STAR WARS Celebration kicked off its opening day in London today with a non-stop series of announcements about some of the year’s most highly anticipated productions—from Disney+ original series including “Star Wars: Ahsoka” and “Star Wars: Skeleton Crew” to upcoming feature films including “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” Throughout the day, surprises kept fans’ spirits high as a parade of actors and Lucasfilm luminaries took to the stage to reveal exciting new information about landmark productions.

Taking place at the ExCel London Convention Center, Friday’s activities on the Celebration Stage began with host Ali Plumb welcoming Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to reflect on the success of the highly acclaimed Disney+ original series “Star Wars: Andor.” They were joined by the series’ director/creator/showrunner Tony Gilroy and stars Diego Luna, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Genevieve O’Reilly, Andy Serkis, Muhannad Bahair and Joplin Sibtain, who was accompanied by droid B2EMO. Fans were treated to an exclusive first look at the second and final season, which is currently in production and chronicles the next steps in Andor’s journey as he fights to assemble a fledgling resistance. Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Luke Hull are executive producing the upcoming season exclusively for Disney+.

Next, Leslye Headland, creator and showrunner of “Star Wars: The Acolyte” joined Kennedy on stage. Headland entered, escorted by Kelnacca, a Wookiee Jedi from the series, and offered an overview of the new mystery-thriller. “The Acolyte” will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.

Joining Headland and Kennedy on stage were the series’ stars—Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman and “Star Wars” veteran Joonas Suotamo, who plays Kelnacca. Headland wowed the crowd with a sneak peek at the upcoming show, which also stars Carrie-Anne Moss and Margarita Levieva and is currently in production. In addition to writing and directing, Headland serves as an executive producer with Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson produce. “The Acolyte” will stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2024.

The focus then shifted to “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” as Kennedy invited the series’ executive producers Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni to the stage. The duo, along with fellow executive producer Rick Famuyiwa, were on hand for a discussion of the third season of the hit show, now streaming, exclusively on Disney+. Following a special video greeting from star Pedro Pascal, fans were treated to a clip from next week’s episode. Afterward, stars Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers and Emily Swallow joined the stage and announced a special sneak-peek screening of the upcoming episode for those in attendance later that evening.

In “The Mandalorian” Season 3, Din Djarin (Pascal), once a lone bounty hunter, has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian crosses paths with old allies and makes new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together. Directors for the series include Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard. Favreau is the head writer and executive produces along with Filoni, Famuyiwa, Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Co-executive producers are Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck.

Next up, Jude Law, star of the upcoming Disney+ original series “Skeleton Crew,” took to the stage to officially introduce his young co-stars, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Kyriana Kratter and Robert Timothy Smith; the series also stars Ryan Kiera Armstrong, who was unable to attend Celebration. The team shared insights about the series, their characters and to the delight of all, a sneak peak of the series, which is currently in production. “Skeleton Crew” follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

The series stars Law, Cabot-Conyers, Armstrong, Kratter, Smith, Tunde Adebimpe and Kerry Condon. Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are showrunners and executive produce along with Favreau, Filoni, Kennedy and Wilson. Gilchrist and Beck serve as co-executive producers. John Bartnicki and Susan McNamara are producers. Directors include Watts, Ford, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lee Isaac Chung. “Skeleton Crew” will stream exclusively on Disney+ in 2023.

Transitioning to this year’s next highly anticipated “Star Wars” series Favreau and Filoni confirmed that “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson in the title role, will premiere exclusively on Disney+ this August 2023. Set after the fall of the Empire, “Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Dawson took the stage and unveiled a teaser poster for the series, after which she was joined by co-stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo, who plays Sabine Wren, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead, who announced that she will be playing Hera Syndulla. The presentation concluded with a new teaser trailer for the Disney+ original series, which is written by executive producer by Filoni, alongside executive producers Favreau, Kennedy, Wilson, and Beck. Gilchrist is co-executive producer.

Afterward, feature film became the focus of the day’s presentations, with Kennedy paying tribute to the incredible work of Oscar®-winning Creature and Special Makeup Effects Supervisor Neal Scanlan as dozens of his most famous creations took the stage. Kennedy then revealed that “Star Wars” will head into the future, with a new feature set 15 years after the last events of the Skywalker Saga. Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy will tell the story of rebuilding the New Jedi Order and the powers that rise to tear it down; the director then delighted fans by welcoming Daisy Ridley to stage, confirming she will be reprising her beloved role as Rey in the upcoming movie.

Kennedy also announced that James Mangold will take audiences deep into the past, telling the tale of the first Jedi to wield the Force and harness it as a liberating power in an era of chaos and oppression.

Expanding upon “Star Wars” storytelling in the present, Dave Filoni will orchestrate the escalating war between the Imperial Remnant and the fledgling New Republic. Alongside producer Jon Favreau, they will bring together many of the threads of the “Star Wars” original series in a cinematic event.

Finally, the stars and filmmakers of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” dazzled the crowd with a never-before-seen trailer, an extensive look at the film and a brand new poster. Appearing in person were cast members Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen, along with director and co-writer James Mangold and producer Kennedy. Dr. Jones himself, the inimitable Harrison Ford, appeared in a video greeting. The film, which will be Harrison Ford’s final Indiana Jones adventure, premieres at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18 and opens in theatres on June 30.

In Lucasfilm’s “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” Harrison Ford returns as the legendary hero archaeologist, starring along with Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”), Antonio Banderas (“Pain and Glory”), John Rhys-Davies (Raiders of the Lost Ark), Toby Jones (“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”), Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”), Ethann Isidore (“Mortel”) and Mads Mikkelsen (“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore”). Directed by Mangold, the film is produced by Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Simon Emanuel, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981, has once again composed the score.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

Today, at STAR WARS Celebration in London, Disney+ and Lucasfilm unveiled the thrilling teaser trailer for the highly anticipated Disney+ original series “Ahsoka,” starring Rosario Dawson in the title role. Set after the fall of the Empire, “Ahsoka” follows the former Jedi knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.

In addition to Dawson, “Ahsoka” stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla. The series is written by Dave Filoni, who executive produces alongside Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck. Karen Gilchrist is co-executive producer.

“Ahsoka” will debut exclusively on Disney+ in August 2023.

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Studios Canada)

Today, Disney+, Disney Junior, and Lucasfilm announced that “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” will premiere on Disney+ and Disney Junior on May 4, 2023. In Canada viewers can also watch it live and on demand with STACKTV. Set during The High Republic era, the animated series follows Jedi younglings as they study the ways of the Force, explore the galaxy, help citizens and creatures in need, and learn valuable skills needed to become Jedi along the way.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm also released two stills from the series, which include Master Yoda, Jedi younglings Kai, Lys, and Nubs, and their friends Nash and RJ-83 on planet Tenoo. The second image shows Lys, Kai, and Nubs during a training sequence.

Produced by Lucasfilm for Disney+ and Disney Junior, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” is executive produced by Lucasfilm’s James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, and Josh Rimes. Michael Olson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is showrunner and executive producer; Elliot M. Bour (“Elena of Avalor”) is supervising director and co-producer; Jeannine Hodson (“Puppy Dog Pals”) is producer; and Lamont Magee (“Black Lightning”) is consulting producer.

“‘Star Wars’ transcends generations; fans of all ages deeply connect with its imaginative worlds, mythic stories, and unique characters,” says James Waugh, “Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” executive producer and Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm. “When developing ‘Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures,’ the first ‘Star Wars’ series created for preschoolers, the creative team never stopped thinking about how this show may be a ‘youngling’s’ first step into a larger world and their first time experiencing the limitless potential of the ‘Star Wars’ galaxy. The show’s characters, tone, and the life lessons woven throughout each episode were written just for them, and our talented team was committed to honoring the cinematic legacy while staying true to the expectations of parents for the youngest of audiences.”

Added: Alyssa Sapire, Senior Vice President, Development, Series, Strategy, Disney Junior: “Our collaboration with Lucasfilm on this series is an amazing opportunity to introduce this universally cherished franchise to a younger generation. As an early entry point into ‘Star Wars,’ we have created a world with exciting new and familiar characters and storylines that highlight the values of compassion, teamwork, and friendship, which are important elements for all of our Disney Junior programming.”

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” stars Jamaal Avery, Jr. as Kai Brightstar, Juliet Donenfeld as Lys Solay, Dee Bradley Baker as Nubs, Emma Berman as Nash Durango, Jonathan Lipow as RJ-83, and Piotr Michael as Master Yoda.

“Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures” will debut on Disney+ and Disney Junior on May 4, 2023.

Disney+ and Lucasfilm have announced that the second volume of the animated anthology series “Star Wars: Visions” will premiere exclusively on Disney+ on May 4, 2023. Following on the Emmy Award®-nominated success of “Star Wars: Visions,” the newest volume will continue to push the boundaries of “Star Wars” storytelling, with nine new shorts from 9 studios from around the globe. Employing the most captivating animation styles from a variety of countries and cultures, the second volume offers a dynamic new perspective on the storied mythos of Star Wars.

The shorts included in “Star Wars:Visions” Volume 2 were created by the following international animation studios: El Guiri (Spain), Cartoon Saloon (Ireland), Punkrobot (Chile), Aardman (United Kingdom), Studio Mir (South Korea) Studio La Cachette (France), 88 Pictures (India), D’art Shtajio (Japan), and Triggerfish (South Africa). D’Art Shtajio’s short was created in collaboration with Lucasfilm Ltd. (United States). 

“The reaction to the first volume of ‘Star Wars: Visions’ blew us away. We were delighted that this project inspired and resonated with so many people,” says James Waugh, “Star Wars: Visions” executive producer and Senior Vice President Franchise Content & Strategy at Lucasfilm. “We always saw ‘Star Wars: Visions’ as a framework for celebratory expressions of the franchise from some of the best creators working today. Animation is in a global renaissance, and we’re constantly staggered by the amount of creativity pushing the medium forward. With Volume 1, the imaginative minds of Japan’s anime industry were on full display. With Volume 2, we expanded our canvas to take audiences on a global tour of some of the most talented creators from around the world. We’re so proud to be able to reveal the line-up of studios we’ve assembled. Every short is incredible, full of heart, scope, imagination, and the values that make stories distinctly‘Star Wars’— all while opening up bold new ways of seeing what a ‘Star Wars’ story can be.”

Waugh executive produces “Star Wars: Visions” Volume 2 along with Jacqui Lopez and Josh Rimes. 

Details on each short and filmmaker below:

Title: “Sith” 

Studio: El Guiri

Writer-director: Rodrigo Blaas

Rodrigo Blaas is an Emmy Award®-winning director who has spent more than 20 years in animation. After co-founding Stromboli Animation in 1997, Blaas joined Blue Sky Studios in 2000, working on the feature film “Ice Age,” before transitioning to Pixar Animation Studios. There, he worked on such projects as “Finding Nemo” (2003), “The Incredibles” (2004), “Ratatouille” (2007) and “Wall-E” (2008) and on the Oscar®-nominated short film “La Luna” (2011). More recently, Blaas partnered with Guillermo del Toro to develop the award-winning series “Trollhunters,” served as creative director for Mikros Animation Paris and, in 2021, created El Guiri Studios in Madrid with his partner, Cecile Hokes. He also wrote and directed 2009’s award-winning short film “Alma.”   

Title: “Screecher’s Reach”

Studio: Cartoon Saloon

Director: Paul Young

Paul Young is a co-founder of Cartoon Saloon, an IFTA winner and Oscar®, Emmy® and BAFTA nominee. He produced the animated features “My Father’s Dragon,” “WolfWalkers,” “The Secret of Kells,” “Song of the Sea” and “The Breadwinner”as well as award-winning TV series including “Puffin Rock,” “Dorg Van Dango” and “Viking Skool.”

Title: “In the Stars”

Studio: Punkrobot

Writer-director: Gabriel Osorio

Gabriel Osorio majored in Fine Arts at Universidad de Chile, later specializing in 3D animation. After working in commercials, movies and television series, he founded Punkrobot Studio. Since 2008, he has directed projects for children’s television including “Flipos,” “Muelin y Perlita,” “Soccer Girls” and television spots. In 2016, his short film “Bear Story” became the first Latin American project to win an Oscar® in the animated short category. 

Title: “I Am Your Mother”

Studio: Aardman

Director: Magdalena Osinska

Magdalena Osinska is an award-winning director who has been with Aardman for eight years. She has directed stop-motion, CGI, 2D and live-action commercials including Wallace & Gromit’s “The Great Sofa Caper” and “Share the Orange.” Osinska directed development of the children’s series “Joyets” and has also directed films including “Spirits of the Piano” and “Zbigniev’s Cupboard.” A graduate of the National Film and Television School in Beaconsfield, UK, as well as the Polish Film School in Lodz and Art College in Warsaw, Osinska is currently developing the feature film “Jasia,” based on her grandmother’s memories of WWII Poland. 

Title: “Journey to the Dark Head”

Studio: Studio Mir

Director: Hyeong Geun Park

Rising star Hyeong Geun Park had already made a name for himself when he entered the Korean animation industry in 2017, thanks to his strong drawing and animation sensibilities. He has directed animation for dozens of cinematic game trailers and has since expanded into animated series, working on projects including “Dota: Dragon’s Blood: Book 3” (2022) and “Lookism” (2022). “Journey to the Dark Head” is the first title he has executive produced from start to finish. 

Title: “The Spy Dancer”

Studio: Studio La Cachette

Writer-Director: Julien Chheng

Julien Chheng is CEO of Studio La Cachette, an Emmy Award®-winning French animation studio he co-founded in 2014 with fellow Gobelins school’s alumni Oussama Bouacheria and Ulysse Malassagne. Chheng was trained in visual development at Disney and has worked as a character animator on acclaimed 2D animated features “The Rabbi’s Cat,” “Mune” and the Academy Award®-nominated “Ernest and Celestine.” In 2021, he won an Emmy Award® as animation executive producer of “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal,”for which he also served as animation supervisor. In 2022, Chheng directed with Jean-Christophe Roger the Cesar-nominated feature “Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia.”

Title: “The Bandits of Golak”

Studio: 88 Pictures

Director: Ishan Shukla

Ishan Shukla started his career as a CG artist in Singapore. For more than a decade, he spearheaded projects ranging from TV commercials to series and music videos. His 2016 animated short, “Schirkoa,” was long listed for the Academy Awards® after receiving dozens of awards and playing at 120 international festivals, including SIGGRAPH Asia where it was named Best in Show. He then set up his own animation studio to work on adult-oriented animated feature films including a feature-length version of “Schirkoa,” set to hit festivals in summer 2023. 

Title: “The Pit”

Studios: D’art Shtajio and Lucasfilm Ltd.

Writer-director-executive producer: LeAndre Thomas

Co-Director: Justin Ridge

LeAndre Thomas is an award-winning writer and director from Oakland, Calif., whose most recent film won Best Director at the Pasadena International Film Festival. In addition to his independent films, Thomas is a part of the franchise studio team at Lucasfilm Ltd. where he has worked for more than 11 years being credited on recent titles such as “Light & Magic,” “The Mandalorian,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi,” and many more. 

Justin Ridge executive produced the Emmy®-nominated series “Star Wars Resistance.” His credits also include “Star Wars Rebels,” “Storks,” “The Cleveland Show,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Title: “Aau’s Song”

Studio: Triggerfish

Writer-Directors: Nadia Darries and Daniel Clarke 

Nadia Darries is a director, animator and co-founder of Goon Valley Animation, with an avocation for songwriting. Born in the Cape Flats in South Africa, Darries has worked on high-end animated film and motion design as an animator, project manager, creative director and director since 2015. Her experience includes animating at Triggerfish Animation Studios on the award-winning BBC films “Stick Man,” “Revolting Rhymes” and “Highway Rat.” 

Daniel Clarke is a Cape Town-based director and artist working in animation, film and illustration. He started his career in animation in 2008 at Triggerfish Animation Studios, where he has served as production designer, art director and director on projects such as the feature film “Khumba,” BBC’s “Stick Man” and “The Snail and the Whale.” In 2018, along with James Clarke and Daniel Snaddon, he completed the graphic novel “Kariba.”

“Star Wars: Visions—Volume 2” streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning May 4, 2023.   

Today, Disney+ shared brand-new key art and an exciting featurette for the third season of “The Mandalorian,” the critically acclaimed, original, live-action series from Lucasfilm, streaming exclusively on Disney+ starting March 1. Watch the new featurette and join Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa and others as they explore how “The Mandalorian” and its fan-favourite character Grogu rose to engage the world and win the hearts of viewers across the globe.

The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.

The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow and Giancarlo Esposito. The directors of the eight-episode Season 3 include Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Jon Favreau is the showrunner/head writer and serves as an executive producer along with Dave Filoni, Rick Famuyiwa, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are co-executive producers.

THE MANDALORIAN Season 3 arrives March 1, 2023 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney+)

Today, Disney+ released the trailer and key art for season 2 of acclaimed animated series “Star Wars: The Bad Batch.” When the new season opens, months have passed since the events on Kamino, and the Bad Batch continue their journey navigating the Empire after the fall of the Republic. They will cross paths with friends and foes, both new and familiar, as they take on a variety of thrilling mercenary missions that will take them to unexpected and dangerous new places. “Star Wars: The Bad Batch” season 2 stars Emmy Award® nominee Dee Bradley Baker (“American Dad!”) as the voice of the Bad Batch and Emmy Award® nominee Michelle Ang (“Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462”) as the voice of Omega. Emmy Award® winner Rhea Perlman (“The Mindy Project,” “Cheers”) returns to guest star as Cid, Noshir Dalal (“It’s Pony,” “The Owl House”) returns to guest star as Vice Admiral Rampart and Emmy Award® winner Wanda Sykes (“The Upshaws,” “Black-ish”) makes her guest starring debut in the series as as Phee Genoa.

“Star Wars: The Bad Batch” is executive produced by Dave Filoni (“The Mandalorian,” “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Athena Portillo (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Star Wars Rebels”), Brad Rau (“Star Wars Rebels,” “Star Wars Resistance”), Jennifer Corbett (“Star Wars Resistance,” “NCIS”) and Carrie Beck (“The Mandalorian,” “Star Wars Rebels”) with Josh Rimes (“Star Wars Resistance,” “Star Wars: Visions”) and Alex Spotswood (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Star Wars Rebels”) as producers. Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer and Matt Michnovetz as story editor.

(Photo/video credit: Disney+)

Our George Kozera had the pleasure of attending Walt Disney Studios Canada’s 2022 Holiday Preview, highlighting some of the Studio’s exciting upcoming theatrical and theatrical releases. Here’s a little sneak peek what we can expect after some first looks were offered at the event.

Highlights:

After a two-year absence due to COVID restrictions, it was pure joy to attend the Walt Disney Studios Canada press event for a light breakfast, previews of 2023 releases and a screening of STRANGE WORLD. Disney will be celebrating its 100^th Anniversary in 2023 and from what we saw, it will be a banner year for the studio and its audience, either theatrically or streaming on Disney+. Some of the preview highlights had us salivating in anticipation.

The Cinematography in the upcoming live action version of THE LITTLE MERMAID is astonishing and it will be spectacular viewing on the big screen. The same can be said for the Animated Feature ELEMENTAL, its vibrancy and colour palette is hypnotic. ANT MAN & THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA appears darker in tone and execution from the previous two movies, but any film with Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonathan Majors, Evangeline Lilly and Bill Murray will have me first in line! Snippets of season three of THE MANDALORIAN has inspired me to binge-watch the first two seasons and WILLOW looks very interesting. But what really yanked my crank was SECRET INVASION, the Marvel mini-series starring Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn and award-winning magnet, Olivia Colman.

STRANGE WORLD is Disney’s first foray into the Animated Science-Fiction genre and it is a rollicking success. Jaeger Clade and his young son Searcher go on an expedition to cross the mountains to see what’s on the other side. Searcher comes across a mysterious plant, stays behind to extradite and harvest it back home and Jaeger continues on the journey solo. Fast-forward 25 years…Searcher is now the town’s most successful farmer as this plant has miraculous components and alongside his wife Meridian, his 16-year-old son Ethan and their three-legged dog, their life is blissful. Until they are told by Callisto that the roots source of this plant is being ambushed and they all need to explore the treacherous landscapes of Avalonia inhabited by surreal lifeforms to save it.

There is a myriad of reasons why I fell in love with STRANGE WORLD. The voice work from Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Gabrielle Union, Lucy Liu and, especially, Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan is exceptional. The animated world of Avalonia is visually intoxicating and I genuinely appreciated that innumerable creatures there were not given annoyingly cute human characteristics. They don’t periodically break into song; they enhance the story and illicit smiles or dreaded anticipation. However, first and foremost, with a standing ovation and bouquets of flowers thrown onto the stage, Disney tackles diversity with gusto, class and bravado. From a “blink and you might miss it” scene of a background character in a wheelchair, to the fact that Searcher and Meridian are a biracial married couple, impressed me to the hilt. Most importantly, taking into account the controversy Disney experienced when it was alleged that one of the characters in its monster hit FROZEN may have been gay, Ethan has a schoolboy crush and it is a another boy. Kudos to Disney for not sensationalizing this and giving space to tell a story that can only be a learning opportunity to some young audience members struggling internally.

Excluding Animated Features from Pixar, STRANGE WORLD is my favourite Disney movie since BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Whereas I tend to abhor cinematic sequels, I would relish another opportunity to spend more time with the Clade family.

Walt Disney Studios Canada release STRANGE WORLD November 23, 2022.

Upcoming STAR WARS Series THE ACOLYTE is next to come in the fantastical Lucasfilm universe and some casting announcements were made today. The Series already is under production in the UK.

Joining the previously announced Amandla Stenberg (“The Hate U Give”) are Emmy Award-winner Lee Jung-jae (“Squid Game”), Manny Jacinto (“Nine Perfect Strangers”), Dafne Keen (“His Dark Materials”), Jodie Turner-Smith (“Queen & Slim”), Rebecca Henderson (“Inventing Anna”), Charlie Barnett (“Russian Doll”), Dean-Charles Chapman (“1917”) and Carrie-Anne Moss (“The Matrix”).

“The Acolyte” is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated. 

From creator, showrunner and executive producer Leslye Headland (“Russian Doll”), “The Acolyte”has begun production in the U.K. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Rayne Roberts and Damian Anderson are producing. Headland will also direct the series pilot.

(Photo credit: Disney)

Star Wars fans, here’s a first look at the new Trailer for upcoming Limited Series, ANDOR starring Diego Luna!

Synopsis:

The “Andor” series explores a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero. 

Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor and is joined by cast members Genevieve O’Reilly, Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough, Kyle Soller and Fiona Shaw. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Tony Gilroy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan. Tony Gilroy is also the creator and showrunner.

The first three episodes of ANDOR arrive September 21, 2022 only on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)

A new Trailer for LEGO® STAR WARS SUMEMR VACATION!

Synopsis:

Summer just got hotter with the arrival of a new clip and the poster for “LEGO® Star Wars Summer Vacation,” the all-new animated special from Lucasfilm and the LEGO Group premiering August 5, 2022, exclusively on Disney+. The clip, which debuted yesterday at LEGO’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, and the all-new poster, highlight the newest entry in the popular signature branded cross-saga storytelling series which is set shortly after the events of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and features the voices of “Weird Al” Yankovic, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kelly Marie Tran, Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, and returning cast members from previous “LEGO Star Wars” specials. 

Looking for a much-needed break from stormtroopers and TIE fighters, Finn arranges a surprise vacation for his friends Rey, Poe, Rose, Chewie, BB-8, R2-D2, and C-3PO, aboard the ultra-luxurious Galactic Starcruiser, the Halcyon. But Finn’s plan to have one last hurrah together quickly goes awry when he’s separated from the group. While searching for his friends, he encounters three Force ghosts: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and Leia Organa, who each share their own unexpected stories of vacations gone wrong, helping him to understand that holidays are about more than just having fun. “LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation” features the voices of: “Weird Al” Yankovic as Vic Vankoh; Yvette Nicole Brown as Colvett Valeria; Thomas Lennon as Wick Cooper; Paul F. Tompkins as Rad; Dee Bradley Baker as Boba Fett; Ashly Burch as the Tour Droid; Kyliegh Curran as Sidero; Anthony Daniels as C-3PO; Trevor Devall as Emperor Palpatine; Allie Feder as Sy Snootles; Jake Green as Poe Dameron; Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker; Ross Marquand as Han Solo; Omar Miller as Finn; Kevin Michael Richardson as Jabba the Hutt; Matt Sloan as Darth Vader; James Arnold Taylor as Obi-Wan Kenobi; Kelly Marie Tran as Rose; Helen Sadler as Rey Skywalker; Billy Dee Williams as Lando (Holovid); Matthew Wood as Ben Solo; and Shelby Young as Leia Organa. 

David Shayne is writer and executive producer, and the director is Ken Cunningham. James Waugh, Josh Rimes, Jacqui Lopez, Jill Wilfert, Jason Cosler, Keith Malone, and Jennifer Twiner Mccarron are executive producers. Produced in collaboration with Atomic Cartoons.

LEGO® STAR WARS SUMMER VACATION arrives AUGUST 5, 2022 on Disney+.

(Photo/video credit: Disney)