Disney’s Alan Menken Thinks One Animated Blockbuster Is Too Controversial For Live-Action

Disney’s Alan Menken Thinks One Animated Blockbuster Is Too Controversial For Live-Action

Disney has found a goldmine in the form of remaking the studio's animated classics. Movies like The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast have been massive box office smashes. It looks like Disney may have another hit on their hands with Aladdin opening this week, and other remakes, like The Lion King and Mulan are waiting in the wings.

With several other remake projects rumored, we know Disney is going to be continuing this franchise for quite some time, however, Alan Menken, the Academy Award winning songwriter of many of Disney's Renaissance classics, thinks there's one animated Disney movie that likely won't get the remake treatment, 1995's Pocahontas. According to Menken...

I don't know if we'll ever be able to do Pocahontas. I think that story is going to be difficult. With modern sensibilities, it'd be hard – you're going to offend somebody – so I don't know.

It's not hard to believe that Alan Menken is correct in his comments to Express. The fact of the matter is, Pocahontas was criticized for its depiction of Native Americans when it was released in 1995, so doing a note-for-note adaptation of the film now would certainly cause similar complaints, only more so.

At the very least, an adaptation would need to go through some major modifications. Considering how close movies like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin have stayed to the source material, a version of Pocahontas that was significantly different doesn't seem like the sort of movie Disney would want to make, but if they also can't make the original version again, the movie gets stuck in limbo and probably never gets made.

It's not the first time that the test of time has not be kind to a Disney movie. Dumbo had a collection of crow characters back in the 1940s that included a character that was actually named Jim Crow. Needless to say, the recent live-action remake of that movie did not include that scene.

Song of the South is a movie that Disney would probably rather we all forgot existed. The depiction of African-Americans during Reconstruction was also criticized in its day, but that criticism has only grown over the years and the film has never been released on home viewing in North America. Disney has confirmed the film will not even be released on the Disney+ streaming service.

Pocahontas isn't Song of the South bad, Disney hasn't disowned the film, but it's still another example of a movie that simply hasn't aged well. The fact that Moana another Disney animated film focused on a cultural minority group, has a largely similar story, but is viewed much more positively, makes it feel like the film was an attempt to make up for the missteps of Pocahontas.

Disney's live-action remake slate currently includes The Lion King, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Mulan, and Cruella on the big screen as well as Lady and the Tramp coming to Disney+. We also know that The Little Mermaid is a project currently in development. Other projects that have been rumored include Pinocchio, Snow White, and Sword in the Stone.

Pocahontas hasn't even been rumored as a potential remake, which would seem to confirm Alan Menken's feelings. Al;though, after all the other remakes have been made, Pocahontas might start to look like a more attractive option.

Bond 25’s Ralph Fiennes Still Doesn’t Know Anything About The Movie

Bond 25’s Ralph Fiennes Still Doesn’t Know Anything About The Movie

We’re almost a year out from the release of the film still known as Bond 25. What's even scarier is the fact that the film is starting to get ready to shoot within the next couple of weeks, and it sounds like some key actors still haven’t been brought up to speed on what the film will be about. At least, that’s what Ralph Fiennes is saying, as he was recently asked about what his newly installed M might be doing in the next adventure.

How or why Fiennes could be left in the dark on Bond 25’s goings on might feel like an interesting turn of events, but we know exactly why the Academy Award winning actor is absolutely clueless on what he’s doing. In his own words, Ralph Fiennes provided his reasoning:

I don't know the name of the film, I haven't had access to a screenplay yet... Honestly, I'm not being coy. I don't know when it starts or what the story is.)

So a couple weeks before this would-be blockbuster of 2020 is set to get serious about giving fans what they’d want out of Daniel Craig’s final round as James Bond, his spymaster boss doesn’t know what orders he’ll be giving out in Bond 25. This might sound like a rather troubling turn of events, but thinking things over a little longer, it's not much of a surprise.

While The Telegraph is reporting that Bond 25’s script, which has recently undergone some retooling by writer Scott Z. Burns, still hasn’t made its way into Ralph Fiennes’ hands, it might be because he’s not on the earlier side of the shooting schedule. And besides this script revision, one of the many changes triggered by previous director Danny Boyle’s departure from the project, there’s more reasons why he might Fiennes might not be in the loop quite yet.

Most importantly, this could be a side effect of Ralph Fiennes’ schedule taking yet another recent turn, as the untitled prequel to the Kingsman universe moved to the very Valentine’s day release date that Bond 25 vacated. So why give the poor man a script when he’s already busy working one out at the moment? Also, taking into account the events of the previous film, M’s role may still be firming up in the newer script.

When we last left him in Spectre, the man previously known as Gareth Mallory had been promoted to the post of M, head of MI6’s operations in British intelligence. And judging by what he went through in that film’s adventures, as well as the fact that his predecessor was removed from her post due to her untimely death, he’ll undoubtedly be vetting his co-workers a little harder. So the return of Fiennes’ fellow franchise co-stars Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris should help narrow down the list of people who can be trusted, and those who he needs to talk to.

Director Cary Joji Fukunaga is undoubtedly working very hard on Bond 25, which is scheduled to head to theaters on April 8, 2020. It’s definitely going to keep him busy for the next couple of months, but we’d like to assume that at some point soon, he’ll be able to pop that script into the mailbox in order for Ralph Fiennes to start learning his lines.

Todd Phillips Releases Moody New Joker Image, Confirms Editing Is Underway

Todd Phillips Releases Moody New Joker Image, Confirms Editing Is Underway

Todd Phillips' Joker wrapped filming a few months ago, and now the director has shared a moody new image of Joaquin Phoenix in character from the production, along with confirming that he's deep into the editing process. As was to be expected from this totally non-DCEU origin story for The Joker, the photo Phillips posted gives us plenty of gritty mystery to sink our comic obsessed brains into. Take a look:

As you can see, the black and white image of Joaquin Phoenix in character as soon-to-be-Joker Arthur Fleck is giving off many vibes without him doing much of anything at all. Actually, this shot, which was helpfully posted on Todd Phillips' Instagram page, could easily be a photo of Phoenix's Oscar nominated performance as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. Arthur is clearly dressed for success, even though he doesn't look very happy, with his dress shirt, vest, slacks and slicked back hair. But, something is off...and I'm going to say it's the slightly clown-like dress shoes with what appear to be regular, I'm-going-for-a-run socks. Yeah, nothing about that sock and shoe combo would sit well with Mr. Cash.

Upon taking a closer look at the image, Arthur, who is a bit slumped over and way too close to that TV (You'll ruin your eyesight, man!), is doing two things that lead me to believe he's already begun his downward "I'm gonna need to cause some destruction" spiral. First, he's smoking, which, sure a lot of smokers do when they're bored, but many people also head for the fire sticks when they are seriously stressed out.

Secondly, remember how he's all slumped over and sitting too close to the television? Well, an inspection of the VHS tapes on the floor, two of which appear to be labeled things like "Murray #237" and "Murray #42," make me think that this is a scene where Arthur is going over and over recordings of his favorite talk show host, and it's probably the one who will be played by Robert De Niro and somehow lead to Arthur's future as a criminal mastermind.

When Todd Phillips confirmed that Joker had wrapped filming back in December, he did note that his work wasn't quite finished yet, as he still had to put all that, greatly revised, footage together to give us a film we didn't even know we needed. And, as you can see by his caption on this post, he's been doing just that. Now that Phillips has seen fit to show us this additional snippet of production, I'm really hoping that this scene is actually in the movie. It's looks pretty heavy and seems like it could be important to the story over all, but also I'd really just like to brag about correctly guessing what this scene is about.

Speaking of what this scene may be about, we don't exactly know how all the pieces of Joker will fit together, but we do have some idea of what the movie will be about. Joker, which takes place in the early 1980s, will follow Joaquin Phoenix's Arthur Fleck, a failed stand up comedian who will be driven insane during the course of the film and turn into the crazed, clown makeup-wearing supervillain we all know and fear. And, again, while this movie is totally unconnected to what we once knew as the DCEU, there will be other familiar names from the comics appearing.

The rest of the cast of Joker will include Brett Cullen as a still-alive Thomas Wayne, Dante Pereira-Olson as a super tiny and adorable young Bruce Wayne and Douglas Hodge as trusted Wayne family ally Alfred Pennyworth. In addition, of course, to De Niro, the cast will be rounded out by Zazie Beetz's "cynical" single mom turned Arthur's love interest, Frances Conroy as Arthur's mom Penny, Marc Maron as an agent who works on the talk show hosted by De Niro's character, Bill Camp, Glenn Fleshler, Shea Whigham, Bryan Callen and Josh Pais. I don't know about you, but with Bruce still a little child person during Joker, I'm expecting most of these folks to turn up very dead by the end of the film.

We don't have too much time left now until we can feast upon Joker in theaters everywhere, because the film that finally nails down a backstory for one of DC's most popular villains will be out on October 4, 2019. More details are sure to be coming soon, so stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest information!

New DVD Releases April 2019: All The Latest Movies And TV Shows Coming This Month

New DVD Releases April 2019: All The Latest Movies And TV Shows Coming This Month

April is often a hodgepodge of new releases, both of the TV and movie variety. If you’ve still been waiting to catch some flicks from the end of last year, there will be options in April. In addition, if you’ve been hoping to catch some 2019 projects ranging from cool movie options like Glass to major TV events like Escape at Dannemora, you are in luck.

There’s a lot of good stuff out in April of 2019. Although we are sort of in the lull between giant blockbuster end-of-year releases and the big stuff that will be hitting theaters this spring and summer, no matter your preference, there’s interesting TV and movie content coming this month.

If you’re looking for the list of stuff coming in March of 2019, we have you covered per usual. In addition, Digital releases are out the same day as Blu-ray and DVD releases, unless otherwise noted in the early Digital releases column.

Tuesday, April 2 DVD, Blu-ray And Digital Releases

The Mule

Vice

Bumblebee

Archer: Danger Island

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

The Man Who Killed Hitler and then Bigfoot

Patrick

Seven in Heaven

Rust Creek

A Violent Man

Week of April 2 Early Digital Releases

Glass

Replicas

The Kid Who Would Be King

Tuesday, April 9 DVD, Blu-ray And Digital Releases

On the Basis of Sex (Digital March 26)

A Dog’s Way Home (Digital March 26)

Holmes and Watson

Welcome to Marwen (Digital March 26)

We Die Young

Berlin I Love You

Project Blue Book: Season 1

Ray Donovan: The Complete Sixth Season

You’re The Worst: The Complete Fifth Season

Noir Archive: 9-Film Collection

The Browsing Effect

Mirai

Week of April 9 Early Digital Releases

Escape Room

Destroyer

Tuesday, April 16 DVD, Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Glass

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

The Kid Who Would Be King

Escape at Dannemora

Justice League vs. The Fatal Five (Digital March 30)

Replicas

Batman: Hush

Masterpiece Victoria: The Complete Third Season

The Karate Kid [4K]

The Big C: The Complete Series

Week of April 16 Early Digital Releases

Miss Bala

Tuesday, April 23 DVD, Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Escape Room

Destroyer

Shameless: The Complete Season 9

I Spit on your Grave: Déjà vu

The Librarians: The Complete Season 1-4 Collection

The Gospel According to André

Tickled

Tuesday, April 30 DVD, Blu-ray And Digital Releases

Miss Bala

Serenity

Mission of Honor

The Hole In The Ground

Arctic

Dragged Across Concrete

Level 16

Given the wildly different releases this month, it would be hard for me to guesstimate what will be up your alley. Dragon Ball Super: Broly, Glass, and Bumblebee were all popular in their respective releases. In addition, The Kid Who Would Be King wasn't wildly seen in theaters, but is one of the best-reviewed flicks out this month, running at a whopping 90% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics who reviewed the flick. Particularly if you have older kids, it may be worth checking out. All in all, there's a lot to choose from and be sure to check back when we bring you May's (likely even bigger) releases!

Venom 2 May Be Getting A New Director

Venom 2 May Be Getting A New Director

It's no secret that superhero movies are everywhere, as multiple studios duke it out for box office supremacy. As such, there is the fear of superhero fatigue, where the genre becomes to oversaturated that the blockbusters all mold together, essentially cancelling themselves out. If any superhero movie had the potential to fade into the background last year, it was Ruben Fleischer's Venom. Fans weren't sure how the movie would function without Spider-Man's inclusion, but Venom ended up making a surprising amount of money at the box office, allowing a sequel to be green-lit by Sony.

Venom's sequel is currently in active development, and will likely focus on Woody Harrelson's Carnage, who was introduced during the film's credits scene. But now it looks like director Ruben Fleischer won't be involved in the next installment in the burgeoning franchise. While writer Kelly Marcel will reportedly return to work on the screenplay alongside Tom Hardy, Sony is apparently searching for a new director to helm the upcoming sequel.

This news comes to us from Variety, which reports that Ruben Fleischer will be too busy with other directing projects to return for Venom 2. Instead, Sony will find new talent to helm the follow up film, and hopefully capture the same unique tone. Venom had a dark sense of humor and self-awareness that set it apart from the rest of the genre, so the new director will have to find a way to inhabit the same space in order to please all the moviegoers the first film won over.

Prior to its release, the cards were stacked again Venom from being the success it ended up being in theaters. As previously mentioned, it had the lofty goal of making a Spider-Man character movie without the web slinger, as Sony's deal with Marvel has Tom Holland's Peter Parker operating within the Marvel Shared Universe. Venom's first trailer gave the fandom particular pause for concern, as it was completely lacking the titular antihero at all, instead coming off as more of an adventure for Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock. The film got even more flack when Jenny Slate's character mispronounced the word symbiote in the trailer, as audiences grew more concerned.

But Venom ultimately vibrated on its unique frequency, having a closer relation to Fox's Deadpool franchise than the MCU. The visual affects may have left something to be desired, but Venom was delightfully snarky and crude, while also setting up the ground work for a larger franchise. It still remains to be seen whether Spider-Man will ever make an appearance, but some big concepts were introduced that will hopefully take bloom with its mysterious sequel.

Venom is currently available for home purchase. CinemaBlend will keep you updated on the developing sequel as more details become public. In the meantime, be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Joe Russo's Daughter Has A 'Secret Role' In Avengers: Endgame

Joe Russo's Daughter Has A 'Secret Role' In Avengers: Endgame

Joe Russo has been known to give himself a little cameo in the various Marvel movies that he and his brother Anthony have directed. Now, it looks like the family business is expanding, as the director has now revealed that his daughter Ava has a cameo of her own somewhere in Avengers: Endgame, though he's not revealing anything else about the role.

While the main cameo that fans are waiting for in Avengers: Endgame is that of Stan Lee, it's not surprising that others will be getting in on the action of this film that is bringing a major chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to a close.

Joe Russo revealed the cameo while on the red carpet of Captain Marvel (via ComicBook.com). His daughter walked the red carpet with him and Russo confirmed that the cameo was happening, though he he's making it sound like the role itself is some sort of spoiler by making it clear no details about the role are going to be revealed, at least not yet.

This is my daughter Ava, who's actually playing a secret role in Avengers: Endgame. We're not talking about what it is yet. That's it and that's all you're going to know.

It's certainly a little interesting that Joe Russo would announce his daughter's cameo at all, something he certainly didn't have to do, and then refer to it as a "secret role." Russo certainly wants fans to get curious about it, which makes one wonder why.

Of course, as expected, fans have begun to speculate about what the cameo might be. Many have suggested that we may have already seen the cameo, as the newest Avengers: Endgame trailer includes a shot of Hawkeye teaching archery to one of his daughters, and it's been suggested this is Ava Russo.

The brief image is far from clear, we only ever get the character in profile, comparing the character to pictures of Ava Russo, this certainly could be her, but it's not definitive one way or the other.

The intentional secrecy with which Russo announces the cameo certainly makes it sound like this might be more than a simple cameo, but that's just speculation. Joe Russo included himself in a cameo role in Avengers: Infinity War as a paparazzi photographer trying to get shots of Tony Stark in a scene that was ultimately cut from the film, so it's not like Russo's own cameos are that important. He could have just as easily given his daughter a similarly minor part. It's not like the Russo brothers don't enjoy messing with the fans.

We'll have to keep our eyes out when Avengers: Endgame hits theaters next month. In addition to Ava Russo's cameo, there's a decent chance her dad will show up in the movie as well, they might even be in the same scene.

The Greatest Showman Soundtrack Was The Best Selling Album In The World In 2018

The Greatest Showman Soundtrack Was The Best Selling Album In The World In 2018

If Kidz Bop proved anything, it’s that you can never underestimate the power and appeal of music you can sing along to. The Greatest Showman released in theaters all the way back in December of 2017 and the musical’s powerful earworms held sway over the charts all of last year. So much so that The Greatest Showman Soundtrack was the best selling album in the world in 2018.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, an organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, tracks the sales of both physical and digital albums to rank the best-selling albums of the year. According to Billboard, the IFPI has announced that with 3.5 million units sold, The Greatest Showman Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was the best-selling album in the world in 2018.

The Atlantic Records release topped the charts in Japan and the English-speaking countries of the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom, where the soundtrack spent 28 straight weeks at No. 1 on the albums chart. Even now, 63 weeks later, The Greatest Showman (OST) is still at No. 4 in the U.K. The soundtrack also managed to hit No. 1 on iTunes in more than 77 countries, showing the worldwide appeal of the film’s music and message.

This level of success defied expectations and was a pleasant surprise according to the CEO of recorded music at Warner Music Group, who cited the soundtrack’s success as a triumph of the music, the marketing, and the fans. The Greatest Showman soundtrack also bucked the trend with, in this streaming and digital download age, about half of its sales coming from physical formats.

To land at No. 1 on IFPI’s charts, The Greatest Showman soundtrack beat out two albums from K-Pop supergroup BTS as well as the likes of Johnny Halladay, Ed Sheeran and Eminem. The Greatest Showman soundtrack wasn’t the only feature film soundtrack to crack the top 10 though.

Sitting at No. 4 with 1.9 million units sold is superstar Lady Gaga’s soundtrack for A Star is Born. Bohemian Rhapsody was the most successful musical film of last year and Queen’s album for the mega-hit also landed on IFPI’s chart at No. 7 with 1.2 million units sold. Rounding out the top 10 was the soundtrack for Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again with 900K sold.

We had already heard that the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman was the best-selling album of the year domestically but this latest news shows that the appeal of that film and its music was truly global. The incredible success of the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman is reflective of the success of the film itself. Despite never hitting No. 1 at the box office, The Greatest Showman sung and danced its way to around $435 million worldwide. It even had special sing-a-long screenings and a cover album.

Clearly this music connected with people in a major way to the point that they not only wanted to listen to it, they wanted to own it. And in an era where you have an all-you-can-eat musical buffet with streaming, that is saying something.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all the latest movie news you can dance to and check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see the biggest movies headed to theaters this year.