Disney ‘Cruella’ Sequel Is Coming & Emma Stone Will Star Again!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

The villainous Disney character, Cruella de Vil, was first introduced in Disney’s animated classic One Hundred and One Dalmations. While Disney does a great job of making sure viewers dislike the villain in the story, villains are rather intriguing, to say the least, and do keep the plot going strong. Disney’s live-action Cruella launched in theaters and on Disney+ around the globe on May 26 and took the Cruella del Vil character to a whole new level with an intriguing back story as to why Estella (AKA Cruella) embraced her wicked side. The film was reviewed by many and the ratings were outstanding. In the midst of a mess between Marvel star Scarlett Johansson (AKA Black Widow) and Disney, we are thrilled to hear some good news as Cruella will be getting a sequel… and yes, the incredible actress, Emma Stone, will once again star as the villainous Cruella.

As reported in an exclusive by Deadline: “Oscar-winner Emma Stone has closed a deal to star in the sequel to Cruella, in what is a very good sign for Disney as it secures talent in the wake of some criticism of its theatrical-Disney+ Premier model. Cruella, due to the pandemic, was released in theaters and on Disney+ PVOD tier on May 26, earning more than $222 million in worldwide ticket sales. The release of Cruella 2 is a ways off, and it’s not certain at this time whether the movie will be a pure theatrical release or like its predecessor released simultaneously in homes.”

Endeavor executive chairman Patrick Whitesell had this to say about the agency’s client Stone and her Cruella 2 deal. “While the media landscape has been disrupted in a meaningful way for all distributors, their creative partners cannot be left on the sidelines to carry a disproportionate amount of the downside without the potential for upside. This agreement demonstrates that there can be an equitable path forward that protects artists and aligns studios’ interests with talent. We are proud to work alongside Emma and Disney and appreciate the studio’s willingness to recognize her contributions as a creative partner. We are hopeful that this will open the door for more members of the creative community to participate in the success of new platforms.”

With the recent release of Disney’s Jungle Cruise on Disney+ and in theaters, star Dwayne Johnson has made it clear no lawsuits are coming from him. It seems the same goes without saying for Emma Stone with this new “Cruella 2” deal, even though Cruella was also dropped on Disney+. Meanwhile, what’s to come of Scarlett Johansson’s career with Disney? It seems Disney has recently cut all ties with the Black Widow actress. We’ll keep you posted as the saga unfolds – but more importantly when dates are announced for the Cruella sequel!

Disney+ Reaches 116 Million Subscribers

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

Via wdwnt.com

Though Disney+ subscriber growth reportedly stalled this year, it has now reached 116 million subscribers, surpassing the expected 113 million.

Disney+ continues to grow with original shows, including those set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and film releases. Although, Scarlett Johansson is currently suing Disney regarding the Disney+ release of “Black Widow.”

One of the Marvel original series, “Loki,” was one of the most-streamed programs across all platforms during Q3.

First Look at “Muppets Haunted Mansion” on Disney+

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

Halloween is drawing near, as can be seen in the parks with the arrivals of Autumnal buntings, pumpkins scattered around and Mickey pumpkin wreaths on the light poles of Main Street, U.S.A. And another Halloween-themed Disney treat is on the way as well — Muppets Haunted Mansion, coming to Disney+ this Fall. As Walt Disney Imagineering is celebrating today’s anniversary of The Haunted Mansion opening at Disneyland, their official Instagram has shared the first look at the upcoming Muppets special.

The first image shows Gonzo the Great and Pepe the King Prawn walking down the Corridor of Doors in the mansion, dressed in their black tie best. The second image shows Kermit and Miss Piggy dressed up as each other, looking at a phone.

Disney Will Seek Arbitration in Scarlett Johansson Lawsuit

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+, Uncategorized

Via wdwnt.com

There has been quite a bit of back-and-forth between Disney and Scarlett Johansson, who plays Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The star recently filed a lawsuit against Disney over her most recent outing as the super spy in this month’s “Black Widow.” And after more than a week of responses in the media and in legal filings, Disney is now seeking arbitration according to the Wall Street Journal.

Johansson’s lawsuit alleges that by releasing the film on Disney+ simultaneously with the theatrical release, “Disney intentionally induced Marvel’s breach of the agreement, without justification, in order to prevent Ms. Johansson from realizing the full benefit of her bargain with Marvel.” Johansson reportedly took a partial back-end deal, in which her salary for the film was derived from the box office sales which, the lawsuit alleges, were undercut by the Disney+ sales.

After multiple delays in release due to the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering theaters nationwide, it was announced in March that “Black Widow” would be one of several films pushed through to the Disney+ streaming service as a Premiere Access title. Despite an $80 million opening in the US and Canada and $60 million garnered from Disney+ sales, the film still sits at $359 million worldwide. With $174 million total domestic take as of press time, this makes “Black Widow” the 2nd lowest-earning marvel film ever, behind “The Incredible Hulk.”

In the Wall Street Journal, Disney released figures touting that Johansson had already earned $20 million from her deal. Previously, Disney attorney Daniel Petrocelli had called the lawsuit a lost cause because the contract is iron clad. “We treated Disney Premier Access (revenue) like box office for the purposes of the bonus requirements in the contract,” Petrocelli told Variety. “No amount of public pressure can change or obscure the explicit contractual commitments. The written contract is clear as a bell.”

Disney’s arbitration would make the case confidential and the details would not become publicly available even after the case ends, which Johansson’s lawyer John Berlinski decried as Disney’s attempt to “hide its misconduct from the public in a confidential arbitration,” according to the Wall Street Journal article.

New Logo Revealed for The Muppets Studio

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+, Uncategorized

“It’s time to play the music; it’s time to light the lights.” It’s time to debut the logo for The Muppet Studio tonight! (Well, today, but that didn’t work with the song.) The Muppets took to Twitter to show off a shiny new logo. Let’s take a look!

“The Muppets Studio has gone through several logos over the years, but we didn’t feel that the current logo really represented who we are as a studio today and the direction we’re headed. Now that we have projects that originated fully from our team, we felt it was the right time to make the change to represent who we are now. This has been in the works for quite some time, and we’re so excited to get it out into the world,” Muppets Studio Vice President Leigh Slaughter said in an interview with ToughPigs, a Muppets fansite.

Watch the reveal video below.

Slaughter also confirmed that the logo may change, similarly to how the castle logo for Disney films changes. “As you know, our next project – which I’m very excited about and cannot wait for you to see – is “Muppets Haunted Mansion.” You’ll see the new logo attached to that special is a customized way that evokes the spirit of that particular project.”

The new logo will be used on new Muppets projects, with Muppets Haunted Mansion coming to Disney+ this fall.