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Caught between the tendrils of “Swiss Family Robinson” and the fish-out-water jokes that make “The Parent Trap” legendary, Ant Timpson’s “Bookworm” should be celebrated as an instant classic. That’s true not just for fans of the old-fashioned family adventure genre but for any cinephiles seeking a heartfelt father-daughter quest that’s drenched in sun, mystery, and fart jokes this fall.

For the visionary director’s sophomore feature, Timpson reunites his “Come to Daddy” cohorts to tremendous, even dazzling effect. The filmmaker once again collaborates with star Elijah Wood, writer Toby Harvard, and cinematographer Dan Katz — this time for a kid-friendly romp hunting a local legend through the director’s native New Zealand wilderness. You can watch the stunning trailer above, which IndieWire exclusively debuts ahead of the film’s U.S. premiere at Fantastic Fest on September 22.

Opposite newcomer Nell Fisher (soon to be seen in “Stranger Things” Season 5) as the unstoppable Mildred,...

Some shows in development are not moving forward for Disney+. The cuts are hitting and include the previously announced “Witch Mountain” revival by Bryce Dallas Howard and two shows from Ron Moore who has left to go to Sony.

The Society Of Explorers And Adventurers and Swiss Family Robinson are not moving forward at Disney+.

Ron Moore, who was spearheading both series, recently departed for Sony.

(https://t.co/v6ILM27mz5) pic.twitter.com/uVPnUkDldZ

— Boardwalk Times (@BoardwalkTimes) August 24, 2024

Moore was in charge of two shows an unannounced “Swiss Family Robinson” reboot and “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers” (Sea.) Both shows are now not moving forward.

It’s especially disappointing about “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers” as Disney doubled down on that one when they redid “The Jungle Cruise” attraction at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Putting Alberta Falls in charge of the Jungle Navigation Company.

As a Disney+ subscriber, I’m growing restless. I haven’t watched a Disney+ original since the wildly uneven “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” The service has dramatically slowed its original output, and it doesn’t look like there’s any strategy in place aside from 3-4 Marvel and Star Wars shows every year. At this point, I’m reconsidering my subscription.

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If you check out the official Disney+ “coming soon” page, you can see a whopping nine titles.

The problem is that those titles will be coming at a glacial pace.

Lego Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy - Sept. 13 Agatha All Along - Sept. 18 Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - Nov. 2 Star Wars: Skeleton Crew - Dec. 3 Win or Lose - Dec. 6 The Doomies - Tba Percy Jackson and The Olympians Season 2 - Tba Ironheart - Tba...

Alec Mills, who served as a camera operator on five James Bond films before graduating to cinematographer on the Timothy Dalton-starring The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, has died. He was 91.

Mills died Monday, his son, Simon Mills, announced. He battled dementia and was living in an assisted care home in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, he said.

For 007 movies, Mills operated a camera on Peter Hunt’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), Lewis Gilbert’s The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979), and John Glen’s For Your Eyes Only (1981) and Octopussy (1983).

Glen then made him his director of photography on the only two Bond films to star Dalton, The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989), with the latter shooting mostly at Churubusco Studios in Mexico City.

Mills also was a camera operator on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1969), Roman Polanski’s Tragedy of Macbeth (1971), Gulliver’s Travels (1973), John Guillermin’s...

Updated: There has been another round of content removal from Disney+, this time in the Emea region, which consists of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. More than 120 titles have been taken off this week, primarily Disney Channel original movies and vintage Disney live-action films, as well as a few series, including Zeke and Luther, Pepper Ann, So Random and the first three seasons of Nat Geo’s Genius and ESPN/Nat Geo docs.

According to sources, the takedowns were a result of a library title review. There have been several content purges at Disney+ over the last year amid cost-cutting, most notably the removal of a slew of original series last May.

Here is a list of movie titles that are said to be gone from Disney+ in Emea, compiled by Drew Ryan.

A Tale of Two Critters

America’s Heart and Soul

Angry Sky (ESPN)

Babes in Toyland...

The opening minutes of “A New Kind of Wilderness” promise some kind of documentary advertorial for off-the-grid living. Over idyllic shots of her hippy-hunky husband Nik and their three cherubic children camping, foraging for food and literally hugging trees in verdant Norwegian woodland, photographer Maria Vatne’s voiceover soothingly espouses the liberating virtues of “getting out of the rat race” and “being free and full of love.” It all looks wonderful, like “Swiss Family Robinson” updated for the era of Instagram cottagecore, and a cynic might say that it hardly seems sustainable. It isn’t, though not for the reasons you might guess. Mid-montage, Vatne’s voiceover goes silent, and the lifestyle photos give way to ones of her undergoing cancer treatment, before the family is shown without her altogether.

It’s an elegant bit of wrongfooting right upfront, signaling that, as is often the case with documentaries shot over a long timeframe,...

Disneyland has released a first look of its new reimagined Adventure Treehouse, inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson.

The new attraction opens Nov. 10 in Disneyland Park and pays tribute to the original treehouse Walt Disney and his team built in 1962. Previously, the treehouse was themed after the 1999 animated film Tarzan.

In the new iteration, there’s a water wheel “powered by the magical waters,” a homey dining area for the Robinson family of 5, a wood-carving station, an astronomy loft, a nature room and the father’s art studio.

“The video explores the mother’s music den, sons’ nature room and daughter’s astronomer’s loft among the tree’s massive boughs,” said Disney officials in a statement. “It also offers a glimpse at the ground-level kitchen and dining room, plus the father’s art studio.”

There are no height requirements for the attraction.

Disney’s original Swiss Family Robinson...

Sitcom actors have often transitioned to successful movie careers, with many becoming household names due to notable film roles. Young and old audiences may be surprised to learn that some of their favorite Hollywood stars began their careers in sitcoms. Prominent actors such as Helen Hunt, Michael J. Fox, Ryan Reynolds, Aubrey Plaza, Jennifer Aniston, Will Smith, Danny DeVito, Steve Carell, Jennifer Lawrence, and Zendaya have all made successful transitions from sitcoms to movies.

There have been a lot of sitcom actors who went on to huge movie careers. It's actually a common career trajectory that has remained mostly unchanged throughout the turn of the century. Even in the age of streaming where movie stars cross over into series as much as the other way around, sitcoms remain potential breeding grounds for the next biggest names in film.

Today, actors who went from sitcoms to movies include both prominent 20th and 21st-century A-listers.

From “Gravity ” and “Wild” to “The Way Back” and “Jaws,” the most compelling survival movies fearlessly examine characters’ will to live, imbuing their perilous struggles with the intensely personal motivations and desires that make every person unique. These stories allow audiences to consider what specific obstacles along one person’s quest for survival and happiness say about humanity writ large. What’s more, they challenge viewers to look inward and consider what truly matters when the chips are down.

The best survival films immerse viewers in life-or-death scenarios, balancing realism and believability with slow-burn suspense. Even in lighter survival fare, such as “Swiss Family Robinson,” filmmakers have to keep up the pace and pressure to deliver the subgenre’s characteristic urgency. Sure, “Cast Away,” “The Revenant,” and epic sagas like them are sweeping in scope with the lengthy running times to match. But survival stories work best when every frame...

Long ago, the 1950s ended and Disney never really got over it.

With the right kind of eyes, a casual viewer can look at the early days of Walt Disney Studios as their heyday. Walt himself was still alive and using his aggressive business acumen to produce visually innovative and award-winning animated shorts that were helping put the studio on the map. Without the Silly Symphonies, animation would not be the same. Warner Bros. outstripped Disney's fare with their cheekier, funnier shorts in the 1940s and 1950s, but the folks at Warner's Termite Terrace were very open about the fact that Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes were ripping off Disney's Silly Symphonies name. Disney Animation broke onto the scene in 1937 with the release of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," still celebrated as one of the best of all animated films to this day.

The reason early Disney was...

From The Video Archives Podcast, writer/director Roger Avary and writer/producer Gala Avary discuss a few of their favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Taxi Driver (1976)

Star Wars (1977)

Matinee (1993)

Dune (1984)

Terror On A Train a.k.a. Time Bomb (1953)

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Batman (1989)

Yentl (1983)

Nuts (1987)

Spaceballs (1987)

Die Hard (1988)

Top Gun (1986)

Cocksucker Blues (1972)

Mijn nachten met Susan, Olga, Albert, Julie, Piet & Sandra (1975)

Straw Dogs (1971)

The Godfather (1972)

A History Of Violence (2005)

Day Of The Dolphin (1973)

Babylon (2022)

Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (2022)

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979)

Carrie (1976)

Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995)

Blow Out (1981)

The Matrix (1999)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Killing Zoe (1993)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

The Tenant (1976)

Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Bugsy Malone (1976)

Phantom Of The Paradise (1974)

The Muppet Movie (1979)

The Rules Of Attraction (2002)

The Sound Of Music (1965)

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory (1971)

Giant (1956)

The Andromeda Strain (1971)

Babe (1995)

Time Bandits...

Strangely, Elvis Presley and Kurt Russell's careers are intrinsically linked. For more than four decades, Russell has been a Hollywood mainstay. With his chiseled chin and rugged good looks, the actor looks like he was born to be a Hollywood A-lister. His performance in 1981's "Escape from New York" put him on the map as one of Hollywood's hottest action heroes. With subsequent films "Silkwood" and "Overboard," Russell would prove he had the acting chops to succeed in any genre.

But it didn't always feel like that. Russell made his feature film debut in 1963 with an uncredited role in the Elvis Presley movie "It Happened at the World's Fair." Despite rubbing elbows with one of the most popular entertainers of the era, Russell would spend the next 16 years toiling away in film and minor television roles, waiting for his big break. Ironically, an unexpected reconnection with the King of...

Elvis is back in the building! Austin Butler is the latest actor to swivel his hips as the legendary Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s (“Moulin Rouge”) energetic new “Elvis,” which shakes up the biopic genre. Tom Hanks plays Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’ mysterious Svengali-esque manager who made some startlingly bad choices for his client including turning down offers for him to appear in the original 1961 “West Side Story” and the Barbra Streisand 1976 remake of “A Star is Born.”

This new film has won the praise of his ex-wife Priscilla Presley, daughter Lisa Marie Presley and grandchildren including actress/director Riley Keough. Though Elvis died in 1977 at the age of 42, he’s been kept alive, at least in spirit-in numerous TV movies, miniseries, series and feature films.

One such movie was the long-forgotten 1993 NBC drama “Elvis & the Colonel: The Untold Story” starring Rob Youngblood as the young Elvis and Beau Bridges as Colonel Parker.

20th Television’s head of drama development, Michelle Mendelovitz, is stepping down from her role at the studio, Variety has learned.

News of her departure comes a little less than two years after Mendelovitz first joined 20th TV. She joined the studio from the streaming division of Apple, where she worked as a creative executive. She will remain in her current role until the end of January. No new head of drama development has yet been named.

During her time with 20th, Mendelovitz oversaw greenlights for series such as “Washington Black” starring Sterling K. Brown and the Mike Tyson biographical series “Tyson” (fka “Iron Mike”) at Hulu as well as the “Spiderwick Chronicles” series at Disney Plus.

She also helped secure overall deals with creators like Lana Cho, Jac Schaeffer, and Linda Yvette Chavez. Mendelovitz was also involved in bringing Ron Moore to the Disney fold. Moore has already set...

Michelle Mendelovitz is stepping down as SVP and Head of Drama Development for 20th Television after almost two years on the job. There is no immediate replacement, with Mendelovitz staying until the end of January to help with the transition.

Mendelovitz, who joined then-20th Century Fox TV from Apple TV+ in March 2020, was instrumental in bringing Ron Moore, with whom she had worked with on his Apple TV+ series For All Mankind, to 20th/Disney where he now has three high profile projects in the works: Swiss Family Robinson with Jon Chu directing at Disney+; Society Of Explorers and Adventurers, which taps into the Disney Park IP, also at Disney+; and A Court Of Thorns And Roses at Hulu, based on the popular fantasy book series by Sarah J. Maas, which Moore is co-writing.

Other notable talent signed into overall deals during Mendelovitz’s tenure at 20th TV include Jac Schaffer,...

Exclusive: 20th Television’s drama development executive Erin May has joined Apple TV+ as a senior creative executive, reporting to Matt Cherniss, Apple’s head of scripted television. She starts Nov. 8 and will be based at Apple TV+’s offices in Culver City.

May joins Apple from 20th Television, part of Disney Television Studios, where she had been for over a decade, most recently as VP, Drama Development. Citing the goal of creating a safe space for writers to tell stories that are provocative and underrepresented in television as a guiding principle during her tenure, she oversaw the creative development, production and staffing of such series as Washington Black, starring Selwyn Hinds and Sterling K. Brown; Karin Gist and Lee Daniels’ Our Kind of People; Danny Strong and Barry Levinson’s Dopesick, Ron Moore’s Swiss Family Robinson; and Reggie Rock Bythewood and Gina Prince Bythewood’s Shots Fired.

May...

Tommy Kirk, the actor known for playing Travis Coates in “Old Yeller” and several other Disney films, was found dead in his Las Vegas home Tuesday. He was 79.

Kirk’s longtime friend Paul Petersen II posted the news on Facebook, writing, “Please know that Tommy Kirk loved you, his fans.”

Kirk was born in Louisville, Ky. in 1941 and grew up in Los Angeles County. He began acting as a teenager, and appeared in a play at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he was discovered by an agent who helped him to make his screen debut in “The Last of the Old Time Shooting Sheriffs,” a 1955 episode of “TV Reader’s Digest.” From there, he appeared in episodes of several TV series including “The Loretta Young Show” and “Gunsmoke.” His profile rose when he began to play the role of Joe Hardy in the “Hardy Boys” series “The Mystery of the Applegate...

Tommy Kirk, one of Disney’s major young stars of the 1950s and early ’60s with performances in generational touchstone films such as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Son of Flubber, died Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 79.

His death was announced on Facebook by friend and fellow child star Paul Petersen.

Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery

“My friend of many decades, Tommy Kirk, was found dead last night,” wrote Petersen, who has long been an advocate for child actors through his organization A Minor Consideration. “Tommy was intensely private. He lived alone in Las Vegas, close to his friend … and Ol Yeller co-star, Bev Washburn … and it was she who called me this morning. Tommy was gay and estranged from what remains of his blood-family. We in A Minor Consideration are Tommy’s family. Without apology. We will take care of this.

From the obituaries to the hashtags to the petitions, Arclight Hollywood received an endless outpouring of support since owner the Decurion Corporation announced its closure. “Clean, great sound, assigned stadium seating, great popcorn, usher movie introductions,” director Gina Prince-Bythewood mourned on Twitter. “A true movie-going experience.” Added “In the Heights” director Jon M. Chu: “I had my first premiere for my first movie #StepUp2TheStreets there. I snuck out of the movie early so I could cut a piece of the red carpet out and keep it. It sits on my desk.”

Here’s an alternative view: The Arclight was never my ideal theater. That’s not to cast aspersions on those for whom it was, or even on the Arclight itself. It’s because all the uniqueness and urgency that I treasured in moviegoing disappeared many decades before the Arclight opened in 2002.

However, rather than shake my fist...

Ronald D. Moore and Sarah J. Maas are developing her “A Court of Thorns and Roses” fantasy novels into a TV series at Hulu.

Maas and “Outlander” and “For All Mankind” executive producer Moore are co-writing the pilot under a script deal with a penalty for the streaming service, an individual with knowledge tells TheWrap. 20th Television, where Moore has an overall deal, is producing the live-action project.

The first installment of Maas’ “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, which begins with a book of the same name, was released in May 2015. The story follows the journey of mortal Feyre Archeron after she is brought into the faerie lands of Prythian for murdering a faerie.

The series consists of five books, with the other titles being “A Court of Mist and Fury,” “A Court of Wings and Ruin,” “A Court of Frost and Starlight” and A Court of “Silver Flames.

Disney is taking fire from conservatives complaining about so-called “cancel culture” for a change the company made to Disney Plus — five months ago.

In October 2020, Disney Plus added a new content warning that appears as a slate prior to several older movies on the service that contain racist depictions, including “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan,” “Swiss Family Robinson,” “The Aristocats,” “Fantasia,” “The Jungle Book” and “Lady and the Tramp.”

“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures,” the advisory label says in part. “These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.”

At the time, Disney Plus blocked those titles from being accessed in the service’s Kids Profile, which is restricted to G-rated films and television shows rated TV-7Fv.

But the...

Disney+’s decision to add a “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures” disclaimer to 18 episodes of “The Muppet Show” was mocked by Jimmy Fallon on Monday’s “Tonight Show,” who joked that the streaming service should take things a step further in regards to inappropriate content.

“Yeah, and just to be safe, Gonzo’s nose will also be blurred,” Fallon said. “I think they made the right move, in one episode, Fozzie [Bear] does a standup scene that begins with, ‘Hickory Dickory Doc.'”

“The Muppet Show” began streaming on Disney+ last week, marking the first time Seasons 4 and 5, the show’s final two, had ever been available for home entertainment.

Viewers noticed a couple episodes were missing and that 18 now have the “negative depictions” warning label that the streaming service has previously placed on titles like “Aristocats,” “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan” and “Swiss Family Robinson.”

“These stereotypes were...

For All Mankind executive producer Ron Moore is bringing the Magic Kingdom Universe to Disney+.

Moore is developing multiple TV projects at the streaming service which will be set at Disney’s Magic Kingdom, sources close to the situation tell Deadline.

Moore will write and executive produce the first project, titled The Society of Explorers and Adventurers,

a series from 20th TV set in the Magic Kingdom Universe, where the themed lands and characters of the Disney parks and classic films all actually exist in another reality.

Moore also is said to be working in close collaboration with the Disney Imagineering Team on other projects that would be the first part of a universe similar to Marvel but set in the Magic Kingdom. Moore would oversee the entire franchise. Maril Davis and Ben McGinnis of Moore’s Tall Ship Productions are also involved in all the projects.

Disney+ and 20th TV declined comment.

“For All Mankind” creator Ronald D. Moore is developing a suite of series inspired by Disney’s Magic Kingdom for the streaming service Disney+, TheWrap has confirmed.

The first series in development, “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers,” will center on characters and worlds from Disney’s various theme parks. In the series, which Moore will write and executive produce, those worlds all exist in another reality.

According to an individual close to the project, Moore and Maril Davis and Ben McGinnis of his Tall Ship Productions banner are working with Disney’s Imagineering Team on the series, as well as its potential spinoffs. Moore will oversee the entire franchise and its shared universe.

Reps for Disney+ and 20th declined to comment.

“Society of Explorers and Adventurers” will be the second project in development under Moore’s recently signed overall deal with 20th Television. Disney announced last year that a...

Ronald D. Moore is in the process of developing multiple TV projects at Disney Plus that will be set in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, Variety has confirmed with sources.

The first such project will be “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers,” which Moore will write and executive produce. The series is loosely based on the fiction organization of the same name that is part of the Disney theme park lore. In the show, the themed lands and characters of the Disney parks and classic films all actually exist in another reality.

Moore is also said to be working with the Disney Imagineering Team on the other projects, which would amount to an interconnected universe similar to Marvel or “Star Wars” but within the world of the Disney theme parks, with Moore overseeing the franchise. Maril Davis and Ben McGinnis of Moore’s Tall Ship Productions are also involved in all the projects.

Video Version of this Article Photo/Video: Animal Movies like 'Marley & Me'/20th Century Fox/Hollywood Insider YouTube Channel Introduction A News in Health article discusses how interacting with animals has been shown to decrease stress levels and lower blood pressure. Animals can also reduce loneliness and increase feelings of social support, as well as boost your mood. There are so many benefits of having an animal in your life, and films have been able to tap into this benefit over the years. For many movies, an essential role for heart and depth or comedic relief can come from animals or pets. The term “man’s best friend” was coined for a reason. It is no surprise that many films over the years incorporate these beings into their stories. Animals in film are not limited to dogs, though. The films we discuss below showcase some of the best examples of animals stealing the show.

“Outlander” and “For All Mankind” executive producer Ronald D. Moore has left his longtime home Sony Pictures Television for a multiyear overall deal at Disney’s 20th Television, an individual with knowledge of the agreement tells TheWrap.

Under the pact, Syfy’s “Battlestar Galactica” mastermind will create and develop new projects for 20th Television and Disney’s multiple platforms through his Tall Ship Productions banner, with the first being the previously announced “Swiss Family Robinson” TV series at Disney+, which he is partnering on with “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu.

Moore will continue on in his role as executive producer on both Starz’ “Outlander” and Apple TV+’s “For All Mankind,” which are Sony-produced shows.

A representative for Sony did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on Moore’s exit.

“Ron’s as passionate about Disney parks, characters and IP as our head of...

Ron Moore is the latest showrunner on the move.

The Outlander and For All Mankind exec producer has inked a rich, multiple-year overall deal with Disney-owned 20th Television. Sources say Moore, who had spent the past decade under an overall deal with Sony Pictures Television, quietly inked his new Disney deal last summer.

Under the multiple-year agreement, which sources estimated is worth in the eight-figure range all in, Moore and his Tall Ship Productions banner will create and develop new projects for across the Disney portfolio. His first project under the pact is the Disney+ series Swiss Family Robinson, which he’...

Ron Moore is the latest showrunner on the move.

The Outlander and For All Mankind exec producer has inked a rich, multiple-year overall deal with Disney-owned 20th Television. Sources say Moore, who had spent the past decade under an overall deal with Sony Pictures Television, quietly inked his new Disney deal last summer.

Under the multiple-year agreement, which sources estimated is worth in the eight-figure range all in, Moore and his Tall Ship Productions banner will create and develop new projects for across the Disney portfolio. His first project under the pact is the Disney+ series Swiss Family Robinson, which he’...

In a rather bold movie, Disney+ has pulled several classic movies from children's profiles due to controversy over their "negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures." Last year, the streamer added a content warning to several of these movies, though they still remained available to stream on children's profiles. Now, children under 7 will no longer be able to access the movies Dumbo, Peter Pan, The Aristocats, and Swiss Family Robinson, though these titles are still available to stream on adult Disney+ profiles along with the disclaimer.

In the content warning featured at the start of these movies on the adult contents, Disney acknowledges the harmful stereotypes while explaining the decision to keep the movies available to watch. The statement reads, in part, "These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark...

The Walt Disney Company have certainly been keeping themselves busy over the last few months. Furthermore to the ‘Marvel’ and ‘Star Wars’ news coming out of the investors day, there were slate announcements across the company.

Pixar Animation Studios revealed its upcoming slate of original series for Disney+ and feature films. Among the titles are Pixar’s first-ever long-form animated series ‘Win or Lose,’ which debuts exclusively on Disney+ in Fall 2023, and two brand-new feature films slated for theatres in 2022, Academy Award®-winning director Domee Shi’s ‘Turning Red,’ and ‘Lightyear,’ the definitive origin story of the hero that inspired the toy. Chris Evans will voice the hero on his journey to becoming the most famous Space Ranger ever. Slated for theatres next summer is the original feature film ‘Luca.’

Walt Disney Animation Studios made several announcements highlighting the upcoming feature film ‘Encanto,’ which includes new songs by Emmy®, Grammy...

A “Swiss Family Robinson” series is in development at Disney Plus.

The series hails from Ronald D. Moore and Jon M. Chu. It is based on the novel of the same name by Johann David Wyss, which was first published in 1812. The novel has been adapted into numerous forms over the years, including the popular 1960 Disney live-action film.

“Swiss Family Robinson” tells the story of a family that gets shipwrecked on a deserted island, where they establish a new life for themselves.

Moore is known for developing the “Battlestar Galactica” reboot as well as the shows “Outlander” and “For All Mankind.” He has worked extensively in the “Star Trek” universe as well, both on the television and film side.

Chu is a well-established director who is perhaps best known for helming the blockbuster film “Crazy Rich Asians.” His other directing credits include “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” and “Now You See Me 2.

Jon M. Chu is overseeing a television remake of Swiss Family Robinson for Disney+. Outlander’s Ron Moore is writing and exec producing.

The series, which is based on the 1960 film of the same name, follows a shipwrecked family who build a home on a deserted island.

The film, which came out in 1960, starred John Mills, James MacArthur and Dorothy McGuire and was directed by Ken Annakin.

It followed a family from Switzerland who escape the Napoleonic Wars to relocate to a colony in New Guinea and their ship is attacked by pirates and they end up on an uninhabited island.

It was announced by Disney’s Dana Walden as part of the company’s four-hour investor presentation alongside other development titles including a TV adaptation of Beauty and The Beast and Percy Jackson & The Olympians.

It is the latest Disney project for the Crazy Rich Asians director, who is...

(Welcome to Out of the Disney Vault, where we explore the unsung gems and forgotten disasters currently streaming on Disney+.) As they’re sometimes wont to do, Disney made news a couple weeks ago. For once during the pandemic, the news was unrelated to the theme parks, their continued closure in California, or their stripped-down operation in […]

The post Revisiting ‘Swiss Family Robinson,’ Disney’s Problematic Box Office Smash From 1960 appeared first on /Film.

Disney+ has provided Dumbo, Peter Pan, and other classic movies with a content advisory over "negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures." The streaming platform had originally put warnings ahead of a few older movies, but this is the first time actual content has been added in, which takes up 12 seconds. This is similar to the approach HBO Max took in streaming Gone with the Wind over the summer. You can read the Disney+ disclaimer below.

"This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. To learn more...

There’s a fine line between admitting to a mistake and trying to rewrite history, and the line between the two became more blurred than ever when the world found itself in the midst of a huge push for social and racial equality. As a knee-jerk reaction, many networks and streaming services began pulling titles from their libraries so as not to cause offense, although the motivations were questionable in some cases.

Removing content that’s viewed as culturally unacceptable today is one thing, but having the internet call out Robert Downey Jr.’s performance in Tropic Thunder is something else entirely, especially when his Academy Award nominated turn was created specifically to mock the entitlement of vain actors that think they can play any role regardless of race, creed or gender.

As the most staunchly family-friendly corporate monolith in the business, Disney were never going to include something like...

Some Disney animated classics will now come on Disney+ with a new, stronger disclaimer that warns of their dated stereotypes of people and cultures. This week, the popular streaming service began rolling out messages ahead of movies that may contain “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.” While Disney+ included boilerplate content alerts as early as November last year when the streaming service launched, the advisories now go further to target specific movies and their cultural representations.

Films now labeled with content advisories include “Peter Pan,” “Dumbo,” “The Aristocats,” and “Swiss Family Robinson.” TheWrap noted that the disclaimer for such films reads, “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.

Disney+ is flagging its own content for racial stereotyping.

This week the streaming service began putting up a content advisory warning for some of its older films like “The Aristocats,” “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan” and “Swiss Family Robinson” that Disney says feature “negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”

The graphic will run for 12 seconds at the beginning of the flagged content:

“This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. To learn more about how stories have impacted society, please visit www.disney.com/StoriesMatter.”

Disney goes further,...

Disney+ subscribers selecting Peter Pan or The Aristocats for viewing will now be met with new content advisories likely to get their notice: “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”

The updated content warnings for other classic Disney animated and live action titles like Swiss Family Robinson and Dumbo follow the studio consulting with a third-party advisory council that includes groups like the African American Film Critics Association, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and GLAAD.

Disney+ has put warnings about “outdated cultural depictions” on its film titles since launching, but the latest updated language goes further ...

Disney+ subscribers selecting Peter Pan or The Aristocats for viewing will now be met with new content advisories likely to get their notice: “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.”

The updated content warnings for other classic Disney animated and live action titles like Swiss Family Robinson and Dumbo follow the studio consulting with a third-party advisory council that includes groups like the African American Film Critics Association, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment and GLAAD.

Disney+ has put warnings about “outdated cultural depictions” on its film titles since launching, but the latest updated language goes further ...

Disney+ is an oddity in the streaming landscape. While it took over pop culture last fall with Baby Yoda and “The Mandalorian,” that blockbuster series was very much the exception for its content model thus far: this is a platform that relies almost entirely on its studio’s back catalogue of classic films. There won’t be another original live-action series of the stature of “The Mandalorian” until, well, “The Mandalorian” Season 2 later this year (assuming its post-production still continues as planned).

As for its classic film titles, Disney+ maintains a family-friendly focus, so many of the company’s more mature titles produced under its Touchstone banner, let alone its 20th Century Fox archive, don’t appear on the service. Even still, Disney+ touted the depth of its content offerings in the leadup to its November 12 launch with an epic Twitter thread of hundreds of beloved (or at least on-brand...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.

And Then We Danced (Levan Akin)

To be a Georgian male is to be masculine—especially in dance. Merab’s (Levan Gelbakhiani) teacher Aleko (Kakha Gogidze) demands that he stand straighter and stronger, a monument that can withstand any blow. While his country’s aesthetic had allowed for a softer tone, conservative tradition prevailed a half century ago to move things back to the rigid separation of gendered movement and the complete erasure of sexuality. How Aleko’s dancers perform becomes a visual metaphor for their nation. It will not be defeated. It will not show weakness. And anyone who dares to refuse giving one hundred...

The Call of the Wild plays like the kind of live-action movie Disney released in the ’60s and ’70s, then in the ’80s and ’90s under the Touchstone banner. This film, adapted from the Jack London novel of the same name, was developed as a 20th Century Fox project, before the studio got scooped up by the Mouse House.

Directed by Chris Sanders and starring Harrison Ford, the playful-yet-nostalgic tone is established early on. We meet a dog named Buck, the live-action/CGI hybrid lead of the story, as he bounds about a luxurious California home. His owner, Judge Miller, loves the pet but is tired of his hyperactive shenanigans. Buck eats up a celebratory feast because he just can’t help himself, the rascal! He appears to be a creature destined for bigger things. If those last two sentences read a bit cheesy, consider it a fair approximation of the film itself.

By Joe Elliott

The list of 25 films added to the prestigious National Film Registry in 2019 includes the 1957 Disney classic Old Yeller, starring Tommy Kirk, Fess Parker, Dorothy McGuire, and Anthony Corcoran. The story, based on the novel by Fred Gibson, is about a young boy on the Texas frontier named Travis Coates (Kirk), who is left in charge of looking after his mother and younger brother when his father (Parker) goes away on a business trip. Travis reluctantly accepts a large yellow dog into the family circle after the stray follows his little brother (Corcoran) home one day. Despite his initial doubts, the boy comes to see the dog's value when Old Yeller, as they name him, proves himself resourceful, loyal and brave. In the course of the story, he stoutly defends Travis and the family against a series of life-threating marauders, including a bear, a ferocious pig and, most significantly,...

In this edition of Theme Park Bits: Tarzan’s Treehouse closed briefly at Disneyland last week. Indiana Jones Adventure is going through a major refurbishment soon. What’s the new structure in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? And more! One of the hidden gems of Disneyland is Tarzan’s Treehouse, originally an attraction themed to Swiss Family Robinson. All you […]

The post Theme Park Bits: Tarzan’s Treehouse Closed, Indiana Jones Refurb, and More appeared first on /Film.

The new Disney+ is also Disney-, as the studio’s streaming service apparently is being cautious about what it will showcase, keeping some materials in the vault while warning of sensitive content in other cases.

The new subscription service debuted Tuesday and already has caused fans and media to notice what isn’t available. From feature-length films to cartoons, the studio apparently is being very sensitive to problematic materials that could cause upset because of heightened racial and social awareness in the years since initial release.

While it was expected that Disney’s 1946 film Song of the South in any formatnever would be a part of the new service — the film has not been seen for 33 years because of its insensitive racial imagery — there are other film and tv projects that are on the service that are being treated carefully.

The 1941 film Dumbo has been issued without cuts, but a...

At the bottom of the description for Disney's 1940 classic animation Fantasia on the studio's newly minted Disney+ service, there is a line that is garnering attention from viewers: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions."

The disclaimer can be found in the streaming platform's synopsis of many of Disney's classic animated titles, including 1941's Dumbo, 1967's The Jungle Book, 1953's Peter Pan and 1955's Lady and the Tramp, as well as other offerings like 1960's Swiss Family Robinson and 1955's Davy Crockett.

Disney+ features the studio'...

At the bottom of the description for Disney's 1940 classic animation Fantasia on the studio's newly minted Disney+ service, there is a line that is garnering attention from viewers: “This program is presented as originally created. It may contain outdated cultural depictions."

The disclaimer can be found in the streaming platform's synopsis of many of Disney's classic animated titles, including 1941's Dumbo, 1967's The Jungle Book, 1953's Peter Pan and 1955's Lady and the Tramp, as well as other offerings like 1960's Swiss Family Robinson and 1955's Davy Crockett.

Disney+ features the studio'...

Disney has shared a new trailer for their upcoming Disney+ streaming service and it’s over 3-hours long! I don’t know if you want to spend over three hours seeing what Disney+ has to offer when it launches, but you have the option!

Disney+ also posted all of the films and TV shows coming to the streaming service on a super long Twitter thread, which I included below the trailer. As you’ll see there’s a ton of stuff that will be available that will make Disney fans happy. Gargoyles and several other classic 90s animated series are among them along with a lot of old weird films that have been pulled out of the Disney vault.

If you don’t want to watch the trailer or scroll through the Twitter feed, I shared the full list of titles for you. Check everything out below and let us...

Exclusive: Argent Pictures and Brigsby Bear producer 3311 Productions are teaming to develop, finance and produce a feature film adapted from Esta Spalding’s children’s book Look Out For The Fitzgerald-Trouts. Former Mad Men writer/co-executive producer Semi Chellas is set to pen the screenplay. The book, published last year by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers, centers on a family of four kids who are living a contemporary Swiss Family Robinson dream on a…...