Disney This Week: Guardians Vol. 2 Premiere, Aladdin & More!

Disney This Week: Guardians Vol. 2 premiere, Aladdin and more!

We’re back with another edition of our regular weekly feature Disney This Week here at ComingSoon.net, rounding up the latest news on all things Disney, including news on movies, TV, Blu-ray/DVD, Marvel Studios, theme parks and more. Let us know what excited you most about Disney This Week in the comments below!

RELATED: The Star Wars News Roundup for April 21, 2017


Movies

Mississippi Grind Pair Set as Captain Marvel Directors!

Marvel Studios has found their Captain Marvel directors! The directing pair of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have signed on to direct the film. Best known for helming 2015’s Mississippi Grind, starring Ryan Reynolds and Ben Mendelsohn, Boden and Fleck are set to bring Academy Award winner Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers into the MCU.

Boden and Fleck have also directed and written It’s Kind of a Funny Story (starring Emma Roberts and Zach Galifianakis), Sugar, and worked together on the critically-acclaimed Half Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling.

Spidey Hitches a Ride in New Homecoming Photo

Following yesterday’s “skipping school” photo (see below), another new picture from Spider-Man: Homecoming has debuted online featuring the webslinger in an unlikely place: hitching a ride in a concrete tube.

CHECK IT OUT AT THE LINK ABOVE!

Peter Parker Skips School in a New Spider-Man: Homecoming Photo

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios have released a new Spider-Man: Homecoming photo.

CHECK IT OUT AT THE LINK ABOVE!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 World Premiere Photos

Walt Disney Pictures and Marvel Studios held the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 world premiere yesterday at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, California, and we’ve got a bunch of photos for you in the gallery below!

James Gunn Confirms He Will Write and Direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!

Director James Gunn has already spoken about a third Guardians of the Galaxy film being in development for some time, but previously he hadn’t committed to returning, opting to wait and finish the second film. Now that the movie is complete, Gunn has revealed that he will return to write and direct the third chapter!

“Before I was able to honestly answer this, I needed to know it was, in my heart, what I truly felt called to do,” Gunn wrote. “There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn’t want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn’t exist. I couldn’t do it for the money, and I couldn’t do it because it was what other people wanted me to do. I needed to do it because it was what I needed to do. I have never made choices in my career based on anything other than passion and love for the stories and characters, and I didn’t want to start now….So, yes, I’m returning to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

“In the end, my love for Rocket, Groot, Gamora, Star-Lord, Yondu, Mantis, Drax, and Nebula – and some of the other forthcoming heroes – goes deeper than you guys can possibly imagine, and I feel they have more adventures to go on and things to learn about themselves and the wonderful and sometimes terrifying universe we all inhabit. And, like in both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, we will work on creating the story that goes beyond what you expect.”

Gunn went on to say that this film will close a chapter on “this iteration” of the Guardians and will lead into the next ten years of Marvel movies.

“Much of what’s happened in the MCU for the past ten or so years has been leading, in a big way, to the Avengers’ Infinity War. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will happen after all that. It will conclude the story of this iteration of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and help catapult both old and new Marvel characters into the next ten years and beyond. I will be working side-by-side with Kevin Feige and the gang to help design where these stories go, and make sure the future of the Marvel Cosmic Universe is as special and authentic and magical as what we have created so far. I promise you, the fans, I’ll do it all with integrity and love and respect for the characters.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Soundtrack List is Here!

Those who can’t wait to see Marvel Studios‘ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 to find out what is on “Awesome Mix Vol. 2” are in luck – the track list full of ’70s favorites has been revealed. Check out the Vol. 2 soundtrack listing below!

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Will Have 5 Post-Credits Scenes

Following the first press screening for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, director James Gunn took to Twitter to correct the record on the film’s post-credits fare by revealing the film will feature not four, but five post-credits scenes. Previously, the Marvel Studios films had only one post-credits scene, expanding to two with Marvel’s The Avengers, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has now set the record, which fans probably hope will become the new normal.

Watch a new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 commercial

Marvel Studios has shared a new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 commercial, which you can watch in the player below.

Two more Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 clips online

We’ve already received two Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 clips (watch here and here), but now Marvel Studios has released two more which you can watch in the players below. The first clip is called “Sovereign Fleet” and the second “Death Button,” of which you’ve seen a version in the film’s trailers.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Hit Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Bring a New Clip

The gang from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, including Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker and Kurt Russell joined Jimmy Kimmel Live! and brought a new clip. You can watch the clip and the interview segments using the players below.

10 Guardians of the Galaxy Characters We Want to See in Vol. 3

Looking ahead to the third film, CS has put together a list of Guardians of the Galaxy characters from both the modern team and the original Guardians that we’d like to see in Vol. 3.

CHECK OUT THE LIST AT THE LINK ABOVE!

New Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Photos Bring the Team Together

Though the film debuts in two weeks, a new batch of photos from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have arrived online. 

CHECK OUT THE PICS AT THE LINK ABOVE!

New Avengers: Infinity War Set Photos Seem to Reveal Big Spoilers

Production continues on the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War and another set of photos have arrived from the film’s setup in Edinborough, Scotland, which features some pretty severe spoilers, so if you don’t want to know about both a pivotal moment and character change, look away!

E! News has snapped a few photos from the film which feature stars Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision, with two huge takeaways. The first, Bettany is out of his Vision costume and appears human (not uncommon in the source material); and second, the pair finally share a kiss!

CHECK OUT THE SPOILER PIC AT THE LINK ABOVE!

Inside Marvel Studios: Explore the Future of the MCU

“SERPENT SOCIETY?” reads a note scribbled rather conspicuously across a whiteboard at Marvel Studios’ usually top secret offices. “ASAP!”

That’s Marvel having a bit of fun with a small group of journalists who were invited to take an inside look at what goes into building their rapidly-expanding cinematic universe. A Captain America: The Serpent Society movie was teased nearly three years ago when it appeared on the Marvel Studios calendar during a “Phase Three” presentation. It was quickly revealed, however, that the title was just a placeholder so that the announcement of Captain America: Civil War could close things out with a bang. While we’re probably still not going to see Chris Evans facing off against snake-themed supervillains anytime soon, Marvel Studios did show off some tantalizing glimpses at upcoming films like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel!

READ MORE OF OUR VISIT TO MARVEL AT THE LINK ABOVE!

Will Smith in Talks for Genie Role in New Aladdin Movie

Will Smith is in early talks to join Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin in the Genie role! The late Robin Williams originally voiced the character in the animated film, landing a special Golden Globe award for his performance.

Production on the film is expected to begin in June of this year in the UK and it will shoot until early 2018. Smith was also previously in talks for the live-action Dumbo movie, though nothing came of those talks. Smith is the first actor whose negotiations for the film have been reported in the media as a worldwide casting call is underway for the film’s two lead roles as Disney is looking for a Middle Eastern actor and actress to play the roles of Aladdin and Princess Jasmine.

CS Video: Explore Born in China with Producer Roy Conli

This weekend, Disneynature is bringing to the big screen their latest animal documentary, Born in China. Narrated by John Krasinski, the film explores the lives of three different animal families. As producer Roy Conli explains in a conversation with CS, it’s the animals themselves who revealed the right stories to director Luan Chuan and an international assembly of filmmaking talent.

Roy Conli produces Born in China alongside Brian Leith and Phil Chapman. Catch it on the big screen starting this weekend!

Interview: John Krasinski Talks About Disneynature’s Born in China

The Office and 13 Hours star John Krasinski narrates the upcoming Disneynature film Born in China, and we recently got a chance to speak to him about the April 21 release. Disneynature’s new True Life Adventure film Born In China takes an epic journey into the wilds of China where few people have ever ventured. Following the stories of three animal families, the film transports audiences to some of the most extreme environments on Earth to witness some of the most intimate moments ever captured in a nature film. A doting panda bear mother guides her growing baby as she begins to explore and seek independence. A two-year-old golden snub-nosed monkey who feels displaced by his new baby sister joins up with a group of free-spirited outcasts. And a mother snow leopard—an elusive animal rarely caught on camera— faces the very real drama of raising her two cubs in one of the harshest and most unforgiving environments on the planet.

In keeping with the theme of Born in China, if you see the film the first weekend, a portion of all proceeds go to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), with the funds earmarked for helping snow leopards and pandas.

ComingSoon.net: When did you get involved in the project?

John Krasinski: Well, I got a call that Disney was interested in me, particularly, for this, which I found hugely exciting, because I am a massive fan of all things Disneynature. I’ve seen all the movies and to me, I find them so incredibly emotional. I find myself bonding to these characters unbelievably, so I was thrilled. But then I got really nervous, because the people who’ve done it before me are Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, John C. Reilly, people who are pretty good at what they do! [laughs]

READ MORE OF THE INTERVIEW AT THE LINK ABOVE!

Keira Knightley Returns in International Pirates of the Caribbean 5 Trailer

Keira Knightley’s Elizabeth Swann is back in a new Japanese trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which you can watch below!

New Pirates 5 TV Spot Sets Out on the High Seas

Walt Disney Pictures has released a new TV spot for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales featuring young Jack Sparrow and more. Check out the Pirates 5 TV spot below!

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales International Posters Make Land

10 (count them!) international posters for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales have arrived online.

CHECK THEM OUT AT THE LINK ABOVE!


TV

The Trailer for the Final Season of Star Wars Rebels

At Star Wars Celebration, executive producer Dave Filoni announced that Season Four will be the final season of Star Wars Rebels. A trailer for the season premiered there, and you can now watch it online below. It was also announced that Warwick Davis will play Ruhk in Season Four.

Exclusive: Dave Filoni Talks Rebels Season 4 Influences and the Allure of Live Action

Star Wars Celebration 2017 was a bittersweet one for fan-favorite creator Dave Filoni. The popular animation director was able to assemble the cast of his hit series Star Wars Rebels in front of a crowd of thousands of fans to tell them about the upcoming season, but also had to reveal to them that it was the final one for the show. We caught up with Filoni after the panel to talk about how he works in such an expansive franchise, his temptation by working in live action, and even how King of the Hill lead to Star Wars Rebels.

ComingSoon.net: One thing I’m always really fascinated to talk to people about is taking a live-action franchise and putting it in another medium and how some have the tendency to say, “we’re not limited by budget and all these things so let’s do whatever we want,” and some want to preserve the aesthetic of the franchise. So I wanted hear your take on that.

Dave Filoni: Well, I’ve never met anybody in this field that says they’re not limited by budget, that would be amazing. I think the challenge in our field is you are limited by budget, but who cares? You have to be creative and solve the problems within the budget and make it as great as it can be. The budget is the function of creativity here, it’s never a limiting thing, it just tells you how creative you’ve got to be. For me the goal on all the animated series that I’ve done is just to make them feel like they’re a part of the films. We might be able to do something stylistically that’s different, so I don’t really worry about photo realism but I do worry about the look of it stylistically, that we don’t take Star Wars in a direction that’s not authentic to it; so we use a touchstone of it like Ralph McQuarrie and say “It should FEEL a bit like that,” and then we evolve the style from there. I think that’s truly important. Something that’s this, the 40 year anniversary with a global fandom, there are things you expect from a Star Wars story, it’s true from the look of it to the tone of it, and I try to sit inside this as best I can, but I would never try to grossly change it or make too many concessions. But Hondo Ohnaka wears a different outfit in this show than in “The Clone Wars,” which is a function of the story and the budget, so it’s just little differences like that. As far as the story goes it shouldn’t be noticeable.

CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR DAVE FILONI INTERVIEW AT THE LINK ABOVE!


Theme Parks

A New Video Teases Disney’s Upcoming Star Wars Attraction

On Saturday, Star Wars Celebration debuted a new video teasing the exciting things on the way soon from a galaxy far, far away. In the player below, you can take a look at the upcoming Walt Disney Parks Star Wars attraction that should be opening its doors in 2019.

“This project is the most ambitious project I’ve ever seen in the history of Walt Disney Imagineering,” says Chris Beatty, Executive Creative Director Walt Disney Imagineering.

The new video hits alongside an update to the Disney Parks Blog, teasing the backstory of the new Star Wars attraction:

The team shared exciting new details about the story behind this mysterious destination somewhere on the Outer Rim — lying on the edge of the Unknown Regions. The remote village was once a busy crossroads along the old sub-lightspeed trade routes, but the prominence of the outpost has been bypassed with the rise of hyperspace travel. Now home to those who prefer less attention, it has become a thriving port for smugglers, rogue traders and adventurers traveling between the frontier and uncharted space. It’s also a convenient safe-haven for others intent on avoiding the expanding reach of the First Order.

The 14-acre Star Wars attraction will be the largest-ever single-themed land expansion at Disneyland Resort. Look for it to open in 2019.


Games

Telltale’s Guardians of the Galaxy Episode 1 trailer arrives

Telltale Games has released the trailer for the first episode of Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series which you can check out in the player below! The first of five episodes, and titled “Tangled Up in Blue,” the game is now available to download on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, iOS, and Android-based devices for $4.99 USD or equivalent.

In the wake of an epic battle, the Guardians discover an artifact of unspeakable power. Each of the Guardians has a reason to desire this relic, as does a ruthless enemy who will stop at nothing to tear it from their hands. From Earth to the Milano to Knowhere and beyond, this five-part episodic series puts you in the rocket-powered boots of Star-Lord in an original Guardians adventure.

The series will also be coming to retail as a special season pass disc, which will include the first episode in the season, and will grant access to the subsequent four episodes as they become available for download via online updates.


Toys

Hot Toys Reveals Life-Size Baby Groot Figure

Having decided they haven’t taken enough money from fans’ wallets, Hot Toys has revealed their life-size Baby Groot figure for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2! Check him out in the gallery below.

The collectible figure stands approximately 26cm tall, featuring 3 interchangeable faces, newly developed body and expert paint applications to reflect Baby Groot’s unique appearance, a Ravagers outfit that be worn on the figure, and 2 pairs of interchangeable hands including a pair of extended attacking hands with embedded wires allowing a variety of poses!

Special features of the Groot Life-Size Collectible Figure:

– Authentic and detailed likeness of Groot in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

– Three (3) interchangeable face sculpts with highly detailed facial expressions and tree texture

– Approximately 26cm tall

– Newly developed specialized body with over 15 points of articulations

– Four (4) pieces of interchangeable hands including:

– One (1) pair of relaxed hands

– One (1) pair of attacking hands with embedded wires

– Each piece of face sculpt is specially hand-painted

Costume:

– Finely tailored interchangeable Ravagers outfit

Accessory:

– Specially designed figure stand with character nameplate and movie logo

Artists:

– Figure sculpted by Viva Lai

– Figure painted by Viva Lai

Release date: Q1 – Q2, 2018

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