Tim Allen Says Religion Will Play a Role in ‘The Santa Clauses’

Tim Allen is back in the sleigh again! The Santa Clauses premiers on Disney+ on November 19th and, according to star Tim Allen, it will have a much different tone. Allen recently sat down with “The Wrap” to explain that as Executive Producer, he had a vision for the series that was unlike the previous movies. He said he wanted religion to play a part in the story this series has to tell.

“It originally had a lot of otherworldly characters, and ghosts, and goblins. I said no, this is Christ-mas. It’s Christ-mas. It literally is a religious holiday,” Allen said. “We don’t have to blow trumpets, but I do want you to acknowledge it. That’s what this is about. If you want to get into Santa Claus, you’re gonna have to go back to history, and it’s all about religion.”

The writing team went back to the drawing board and reworked the story to better fit with Allen’s vision for it. The comedian didn’t give any spoilers saying only that the team “found a brilliant way” to work religion into the story. Allen went on to say that the religious aspects won’t come into play until episode 5 but added that he’s very proud of it and thinks, “It’s really wonderful. They took a chance, and we did it really well.”

As Executive Producer, Tim Allen had one other requirement: that the series treat the story respectfully and pay homage to the beloved films. “I needed that to launch this thing. Respect the last one and let’s not be too gamey with it,” he said. So while the series may be a departure from the films we know and love, at least we know that they will embody the same spirit.

Tim allen

The show’s official synopsis states, “Scott Calvin is about to turn 65 and, realizing he can’t be Santa forever, sets out to find a suitable replacement Santa while preparing his family for a new adventure in life south of the pole.” The first two episodes will be available to stream exclusively on Disney+ on November 19, with one new episode dropping weekly after that.

Disney Releases First Look at Live-Action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Special!

We are just about one month away from Disney’s celebration of 30 years of the Academy Award-winning animated film Beauty and the Beast. Yes, it’s been 30 years since Disney shared the story of a tale as old as time. Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s most successful films of all time and, in celebration of the 30th anniversary, Disney will be airing a combination live-action/animated special that will air on ABC on December 15.

The Beauty and the Beast 2-hour special will star musical sensation H.E.R. as Belle and superstar Josh Groban as the Beast. The special will feature new musical performances, sets, and costumes. And now, Disney is giving us a first look at H.E.R. in Belle’s signature yellow and Josh Groban in a royal blue cape — bringing viewers back to the iconic ballroom scene.

Beauty and the Beast

The Beauty and the Beast special will be directed by Jon M. Chu, who released a statement when it was announced:

“Beauty and the Beast was always a game-changing cinematic experience for me. When the animated movie came out, I watched it multiple times in the first weekend. It showed me the outer limits of what animated artists and storytellers could achieve, so the fact that I get to executive produce a tribute to all the creatives that made this masterpiece through our Electric Somewhere company is a dream I didn’t even think was possible. With world-class creatives and talent to reinterpret the classic musical numbers (with a few surprises), I can’t wait for the audiences, in person and at home, to experience what we have in store for them. It’s a true celebration of creativity.”

Beauty and the Beast will also star Rita Moreno as the narrator, Joshua Henry as Gaston, Martin Short as Lumière, David Alan Grier as Cogsworth, Rizwan Manji as LeFou, Jon Jon Briones as Maurice, Leo Abelo Perry as Chip, and Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts.

If you wish to get into the Beauty and the Beast spirit, both the original animated film and the 2017 live-action remake — starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens — are both available to stream on Disney+.

Again, the special will air on ABC on December 15 and will be available to stream on Disney+ the following day.

Release Date for Mandalorian Season 3 Announced!

It’s hard to believe just how long it has been since we last saw Mando and Grogu. Season 2 was released in 2020 and left viewers on the edge of their seats. We couldn’t wait to find out what happened next for the bounty hunter and his pint-sized companion. Sadly, with the onslaught of COVID-19, we had to wait much longer than expected due to filming delays.

When last we saw Grogu and his faithful guardian, they were (as usual) in a bit of a tight spot, but fans cheered at the arrival of a beloved character who would swoop in to save the day…we hope…it all ended with a major cliffhanger. The duo has been making their way across the galaxy to save the tiny “baby Yoda” from the clutches of the evil Empire who want to exploit the child for his force-sensitive talents. Mando has sworn that will never happen and continuously gets the pair in and out of hot water in his attempts to evade the galactic overlords.

The Mandalorian

Each episode provides enough action to keep you on the edge of your seat and enough cute baby Yoda goodness to fill up your “awww” meter. With excellent storytelling and the incredible special effects we’ve come to expect from Star Wars, it is easy to see why The Mandalorian has such a loyal fan base.

The show, which has been billed as a “space western,” has become a fan favorite since its release in 2019. We are so excited that the next installment is coming soon! Many reliable sources have confirmed that the show will return for its third installment of the hit show will return on February 22, 2023! That is almost a 3-year hiatus since the season 2 conclusion.

If you can’t get enough of Mando and Grogu (which who could blame you?), you don’t have to wait til the show premiers to get your fix. Over at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland, you can meet the pair in person at the all new meet and greet coming this month!

‘Aquaman’ Star Lands Lead MCU Role

An announcement today confirms that a particular Aquaman actor will star in an upcoming MCU series, and it’s not who you might expect.

James Wan’s Aquaman (2018) is considered by most to be a solid super hero movie with tons of action and exploring Atlantis. Unfortunately, other circumstances put a bad light on the movie’s sequel due to Amber Heard’s role in the movie being questioned after her divorced husband, Johnny Depp, lost all of his acting positions.

This led to several petitions against Heard, but she will still appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). Marvel, on the other hand, has finally found their actor to portray Simon Williams/Wonder Man for one of their upcoming Disney+ series. Wonder Man isn’t very well known, but his story mainly revolves around Hollywood, but he did end up being a love interest for Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in the comics.

Marvel might be introducing their king of the oceans, Tenoch Huerta’s Namor, but DC beat Marvel at bringing its own King of the Seven Seas, Jason Momoa’s Aquaman, to the big screen in Aquaman (2018). As Arthur Curry learned about his birthright and how to save his people, he faced another villain, Black Manta, played by none other than Abdul Mateen. The actor is also set to reprise his role as Black Manta for the sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023), which is set to release in the spring.

Abdul-Mateen has also been in other DC projects, such as HBO’s Watchmen series, where he played Doctor Manhattan. His take on the character was fascinating as it gave a new twist to Manhattan’s ideology while further expanding Watchmen’s world.

Black Manta with his guards in Aquaman

Deadline has announced that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be in the Wonder Man series as the titular character, Simon Williams/Wonder Man. This is rather surprising after Abdul-Mateen made some interesting comments about his acting with DC as “clown work” while working Aquaman. It also might come as a surprise for other fans as Marvel has blatantly race-swapped another MCU super hero once again.

Wonder Man will be very different from any other MCU project, which might be why Abdul was attracted to it. Wonder Man in the comics was a super hero who made a living as a Hollywood star leaving Marvel Studios to explore a unique side of the universe through television and movies.

Wonder Man ready to use his abilities.

The series shouldn’t be as fourth-wall-breaking as She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, but it will definitely be a must-watch for fans wanting something very different from the usual formulaic MCU. Destin Daniel Cretton will direct an episode of the series before heading over to begin work on Avengers: Kang Dynasty (2025).

On top of this, MCU fan-favorite Ben Kingsley will reprise his role as Trevor Slattery for the series, meaning that fans will get to see another MCU actor potentially team up with Wonder Man. This project will be radically different from other MCU projects, but it does make a fan wonder if Marvel will still throw a traditional CGI villain in at the last moment for a good finale action sequence.

Wonder Man fighting some villain

It’s hard to know what Marvel will do with the series, but if Abdul-Mateen joins and doesn’t believe it’s clown work, then the series must be worth the wait for fans. It’s also another instance where Marvel has decided to race-swap the character. Several fans believed that Nathan Fillion would take on the role, but Marvel Studios decided that Abdul-Mateen II was the man to play Wonder Man.

Phase Five is just around the corner, with Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania releasing in theaters on February 17, 2023. Kang the Conqueror will take the spotlight as the MCU delves deep into the Multiverse Saga. Phase Five already has a solid roadmap, including Charlie Cox’s return as Daredevil, Blade, and the Guardians of the Galaxy, The Thunderbolts. The Phase ends with Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool 3 on November 8, 2024.

Mickey Mouse to Star In Groundbreaking Disney Animation Project

Mickey Mouse, Minnie, and their pals will star in a first-of-its-kind Disney Animation project premiering soon!

Mickey Mouse has starred in countless Walt Disney Animation projects, including Steamboat Willie (1928), The Band Concert (1935), Brave Little Tailor (1938)Fantasia (1940), Fun and Fancy Free (1947), and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (1999). While Mickey’s appearance has changed a lot since Disney fans first met him, his timeless appeal and characteristic charm have made countless generations of fans fall in love with the beloved mouse.

Fans of the beloved character will surely be glad to hear that Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Daisy will soon star in an all-new, first-of-its-kind project from Walt Disney Animation.

Mickey Saves Christmas is an all-new stop-motion Christmas special scheduled to premiere on November 27 on Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, and ABC simultaneously. The Christmas special will premiere on Disney+ the next day, November 28.

The synopsis for this project reads:

In this stop-motion holiday special, Mickey, Minnie, and their pals attempt to celebrate the perfect Christmas at their snowy cabin. However, when Pluto causes Santa to lose all the presents on his sleigh, the friends travel to the North Pole on a quest to save Christmas and find the true meaning of the holiday.

Mickey Saves Christmas will have the talent of Bret Iwan (Mickey Mouse), Kaitlyn Robrock (Minnie Mouse), Tony Anselmo (Donald Duck), Tress MacNeille (Daisy Duck), Bill Farmer (Goofy), Camryn Grimes (Mrs. Claus), and Brock Powell (Santa Claus).

Mickey and minnie mouse, pluto around the christmas tree on the new mickey saves christmasposter

This will be the first time Disney fans will see Mickey Mouse and his pals star in a stop-motion animation project. While Disney has already carried out a couple of stop-motion animation projects, the company has not dived into this animation style with its main character.

Perhaps the most notable example of Disney’s stop-motion animation is the 1993 cult film The Nightmare Before Christmas, from the creative mind of Tim Burton. The film’s success has made Jack Skellington, Sally, Zero, Oogie Boogie, Lock, Shock, and Barrel — along with the citizens of Halloween Town — gain a massive following of all ages.

Jack Skellington (left) and Zero (right) from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' (1993)

Disney is also working on a stop-motion animation series starring Duffy and his adorable friends, coming soon to Disney+.