Disney+ & ESPN+ To Run Starz Ads

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

According to The Verge, Disney+ and ESPN+ will run ads for the premium cable channel as part of an agreement to regain streaming rights for Disney films. Disney previously licensed out films to be streamed by Starz, like Star Wars: The Force Awakens which as we have shared, will be available on Disney+.

Here’s what The Verge has learned:

A display ad will appear on the login page for Disney+ and ESPN+, based on photos seen by The Verge. The ad will appear on Disney+’s Android app and in browsers, the person said.

A Disney spokesperson confirmed that ads are part of a revised licensing deal with Starz that was made in order to have certain titles available on Disney+ at launch. Customers will see a display ad prompting them to sign up for Starz, but there aren’t any ads within the actual Disney+ or ESPN+ service once they sign in.

Disney+ was previously advertised as 100% ad-free, with Kevin Mayer, head of Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer division, saying “Disney+ will be a wholly subscription-supported service.”

This deal with Starz is part of a problem Disney will face in the coming years as they look to regain streaming rights to tv shows and movies they licensed out for years.

First Look at Ming-Na Wen in The Mandalorian

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

Vanity Fair broke the news today that Actress Ming-Na Wen (“Mulan”) will appear in “The Mandalorian”. Wen will play Fennec Shand, a silent assassin who comes face to face with “The Mandalorian”. Watch Ming-Na Wen’s debut in the latest teaser trailer for “The Mandalorian”.

“The Mandalorian” debuts on November 12th, exclusively on Disney+.

Original Cast to Reprise Their Roles on Disney+ Lizzie McGuire Series

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

Disney has just announced that Hallie Todd, Robert Carradine, and Jake Thomas will all be reprising their roles as Jo, Sam, and Matt McGuire in Lizzie McGuire, the highly anticipated Disney+ series. They join previously announced star and executive producer Hilary Duff. This week, the cast reunited for the first time in 15 years for a read-through of the first episode! As was revealed at D23 Expo 2019, original Lizzie McGuire series creator Terri Minsky will return as showrunner and executive producer of the Disney+ series. Rachel Winter will executive-produce, and Ranada Shepard will co-executive produce.

“We are incredibly excited to bring back one of the most popular Disney Channel series of all time along with some beloved and familiar faces,” said Ricky Strauss, president, Content & Marketing, Disney+. “With Terri at the helm and Hilary, Hallie, Robert, and Jake back after all these years, it’s our honor to welcome the McGuire family into the Disney+ family.”

“Just like there is no Lizzie McGuire without Hilary Duff, there is no McGuire family without Hallie, Robert, and Jake,” added Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Channels Worldwide. “The original series holds a special place in the hearts of so many, and we can’t wait to introduce fans, both old and new, to an older, wiser, yet still perfectly imperfect Lizzie.”

The new Lizzie McGuire story picks up as the titular character is just about to turn 30. She seemingly has it all­—her dream job as an assistant to a fancy New York City decorator, her dream guy, and a picturesque Brooklyn apartment—but things aren’t always as they seem. With a little help from her friends, her loving family, and her 13-year-old alter-ego in animated form, Lizzie navigates the ups and downs of adulthood.

Hocus Pocus 2 In Development for Disney+

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Disney+

Pull up a cauldron and grab your broomstick (or vacuum cleaner)! A sequel to Hocus Pocus is reportedly in development for Disney+, according to Collider‘s Jeff Sneider.

Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics, LA to Vegas, Happy Together) has been hired to pen the script for the film. Sneider also reported that D’Angelo has been given another task as well (and we’re not talking about sucking out the souls of all the children in Salem): getting the actresses behind the infamous Sanderson sisters, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, to reprise their roles in the sequel. None of them are currently signed to the project, but

isney is reportedly optimistic that they will return in some fashion. The project is still in the early stages, and it’s not yet known if Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson would be the main characters, or if they would “pass the torch” to a new class of witches.

While not initially a box office success on its release in 1993, Hocus Pocus has become a staple of the Halloween season, having repeated viewings on Freeform throughout the month of October, its own stage show at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World, and plenty of themed merchandise and food offerings. (And don’t you worry; the original film will be available to watch on Disney+ on launch day.)

This is far from Disney’s first attempt at revisiting Hocus Pocus; back in 2017, a remake of the film was reportedly in development for Disney Channel.

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