Inside The Mouse Castle 02-17-2016 - 'Star Wars: Episode VIII,' 'Guardians, Vol. 2' and 'Frozen' on Broadway

By Tim Callaway

Principal shooting has begun on both Rian Johnson's Star Wars: Episode VIII and James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. Naturally, that sparks Anthony and I to devise a mashup crossover film combining the two franchises. And, oh what the heck, lets toss Jurassic Park (World) into the mix too. 

I guess it was a slow news week. Of course, that never deters us on in Inside The Mouse Castle. What we can't report on we just make up. Here's what else we have on tap in today's show:

• Bob Iger officially confirmed what the rest of us pretty much already knew. There will be a standalone Han Solo film joining the Star Wars universe. No other details were mentioned except for a release date sometime in May 2018.

Harrison Ford as Han Solo

• Disney and Lucasfilm are in trouble with the Health and Safety Executive, Britain's answer to OSHA. Foodles Productions, A Disney subsidiary that oversaw production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, was cited for safety violations related to the on-set accident at Pinewood Studios that injured Harrison Ford. Ford's leg was broken in June 2014 when it was struck by a hydraulic door aboard the Millennium Falcon.
• It's official! Kurt Russell has joined the cast of Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. Is he playing Peter Quill/Star-Lord's long-lost dad? We can only hope. Director James Gunn shared this Wednesday on his Facebook page:

Official photography on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has started, and I couldn't be more stoked.My favorite movie as...
Posted by James Gunn on Wednesday, February 17, 2016

• The Food & Wine Festival is coming to Disney California Adventure on weekends from April 1 to May 1. We're already making travel plans.
• Coinciding with that, the Mad T Party is disappearing down the rabbit hole at DCA on March 30. No word yet on what will replace the nighttime dance party. Freeze the Night again? Something Star Wars-ish? We'll see.
• We're starting to like what we're seeing in the new trailer for Alice Through the Looking Glass.

• A lot of it has to do with P!nk's kick-ass cover of "White Rabbit."

• It was inevitable. Frozen is headed to Broadway. A stage musical based on Disney's runaway animated hit will debut in New York in spring 2018. Pre-Broadway performances can be seen in Denver in August 2017.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 11-03-2015 - Harrison Ford and 'The Force Awakens,' 'Zootopia,' and Scarlett Johansson on the Tower of Terror

By Tim Callaway

Harrison Ford told Jimmy Kimmel last week that Star Wars: The Force Awakens is "really, really good." He praised his young costars Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac and added, "J.J. (Abrams)  has made an incredible movie. You will not be disappointed at all. I promise you,"

On this week's ITMC, Anthony and I failed to mention that Ford was also wearing a hot dog costume at the time of the interview (it was Kimmel's Halloween show). I'm not sure why this is relevant, but it must have something to do with why we haven't seen Luke Skywalker in the movie poster or trailer. But, I digress.

Harrison Ford likes The Force Awakens. That's all that matters.

And on a side note, we're pretty sure the first trailer for Captain America: Civil War will screen in theaters prior to Star Wars. Like you needed another reason to hit the cinema on December 18.

Here's what else we're Forcing you to listen to today Inside The Mouse Castle:

• Asian actress Pom Klementieff is rumored to have joined the cast of James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. At the time we recorded the show, we weren't sure what her role would be. Now we believe she'll play Mantis, who's kind of a badass telepathic martial artist in Marvel canon. If true, Mantis will be quite the match-up next to Gamora and her messed-up sister Nebula.
  

Idris Elba will voice Chief Bogo in Zootopia.

• Disney announced the principal voice cast for Zootopia. We already knew about Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin as the leads Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps. Now we know that Idris Elba, J.K. Simmons, Bonnie Hunt, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk and Tommy Chong are also lending their talents to the Byron Howard/Rich Moore-directed film. And yet, despite that deep roster, we're still not excited about Zootopia, which opens on March 4, 2016.

• We're also not too excited about Alice Through the Looking Glass, the follow-up to Tim Burton's bloated, joyless--but immensely profitable--Alice in Wonderland. Brief video teases for the upcoming film, which opens next Memorial Day weekend, have been popping up online. Meh. The one glimmer of hope that might make us care about the film is that it's being directed by James Bobin of The Muppets and Flight of the Conchords fame.
• Is Hocus Pocus 2 finally going to be a thing? Maybe. Maybe not. Producer David Kirschner has hinted that the long-rumored sequel to the 1993 comedy could eventually land on the Disney Channel. No word if Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy would be back as the Sanderson sisters, but all three have teased in the past that they'd be interested.

The Good Dinosaur in Disney Infinity.

• Disney Infinity is giving fans of Pixar's The Good Dinosaur a peek at some of the film's characters three week's before the movie opens. The caveboy Spot made his debut this week as a playable character in the video game. His dinosaur buddy Arlo and their three T-rex cohorts are also available as ride-able Power Disc characters. 
• It's a good month to be a Disney collector with deep pockets. Auction house Bonhams and Van Eaton Galleries are both conducting auctions of rare (and yes, pretty expensive) Disney memorabilia. Don't worry, there's stuff you might be able to afford too. I'll have more about these two exciting events in this Friday's episode of The Mouse Castle Lounge.
• So, on Halloween, this happened at the Hollywood Bowl:

• If you're Scarlett Johansson, you can visit Walt Disney World and ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror with your husband just like any normal person. You can also have your souvenir photo conveniently deleted much to the chagrin of your surprised ride buddies. Good thing there are persistent resort guests and TMZ to bring the pic to the light of day. It's actually a really cute photo. 

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 10-19-2015 - 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens,' Spider-Man at Disneyland and Indiana Jones

By Tim Callaway

John Boyega (center) and Oscar Isaac (right) in
Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

So, yeah, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. Heard anything about it? 

When Anthony and I recorded this week's show, we'd heard a little bit about the trailer, but it hadn't been released yet. Never ones to be deterred by a lack of information, we pressed forward with the show anyway, talking about a trailer we hadn't seen yet and analyzing the new Force Awakens movie poster we did see.

You can see both of them here, right now.

The Force is strong with us in this week's Inside The Mouse Castle. Here's what else is going on:

• Disney Infinity will have a Star Wars: The Force Awakens play set that will launch on December 18 to coincide with the film's release. You know I couldn't resist sneaking that one in.
• Benicio del Toro (Guardians of the Galaxy) is expected to play the villain in Star Wars VIII: Insert Subtitle Here. We think it's a rule now that if you do a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, you have to do a Star Wars film. 
• Spider-Man will start making appearances at Super Hero HQ, inside the old Innoventions building at Disneyland, beginning November 16. This makes my spider sense tingle.
• Was Steven Spielberg serious when he said he'd make a fifth Indiana Jones movie with Harrison Ford? We don't think so, but it's fun to think about.

Is the green guy headed to Planet Hulk?

• Mark Ruffalo will play Bruce Banner/Hulk in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok. The rumor is the movie will bring in elements from Marvel Comics' Planet Hulk story line.
• In an online Q&A, James Gunn shared a few details about Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2. He confirmed Nebula (Karen Gillan) will play an expanded role in the movie. Meanwhile, Groot will remain Baby Groot, much to the chagrin of Drax (Dave Bautista). Gunn is also hopeful Stan Lee will be back for another cameo appearance.

Fantasia.

• Walt Disney's Fantasia will be back on the big screen for a limited engagement in November to mark the film's 75th anniversary. Anthony and I would like Miley Cyrus and Nicolas Cage to see it with us. We'll explains. For details, visit www.Fantasia75.com. 
• Bob Iger has been inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame. Apparently, Disney-themed toys have really caught on.
• It was inevitable. There will be a Descendants 2 on the Disney Channel. To quote Darth Vader: "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!"

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 01-01-2015 - Tim and Anthony's Surprise New Year Party

Happy New Year from Tim and Anthony!

So, this happened: Anthony made a surprise trip to Las Vegas to hang out with me and the result was this episode of Inside The Mouse Castle. It's an unplanned, unscripted look back at last year with some of our favorite Disney moments and stories from 2014: Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney Infinity 2.0, The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Maelstrom, Into the Woods, Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America: The Winter Soldier the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and a whole lot more. So, mix a martini, pour some wine, down a shot or two and join the party. Happy New Year!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 12-29-2014 - Happy New Year at Disney Parks, 'Into The Woods' and Pirating 'Frozen'

Happy New Year!

Break out the party hats and the noisemakers! It's time to ring in 2015! Anthony and I have all the info for making the best of your New Year's Eve visit to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Just don't mind the crowds, because it's going to be packed. Both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World reached capacity on Christmas Day and the gates closed to new guests for several hours. You know that's going to happen again on December 31st. So, arrive early, take a chill pill and pace yourself. And along the way, enjoy the special entertainment, music performances and fireworks extravaganzas that await you heading into the Disney new year.

Here's what else we have in store in the latest edition of Inside The Mouse Castle:

Anna Kendrick stuck on the steps of the palace in Into the Woods.

• Into the Woods is a dark and delightful adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical. I caught it over the weekend and highly recommend it whether you're a fan of movie musicals or just appreciate great cinematic storytelling. I've also fallen in love with Anna Kendrick, who plays the tormented and torn Cinderella, but I digress.
• Apple Pay technology is now live at Walt Disney World. Got that new iPhone 6 or iPhone 6+ for Christmas? You can now use it for purchases in and around the Florida resort.
• We were excited about the Marvel Experience making it's debut in Phoenix, but less-than-stellar reviews on Yelp have us second-guessing our enthusiasm. Anthony and I might wait until the superhero circus hits San Francisco before we check it out. We hope the bugs are worked out by then.
• Bob Iger blah blah blah Fortune interview blah blah blah technology blah Pixar blah Marvel blah Lucasfilm blah blah OH MY GOD DID YOU SEE THE PICTURE OF HIM WITH THE MILLENNIUM FALCON?!?! blah blah blah blah blah MagicBands.

Bob Iger with the Millennium Falcon. NBD.

• Disney's Frozen was the second most pirated film of 2014 (The Wolf of Wall Street was number one). Guardians of the Galaxy didn't make the top 20, proving that even thieves will pay for quality.

Happy New Year!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 12-08-2014 - 'Guardians' on Blu-ray, 'Frozen Fun' at Disneyland and 2015 'Star Wars' Weekends at Walt Disney World

Guardians of the Galaxy on Blu-ray

Crank up your Awesome Mix Vol. 1 because Guardians of the Galaxy is out on Blu-ray this week. And while Anthony didn't hesitate to snag the digital download when it came out last month, I've been holding out for the Blu-ray because, well, Blu-ray.

I've got a thing for shrink-wrap packaging. What can I say?

The number one movie at the box office this year comes with a decent assortment of bonus features, including deleted scenes, making of featurettes, a gag reel and audio commentary by director James Gunn. It also offers up a sneak peek behind the scenes at Marvel's upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. Anthony and I talk it all up plus a lot more in this week's edition of Inside The Mouse Castle. It's a dance off, bro!

• In casting news, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson  will voice Maui, the South Seas demigod who helps a young navigator in Disney's Moana, set for release in November 2016. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Benedict Cumberbatch will play the title role in Doctor Strange, hitting theaters the same month. We like both choices, but wonder why--as good as we think Cumberbatch is going to be--Marvel ever considered Joaquin Phoenix for the part.

Anna and Elsa are set for some Frozen Fun at Disneyland.

• The Frozen frenzy continues with a fresh slate of shows and activities debuting at Disneyland through January. Most of it is overkill and none of it is surprising, but it will certainly please many of a fan of Anna and Elsa. We are disappointed, though, that "Freeze the Night! A Family Dance Party" will replace Mad T Party at Disney California Adventure. <sigh> I still miss ElecTRONica.

• Frozen Fever, a new short film from Frozen directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee will open Disney's live-action Cinderella in theaters beginning March 13th. The story will be about Elsa and Kristoff's plans to give Anna the best birthday celebration ever. Frozen Fever will include an all-new original song by Frozen songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
• The 2015 dates for Walt Disney World's annual Star Wars Weekends have been announced. Get your Jedi on with special events and guest appearances every weekend from May 15 - June 14.
• We love all our friends, fans and followers in The Mouse Castle, but we get a real kick when one of our followers turns out to be a celebrity. Actress Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Clarissa Explains it All) started following The Mouse Castle (@disneytim) on Twitter this week. I only obsess about it a little bit on today's show. BTW, you can follow Melissa @MelissaJoanHart. 

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 10-28-2014 - Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 3, Oh My God It's Amazing!

One of these is not like the others. Marvel's Kevin Feige
reveals (kind of) Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

I think it was payback for the Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer being leaked online.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige wanted to tease us, do a little bait and switch just when we thought we had it all figured out. At Tuesday's fan and press event in Hollywood, he revealed the complete slate of Marvel films through 2019--with a fair share of misdirection. At first, we were led to believe Captain America 3 would be subtitled Serpent Society, flying in the face of all the gossip mill rumors that asserted Cap 3 would be all about Civil War. Media outlets exploded with the news and Facebook and Twitter went right along with them. 

Ha ha! Gotcha. We're going with Civil War after all.  And here's Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans to tell you and about it. And, oh by the way, let's introduce the character of Black Panther to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and let's bring out the guy that plays him, Chadwick Boseman (42, Get On Up). Oh yeah, he'll get his own movie in 2017.

Robert Downey, Jr., Chadwick Boseman and Chris Evans
take the stage.

Well played, Mr. Feige.

It was almost as good as the "untitled Marvel movie" scheduled for release on May 4, 2018 that turned out to be part one of Avengers: Infinity War, the first half of the epic conclusion to Phase 3 of the MCU. 

You Marvel folks sure know how to work up a crowd.

In addition to the next two films (Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man) which we already know a bit about, Marvel announced nine new titles and release dates spanning the next five years:

Captain America: Civil War - May 6, 2016

Dr. Strange - November 4, 2016

Guardians of the Galaxy 2 - May 5, 2017

Thor: Ragnarok - July 18, 2017

Black Panther - November 3, 2017

Avengers: Infinity War, Part I - May 4, 2018
Captain Marvel - July 6, 2018
Inhumans - November 2, 2018
Avengers: Infinity War, Part II - May 3, 2019

In the latest installment of Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I break down all the titles and point out the ones worth getting excited about. Hint: Black Panther will be Marvel's first African American title character, Captain Marvel the first female title character (What? you never heard about Carol Danvers?). We also discuss who didn't get their own movies (Black Widow, Hulk), but will still play critical roles in the upcoming films.

Enjoy this Marvel-ous episode!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 10-22-2014 - 'Moana,' 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' and the Walt Disney Birthplace Restoration

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Yep, we're blaming Hydra.

If Marvel can finger its fictional terrorist group for leaking the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron six days early, then we can blame them for the technical issues that kept Tuesday's Inside The Mouse Castle off the air until tonight.

Actually, it was a wonky HP laptop that caused our podcast problems. Who knows what nefarious force made the Internet explode with glee when the new Avengers trailer found its way online? Entertainment websites everywhere posted the lo-res video before Disney and Marvel quickly slammed the door on the leak. But, since nothing online is ever really deleted once it goes viral, Marvel had no choice but to release the official trailer well before its scheduled TV premiere on next Tuesday's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

For our part, you won't hear anything about the leak in today's ITMC. Anthony and I recorded the show well before the story broke. Rest assured, we'll be talking about it plenty on Friday's show.

(l. to r.) Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Jeremy Renner,
Robert Downey, Jr. and Don Cheadle in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

And so, here's the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron in all its intense, epic, superhero glory. WOW!!!

Also in today's show:

• Moana, an adventure set in the oceans of Polynesia, is Walt Disney Animation Studios newest project. John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin) are directing the film which is due for release in late 2016.
• What's better than listening to the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1 on CD or vinyl? How about listening to it on cassette, just like Peter Quill intended?

• Keston Ott-Dahl and her wife Andrea have a young daughter with Down Syndrome. They've started an online petition to ask Disney to create a special needs princess their daughter and others like her can relate to. Do we think it will succeed? Probably not, but it's not a bad way to raise awareness of Down Syndrome. For more info visit www.delaneyskye.com.
• Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved is an imaginative and beautifully rendered video game that cleverly interacts with all styles of music from classical to contemporary pop. It's available now for Xbox One and Kinect for Xbox 360.
• Start some good and support the restoration of the Walt Disney Birthplace, the Chicago home built by Elias Disney where his son Walter was born. To contribute to the cause, visit www.startsomegood.com/WDB.

Enjoy!

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Inside The Mouse Castle 10-14-2014 - Iron Man in 'Captain America 3', New Disney Parks Ambassadors and a Pretty Good Review of 'Alexander'

Will Steve Rogers and Tony Stark
battle each other in Captain America 3?

In the latest Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony asked me if I was tired of all the Iron Man 4 rumors.

I told him, "I'm tired of them until the next one comes along."

And the next one was a doozy. Forget all the speculation about Iron Man 4. How about Tony Stark jumps feet first into Captain America 3?

If the rumors are correct, Cap 3 will be the point where the Marvel Cinematic Universe begins following the Civil War story line told by Marvel comics from 2006-07. It will put Steve Rogers and Tony Stark on opposite sides of an initiative requiring all superheroes to register with the federal government--with tragic results.

It will be a dark turn for Marvel movies, and we're talking about it Inside The Mouse Castle.

We'll tackle a few other Marvels rumors as well, plus these tasty morsels:

• Guardians of the Galaxy opened in China to impressive business and is closing in on $700 million mark in worldwide box office. Meanwhile, a GOTG animated TV series is planned for Disney XD in 2015.
• Anthony and I review Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day starring Steve Carell and Jennifer Garner. It's not horrible.
• Disney Channel has made a deal with the very successful YouTube multi-channel network Maker Studios to bring its stars to the cable network. Disney paid $500 million for the online network earlier this year.

• Is the massive Sorcerer Mickey hat that's blocked the view of the Chinese Theater at Disney's Hollywood Studios for years going away? It's missing from new park maps being circulated in Central Florida. We can only hope.
• It's the 50th anniversary of the Disney Ambassador program. Congratulations to then newly named ambassadors for 2015-16: Caitlin Busscher and Nathanial Palma at Walt Disney World and Jessica Bernard and Allie Kawamoto at Disneyland.

Enjoy!

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Animated 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Coming to Disney XD

Ohhhh, yeaahh!

Direct from New York Comic Con, we have test animation footage from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, the new animated series debuting on Disney XD next year. Produced by Marvel Television and based on this year's summer movie blockbuster, the show will welcome back the same gang of interstellar adventurers we've come to know and love: Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora and Drax the Destroyer.

Of the new series, Marvel's head of television Jeph Loeb said, "This is a very exciting time for the Marvel Animation Studio as we get to explore the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe by developing the first-ever 'Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy' animated series. After starring in the biggest movie of 2014, everyone wants more of Star-Lord and his crew – now they'll get it."

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy will join Disney XD's Marvel programming block in 2015.

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Inside The Mouse Castle 10-03-2014 - Bob Iger's Contract, Luigi's Flat Tires and 'Star Wars' Rumors

Bob Iger, Disney's Chairmen and CEO, has a brand new shiny contract extension that will keep him at the helm of the Mouse House into 2018. What can we say? We like the guy and look forward to him hanging around well past Disneyland's 60th, the return of Star Wars to theaters and the opening of Shanghai Disneyland. In the latest edition of Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I talk about Iger's successful history with the company and continued promising future. We also take on these other fascinating topics:

• It looks like Luigi's Flying Tires will be flying out of Disney California Adventure come January. We've always loved the concept of the ride as an homage to the long gone Flying Saucers at Disneyland in the 1960s, but found the ride itself less than user friendly with difficult to maneuver ride vehicles. 

Luigi's Flying Tires in 2012 when beach balls made the ride fun.

• Disney and Amazon have apparently made peace over the pricing dispute that quashed pre-order home video sales, most notably September's release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier on Blu-ray. Visit Amazon now and both Guardians of the Galaxy and Maleficent are available for pre-order.
• There's a lot to like about the new teaser trailer for Pixar's Inside Out, which is both a nostalgic trip through Pixar's movie past and a charming intro to its most original idea in years.

• Are all those rumors about Star Wars: Episode VII helping or hurting the film? Casting and plot point leaks (and outright falsehoods) abound and some media sites (including this one) are pledging to keep legitimate story reveals as spoiler-free as possible. 
• At Marvel, Robert Downey, Jr. has said (again) that he kinda sorta probably will keep playing Iron Man as long as he needs to. To quote, "I'm sure we'll ride that thing. You've got to surf that thing all the way into shore." Make what you will of it. It sounds like he'll be around past his current contractual obligation for the second and third Avengers films. We're still keeping hopes high for Iron Man 4. Meanwhile, Joaquin Phoenix is definitely out for the title role in the upcoming Dr. Strange film, but Dominic Clark is definitely in to reprise his role as Tony Stark's dad in next year's limited TV series Agent Carter. 
• We love this imaged mapped Walt Disney World wedding cake. That is all.

• Disney's Aladdin on Broadway is going international next year. The Tony Award-winning musical will open in Tokyo with a Japanese cast next May.
• Need to pay more money to get more Frozen? For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration will run most nights through the holiday season at Walt Disney World beginning November 7th. Eighty-nine bucks (on top of your park admission) will get you into the private dessert party at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Call (407) 939-1854 for more details.
• Basketball superstar LeBron James will produce a sports-themed television series geared for younger viewers to be seen on Disney XD. Becoming will spotlight inspirational stories from the sports world and will be released through ESPN Films and James's own Springhill Production Company. The first episode debuts on October 26th.

Enjoy!

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'Guardians of the Galaxy' Hits Blu-ray December 9th

Guardians of the Galaxy will be out on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on November 18th. The Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand releases will follow on December 9th.

The Marvel adventure starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper was the highest grossing film of 2014 and the only one to break $300 million in the U.S.

Bonus Features on the Digital HD, Disney Movies Anywhere and Blu-ray packages will include:

• Deleted scenes
• Making-of featurettes
• An exclusive look at Avengers: Age of Ultron
• Gag reel
• Audio commentary by director James Gunn

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Inside The Mouse Castle 09-30-2014 - 'Avengers 3,' Gay Days Anaheim and Hating Steve Carell

Avengers assemble! Then reassemble.
Then assemble some more.

Avengers: Age of Ultron doesn't hit theaters until next May and already we're obsessing about the film (or films) that will follow it. Rumors are circulating that Avengers 3 will actually consist of two movies--which makes absolutely no sense. Wouldn't another film automatically become Avengers 4? I was pretty good at math in school.

Anthony and I take off our shoes and socks to count upcoming Avengers sequels and ruminate on these other bits of news in the latest edition of Inside The Mouse Castle:

• Guardians of the Galaxy continuing to climb up the box office charts is hardly news anymore, but darned if it's not still doing it. It's now the third biggest Marvel movie ever in the U.S., taking in $319.2 million domestically since its August release and trailing only Iron Man 3 and The Avengers.
• In legal wrangling dating back to 2009, Marvel has finally reached an agreement with the estate of the late writer/artist Jack Kirby. Kirby was the co-creator of classic superheroes including Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man and the X-Men. He is considered one of the all-time greats in his field and worked alongside fellow comic book legends Stan Lee and Joe Simon, among many others. Kirby's family had filed suit against Marvel and other media companies including Disney in an attempt to acquire copyrights and back profits for characters and stories created by Kirby. A brief statement released by Marvel and Kirby's estate on Friday said, "Marvel and the family of Jack Kirby have amicably resolved their legal disputes, and are looking forward to advancing their shared goal of honoring Mr. Kirby's significant role in Marvel's history."
• On the Star Wars front, actor Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis), who will be in Episode VII, laments like so many of us the changes George Lucas made to the original trilogy. Meanwhile, director David Fincher (Gone Girl), once considered to direct Episode VII, reveals his take on the trilogy.

Inside The Mouse Castle 09-26-2014 - 'Frozen' Lawsuit, 'Big Hero 6' and 'Disney Infinity 2.0'

Do you want to file a lawsuit?

Anthony and I approached the latest episode of Inside The Mouse Castle with a single objective: how to get $250 million from Disney by filing a frivolous lawsuit. You know, just like author Isabella Tanikumi appears to have done. According to her, Disney stole story elements from her autobiography Yearnings of the Heart to make Frozen. Apparently Hans Christian Andersen had nothing to do with it.

While we plan our lucrative financial futures, Anthony and I also cover these stories:

• The latest Big Hero 6 trailer is cute and cuddly, emphasizing warm hugs over comic book action adventure. We still like it.

• I review Disney Infinity 2.0. The Toy Box mode has definitely improved, making it easier to build you're own worlds, but the adventure game play in the playsets is repetitive and less imaginative than the original. It will not disappoint fans of the game, but it won't blow them away either. Call this game Disney Infinity 1.5.

Inside The Mouse Castle 09-09-2014 - Disney's Legal Woes, No 'Iron Man 4,' and 'Guardians' Sets a Marvel Record

A class action suit has been filed against Disney and other studios including Dreamworks Animation, Pixar, Lucasfilm and ImageMovers Digital. It's the latest development in an ongoing series of legal issues involving high-tech companies like Apple, Google, Adobe and Intel that has now spilled over into animation. At the heart of the controversy are alleged "anti-poaching pacts" between the named companies by which they agreed not to recruit talent from each other. The fallout of these "gentlemen's agreements" is that employees were potentially denied better career opportunity and higher salaries. It's an illegal and unethical practice that may have been done with the full knowledge and approval of top executives including Steve Jobs, Ed Catmull, John Lasseter and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

In the latest Inside The Mouse Castle, Anthony and I discuss the controversy and how Disney could be in a world of hurt over the results. We also revisit the Mouse House's trademark battle with musician Deadmau5, who is not backing down from the fight and is actually going on the offensive.

Also in this episode:

• Guardians of the Galaxy continues to take advantage of weak movie competition to rule the box office.
• Robert Downey, Jr. told Variety there are no plans for an Iron Man 4 and he may be telling the truth...for now. We talk about what we think Marvel's long-term cinematic plans for Tony Stark might be.
• Now is a good time to catch up on Marvel's intertwining story lines. Both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and season one of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. are now available on Blu-ray.

Enjoy!

Will Robert Downey, Jr. suit up for Iron Man 4?

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