure [Trailer And Pictures]

Think you know your Marvel Comics? Have you ever heard of Big Hero 6? Oh, you have you say? Well you’re a bigger comic book nerd than us then, and will no doubt be thrilled by the news that there’s to be a feature length of the little-known Japanese-set Marvel series courtesy of Walt Disney Animations.

According to the Los Angeles Times, it’ll be the first time the venerable comic books institution and the venerable animation studio have teamed up together, which is quite exciting really when you think about it. Walt Disney acquired rights to make Marvel movies in 2009 when it acquired the company. The film will be directed by Don Hall (Winnie the Pooh) and is due in theaters in November 2014; apparently it will center on a boy and his beloved robot companion – there always has to be a companion - who join a team of crime fighters in a mythical mashup city called San Fransokyo. Hoho, very good.

"The storytelling aspects are very frenetic, very visceral," Joe Quesada, Marvel's chief creative officer, said of Big Hero 6 to the LA Times. "It takes tropes of Japanese culture, manga, anime. There are giant dinosaurs that invade a city, big robots, youth fashion, cutesy stuff in the vein of Hello Kitty." The move is a big part of Disney trying to re-ascertain its name as a leading animation brand, aided by the Oscar winning short Paperman which mixed both 2D and 3D animation to great effect.

Annette Funicello dies: One of Disney’s original Mouseketeers, Annette Funicello has died, aged 70. The popular actress, one of the early teen screen stars, lost the ability to speak back in 2009 and has been battling multiple sclerosis for over two decades. She had reportedly been in a coma for a number of years, according to New York Daily News. Funicello was selected by Disney to become one of the Mouseketeers in the 1950s after they spotted her doing ballet in a school production of Swan Lake. She was aged 12 at the time and had taken up the dance form to enable to her overcome her shyness.

Her friend Paul Anka, whom he briefly dated in the late 1950s, wrote his hit song ‘Puppy Love’ about her and said that she “had the thing… she the it.” On screen, she came across as perky and loveable and at the height of her popularity, she would receive up to 6,000 fan letters a month. Keen to capitalise on her crossover potential and transformed her into a teen pop star, with songs like ‘First Name Initial’ ‘O Dio Mio’ and ‘Pineapple Princess.’

The Disney CEO Roger Iger released a statement yesterday (April 8, 2013), saying “She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney’s brightest stars… She delighted a generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent. Her friend Frankie Avalon told Associated Press “She was an amazing girl. She really had a tough existence. I’m devastated but I’m not surprised (by the news).” 

Continue reading: Annette Funicello Dies - Disney Loses An Original Mouseketeer

A report from Reuters news agency suggests that Disney will soon be laying off staff from its consumer product division and studio. The loss of staff is expected to happen some time in the next two weeks, according to sources close to the company. The layoffs are thought to have stemmed from a company wide review and are taking place in order to cut costs. It is not currently known exactly how many jobs will be lost.

This follows the news on Wednesday that Disney had started to lay off staff at the 30 year-old games studio Lucas Arts that it had acquired with the purchase of George Lucas’ film company in 2012. Disney is focusing on licensing the Star Wars brand externally. There was no comment from Disney on the matter. Last year, Disney cut around 200 jobs from in Disney Interactive arm, when the company started to make the transition away from console games and towards online and mobile entertainment. An additional 100 jobs have been cut since then. Further cuts have been made at the company’s publishing unit, when it moved operations to Burbank from New York as part of a restructuring operation.

Disney's plans were not yet public when the insider spoke to the press. They did so on condition of anonymity, revealing that the studio job cuts will focus on the marketing and home video units, as well as a small number from the animation department.

Here is your first taster of the upcoming 'Cars' spin-off 'Planes'; an equally endearing animated movie about determination and achieving your dreams set to hit screens on August 16th 2013.

DisneyToon Studios brings us this fantastic new interpretation of the Pixar animated 2006 'Cars' movie and it's 2011 sequel 'Cars 2'. The teaser trailer gives away little about the plot, but introduces our soon-to-be favourite animated character of the year with the pounding drums of 'More Human Than Human' by heavy metal band White Zombie. 'Planes' has been directed by Klay Hall of 'King of the Hill', who is a huge aviation enthusiast - and with that you can guarantee not only rib-cracking humour, but remarkable accuracy. We see Dusty, a nervous cropdusting aircraft with a phobia of heights and the voice of Dane Cook, take on some of the biggest plane racing champions in the world as he vows to conquer his fears and fulfil his dream as a successful air racer despite formidable competition. Beside him are his friends Skipper, an old Navy Corsair voiced by Stacy Keach, and Chug, a fuel tanker who doesn't for a second doubt Dusty's capabilities and is played by Brad Garrett. 

Continue reading: Lightning McQueen's Aeroplane Incarnation Dusty Crophopper To Hit Theatres In 'Planes' (Pictures And Trailer)

Paperman, the black and white animated love story from first-time nominee John Kahrs, looks like the favourite to take home the award for 'Best Short Animation' at Sunday's Oscar ceremony, with the Disney production currently the bookies favourite to win in the often forgotten category.

The film blends hand-drawn animation with traditional CGI to tell the love story in a very stylish way indeed. It's story revolves around a young man who meets a beautiful woman while on his way to work, seeing her again later during work. He then takes it on himself to do whatever he can to get her attention in what is a clearly written and brilliantly executed seven-minute story. But Paperboy has some stiff competition from the rest of the category and whilst it sits atop the pile on Oddschecker.com, as we know from experience the Oscars are not above throwing a few curve balls.

Continue reading: Disney's Paperman Favourite To Win 'Best Short' Category

A family has filed a lawsuit against Disney after an employee dressed as the white rabbit from Alice In Wonderland allegedly refused to hug the family's black children. The family are claiming the employee is racist and looking for him to be fired and to receive and apology from Disney.

In an interview with Fox, the children seem upset by the event.  "I went to hug him but he turned his back," said 6-year-old Jason Black. "It's made me feel sad because I wanted to really hug him." 

Jason's older brother added: "The Rabbit was turning his back on him like he didn't want to touch him... Then I went up and tried to hold his hand but he kept flicking my hand off." 

Continue reading: Disney Rabbit Racist? "Rabbit Wouldn't Hug My Child"

Rowan Blanchard And Sabrina Carpenter

Everyone's favourite coming-of-age sitcom from the nineties 'Boy Meets Girl' is set to make huge comeback this year. sort of. Ben Savage will hit our screens once again as Cory Matthews along with Rider Strong as best friend Shawn Hunter and Danielle Fishel as grade-school-girlfriend-turned-wife Topanga. However, this time it's not really about them; Cory and Topanga now have a daughter, Riley, who has her own growing up to do and we'll get to see if she turns out like her father in season one of 'Girl Meets World'. 

Continue reading: Girl Meets World: Meet Disney's Newest Golden Girls Rowan Blanchard And Sabrina Carpenter

The Muppets are back with a global-wide follow-up to their self-titled 2011 movie entitled 'The Muppets. Again!'.

You heard right, we have yet another great movie coming up from these amazing characters brought us by Disney. Following the Oscar winning success of 'The Muppets' in 2011 which starred Jason Segel ('How I Met Your Mother') and Amy Adams ('Enchanted'), it's sequel 'The Muppets. Again!' will be released in cinemas everywhere on March 21st 2014. It sees Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and friends on a worldwide journey touring the likes of London, Berlin and Madrid and selling out some of the biggest theatres across Europe. However, they soon run into trouble when they unknowingly get mixed up in a major international crime ring controlled by the formidable Constantine (played by the hilarious Ricky Gervais of 'The Office', 'Extras' and 'Derek' fame) and his assistant Dominic. 

Continue reading: The World's Favourite Puppets Return With The New Film 'The Muppets... Again!' (Pictures)

First time director Randy Moore's film Escape From Tomorrow, a film about a man who is informed that he's lost his job on holiday but tries (often in vain) to give his family a good time, has been hailed as extra-ordinary in its techniques but is also surrounded by a web of litigious fears about whether or not Disney will sue them, and whether or not Disney would win. 

The LA Times writer Steven Zeitchick told NPR about the film, which was shot almost entirely on location in Disney Land, Florida, but without the park's agreement. Zeitchick described it as "one of the most unusual and provocative films" he's ever seen. Plus, explaining why it's so original, and thus exciting, he said: "Randy Moore snuck in, guerrilla-style, [with] these very small cameras and would have his actors... running around amid not extras, but everyday tourists at the park. And it's really something. It's completely guerrilla-style. And it's something I've never seen before." 

Disney are notorious for their fierce protection over anything that's theirs, so the prospect of a lawsuit is very likely. Tim Wu, a law professor Columbia university thinks that Disney's case "would be pretty weak" because "It's a film that falls pretty squarely in the territory of fair use, which addresses copyright." Phew! However, while Moore might win the battle in court, as Zeitchick predicts "this may be a film that lives on in a kind of underground, mixtape, pirate website kind of way, but... [never] in theaters." 

Stan Lee Media Inc (SLMI) is definitely wishing that Lee had come up with some kind of jurisdictory-super-hero in their many times of need over many years of many law suits... alas, no such entity exists, either between the pages of a graphic novel, comic or indeed in real life. Stan Lee Media, a company that was shut down years ago and is no longer affiliated with Stan Lee, is suing Disney (again) for billions of dollars over a disagreement in regard to the rights to the Marvel characters created by Lee decades ago.

According to the LA Times, the complaints state “The true facts are that Stan Lee Media Inc. owns the copyrights to Stan Lee's creations... Accordingly, Stan Lee Media Inc. is entitled to the billions of dollars of profits that have been kept by Defendant Disney." The complaint goes on, saying “[I]n November, 1998, Stan Lee signed a written agreement with Marvel Enterprises, Inc. in which he purportedly assigned to Marvel the rights to the Characters. However, Lee no longer owned those rights since they had been assigned to SLEI previously. Accordingly, the Marvel agreement actually assigned nothing.”

Business inside reports that “The company is seeking damages of $5.5 billion for copyright infringement citing Disney's use characters "Iron Man 2," "Thor," "X-Men: First Class," "The Avengers," and "The Amazing Spider-Man" in films amounting to box office receipts of $3.5 billion.” All of this seems fairly legitimate from the outset, however, legally they have no leg to stand on, all due to a small loophole in the law called 'res judicata' which is basically the same as no man 'can be tried for the same crime twice' or indeed more than twice as SLMI have sued Disney and Lee himself numerous times. Given that the Avengers are purportedly owned by Disney, there'll be no-one to avenge the case for SLMI for now.

Johnny Depp's latest film, The Lone Ranger is already facing it's first backlash and courting with controversy as a crew member died whilst working on a set for the film. A spokesperson for the local coroner's office broke the news on Friday (September 21st) morning, saying that a 48-year-old man had died whilst cleaning a pool that was going to be used on the set. The cause of death is believed to be a heart attack.

The man's identity is being kept under wraps for now, with the film's producers, Walt Disney Pictures insisting that they are doing all they can to aid the investigation into the man's death and that their thoughts are with the man's family. The studio also said that they would be requesting an autopsy to further determine what cause the man's sudden death.

Meanwhile, filming for the picture, which also stars Armie Hammer as the titular ranger, is expected to resume as soon as possible so that it can be released in time for the slated summer 2013 release date. The film will see Depp's character; the Native American spirit warrior Tonto, as he recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid from a force for good into a legend of justice. In the face of the massively disappointing films Tron: Legacy and John Carter, that grossed way below their expected estimate, Disney will be hoping that their nest venture into live-action cinema is a successful one.