NEW STAR WARS SERIES DEBUTS AUGUST 23 ON DISNEY PLUS

Like their dad, my son and daughter are STAR WARS fanatics. Unlike me, their fanship doesn't revolve around the blockbuster motion pictures but rather is based upon the Star Wars animated series. As they grew up, watching the newly released epsiode of either The Clone Wars or Rebels was a highly anticipated weekly event that the whole family looked forward to enjoying together. While my love of Star Wars developed around the space opera of Luke, Leia, Han and Chewie fighting the Empire, my kids are more invested in the adventures of cartoon characters like Ahsoka Tano, Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger battling Imperial Inquisiters and Grand Admiral Thrawn. In fact, they really don't care much for the movies at all but they love the Star Wars animated series and the new live-action shows. 

So, we are all GEEKED that many of our favorite characters from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels are coming to the live action shows on the Disney+ streaming service. Our whole family was bummed when Star Wars: Rebels ended feeling it came to a conclusion too soon, so we are excited that it seems as if that animated series is continuing in a live action format with AHSOKA. 

Set after the fall of the Empire, AHSOKA follows the former Jedi Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. The show promises the return of not just Ahsoka, but also Rebels cast Sabine Wren, Hera Syndulla, Chopper and Ezra Bridger. Hopefully it will also include Zeb! Plus, Thrawn is returning as the principal adversary and a mysterious Inquisitor villain character has also been teased. 

 

It has just been announced AHSOKA will debut August 23, 2023 on Disney Plus and will be exclusively available to view on the streaming service. In addition to Rosario Dawson in the title role, AHSOKA stars Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Sabine Wren, Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla, Ray Stevenson as Baylan Skoll, Ivanna Sakhno as Shin Hati, Diana Lee Inosanto as Morgan Elsbeth, David Tennant as Huyang, Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn and Eman Esfandi appearing as Ezra Bridger. 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.

LIVE ACTION PINOCCHIO MOVIE TO DEBUT ON DISNEY+

To help increase viewers and provide value for subscribers of its streaming service, Walt Disney Studios will debut its eagerly anticipated live action feature film adaption of PINOCCHIO on Disney Plus. Thursday, September 8, 2022 has been branded Disney+ Day with the streaming service premiering new content from its marquee brands, including the all-new live action PINOCCHIO.

Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis directs this live action retelling of the beloved tale of a wooden puppet who embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy. Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto, the wood carver who builds and treats Pinocchio (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) as if he were his own son. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is Jiminy Cricket, who serves as Pinocchio’s guide as well as his "conscience"; Academy Award® nominee Cynthia Erivo is the Blue Fairy; Keegan-Michael Key is "Honest" John; Academy Award® nominee Lorraine Bracco is Sofia the Seagull, a new character, and Luke Evans is The Coachman. Also in the cast are Kyanne Lamaya as Fabiana (and her marionette Sabina), Giuseppe Battiston as Señor Stromboli and Lewin Lloyd as Lampwick.

When you wish upon a star…⭐ Watch the trailer for the all-new live action #Pinocchio and stream the movie, a #DisneyPlusDay premiere, September 8 on @DisneyPlus. 🧚🪄 pic.twitter.com/D9x5FDKjBc

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) May 31, 2022

For more info as the film's debut date nears, follow @DisneyPlus and @DisneyStudios on Twitter. And if you are on Twitter hope you are following this Geek Daddy at @Geekdad248! Give us a tweet on your thoughts about this new PINOCCHIO movie.

IS FUTURE OF STAR WARS IN TELEVISION?

As an '80s kid, Star Wars fanship was all about the movie theater experience of watching the original trilogy of films on the big screen during my youth. That was complimented by playing with Kenner action figures re-enacting your favorite scenes and imagining new adventures for the characters with the toys. All in all being a Star Wars fan was all about the movies back then.

Sharing my passion for Star Wars with my children though hasn't really been about the movies at all though. It has been about enjoying the Star Wars experience on television. They've grown up being excited each week when we spent time watching together as a family a new episode of one of the Star Wars animated series. The kids have gone from youngsters to teens watching The Clone Wars, Rebels and now the Bad Batch. My kids are more invested in the cartoon characters of Anakin Skywalker, Ezra Bridger and Omega than anyone from the movies.

In fact, they've told me they don't even like the three "Disney" movies or any of the characters from those films. My son even describes the adventures of Rey, Finn and Poe as "just a money grab" and "those movies kinda suck."  Yet he is excited whenever a new episode of the live-action Mandalorian or Boba Fett tv show are released. With the success of these Disney Plus shows and future Star Wars movie releases in limbo, you have to wonder did Kathleen Kennedy and J.J. Abrahams kill the future of the franchise when it comes to blockbuster theatrical releases? And if so, does it really matter with Star Wars having moved to new platforms for people to enjoy through streaming and video games?

Star Wars may be as popular as it has ever been based upon its television shows. While George Lucas prequel movies are still dreaded by many, the Clone Wars animated series have redeemed many of the characters from those movies. Darth Maul evolved into one of Star Wars best villains thanks to his role in Clone Wars and Rebels. When I think of Anakin Skywalker it isn't Hayden Christian's performance that comes to mind but rather the Clone Wars character voiced by Matt Lanter. And his padawan in Clone Wars, Ahsoka Tano has become a fan favorite with her own live action tv series on its way. She is more popular with my son and daughter than Princess Leia! 

Clone Wars wasn't just sci fi fluff; it had stories with real plots to them complimented with great action. It was a show that adults could appreciate just as much as kids. My son and daughter loved watching this show just as much as I did. While my Star Wars fanship began with the movie A New Hope, theirs originated through watching Clone Wars with their dad every Saturday for a number of years.

It continued with Star Wars: Rebels which we would always make a special effort to watch together on Thursday evenings when new episodes debuted on Disney XD. This show provided them with new characters to embrace separate from anyone from the movies. Ezra orphaned by the Empire sending his parents to a prison camp discovers he has a connection with The Force. He meets up with a former Padawan orphaned from the Jedi Order by the Empire's purge. Together with other colorful characters they begin a Rebellion. 

For my kids, not the new Disney movies but rather Rebels is the equivalent of what the original trilogy movies where for me. They are more excited about news of another season of the most recent Star Wars animated series, Bad Batch, rather than any announcements of new movies being produced. Bad Batch is further enhancing the cannon of the Star Wars television universe by connecting the time span between Clone Wars and Rebels. This follows a group of elite clone troopers finding their way through a changing galaxy at the end of the Clone Wars and protecting a very valuable and rare asset, Omega, a youthful female version of their kind.

In addition to the animated series, we now have live action shows in the picture. The Mandalorian with Baby Yoda was fantastic! And it is incorporating elements of the animated series creating a television cinematic universe that while related to the movies can essentially stand on its own merits. Seeing Luke Skywalker, R2-D2, Ahsoka Tano, Cad Bane, Din Djarin and Grogu together merging cartoons, live action tv and movies in a chapter of the Book of Boba Fett was so incredible! I have to say Cad Bane is one of my favorite Star Wars characters overall so I was geeked to see him.

With Disney investing millions of dollars into promoting their Star Wars movie characters in The Last Jedi films and new theme park lands, the question is will there be a conflict with the television shows that seem to embrace George Lucas' vision of a galaxy far, far away versus these other films which really don't seem to have been very well liked by mainstream audiences. How will this impact the Star Wars Lands that at Disneyland and Disney World that are branded around the new movies' characters? Do you think we've seen the last of Rey and her Resistance allies? 

Is the future of Star Wars stories now going to be television focused based upon a new generation of fans like my own children who are more invested in them or is there a future filled with new theatrical movie releases? Where do you see the franchise headed when it comes to future Star Wars adventures? 

MULAN FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

SPONSORED BY DISNEY

Disney's live action adaption of the beloved animated movie MULAN is now available via digital purchases to add to your home entertainment video library. Get it now from MoviesAnywhere, AmazonPrime, Vudu and other popular movie retailers. We picked up dinner from our favorite Chinese restaurant (Mui's in Clawson, Michigan), had a good time completing a Mulan themed activity pack, and enjoyed watching this movie courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney Studios. 

We had such a wonderful evening I wanted to share our family movie night fun! So I've included the activity sheets below for you to enjoy. Plus...I have a digital code redeemable from moviesanywhere.com to giveaway! 

For a chance to win a digital code to redeem Mulan from MoviesAnywhere, just complete the rafflecopter entries below before 11:59 pm on October 25, 2020. Must be a United States resident to be eligible for the giveaway and for the code to work. All entrants must be over 18 years old. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To save her ailing father from serving in the Imperial army, a fearless young woman named Mulan disguises herself as a man to battle invaders who are set on killing the Emperor and destroying China in the process. Aiding these rogues is a devilish witch who has the men of China overmatched until one of their own soldiers surprises everyone.  Does Mullan have the courage and chi to save her friends, family and the Emperor's dynasty? 

The movie is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence. While there isn't anything particularly troublesome for young viewers to watch in this movie, note it isn't the kids cartoon that so many families are familiar with. The goofy sidekicks and warm hearted songs of the animated film have been replaced with more serious themes about female empowerment and devotion to family. Still the movie is filled with vivid visuals of landscapes, jaw dropping martial arts scenes and eye catching special effects. This version of Mulan just may be a bit more fitting for tweens and teens to watch with their parents for some Disney family movie night entertainment instead of the elementary school aged kids that people may think would be into it.

The Jungle Book - Kids Activity Sheets

THE JUNGLE BOOK is such a classic Disney animated movie because its transcends generations when it comes to people appreciating this 1967 portrayal of Rudyard Kipling's book for providing good quality family friendly entertainment.  It's not just the telling of the tale through Walt Disney Studio's reputed animation but also its upbeat musical soundtrack that enhances the movie watching experience.  I have a great memory from being a young kid of the whole audience joyfully singing along together The Bare Necessities while seeing a showing of THE JUNGLE BOOK at the movie theater.  It always puts a smile on my face now as a parent seeing my children parade around the room to Colonel Hathi's March or dance around the room like monkeys to I Wanna Be Like You when our family watches THE JUNGLE BOOK on DVD.  It's nice to see your children appreciate something as much as you did when you were their age. THE JUNGLE BOOK is definitely a movie that any family with young kids should have in their home video collection.

Based upon how fond my family is of THE JUNGLE BOOK it peeked my interest to see that Disney is releasing a new live action version of the film arriving at movie theaters across the United States on April 15, 2016.  While this new movie will differentiate from the original by lacking its cartoonish musical charm it is promising some impressive special effects that will seamlessly blend live action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments.  Hey and it has got Bill Murray voicing Baloo so you have to appreciate that! From looking at the trailer, I'm looking forward to checking out this new adaption of THE JUNGLE BOOK when it arrives at the movie theater.



Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), based on Rudyard Kipling's timeless stories and inspired by Disney's classic animated film, THE JUNGLE BOOK is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who's been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he's ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don't exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: FIRE.

While you are awaiting spring weather to arrive here are some fun THE JUNGLE BOOK activity sheets to help keep kids amused these last few weeks of winter courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney Studios.  Just download and print to enjoy:





THE JUNGLE BOOK will be rated PG.  For more information about the movie, visit movies.disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016

2 girls from Brooklyn create online gaming empire in Nickelodeon's new comedy series: GAME SHAKERS

In Nickelodeon's newest live-action comedy series, GAME SHAKERS, which premieres on Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 8:30 pm (ET / PT) a pair of 12-year-old girls from Brooklyn become unlikely moguls when their school project becomes the most popular mobile game online.  Game Shakers was created by multi-Emmy nominated writer and producer Dan Schneider (iCarly, Victorious, Henry Danger) and revolves around middle school students Babe (Cree Cicchino) and Kenzie (Madisyn Shipman) that create a mobile game named SKY WHALE which quickly becomes a world-wide sensation.

Tying the show to today's kids' love of gaming and apps, the games created by Babe and Kenzie in the series will be made available to play on Nick.com and through the Nick app.  The first game to be released will be Babe and Kenzie's initial creation on the show, SKY WHALE, which is featured in the premiere episode.  SKY WHALE will be available for FREE in September to download via the Apple, Google, and Amazon app stores.  This game challenges players to bounce through the sky and to keep a narwhal up in the air using clouds and crazy objects to go higher and farther, even into outer space or on an underwater adventure.

Game Shakers' premiere episode will also feature cameo appearances from YouTube pop culture comedians and gaming entertainers including GloZell, Lasercorn and ProJared.  The debut episode of Game Shakers will be simulcast on cable television on Nickelodeon, TeenNick, and Nicktoons plus will be available at the same time on Nick.com and on the Nick app.  Following this linear debut, the premiere episode will also be available for FREE on iTunes for one week.



In the premiere episode, after an app they create for their school science fair project turns into the biggest mobile game of the year, Babe and Kenzie use their profits to start Game Shakers, a super-cool gaming company based in Brooklyn, New York.  Not realizing the game illegally sampled a song from superstar rapper Double G ( '90s Nick icon Kel Mitchell ) turn the performer from an antagonist into their new business partner.  As part of the deal, Double G's son, Triple G ( Benjamin 'Lil P-Nut' Flores ), becomes the company's "gaming consultant."  Hijinks follow as this team works to make Game Shakers a huge success and create their own gaming empire. 

Little Girls will be Thrilled - Disney bringing Live Action Cinderella Movie to the Silver Screen in March of 2015

Ever since my daughter watched Disney's classic animated movie Cinderella for the first time, she has been totally enamored with this fairy tale princess.  She tells everyone the highlight of her life (all five years of it so far) has been being able to meet Cinderella at DisneyLand.  In fact, when she had the chance to meet Cinderella she proudly showed off the t-shirt she was wearing with the character's portrait vibrantly displayed on it and exclaimed "I'm your biggest fan!"  So you know she's going to be excited when a brand new Cinderella movie sashays into theaters on March 13, 2015.

Cinderella will be directed by Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh (THOR, HAMLET) and star Lily James (DOWNTOWN ABBEY) as Cinderella, Academy Award winner Cate Blanchett (BLUE JASMINE, ELIZABETH) as the evil stepmother, Richard Madden (GAME OF THRONES) as Prince Charming and Academy Award nominee Helena Bonham Carter (THE KINGS SPEECH, ALICE IN WONDERLAND) as the fairy godmother.  The movie's producers are promising this live action feature film will bring to life the timeless images from Disney's 1950 animated masterpiece as fully-realized characters in a visually dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation.

Check out this trailer from the upcoming movie:

You know I'd be the worst dad in the world if I didn't take my little princess to see this new adaption of Cinderella.  After watching the animated Disney version of this fairy tale with my daughter more times then I can count, something new that she'll enjoy is definitely going to be appreciated in our household.  Fortunately from the looks of the trailer this movie appears to be actually a decent film to watch for both the princesses and the parents in the audience.

So the question is will my son want to go along to see the new #Cinderella movie theater?  I'm not sure though he does appear to be plotting something with Anastasia, Drisella and Lady Tremaine?

For more information about the movie, visit movies.disney.com/cinderella/