It’s finally complete. Disney closed its $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets on Wednesday, more than a year after the mega-merger was proposed. Disney gets far ranging properties ranging from Fox’s film studios, including “Avatar” and X-Men, to its TV productions such as “The Simpsons” and networks including National Geographic.

The acquisition comes as Disney plans to launch its streaming service Disney Plus later this year.

MOVIES

X-Men and other movies from Fox’s studios could be added to Disney’s upcoming streaming service. Fox’s film studios, with “Avatar,” X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Deadpool, would pair well with Disney’s studios. This includes reuniting the Marvel franchises X-Men and the Avengers, as some of those characters were already in Fox’s hands when Disney bought Marvel in 2009. Disney also has the Muppets, Pixar and “Star Wars.”

On Tuesday actor Ryan Reynolds tweeted a picture of his “Deadpool” character in a Disney-branded school bus. “Feels like the first day of ’Pool,” he wrote.

TELEVISION

Fox’s TV productions include “The Americans,” ″This Is Us,” ″Modern Family” and “The Simpsons.” Its networks include FX Networks and National Geographic. The Fox businesses add to Disney’s roster of channels like ABC, the Disney Channel and Freeform. “Modern Family” already airs on ABC.

STREAMING

Disney gets controlling stake in streaming service Hulu. Comcast, Disney and Fox now own 30 percent apiece, with AT&amp;T owning the other 10 percent through Time Warner. With Fox’s share, Disney has a controlling 60 percent stake. It has said it plans to keep operating Hulu for general programming, with its own Disney Plus service offering more family-focused fare.

INTERNATIONAL

Though it dropped its bid for Fox’s stake in Sky, Disney gets other international properties from Fox, including Star India, a major Mumbai-based media company with dozens of sports and entertainment channels; and stakes in Tata Sky, an Indian satellite TV provider and Endemol Shine Group, a Dutch-based media company.

THEME PARKS

Disney has made extensive use of its portfolio at its theme parks in California, Florida and overseas. Disney, for instance, is expanding its attractions related to “Star Wars.” On the flip side, Disney turned its Pirates of the Caribbean ride into a major movie franchise.

Disney would be able to expand its opportunities with Fox, though theme parks have historically been able to reach licensing deals with rival studios. Comcast’s Universal, for instance, has rides based on Fox’s “The Simpsons” and Warner Bros.′ “Harry Potter.” Disney has licensed Fox’s “Avatar” for its “Pandora” park within Walt Disney World.

&nbsp;

It’s finally complete. Disney closed its $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets on Wednesday, more than a year after the mega-merger was proposed.

It’s finally complete. Disney closed its $71 billion acquisition of Fox’s entertainment assets on Wednesday, more than a year after the mega-merger was proposed. Disney gets far ranging properties ranging from Fox’s film studios, including “Avatar” and X-Men, to its TV productions such as “The Simpsons” and networks including National Geographic. The acquisition comes as Disney plans to launch its streaming service Disney Plus later this year. MOVIES X-Men and other movies from Fox’s studios could be added to Disney’s upcoming streaming service. Fox’s film studios, with “Avatar,” X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Deadpool, would pair well with Disney’s studios. This includes reuniting the Marvel franchises X-Men and the Avengers, as some of those characters were already in Fox’s hands when Disney bought Marvel in 2009. Disney also has the Muppets, Pixar and “Star Wars.” On Tuesday actor Ryan Reynolds tweeted a picture of his “Deadpool” character in a Disney-branded school bus. “Feels like the first day of ’Pool,” he wrote. TELEVISION Fox’s TV productions include “The Americans,” ″This Is Us,” ″Modern Family” and “The Simpsons.” Its networks include FX Networks and National Geographic. The Fox businesses add to Disney’s roster of channels like ABC, the Disney Channel and Freeform. “Modern Family” already airs on ABC. STREAMING Disney gets controlling stake in streaming service Hulu. Comcast, Disney and Fox now own 30 percent apiece, with AT&T owning the other 10 percent through Time Warner. With Fox’s share, Disney has a controlling 60 percent stake. It has said it plans to keep operating Hulu for general programming, with its own Disney Plus service offering more family-focused fare. INTERNATIONAL Though it dropped its bid for Fox’s stake in Sky, Disney gets other international properties from Fox, including Star India, a major Mumbai-based media company with dozens of sports and entertainment channels; and stakes in Tata Sky, an Indian satellite TV provider and Endemol Shine Group, a Dutch-based media company. THEME PARKS Disney has made extensive use of its portfolio at its theme parks in California, Florida and overseas. Disney, for instance, is expanding its attractions related to “Star Wars.” On the flip side, Disney turned its Pirates of the Caribbean ride into a major movie franchise. Disney would be able to expand its opportunities with Fox, though theme parks have historically been able to reach licensing deals with rival studios. Comcast’s Universal, for instance, has rides based on Fox’s “The Simpsons” and Warner Bros.′ “Harry Potter.” Disney has licensed Fox’s “Avatar” for its “Pandora” park within Walt Disney World.

What Disney gets as its $71.3 billion buy of Fox assets closes

Someone’s not happy with Netflix cancelling ‘The Punisher’.&nbsp;

Rapper Eminem took to his Twitter to share his disappointment on the cancellation of the show. Netflix cancelled all Marvel shows ending their six-year partnership with them. ‘The Punisher’ was among the most recent shows to be laid off after two seasons.

The Oscar-winning artist sort-of protested via his account as he wrote: "Dear Netflix, Regarding your cancellation of 'The Punisher', you are blowing it!! Sincerely, Marshall.” He meant it with all seriousness as he typed the letters in full caps.&nbsp;

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DEAR <a href="https://twitter.com/netflix?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NETFLIX</a>, 
 
REGARDING YOUR CANCELLATION OF THE PUNISHER, YOU ARE BLOWING IT!! 
 
SINCERELY, 
MARSHALL
— Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) <a href="https://twitter.com/Eminem/status/1098428332113301504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Among others, Netflix had already cancelled ‘Iron Fist’, ‘Luke Cage’, and ‘Daredevil’ after the release of their most recent seasons.&nbsp;

The last one to go would be the upcoming third season of ‘Jessica Jones’ that will mark Marvel's last release on the streaming giant.&nbsp;

This comes in response to Disney preparing to launch its own streaming service, Disney+.&nbsp;

Someone’s not happy with Netflix cancelling ‘The Punisher’. Rapper Eminem took to his Twitter to share his disappointment on the cancellation of the show. Netflix cancelled all Marvel shows ending their six-year partnership with them.

Someone’s not happy with Netflix cancelling ‘The Punisher’. Rapper Eminem took to his Twitter to share his disappointment on the cancellation of the show. Netflix cancelled all Marvel shows ending their six-year partnership with them. ‘The Punisher’ was among the most recent shows to be laid off after two seasons. The Oscar-winning artist sort-of protested via his account as he wrote: "Dear Netflix, Regarding your cancellation of 'The Punisher', you are blowing it!! Sincerely, Marshall.” He meant it with all seriousness as he typed the letters in full caps. DEAR @NETFLIX, REGARDING YOUR CANCELLATION OF THE PUNISHER, YOU ARE BLOWING IT!! SINCERELY, MARSHALL — Marshall Mathers (@Eminem) February 21, 2019 × Among others, Netflix had already cancelled ‘Iron Fist’, ‘Luke Cage’, and ‘Daredevil’ after the release of their most recent seasons. The last one to go would be the upcoming third season of ‘Jessica Jones’ that will mark Marvel's last release on the streaming giant. This comes in response to Disney preparing to launch its own streaming service, Disney+.

Rapper Eminem is furious as Netflix cancels 'The Punisher' after two seasons

Disney had created history of sorts when 'Frozen' had released back in 2013 making the characters Elsa and Anna household names. Now the sisters are back with in sequel.&nbsp; 
 
In the preview of the sequel to the Oscar-winning 2013 film, ice queen Elsa attempts to conquer a massive body of water.&nbsp; 
 
The teaser shows Elsa reuniting with sister Anna and her good friend Kristoff. The video follows the trio on an adventurous trip which takes them far away from their home in Arendelle. 
 
Kristen Bell (Anna), Josh Gad (Olaf) and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff) has once again lent their voice to the film. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SbOrz72EzNU" width="560"></iframe> 
 
Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are returning for the sequel. 
 
Disney`s original 2013 film ‘Frozen’ bagged an Oscar for best animated feature and best original song for 'Let It Go.'&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L0MK7qz13bU" width="560"></iframe> 
 
In 2018, the film was also launched as a live musical on Broadway.`Frozen 2` is scheduled to hit the big screens in November 2019.&nbsp;

Disney had created history of sorts when 'Frozen' had released back in 2013 making the characters Elsa and Anna household names. Now the sisters are back with in sequel.

Disney had created history of sorts when 'Frozen' had released back in 2013 making the characters Elsa and Anna household names. Now the sisters are back with in sequel. In the preview of the sequel to the Oscar-winning 2013 film, ice queen Elsa attempts to conquer a massive body of water. The teaser shows Elsa reuniting with sister Anna and her good friend Kristoff. The video follows the trio on an adventurous trip which takes them far away from their home in Arendelle. Kristen Bell (Anna), Josh Gad (Olaf) and Jonathan Groff (Kristoff) has once again lent their voice to the film. Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez are returning for the sequel. Disney`s original 2013 film ‘Frozen’ bagged an Oscar for best animated feature and best original song for 'Let It Go.' In 2018, the film was also launched as a live musical on Broadway.`Frozen 2` is scheduled to hit the big screens in November 2019.

'Frozen 2' teaser: Elsa and Anna are back with a new adventure

Actor James McAvoy has doubts as to how the X-Men characters will be incorporated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the merger between Disney and Fox is complete. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; 
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the 39-year-old actor expressed concerns over how 'the X-Men could go into the Marvel universe'.

"I think what's different about the Avengers universe anyway is you've only got a couple of superheroes in the world. There's a good amount, but there's like a couple of football teams' worth, you know what I mean? Whereas in the X-Men world you're potentially saying there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of (superheroes) and the social implication of that is different," McAvoy said.

He also talked about the conundrum of portraying the superheroes to the real world. While in the X-Men universe, the superheroes have to conceal their identities, they are revered figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"In the X-Men world, (superheroes) are ghetto-ised. They're ostracised and they're feared. Whereas in the Avengers world, they're honoured a bit more... And seen as heroes. We're seen almost like immigrants that people are scared of in the world of mutants and humans. How do you resolve that?" he asked.

The actor is currently promoting M Night Shymalan's 'Glass', the third part of the director's Eastrail 177 Trilogy after 'Unbreakable' (2000) and 'Split' (2016).&nbsp;

The film, which also features Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson, will hit the theatres on January 18 in the US. 
&nbsp;

Actor James McAvoy has doubts as to how the X-Men characters will be incorporated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the merger between Disney and Fox is complete.

Actor James McAvoy has doubts as to how the X-Men characters will be incorporated in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the merger between Disney and Fox is complete. In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, the 39-year-old actor expressed concerns over how 'the X-Men could go into the Marvel universe'. "I think what's different about the Avengers universe anyway is you've only got a couple of superheroes in the world. There's a good amount, but there's like a couple of football teams' worth, you know what I mean? Whereas in the X-Men world you're potentially saying there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of (superheroes) and the social implication of that is different," McAvoy said. He also talked about the conundrum of portraying the superheroes to the real world. While in the X-Men universe, the superheroes have to conceal their identities, they are revered figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "In the X-Men world, (superheroes) are ghetto-ised. They're ostracised and they're feared. Whereas in the Avengers world, they're honoured a bit more... And seen as heroes. We're seen almost like immigrants that people are scared of in the world of mutants and humans. How do you resolve that?" he asked. The actor is currently promoting M Night Shymalan's 'Glass', the third part of the director's Eastrail 177 Trilogy after 'Unbreakable' (2000) and 'Split' (2016). The film, which also features Bruce Willis and Samuel L Jackson, will hit the theatres on January 18 in the US.

James McAvoy not sure about X-Men amalgamation into Marvel Cinematic Universe

Disney`s 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' recharged for its second consecutive weekend atop the North American box office, generating a healthy $25.8 million.

That marks a decline of just 53%,&nbsp;and pushes the animated sequel`s domestic haul past $100 million. Overseas, 'Ralph'&nbsp;earned $33.7 million this weekend, taking its international total to $87 million. Keeping in line with end of the year traditions, major studios largely sat out the post-Thanksgiving frame. The only new nationwide release, 'The Possession of Hannah Grace,' opened in line with industry estimates and brought in $6.5 million from 2,065 locations.

'The Possession of Hannah Grace'&nbsp;follows 'Pretty Little Liars' star Shay Mitchell as a morgue worker who realizes a disfigured cadaver has been possessed by a demon. Neither critics nor audiences have embraced the R-rated supernatural thriller (it carries a 19%&nbsp;on Rotten Tomatoes and a C- CinemaScore), though reviews don`t always influence horror buffs. Sony`s Screen Gems distributed the movie, and Broken Road handle production. The movie, which was entirely shot on a small and inexpensive Sony a7s II, carries a $10 million production budget.

However, a handful of holdovers dominated the domestic market. Illumination and Universal`s 'The Grinch'&nbsp;returned to second place, stealing $17.7 million and taking its stateside tally to $203.5 million.&nbsp;

'Creed II,'&nbsp;the second movie in the Rocky Balboa spinoff series, dropped to third and brought in $16.8 million during its second weekend of release. The boxing drama has now amassed $81 million.

In fourth, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald'&nbsp;added $11.2 million for a domestic total of $134 million. While it has struggled to gain the same traction as the first 'Fantastic Beasts,'&nbsp;the sequel in the 'Harry Potter' prequel series has seen promising returns overseas. 'Crimes of Grindelwald' has made $385.3 million from foreign markets, taking its worldwide tally past $500 million.

Rounding out the top five is 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with $7.9 million. Fox`s Freddie Mercury biopic has picked up an impressive $164.3 million in North America.

At the specialty box office, Fox Searchlight`s 'The Favourite'&nbsp;saw another strong weekend when it expanded to 34 theaters. Yorgos Lanthimos` absurdist period drama made $1.1 million this weekend for an impressive screen average of $32,500. The Oscar hopeful that centers on the drama between two cousins jockeying to be the court favorites during the reign of Queen Anne launched last weekend with the best per-theater average ($105,600) in two years. The cast includes Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, and Olivia Colman. Fox Searchlight plans to bring the film to around 80 theaters as it continues its gradual platform release.

Other indie releases were less fortunate. Warner Bros. 'Head Full of Honey'&nbsp;failed to impress when it opened in four locations in New York and Los Angeles. The drama that sees Nick Nolte portray a widower with Alzheimer`s made just $2,250 per location.

Meanwhile, Orion Pictures` zombie musical "Anna and the Apocalypse" brought in $50,000 when it debuted on five screens, averaging $10,000 per theater.

In notable milestones, National Geographic`s 'Free Solo'&nbsp;became the fourth documentary this year to cross $10 million at the domestic box office. The non-fiction film about the first free solo rock climb of Yosemite`s El Capitan is now the fourth-highest grossing documentary this year, behind 'Won`t You Be My Neighbor" ($22.6 million), 'RBG'&nbsp;($14 million), and "Three Identical Strangers' ($12.3 million).

The 2018 box office continues to outpace last year, with revenues up 10%&nbsp;from 2017, according to Comscore. This weekend`s totals were up a strong 11.8% compared to the same outing last year when the second frame of "Coco" made $27.5 million.

"Typically the post-Thanksgiving weekend is a snooze-fest in theaters," said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore. "While this year was comparatively quiet, it still had the advantage of a strong slate of very popular holdovers, plus the continually expanding roster of awards season films."

Multiplexes won`t see a huge boost in ticket sales until Dec. 14 when 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' 'The Mule,' and 'Mortal Engines' open nationwide. The following weekend will be one of the more competitive frames with 'Mary Poppins Returns,' 'Aquaman,'&nbsp;and 'Bumblebee'&nbsp;looking to entice moviegoers during a crowded Christmas race.

Disney`s 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' recharged for its second consecutive weekend atop the North American box office, generating a healthy $25.8 million. That marks a decline of just 53%, and pushes the animated sequel`s domestic haul past $100 million.

Disney`s 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' recharged for its second consecutive weekend atop the North American box office, generating a healthy $25.8 million. That marks a decline of just 53%, and pushes the animated sequel`s domestic haul past $100 million. Overseas, 'Ralph' earned $33.7 million this weekend, taking its international total to $87 million. Keeping in line with end of the year traditions, major studios largely sat out the post-Thanksgiving frame. The only new nationwide release, 'The Possession of Hannah Grace,' opened in line with industry estimates and brought in $6.5 million from 2,065 locations. 'The Possession of Hannah Grace' follows 'Pretty Little Liars' star Shay Mitchell as a morgue worker who realizes a disfigured cadaver has been possessed by a demon. Neither critics nor audiences have embraced the R-rated supernatural thriller (it carries a 19% on Rotten Tomatoes and a C- CinemaScore), though reviews don`t always influence horror buffs. Sony`s Screen Gems distributed the movie, and Broken Road handle production. The movie, which was entirely shot on a small and inexpensive Sony a7s II, carries a $10 million production budget. However, a handful of holdovers dominated the domestic market. Illumination and Universal`s 'The Grinch' returned to second place, stealing $17.7 million and taking its stateside tally to $203.5 million. 'Creed II,' the second movie in the Rocky Balboa spinoff series, dropped to third and brought in $16.8 million during its second weekend of release. The boxing drama has now amassed $81 million. In fourth, 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald' added $11.2 million for a domestic total of $134 million. While it has struggled to gain the same traction as the first 'Fantastic Beasts,' the sequel in the 'Harry Potter' prequel series has seen promising returns overseas. 'Crimes of Grindelwald' has made $385.3 million from foreign markets, taking its worldwide tally past $500 million. Rounding out the top five is 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with $7.9 million. Fox`s Freddie Mercury biopic has picked up an impressive $164.3 million in North America. At the specialty box office, Fox Searchlight`s 'The Favourite' saw another strong weekend when it expanded to 34 theaters. Yorgos Lanthimos` absurdist period drama made $1.1 million this weekend for an impressive screen average of $32,500. The Oscar hopeful that centers on the drama between two cousins jockeying to be the court favorites during the reign of Queen Anne launched last weekend with the best per-theater average ($105,600) in two years. The cast includes Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, and Olivia Colman. Fox Searchlight plans to bring the film to around 80 theaters as it continues its gradual platform release. Other indie releases were less fortunate. Warner Bros. 'Head Full of Honey' failed to impress when it opened in four locations in New York and Los Angeles. The drama that sees Nick Nolte portray a widower with Alzheimer`s made just $2,250 per location. Meanwhile, Orion Pictures` zombie musical "Anna and the Apocalypse" brought in $50,000 when it debuted on five screens, averaging $10,000 per theater. In notable milestones, National Geographic`s 'Free Solo' became the fourth documentary this year to cross $10 million at the domestic box office. The non-fiction film about the first free solo rock climb of Yosemite`s El Capitan is now the fourth-highest grossing documentary this year, behind 'Won`t You Be My Neighbor" ($22.6 million), 'RBG' ($14 million), and "Three Identical Strangers' ($12.3 million). The 2018 box office continues to outpace last year, with revenues up 10% from 2017, according to Comscore. This weekend`s totals were up a strong 11.8% compared to the same outing last year when the second frame of "Coco" made $27.5 million. "Typically the post-Thanksgiving weekend is a snooze-fest in theaters," said Paul Dergarabedian, a senior media analyst with Comscore. "While this year was comparatively quiet, it still had the advantage of a strong slate of very popular holdovers, plus the continually expanding roster of awards season films." Multiplexes won`t see a huge boost in ticket sales until Dec. 14 when 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,' 'The Mule,' and 'Mortal Engines' open nationwide. The following weekend will be one of the more competitive frames with 'Mary Poppins Returns,' 'Aquaman,' and 'Bumblebee' looking to entice moviegoers during a crowded Christmas race.

Post-Thanksgiving box office: 'Ralph Breaks the Internet' stays No. 1 with $26 million

As Disney gears to launch its own streaming platform<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/disney-to-debut-its-streaming-platform-called-disney-in-late-2019-176433"> Disney+</a>, Netflix has now decided to drop Marvel’s live-action show ‘Daredevil’. This comes after they have cancelled ‘Luke Cage’ and ‘Iron Fist’.

A Netflix spokesperson said in a statement, “Marvel’s Daredevil will not return for a fourth season on Netflix. We are tremendously proud of the show’s last and final season and although it’s painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note. We’re thankful to showrunner Erik Oleson, the show’s writers, stellar crew and an incredible cast including Charlie Cox as Daredevil himself, and we’re grateful to the fans who have supported the show over the years.”

The spokesperson added: “While the series on Netflix has ended, the three existing seasons will remain on the service for years to come, while the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel.”

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I’m so sad that we won’t be continuing this story. Mostly I’ll miss seeing the friends I’ve made everyday. Thank you to every person who contributed to this series over the years. And to <a href="https://twitter.com/erikoleson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@erikoleson</a> because of you we are going out on a high. <a href="https://twitter.com/Daredevil?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Daredevil</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Daredevil?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Daredevil</a> <a href="https://t.co/aVmXu1UwFu">pic.twitter.com/aVmXu1UwFu</a>
— Deborah Ann Woll (@DeborahAnnWoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeborahAnnWoll/status/1068353338629083137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘The Punisher’ are now the only series on Netflix’s Defenders’ roster.

Meanwhile, Disney has already announced a few series on its platform as soon it launches including one on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/tom-hiddleston-confirmed-to-get-own-spin-off-series-on-disney-streaming-platform-176865">Loki </a>and others.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-disney-brings-back-the-lion-king-with-new-cast-and-some-impressive-cgi-178894">Also</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-disney-brings-back-the-lion-king-with-new-cast-and-some-impressive-cgi-178894"> watch </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-disney-brings-back-the-lion-king-with-new-cast-and-some-impressive-cgi-178894">trailer</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-disney-brings-back-the-lion-king-with-new-cast-and-some-impressive-cgi-178894">: Disney brings back 'The Lion King' with </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-disney-brings-back-the-lion-king-with-new-cast-and-some-impressive-cgi-178894">new</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-trailer-disney-brings-back-the-lion-king-with-new-cast-and-some-impressive-cgi-178894"> cast and some impressive CGI</a>

As Disney gears to launch its own streaming platform Disney+, Netflix has now decided to drop Marvel’s live-action show ‘Daredevil’. This comes after they have cancelled ‘Luke Cage’ and ‘Iron Fist’.

As Disney gears to launch its own streaming platform Disney+, Netflix has now decided to drop Marvel’s live-action show ‘Daredevil’. This comes after they have cancelled ‘Luke Cage’ and ‘Iron Fist’. A Netflix spokesperson said in a statement, “Marvel’s Daredevil will not return for a fourth season on Netflix. We are tremendously proud of the show’s last and final season and although it’s painful for the fans, we feel it best to close this chapter on a high note. We’re thankful to showrunner Erik Oleson, the show’s writers, stellar crew and an incredible cast including Charlie Cox as Daredevil himself, and we’re grateful to the fans who have supported the show over the years.” The spokesperson added: “While the series on Netflix has ended, the three existing seasons will remain on the service for years to come, while the Daredevil character will live on in future projects for Marvel.” I’m so sad that we won’t be continuing this story. Mostly I’ll miss seeing the friends I’ve made everyday. Thank you to every person who contributed to this series over the years. And to @erikoleson because of you we are going out on a high. @Daredevil #Daredevil pic.twitter.com/aVmXu1UwFu — Deborah Ann Woll (@DeborahAnnWoll) November 30, 2018 × ‘Jessica Jones’ and ‘The Punisher’ are now the only series on Netflix’s Defenders’ roster. Meanwhile, Disney has already announced a few series on its platform as soon it launches including one on Loki and others. Also watch trailer: Disney brings back 'The Lion King' with new cast and some impressive CGI

Ahead of Disney's streaming platform launch, Netflix drops Marvel’s ‘Daredevil’

Disney does not want us to ever get over ‘The Lion King’ as it brings the reimagined version of the story back in theatres.&nbsp;

Directed by ‘The Jungle Book’ director Jon Favreau, the new ‘The Lion King’ is a live-action remake with special CGI work. Disney has also brought together some big names from the Hollywood industry to voice the much-loved characters including James Earl Jones (King Mufasa), Simba (Donald Glover) and Beyonce, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keegan-Michael Key, John Oliver, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner.&nbsp;

This is the first poster of the film:

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Here’s the 🦁👑 poster. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheLionKing?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheLionKing</a> <a href="https://t.co/oOpgIOVzI6">pic.twitter.com/oOpgIOVzI6</a>
— Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jon_Favreau/status/1065740162519318528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The film is a remake of the 1994 hit film of the same name. It will release on July 19, 2019.&nbsp;

Watch the teaser trailer here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="675" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4CbLXeGSDxg" width="1280"></iframe>

Disney has a few other remake projects in the pipeline like 'Dumbo,'&nbsp;directed by Tim Burton, and 'Aladdin'&nbsp;from Guy Ritchie. 
&nbsp;

Disney does not want us to ever get over ‘The Lion King’ as it brings the reimagined version of the story back in theatres. Directed by ‘The Jungle Book’ director Jon Favreau, the new ‘The Lion King’ is a live-action remake with special CGI work.

Disney does not want us to ever get over ‘The Lion King’ as it brings the reimagined version of the story back in theatres. Directed by ‘The Jungle Book’ director Jon Favreau, the new ‘The Lion King’ is a live-action remake with special CGI work. Disney has also brought together some big names from the Hollywood industry to voice the much-loved characters including James Earl Jones (King Mufasa), Simba (Donald Glover) and Beyonce, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Keegan-Michael Key, John Oliver, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner. This is the first poster of the film: Here’s the 🦁👑 poster. #TheLionKing pic.twitter.com/oOpgIOVzI6 — Jon Favreau (@Jon_Favreau) November 22, 2018 × The film is a remake of the 1994 hit film of the same name. It will release on July 19, 2019. Watch the teaser trailer here: Disney has a few other remake projects in the pipeline like 'Dumbo,' directed by Tim Burton, and 'Aladdin' from Guy Ritchie.

Watch trailer: Disney brings back 'The Lion King' with new cast and some impressive CGI

It was the Roaring '20s. Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, the New York Yankees had just won their third World Series title and Mickey Mouse made his debut on the silver screen.

On Sunday, Mickey Mouse, the brainchild of cartoonist Walt Disney that eventually came to symbolize a global entertainment empire, celebrates his 90th birthday.

The iconic rodent, whose easily recognizable silhouette consists simply of a big circle and two little ones for ears, launched his celluloid career in "Steamboat Willie," at New York's Colony Theater on Nov. 18, 1928.

In the eight-minute-long, black-and-white cartoon, Mickey pilots a steamboat and entertains his passenger, Minnie Mouse, by making musical instruments out of the menagerie on board, according to IMDB.com.

Mickey Mouse, whom the Walt Disney Co calls its global ambassador, also starred in Disney's critically acclaimed 1942 animated film "Fantasia," and would go on to launch a franchise with "The Mickey Mouse Club," the 1950s television series that was a favourite of American baby boom kids.

His image appeared on T-shirts, lunch boxes and watches, and the telltale mouse ears are still worn by kids visiting Disney theme parks today.

To mark his birthday, Disney opened a 16,000-square-foot art exhibition in Manhattan, called "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition," featuring original art, larger-than-life photo ops and, of course, commemorative merchandise. The exhibition runs until Feb. 10.

After all, reaching one's 90th birthday is a milestone for anyone, but especially for a mouse, which the pest control company Teminix estimates has a normal lifespan of no more than three years.

It was the Roaring '20s. Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, the New York Yankees had just won their third World Series title and Mickey Mouse made his debut on the silver screen.

It was the Roaring '20s. Calvin Coolidge was in the White House, the New York Yankees had just won their third World Series title and Mickey Mouse made his debut on the silver screen. On Sunday, Mickey Mouse, the brainchild of cartoonist Walt Disney that eventually came to symbolize a global entertainment empire, celebrates his 90th birthday. The iconic rodent, whose easily recognizable silhouette consists simply of a big circle and two little ones for ears, launched his celluloid career in "Steamboat Willie," at New York's Colony Theater on Nov. 18, 1928. In the eight-minute-long, black-and-white cartoon, Mickey pilots a steamboat and entertains his passenger, Minnie Mouse, by making musical instruments out of the menagerie on board, according to IMDB.com. Mickey Mouse, whom the Walt Disney Co calls its global ambassador, also starred in Disney's critically acclaimed 1942 animated film "Fantasia," and would go on to launch a franchise with "The Mickey Mouse Club," the 1950s television series that was a favourite of American baby boom kids. His image appeared on T-shirts, lunch boxes and watches, and the telltale mouse ears are still worn by kids visiting Disney theme parks today. To mark his birthday, Disney opened a 16,000-square-foot art exhibition in Manhattan, called "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition," featuring original art, larger-than-life photo ops and, of course, commemorative merchandise. The exhibition runs until Feb. 10. After all, reaching one's 90th birthday is a milestone for anyone, but especially for a mouse, which the pest control company Teminix estimates has a normal lifespan of no more than three years.

Mickey Mouse, the icon of an animation empire, celebrates 90th birthday

The wait for Summer 2019 just got longer. As Disney dropped the teaser of 'Toy &nbsp;Story 4' on Monday, new member `Forky` &nbsp;became an instant hit on the internet. Disney teased fans with a glimpse of the film and revealed that the film will out in the summer of 2019.&nbsp; 
 
The teaser features all the main toy characters from the previous instalment of the franchise, floating through the air with Joni Mitchell`s `Both Sides Now` playing in the background.&nbsp;

Midway through the pleasant scene, Forky screams, "I don`t belong here!" Forky, a makeshift toy that was formally a spork, through its panicked response, sets off a chain reaction sending the other toys spinning and tripping. "I`m not a toy!" Forky screams in the end.

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Summer 2019. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ToyStory4?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ToyStory4</a> <a href="https://t.co/IBzdOJKpka">pic.twitter.com/IBzdOJKpka</a>
— Disney (@Disney) <a href="https://twitter.com/Disney/status/1061967095275999233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
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According to E! Online, the latest instalment of the film will follow Forky, a spork brought to life as a craft-project using googly eyes and pipe cleaner, on its journey. It is a story about how Forky, formally a utensil, feels terribly out of place in a room full of toys. 
 
Speaking about the plot of the film, director Josh Cooley said, "The world of Toy Story is built upon the idea that everything in the world has a purpose. A toy`s purpose is to be there for its child. But what about toys that are made out of other objects? Forky is a toy that Bonnie made out of a disposable spork, so he`s facing a crisis. He wants to fulfill his purpose as a spork, but now has a new toy purpose thrust upon him." 
 
Produced by Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera, the animated film is scheduled to release on June 21, 2019.&nbsp;

(With ANI inputs)

The wait for Summer 2019 just got longer. As Disney dropped the teaser of 'Toy Story 4' on Monday, new member `Forky` became an instant hit on the internet. Disney teased fans with a glimpse of the film and revealed that the film will out in the summer of 2019.

The wait for Summer 2019 just got longer. As Disney dropped the teaser of 'Toy Story 4' on Monday, new member `Forky` became an instant hit on the internet. Disney teased fans with a glimpse of the film and revealed that the film will out in the summer of 2019. The teaser features all the main toy characters from the previous instalment of the franchise, floating through the air with Joni Mitchell`s `Both Sides Now` playing in the background. Midway through the pleasant scene, Forky screams, "I don`t belong here!" Forky, a makeshift toy that was formally a spork, through its panicked response, sets off a chain reaction sending the other toys spinning and tripping. "I`m not a toy!" Forky screams in the end. Summer 2019. #ToyStory4 pic.twitter.com/IBzdOJKpka — Disney (@Disney) November 12, 2018 × According to E! Online, the latest instalment of the film will follow Forky, a spork brought to life as a craft-project using googly eyes and pipe cleaner, on its journey. It is a story about how Forky, formally a utensil, feels terribly out of place in a room full of toys. Speaking about the plot of the film, director Josh Cooley said, "The world of Toy Story is built upon the idea that everything in the world has a purpose. A toy`s purpose is to be there for its child. But what about toys that are made out of other objects? Forky is a toy that Bonnie made out of a disposable spork, so he`s facing a crisis. He wants to fulfill his purpose as a spork, but now has a new toy purpose thrust upon him." Produced by Mark Nielsen and Jonas Rivera, the animated film is scheduled to release on June 21, 2019. (With ANI inputs)

'Toy Story 4' teaser: Meet Forky, the new toy in town

Tom Hiddleston who is most famous for his role in Marvel films as Thor’s brother, Loki will now be getting his own spin-off series that will stream on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/disney-to-debut-its-streaming-platform-called-disney-in-late-2019-176433">Disney+</a>. We earlier told you that Disney’s soon-to-launch streaming platform will give a new lease of life to some characters including Loki. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/avengers-4-captain-americas-friends-falcon-bucky-barnes-to-get-own-disney-shows-175149">Also read:&nbsp;'Avengers 4': Captain America’s friends Falcon, Bucky Barnes to get own Disney shows</a> 
&nbsp; 
Tom confirmed the news on his Twitter and wrote: “Loki. More stories to tell. More mischief to make. More to come.”

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— Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) <a href="https://twitter.com/twhiddleston/status/1060955612413079558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Disney also confirmed the same and issued a statement that reads: “Disney+ is... assembling a live-action series centred around a fan-favourite character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Bob) Iger today confirmed that Marvel Studios is developing a series based on Loki, the god of mischief, to star Tom Hiddleston.”

There is also news that Scarlett Johansson played Witch will also get its standalone show.&nbsp;

Tom Hiddleston who is most famous for his role in Marvel films as Thor’s brother, Loki will now be getting his own spin-off series that will stream on Disney+. We earlier told you that Disney’s soon-to-launch streaming platform will give a new lease of life to some characters including Loki.

Tom Hiddleston who is most famous for his role in Marvel films as Thor’s brother, Loki will now be getting his own spin-off series that will stream on Disney+. We earlier told you that Disney’s soon-to-launch streaming platform will give a new lease of life to some characters including Loki. Also read: 'Avengers 4': Captain America’s friends Falcon, Bucky Barnes to get own Disney shows Tom confirmed the news on his Twitter and wrote: “Loki. More stories to tell. More mischief to make. More to come.” pic.twitter.com/4jl3dAVLqv — Tom Hiddleston (@twhiddleston) November 9, 2018 × Disney also confirmed the same and issued a statement that reads: “Disney+ is... assembling a live-action series centred around a fan-favourite character from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Bob) Iger today confirmed that Marvel Studios is developing a series based on Loki, the god of mischief, to star Tom Hiddleston.” There is also news that Scarlett Johansson played Witch will also get its standalone show.

Tom Hiddleston's Loki confirmed to get spin-off series on Disney streaming platform

It’s not news that Disney has ended its partnership with Netflix, but they will soon launch its Netflix rival called ‘Disney+’ in late 2019. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger made the announcement on the company’s earnings call on Thursday. 
&nbsp; 
It was revealed that Disney will separate its ways from Netflix in August 2017 and would pull out its content from the streaming platform in 2019, after it starts its own streaming platform.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/netflix-announces-nine-original-films-from-india-176429">Also read:&nbsp;Netflix announces nine original films from India</a> 
&nbsp; 
Now, Disney has also <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/disney-buying-fox-film-tv-units-for-52-billion-in-digital-push-26845">purchased Fox</a> for $71.3 billion in cash and stock, further strengthening its library of content. Disney+ will also feature new, original shows and movies, including original Marvel and Star Wars series.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
We told you recently that Marvel’s Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, will get an original series on Disney+. A prequel series to Star Wars movie ‘Rogue One’ about the character Cassian Andor, portrayed by Diego Luna, will also be there. Also,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/avengers-4-captain-americas-friends-falcon-bucky-barnes-to-get-own-disney-shows-175149">Marvel’s Falcon and Bucky Barnes </a>who are best seen alongside Captain America as his sidekicks will soon get their own Disney shows.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/disney-celebrates-mickey-mouses-90th-birthday-with-a-new-exhibition-176184">Watch:&nbsp;Disney celebrates Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday with a new exhibition</a> 
&nbsp; 
Other original shows and movies include a rebooted version of The High School Musical franchise. It will also be a hub for animated content, including the next season of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and a new original animated series based on Pixar's ‘Monsters Inc.’&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Exclusive movies include ‘Noel,’ a Christmas movie about Santa's daughter played by Anna Kendrick, and ‘Togo,’ a movie about the 1925 Nome Serum Run starring William DaFoe.

It’s not news that Disney has ended its partnership with Netflix, but they will soon launch its Netflix rival called ‘Disney+’ in late 2019. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger made the announcement on the company’s earnings call on Thursday.

It’s not news that Disney has ended its partnership with Netflix, but they will soon launch its Netflix rival called ‘Disney+’ in late 2019. Disney’s CEO Bob Iger made the announcement on the company’s earnings call on Thursday. It was revealed that Disney will separate its ways from Netflix in August 2017 and would pull out its content from the streaming platform in 2019, after it starts its own streaming platform. Also read: Netflix announces nine original films from India Now, Disney has also purchased Fox for $71.3 billion in cash and stock, further strengthening its library of content. Disney+ will also feature new, original shows and movies, including original Marvel and Star Wars series. We told you recently that Marvel’s Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston, will get an original series on Disney+. A prequel series to Star Wars movie ‘Rogue One’ about the character Cassian Andor, portrayed by Diego Luna, will also be there. Also, Marvel’s Falcon and Bucky Barnes who are best seen alongside Captain America as his sidekicks will soon get their own Disney shows. Watch: Disney celebrates Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday with a new exhibition Other original shows and movies include a rebooted version of The High School Musical franchise. It will also be a hub for animated content, including the next season of ‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ and a new original animated series based on Pixar's ‘Monsters Inc.’ Exclusive movies include ‘Noel,’ a Christmas movie about Santa's daughter played by Anna Kendrick, and ‘Togo,’ a movie about the 1925 Nome Serum Run starring William DaFoe.

Disney to debut its streaming platform called Disney+ in late 2019

In an exciting news update, Marvel’s Falcon and Bucky Barnes who are best seen alongside Captain America as his sidekicks will soon get their own Disney shows. Yes, their own limited TV series.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The only sad news is that they may feature in shows without Steve Rogers aka our Captain America who will by the way, not be seen in any Marvel movie post ‘Avengers 4’. His contract with Marvel ends after ‘Avengers 4’ and Steve has already moved on and got even a farewell. Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr. recently shared a heartfelt message for his friend Captain America as he bids goodbye to his character.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/avengers-4-is-mcu-planning-to-release-the-trailer-of-the-film-by-november-end-175012">Is MCU planning to release the trailer of the film by November end?</a> 
&nbsp; 
Coming back to Falcon and Bucky Barnes, they will get their own shows on Disney’s streaming service which will launch next year.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/avengers-4-is-katherine-langford-of-13-reasons-why-set-to-play-iron-mans-daughter-174918">Is Katherine Langford of '13 Reasons Why' set to play Iron Man's daughter?</a> 
&nbsp; 
It has been revealed that even Loki and Scarlet Witch will get their own limited series. These will be official spin-offs and are set within the Marvel cinematic universe.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
‘Civil War’ comic book artist Steve McNiven told a UK-based daily: “In the comics, Cap eventually gets killed [and] the Winter Soldier [Bucky] takes up his [role]. Maybe they’ll eventually work that storyline in.I’d love to see Sam [Wilson, Falcon] take up the mantle of Captain America as well. It’s very interesting because the idea of Captain America in the comics is not a particular person, but more of an ideal. In the same way with Thor: If you’re worthy you can pick up the hammer and have his powers."&nbsp;

In an exciting news update, Marvel’s Falcon and Bucky Barnes who are best seen alongside Captain America as his sidekicks will soon get their own Disney shows. Yes, their own limited TV series.

In an exciting news update, Marvel’s Falcon and Bucky Barnes who are best seen alongside Captain America as his sidekicks will soon get their own Disney shows. Yes, their own limited TV series. The only sad news is that they may feature in shows without Steve Rogers aka our Captain America who will by the way, not be seen in any Marvel movie post ‘Avengers 4’. His contract with Marvel ends after ‘Avengers 4’ and Steve has already moved on and got even a farewell. Iron Man aka Robert Downey Jr. recently shared a heartfelt message for his friend Captain America as he bids goodbye to his character. Is MCU planning to release the trailer of the film by November end? Coming back to Falcon and Bucky Barnes, they will get their own shows on Disney’s streaming service which will launch next year. Is Katherine Langford of '13 Reasons Why' set to play Iron Man's daughter? It has been revealed that even Loki and Scarlet Witch will get their own limited series. These will be official spin-offs and are set within the Marvel cinematic universe. ‘Civil War’ comic book artist Steve McNiven told a UK-based daily: “In the comics, Cap eventually gets killed [and] the Winter Soldier [Bucky] takes up his [role]. Maybe they’ll eventually work that storyline in.I’d love to see Sam [Wilson, Falcon] take up the mantle of Captain America as well. It’s very interesting because the idea of Captain America in the comics is not a particular person, but more of an ideal. In the same way with Thor: If you’re worthy you can pick up the hammer and have his powers."

'Avengers 4': Captain America’s friends Falcon, Bucky Barnes to get own Disney shows

Disney animation chief John Lasseter said today he is quitting, six months after acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable" with unwanted hugs.

The 61-year-old executive, best known for transforming Pixar from a small graphics department at Lucasfilm into the world's most successful animation studio, was the pioneering director of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2."

Lasseter apologized in November last year to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line" and promptly went on sabbatical.

"The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career, and personal priorities," the executive said in a statement.

"While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges."

The Oscar-winning filmmaker and senior executive conceded when the scandal broke that he had been "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect" at his animation studios.

The admission followed a flood of complaints of sexual abuse and harassment by numerous powerful entertainment industry figures, most notably Harvey Weinstein, who posted bail of $1 million last month after being charged in New York with multiple sex crimes.

Lasseter's issues were unearthed in an investigation by entertainment trade paper, which described a "pattern of alleged misconduct detailed by Disney/Pixar insiders."

The&nbsp;report -- never confirmed by Disney or Lasseter -- quoted a longtime Pixar employee claiming Lasseter was known for "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes."

Multiple sources were quoted alleging that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events and that some women at Pixar knew to turn their heads quickly when encountering him to avoid his kisses.

Another move known as "the Lasseter" was deployed to prevent their boss from placing his hands on their thighs, the report said.

One source told the paper of "awkward encounters" with Lasseter, who liked to hug in meetings.

"You'd hug him and he'd whisper in your ear, a long time," the source said. "He hugged and hugged and everyone's looking at you. Just invading the space."

Disney said in a statement that was effusive in its praise for Lasseter that the veteran filmmaker would assume a consulting role before leaving in the New Year.

"John had a remarkable tenure at Pixar and Disney Animation, reinventing the animation business, taking breathtaking risks, and telling original, high-quality stories that will last forever," Disney chief Bob Iger said.

"We are profoundly grateful for his contributions, which included a masterful and remarkable turnaround of The Walt Disney Animation Studios."&nbsp;

Lasseter apologized in November last year to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line

Disney animation chief John Lasseter said today he is quitting, six months after acknowledging in an internal memo that he had made staff feel "disrespected or uncomfortable" with unwanted hugs. The 61-year-old executive, best known for transforming Pixar from a small graphics department at Lucasfilm into the world's most successful animation studio, was the pioneering director of "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2." Lasseter apologized in November last year to "anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line" and promptly went on sabbatical. "The last six months have provided an opportunity to reflect on my life, career, and personal priorities," the executive said in a statement. "While I remain dedicated to the art of animation and inspired by the creative talent at Pixar and Disney, I have decided the end of this year is the right time to begin focusing on new creative challenges." The Oscar-winning filmmaker and senior executive conceded when the scandal broke that he had been "falling short" in ensuring a culture of "trust and respect" at his animation studios. The admission followed a flood of complaints of sexual abuse and harassment by numerous powerful entertainment industry figures, most notably Harvey Weinstein, who posted bail of $1 million last month after being charged in New York with multiple sex crimes. Lasseter's issues were unearthed in an investigation by entertainment trade paper, which described a "pattern of alleged misconduct detailed by Disney/Pixar insiders." The report -- never confirmed by Disney or Lasseter -- quoted a longtime Pixar employee claiming Lasseter was known for "grabbing, kissing, making comments about physical attributes." Multiple sources were quoted alleging that Lasseter was a heavy drinker at company social events and that some women at Pixar knew to turn their heads quickly when encountering him to avoid his kisses. Another move known as "the Lasseter" was deployed to prevent their boss from placing his hands on their thighs, the report said. One source told the paper of "awkward encounters" with Lasseter, who liked to hug in meetings. "You'd hug him and he'd whisper in your ear, a long time," the source said. "He hugged and hugged and everyone's looking at you. Just invading the space." Disney said in a statement that was effusive in its praise for Lasseter that the veteran filmmaker would assume a consulting role before leaving in the New Year. "John had a remarkable tenure at Pixar and Disney Animation, reinventing the animation business, taking breathtaking risks, and telling original, high-quality stories that will last forever," Disney chief Bob Iger said. "We are profoundly grateful for his contributions, which included a masterful and remarkable turnaround of The Walt Disney Animation Studios."

Disney animation chief John Lasseter quits amid scandal over 'unwanted hugs'

Eleven Florida men, including employees of Disney and Legoland and a volunteer for the Boy Scouts, have been arrested for possession and distribution of child pornography, police have said.

A total of 660 charges have so far been brought against the 11 suspects in the operation, dubbed "Guardians of Innocence II" by the police department of Polk County in central Florida and conducted across the month of May.

Sheriff Grady Judd said: "Once we serve search warrants and seize the devices that these suspects are using to download and distribute pornography, we will do a complete forensic analysis.

"In all likelihood we will be adding on more charges related to the felony possession and distribution of images and videos of children being sexually battered." Judd added that most of the evidence collected so far involved material previously known to police. It was not clear if there were any local victims, though that remained a part of the investigation.

The men arrested include Roger Catey, 53, who is employed as a project manager in the costumes department of Disney World, a theme park in Orlando which attracts millions of children and families every year.

Thirty-year-old Rickie Vargas-Garcia, who was a Lego builder for Merlin Entertainment which owns the Legoland theme parks, admitted to soliciting children for nude photos online.

Edward Zaborowski, 48, was caught in possession of pornographic photos of children aged between four- and six-years-old. A bartender, he was also a volunteer for the Boy Scouts, as his son was a member.

Judd said: "Parents, you've got to know where your children are going online, because wherever your children are, (predators) are."

Thirty-year-old Rickie Vargas-Garcia, who was a Lego builder for Merlin Entertainment which owns the Legoland theme parks, admitted to soliciting children for nude photos online

Eleven Florida men, including employees of Disney and Legoland and a volunteer for the Boy Scouts, have been arrested for possession and distribution of child pornography, police have said. A total of 660 charges have so far been brought against the 11 suspects in the operation, dubbed "Guardians of Innocence II" by the police department of Polk County in central Florida and conducted across the month of May. Sheriff Grady Judd said: "Once we serve search warrants and seize the devices that these suspects are using to download and distribute pornography, we will do a complete forensic analysis. "In all likelihood we will be adding on more charges related to the felony possession and distribution of images and videos of children being sexually battered." Judd added that most of the evidence collected so far involved material previously known to police. It was not clear if there were any local victims, though that remained a part of the investigation. The men arrested include Roger Catey, 53, who is employed as a project manager in the costumes department of Disney World, a theme park in Orlando which attracts millions of children and families every year. Thirty-year-old Rickie Vargas-Garcia, who was a Lego builder for Merlin Entertainment which owns the Legoland theme parks, admitted to soliciting children for nude photos online. Edward Zaborowski, 48, was caught in possession of pornographic photos of children aged between four- and six-years-old. A bartender, he was also a volunteer for the Boy Scouts, as his son was a member. Judd said: "Parents, you've got to know where your children are going online, because wherever your children are, (predators) are."

US police arrest 11 men on child pornography charges

Popular for&nbsp;series like, "House of Cards", "13 Reasons why", "Narcos", "Better call Soul", Netflix is planning to focus&nbsp;on original content this year as the video streaming giant has planned to produce over 500 original productions by the end of this year.

According to media reports, about 700 original content including movies and tv series will be produced this year with an investment of at least $8 billion.

The planned productions of this year will also include a lot of non-English content such as psychological thriller "Dark" from Germany and "Club de Cuervos" from Mexico. Ideas for 80 movies are also in the pipeline.

Media reports also quoted Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix saying that Netflix spends 85% per cent of its spending on original content only. He was speaking at the "MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit 2018" in New York on Monday.

Netflix is also intending to focus further on original content more than adding content as original content will ensure secure a fanbase for the company a lot of other networks are also planning to launch their own streaming service.

Currently, in order to add content to Netflix, the company signs an agreement with the production company which eventually has an expiry date.

Disney is also planning to launch its own streaming service by 2019 which could shift the Disney fan base from Netflix to Disney's app.

Currently, the service has some 470 originals right now.

In their latest additions for May month, Netflix will add movies like "Amelie", "Hachi: A Dog's Tale", "Queens of Comedy: Season 1", "High School Musical 3" etc.

In original additions, "A Little Help with Carol Burnett", "Manhunt", "Busted", "Dear White People" are among other shows that viewers can stream.

Recently released Disney-Pixar movie Coco will also be added to Netflix this month.

Their popular thriller series "Stranger Things" has also been renewed for the third season this month and their "13 Reasons why"&nbsp;second season will&nbsp;premiere on May 18.

According to media reports, about 700 original content including movies and tv series will be produced this year with an investment of at least $8 billion

Popular for series like, "House of Cards", "13 Reasons why", "Narcos", "Better call Soul", Netflix is planning to focus on original content this year as the video streaming giant has planned to produce over 500 original productions by the end of this year. According to media reports, about 700 original content including movies and tv series will be produced this year with an investment of at least $8 billion. The planned productions of this year will also include a lot of non-English content such as psychological thriller "Dark" from Germany and "Club de Cuervos" from Mexico. Ideas for 80 movies are also in the pipeline. Media reports also quoted Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix saying that Netflix spends 85% per cent of its spending on original content only. He was speaking at the "MoffettNathanson Media & Communications Summit 2018" in New York on Monday. Netflix is also intending to focus further on original content more than adding content as original content will ensure secure a fanbase for the company a lot of other networks are also planning to launch their own streaming service. Currently, in order to add content to Netflix, the company signs an agreement with the production company which eventually has an expiry date. Disney is also planning to launch its own streaming service by 2019 which could shift the Disney fan base from Netflix to Disney's app. Currently, the service has some 470 originals right now. In their latest additions for May month, Netflix will add movies like "Amelie", "Hachi: A Dog's Tale", "Queens of Comedy: Season 1", "High School Musical 3" etc. In original additions, "A Little Help with Carol Burnett", "Manhunt", "Busted", "Dear White People" are among other shows that viewers can stream. Recently released Disney-Pixar movie Coco will also be added to Netflix this month. Their popular thriller series "Stranger Things" has also been renewed for the third season this month and their "13 Reasons why" second season will premiere on May 18.

Netflix plans to produce over 500 original shows and movies by the end of 2018

Disney&#39;s forthcoming movie Christopher Robin released its teaser trailer today and it will bring alive childhood memories like no other.&nbsp;

The teaser features British actors Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell against the backdrop of a post-war London, in which, Ewan or Christopher Robin from cartoon film Winnie the Pooh is shown as a grown-up man with a family of his own. As Christopher deals with the mundanity of life and daily struggles of adulthood, he is visited by a friend. This friend is none other than his favourite toy, Winnie the Pooh -- who talks, walks and looks like the most adorable live in-action bear.&nbsp;

Watch the teaser:&nbsp;

<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/425M4M3Opkk" width="970"></iframe>

Christopher Robin brings back the original American voice-actor Jim Cummings as Winnie&#39;s voice to the surprise of many. While folks in America can&#39;t contain their excitement over this, ones in the UK despise hearing the American accent over their much-beloved British one.&nbsp;

The American Winnie the Pooh had Jim Cummings voice, while UK kids have grown up hearing&nbsp;Peter Dennis as the bear.&nbsp;

Here are some of the first reactions to the teaser, most particularly the voice:&nbsp;

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Stupid American Disney Pooh... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChristopherRobin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChristopherRobin</a>
&mdash; Craig Stevens (@MrFraig) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrFraig/status/971110243332710401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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OMG HIS LITTLE POOH VOICE! ???????????????? MY CHILDHOOD RIGHT THERE!!!! <a href="https://t.co/Fn5MUHl6D1">https://t.co/Fn5MUHl6D1</a>
&mdash; Zoe Jackson (@WithanOceanview) <a href="https://twitter.com/WithanOceanview/status/971310249494876160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Damn it... I cried hearing Pooh&#39;s voice, I miss everything about my childhood ????????????
&mdash; Kizz ???? (@highseul) <a href="https://twitter.com/highseul/status/971299259990597632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Why the hell does Pooh have that awful accent left over from the old American cartoons, he&rsquo;s British ffs! Unacceptable. <a href="https://t.co/E4G2yTj13t">https://t.co/E4G2yTj13t</a>
&mdash; Aletta (@Lettybird) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lettybird/status/971160235376300032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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I was rolling my eyes at this as I never liked the Disney/American Pooh, then i realised an English Pooh would almost definitely be Corden or Freeman, and now Cummings is fine by me
&mdash; Kathryn Rosa Miller (@DreadfulKata) <a href="https://twitter.com/DreadfulKata/status/971282673028292609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 7, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Christopher Robin will be released on August 3.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Cartoon character Winnie the Pooh returns to the rescue of his old friend Christopher Robin in the film as the boy grows into a family man and is bogged down with complexities of life

Disney's forthcoming movie Christopher Robin released its teaser trailer today and it will bring alive childhood memories like no other. The teaser features British actors Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell against the backdrop of a post-war London, in which, Ewan or Christopher Robin from cartoon film Winnie the Pooh is shown as a grown-up man with a family of his own. As Christopher deals with the mundanity of life and daily struggles of adulthood, he is visited by a friend. This friend is none other than his favourite toy, Winnie the Pooh -- who talks, walks and looks like the most adorable live in-action bear. Watch the teaser: Christopher Robin brings back the original American voice-actor Jim Cummings as Winnie's voice to the surprise of many. While folks in America can't contain their excitement over this, ones in the UK despise hearing the American accent over their much-beloved British one. The American Winnie the Pooh had Jim Cummings voice, while UK kids have grown up hearing Peter Dennis as the bear. Here are some of the first reactions to the teaser, most particularly the voice: Stupid American Disney Pooh... #ChristopherRobin — Craig Stevens (@MrFraig) March 6, 2018 × OMG HIS LITTLE POOH VOICE! ???????????????? MY CHILDHOOD RIGHT THERE!!!! https://t.co/Fn5MUHl6D1 — Zoe Jackson (@WithanOceanview) March 7, 2018 × Damn it... I cried hearing Pooh's voice, I miss everything about my childhood ???????????? — Kizz ???? (@highseul) March 7, 2018 × Why the hell does Pooh have that awful accent left over from the old American cartoons, he’s British ffs! Unacceptable. https://t.co/E4G2yTj13t — Aletta (@Lettybird) March 6, 2018 × I was rolling my eyes at this as I never liked the Disney/American Pooh, then i realised an English Pooh would almost definitely be Corden or Freeman, and now Cummings is fine by me — Kathryn Rosa Miller (@DreadfulKata) March 7, 2018 × Christopher Robin will be released on August 3.

Watch: Teaser for Disney's live-action Winnie the Pooh movie is out

Walt Disney Co on Thursday agreed to buy film, TV and international assets from Rupert Murdoch&#39;s Twenty-First Century Fox Inc for $52.4 billion as Disney seeks greater scale to tackle growing competition from Netflix and Amazon.com.

Under the terms of the all-stock deal, Disney acquires significant assets from Fox, including the studios that produce the blockbuster Marvel superhero pictures and the &quot;Avatar&quot; franchise, as well as hit TV shows such as &quot;The Simpsons&quot;.

Fox shareholders will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each share held. This translates to a value of $29.50 per share for the assets that Disney is buying, Reuters calculations based on Disney&#39;s Wednesday market closing price show.

Immediately prior to the acquisition, Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network into a newly listed company that will be spun off to its shareholders.

The deal ends more than half a century of expansion by Murdoch, 86, who turned a single Australian newspaper he inherited from his father at the age of 21 into one of the world&#39;s most important global news and film conglomerates.

Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, 66, will extend his tenure through the end of 2021 to oversee the integration of the Fox businesses. He has already postponed his retirement from Disney three times, saying in March he was committed to leaving the company in July 2019.

Disney will also assume about $13.7 billion of Fox&#39;s net debt in the deal.

Through Fox&#39;s stake in the Hulu video streaming service, Disney will assume majority control of one of Netflix Inc&#39;s main competitors. Hulu is also partially owned by Comcast Corp and Time Warner Inc.

Walt Disney Co on Thursday agreed to buy film, TV and international assets from Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox Inc for $52.4 billion as Disney seeks greater scale to tackle growing competition from Netflix and Amazon.com

Walt Disney Co on Thursday agreed to buy film, TV and international assets from Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox Inc for $52.4 billion as Disney seeks greater scale to tackle growing competition from Netflix and Amazon.com. Under the terms of the all-stock deal, Disney acquires significant assets from Fox, including the studios that produce the blockbuster Marvel superhero pictures and the "Avatar" franchise, as well as hit TV shows such as "The Simpsons". Fox shareholders will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each share held. This translates to a value of $29.50 per share for the assets that Disney is buying, Reuters calculations based on Disney's Wednesday market closing price show. Immediately prior to the acquisition, Fox will separate the Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network into a newly listed company that will be spun off to its shareholders. The deal ends more than half a century of expansion by Murdoch, 86, who turned a single Australian newspaper he inherited from his father at the age of 21 into one of the world's most important global news and film conglomerates. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger, 66, will extend his tenure through the end of 2021 to oversee the integration of the Fox businesses. He has already postponed his retirement from Disney three times, saying in March he was committed to leaving the company in July 2019. Disney will also assume about $13.7 billion of Fox's net debt in the deal. Through Fox's stake in the Hulu video streaming service, Disney will assume majority control of one of Netflix Inc's main competitors. Hulu is also partially owned by Comcast Corp and Time Warner Inc.

Disney to buy Fox film, TV businesses for $52 billion

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animations Studios, Johan Lasseter,60,&nbsp;is officially taking a &quot;six-month-long&quot;&nbsp;leave following accusations of misconduct, reports said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The Hollywood Reporter&nbsp;accused the Pixar co-founder of&nbsp; &quot;grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.&quot;

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lasseter released an internal statement addressed to all the employees stating that he recently had &quot;a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for him.&quot;&nbsp;

He further wrote that: &quot;It&#39;s never easy to face your missteps, but it&#39;s the only way to learn from them. As a result, I&#39;ve been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate, and champion I want to be. It&#39;s been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent,&quot;&nbsp;

Lassner also apologized to his peers, &quot;especially to those who had been ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form. No matter how benign his intent was, everyone had the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected,&quot;&nbsp;he wrote in the statement.&nbsp;

He finally concluded the statement saying: &quot;As hard as it is for me to step away from a job I am so passionate about and a team I hold in the highest regard, not just as artists but as people, I know it&#39;s the best thing for all of us right now,&quot; he wrote. &quot;My hope is that a six-month sabbatical will give me the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve.&quot;

Lasseter is one of the co-founders of Pixar and has given a boost to Disney&rsquo;s animation resurrection since 2006 releasing hits like &#39;Frozen&#39;, &#39;Toy Story&#39; and &#39;Coco&#39; - which releases on Thursday.&nbsp;

That same day, The Hollywood Reporter reported accusations against Pixar co-founder for 'grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes.'

Chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animations Studios, Johan Lasseter,60, is officially taking a "six-month-long" leave following accusations of misconduct, reports said on Wednesday. The Hollywood Reporter accused the Pixar co-founder of "grabbing, kissing, and making comments about physical attributes." According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lasseter released an internal statement addressed to all the employees stating that he recently had "a number of difficult conversations that have been very painful for him." He further wrote that: "It's never easy to face your missteps, but it's the only way to learn from them. As a result, I've been giving a lot of thought to the leader I am today compared to the mentor, advocate, and champion I want to be. It's been brought to my attention that I have made some of you feel disrespected or uncomfortable. That was never my intent," Lassner also apologized to his peers, "especially to those who had been ever been on the receiving end of an unwanted hug or any other gesture they felt crossed the line in any way, shape, or form. No matter how benign his intent was, everyone had the right to set their own boundaries and have them respected," he wrote in the statement. He finally concluded the statement saying: "As hard as it is for me to step away from a job I am so passionate about and a team I hold in the highest regard, not just as artists but as people, I know it's the best thing for all of us right now," he wrote. "My hope is that a six-month sabbatical will give me the opportunity to start taking better care of myself, to recharge and be inspired, and ultimately return with the insight and perspective I need to be the leader you deserve." Lasseter is one of the co-founders of Pixar and has given a boost to Disney’s animation resurrection since 2006 releasing hits like 'Frozen', 'Toy Story' and 'Coco' - which releases on Thursday.

Pixar's John Lasseter takes leave of absence over misconduct allegations

Disney has decided to shut down the multiplayer online game based on the Marvel franchise so it&#39;s time to bid adieu to Marvel Heroes also known as&nbsp;Marvel Heroes 2016 and Marvel Heroes Omega.&nbsp;

The online game has met an untimely death as both Marvel and Disney has decided to cut ties with the developer&nbsp;Gazillion Entertainment.

In an email to a popular video game website Kotaku, a Marvel representative explained why Marvel Heroes is being closed down.

&ldquo;We regret to inform our Marvel Heroes fans that we have ended our relationship with Gazillion Entertainment and that the Marvel Heroes games will be shut down. We would like to sincerely thank the players who joined the Marvel Heroes community, and will provide any further updates as they become available,&rdquo; they wrote.

It is however unclear as to why Disney and Marvel had to cut ties abruptly.&nbsp;

There is also no information on when the online game would be offline for good and whether it will continue under a new name with a different developer.&nbsp;

Marvel Heroes is a free-to-play&nbsp;massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that rolled out to the PC in 2013 and was ported to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2017.

It features a wide range of playable Marvel characters. While there are options to choose from the more&nbsp;popular ones such as Iron Man, The Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Thor, and Captain America there are also some lesser-known characters such as Squirrel Girl, Magik, and Moon Knight.&nbsp;

There is, however, no information on when the online game would be offline for good and whether it will continue under a new name with a different developer

Disney has decided to shut down the multiplayer online game based on the Marvel franchise so it's time to bid adieu to Marvel Heroes also known as Marvel Heroes 2016 and Marvel Heroes Omega. The online game has met an untimely death as both Marvel and Disney has decided to cut ties with the developer Gazillion Entertainment. In an email to a popular video game website Kotaku, a Marvel representative explained why Marvel Heroes is being closed down. “We regret to inform our Marvel Heroes fans that we have ended our relationship with Gazillion Entertainment and that the Marvel Heroes games will be shut down. We would like to sincerely thank the players who joined the Marvel Heroes community, and will provide any further updates as they become available,” they wrote. It is however unclear as to why Disney and Marvel had to cut ties abruptly. There is also no information on when the online game would be offline for good and whether it will continue under a new name with a different developer. Marvel Heroes is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online game (MMO) that rolled out to the PC in 2013 and was ported to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2017. It features a wide range of playable Marvel characters. While there are options to choose from the more popular ones such as Iron Man, The Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Thor, and Captain America there are also some lesser-known characters such as Squirrel Girl, Magik, and Moon Knight.

Disney shuts down Marvel Heroes online game

Disney on Thursday announced plans for a new Star Wars film trilogy and a live-action TV series as it builds on the beloved and profitable science fiction franchise.

&quot;We have big ambitions for the Star Wars franchise,&quot; Disney chief executive Robert Iger said during a quarterly earnings call.

Disney just closed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming film &quot;The Last Jedi,&quot; to develop a brand new trilogy, according to Iger.

&quot;We&#39;re also planning to produce a number of original series for the new service and are already developing a Star Wars live-action series,&quot; Iger said of a planned direct-to-consumer pay service offering television and film content.

While there have previously been animated Star Wars series, this will be the franchise&#39;s first live-action show for the small screen.

The Star Wars franchise has been &quot;exceeding expectations&quot; since Disney acquired Lucasfilm five years ago, according to Iger.

Disney touted the box office success of two new Star Wars films and expressed confidence that &quot;The Last Jedi,&quot; set to debut in theaters next month, would be a hit.

&quot;The excitement will only intensify as we get closer to the release date,&quot; Iger said of the coming instalment.

&nbsp;Going &#39;Solo&#39;

Production recently wrapped on a film based on the story of Han Solo, who was played by actor Harrison Ford in the original trilogy as well as in 2015&#39;s &quot;The Force Awakens,&quot; according to Disney executives.

&quot;Solo&quot; is the second movie of a saga that unfolds on the sidelines of the adventures of the Skywalker family, the primary protagonists of the Star Wars universe. The first was &quot;Rogue One,&quot; which came out in 2016 and raked in more than $1 billion at the box office.

&quot;We&#39;ve got more great Star Wars movies already planned for years to come in addition to the 2019 release of Episode IX,&quot; Iger said, referring to the film that will follow &quot;The Last Jedi.&quot;

Star Wars has grown into the most lucrative and influential movie franchise of all time since the original film was released in 1977. It has become ingrained in a geek culture that gave rise to Silicon Valley and disruptive technologies

Californian filmmaker George Lucas was 33 years old when he prepared to release his third feature -- a far-fetched, slightly corny intergalactic saga of good and evil starring a sulky farm boy with daddy issues.

&quot;I&#39;m running out of hyperbolic adjectives to describe the power of Star Wars, but that&#39;s because it is the ultimate standard-bearer,&quot; Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for BoxOffice.com, told AFP in an earlier interview marking the 40th anniversary of the original film.

Star Wars

&quot;Four decades of record-breaking, genre-defining entertainment across film, television, video games, toys, books and everything else the brand has touched simply speaks for itself.&quot;

The Force is strong&nbsp;

Lucasfilm debuted its highly-anticipated second trailer for &quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi&quot; last month, hinting at dark times ahead for the Resistance and possibly even the end of Leia Organa, one of the main characters in the first three films who returned along with Han Solo in &quot;The Force Awakens.&quot;

The clip for the eighth installment in the blockbuster space opera, due for release on December 15, followed a trailer released in April which teased Luke Skywalker, the star of the original trilogy, teaching newcomer Rey the ways of the Force.

This time around more plot was unveiled, with Luke telling Rey he&#39;d only seen power like hers once before -- and while it didn&#39;t scare him enough then, it does now.

Fans speculated on social media that he could be talking about his nephew and Rey&#39;s nemesis Kylo Ren, who is seen in a TIE fighter with his mother General Leia Organa in his sights, his eyes welling up as he prepares to open fire.

Carrie Fisher -- who has played the character since she was known simply as Princess Leia in the original 1977-83 trilogy -- died in December, having already wrapped her scenes for &quot;The Last Jedi.&quot;

&quot;The Last Jedi&quot; -- filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London -- sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015&#39;s seventh installment.

Johnson will write and direct the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy in a collaboration with Ram Bergman, who will produce the film, according to a release posted online.

&quot;We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on &#39;The Last Jedi&#39;,&quot; Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement.

&quot;Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can&#39;t wait to continue with this new series of films.&quot;

Disney says it has closed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming film 'The Last Jedi,' to develop a brand new trilogy

Disney on Thursday announced plans for a new Star Wars film trilogy and a live-action TV series as it builds on the beloved and profitable science fiction franchise. "We have big ambitions for the Star Wars franchise," Disney chief executive Robert Iger said during a quarterly earnings call. Disney just closed a deal with Rian Johnson, director of the upcoming film "The Last Jedi," to develop a brand new trilogy, according to Iger. "We're also planning to produce a number of original series for the new service and are already developing a Star Wars live-action series," Iger said of a planned direct-to-consumer pay service offering television and film content. While there have previously been animated Star Wars series, this will be the franchise's first live-action show for the small screen. The Star Wars franchise has been "exceeding expectations" since Disney acquired Lucasfilm five years ago, according to Iger. Disney touted the box office success of two new Star Wars films and expressed confidence that "The Last Jedi," set to debut in theaters next month, would be a hit. "The excitement will only intensify as we get closer to the release date," Iger said of the coming instalment. Going 'Solo' Production recently wrapped on a film based on the story of Han Solo, who was played by actor Harrison Ford in the original trilogy as well as in 2015's "The Force Awakens," according to Disney executives. "Solo" is the second movie of a saga that unfolds on the sidelines of the adventures of the Skywalker family, the primary protagonists of the Star Wars universe. The first was "Rogue One," which came out in 2016 and raked in more than $1 billion at the box office. "We've got more great Star Wars movies already planned for years to come in addition to the 2019 release of Episode IX," Iger said, referring to the film that will follow "The Last Jedi." Star Wars has grown into the most lucrative and influential movie franchise of all time since the original film was released in 1977. It has become ingrained in a geek culture that gave rise to Silicon Valley and disruptive technologies Californian filmmaker George Lucas was 33 years old when he prepared to release his third feature -- a far-fetched, slightly corny intergalactic saga of good and evil starring a sulky farm boy with daddy issues. "I'm running out of hyperbolic adjectives to describe the power of Star Wars, but that's because it is the ultimate standard-bearer," Shawn Robbins, chief analyst for BoxOffice.com, told AFP in an earlier interview marking the 40th anniversary of the original film. Star Wars "Four decades of record-breaking, genre-defining entertainment across film, television, video games, toys, books and everything else the brand has touched simply speaks for itself." The Force is strong Lucasfilm debuted its highly-anticipated second trailer for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" last month, hinting at dark times ahead for the Resistance and possibly even the end of Leia Organa, one of the main characters in the first three films who returned along with Han Solo in "The Force Awakens." The clip for the eighth installment in the blockbuster space opera, due for release on December 15, followed a trailer released in April which teased Luke Skywalker, the star of the original trilogy, teaching newcomer Rey the ways of the Force. This time around more plot was unveiled, with Luke telling Rey he'd only seen power like hers once before -- and while it didn't scare him enough then, it does now. Fans speculated on social media that he could be talking about his nephew and Rey's nemesis Kylo Ren, who is seen in a TIE fighter with his mother General Leia Organa in his sights, his eyes welling up as he prepares to open fire. Carrie Fisher -- who has played the character since she was known simply as Princess Leia in the original 1977-83 trilogy -- died in December, having already wrapped her scenes for "The Last Jedi." "The Last Jedi" -- filmed on the west coast of Ireland and at Pinewood Studios near London -- sees the return of the characters introduced in 2015's seventh installment. Johnson will write and direct the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy in a collaboration with Ram Bergman, who will produce the film, according to a release posted online. "We had the time of our lives collaborating with Lucasfilm and Disney on 'The Last Jedi'," Johnson and Bergman said in a joint statement. "Star Wars is the greatest modern mythology and we feel very lucky to have contributed to it. We can't wait to continue with this new series of films."

Disney announces new Star Wars film trilogy, TV series

Studio giant Disney has finally announced the much-awaited cast of The Lion King&nbsp;remake and it can`t get any better.The singing sensation Beyonce has joined the already star-studded voice cast for the movie. 
 
The 36-year-old pop megastar is set to voice Simba`s childhood friend turned love interest Nala in the live-action remake of Disney`s The Lion King. 
 
Alongside Beyonce, and mostly previously announced, will be Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones reprising his role in the 1994 animated movie as Mufasa, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as his nemesis Scar. 
 
A trio of comedians, John Oliver, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner, will play Zazu, Pumbaa and Timon, respectively. 
 
The original film, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, was the highest grossing animated film for 16 years until it was surpassed by Toy Story 3&nbsp;in 2010. 
 
The film was re-released in 2011, where it got a 3D conversion and with USD 30.2 million, it had one of the best sales debuts ever. The Lion King&nbsp;is slated to roar into theaters on July 19, 2019.&nbsp;

Alongside Beyonce, and mostly previously announced, will be Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones reprising his role in the 1994 animated movie as Mufasa.

Studio giant Disney has finally announced the much-awaited cast of The Lion King remake and it can`t get any better.The singing sensation Beyonce has joined the already star-studded voice cast for the movie. The 36-year-old pop megastar is set to voice Simba`s childhood friend turned love interest Nala in the live-action remake of Disney`s The Lion King. Alongside Beyonce, and mostly previously announced, will be Donald Glover as Simba, James Earl Jones reprising his role in the 1994 animated movie as Mufasa, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as his nemesis Scar. A trio of comedians, John Oliver, Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner, will play Zazu, Pumbaa and Timon, respectively. The original film, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, was the highest grossing animated film for 16 years until it was surpassed by Toy Story 3 in 2010. The film was re-released in 2011, where it got a 3D conversion and with USD 30.2 million, it had one of the best sales debuts ever. The Lion King is slated to roar into theaters on July 19, 2019.

Beyonce to star in Disney's 'The Lion King' remake

Disney is introducing a gay storyline into one of its shows for the first time.

&quot;Andi Mack&quot;, a coming-of-age drama, will feature one of the show&#39;s main characters grappling with feelings for a male classmate. The show is currently in its second season.

The drama by Terri Minsky, revolves around a 13-year-old girl Andi, her family and her two best friends -- Cyrus and Buffy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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&mdash; Disney Channel (@DisneyChannel) <a href="https://twitter.com/DisneyChannel/status/923217617715912705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Andi Mack is a story about tweens figuring out who they are; Terri Minsky, the cast and everyone involved in the show takes great care in ensuring that it&#39;s appropriate for all audiences and sends a powerful message about inclusion and respect for humanity,&quot; a Disney Channel spokesperson said in a statement.

Disney Channel has featured gay characters before, appearing in single episodes of shows like &quot;Good Luck Charlie&quot; and the animated &quot;Doc McStuffins&quot;.

However, this story arc is a first for the network, as it is for the first time that they are telling the story of a character who is on a journey of realising his or her sexual orientation.

Disney has featured gay characters before but they have appeared in single episodes of shows

Disney is introducing a gay storyline into one of its shows for the first time. "Andi Mack", a coming-of-age drama, will feature one of the show's main characters grappling with feelings for a male classmate. The show is currently in its second season. The drama by Terri Minsky, revolves around a 13-year-old girl Andi, her family and her two best friends -- Cyrus and Buffy, according to The Hollywood Reporter. pic.twitter.com/NKr0l9lfiD — Disney Channel (@DisneyChannel) October 25, 2017 × "Andi Mack is a story about tweens figuring out who they are; Terri Minsky, the cast and everyone involved in the show takes great care in ensuring that it's appropriate for all audiences and sends a powerful message about inclusion and respect for humanity," a Disney Channel spokesperson said in a statement. Disney Channel has featured gay characters before, appearing in single episodes of shows like "Good Luck Charlie" and the animated "Doc McStuffins". However, this story arc is a first for the network, as it is for the first time that they are telling the story of a character who is on a journey of realising his or her sexual orientation.

Disney introduces gay storyline for first time

In what may come as a shocker to Netflix-Disney fans, you might not be able to stream any Disney movies on Netflix for long.&nbsp;

According to a statement issued by&nbsp;Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company: &quot;Disney will end its distribution agreement with Netflix for subscription streaming of new releases, beginning with the 2019 calendar year theatrical slate.&quot;

Justifying the move, it said: &quot;The media landscape is increasingly defined by direct relationships between content creators and consumers, and our control of BAMTech&#39;s full array of innovative technology will give us the power to forge those connections, along with the flexibility to quickly adapt to shifts in the market. This acquisition and the launch of our direct-to-consumer services mark an entirely new growth strategy for the Company, one that takes advantage of the incredible opportunity that changing technology provides us to leverage the strength of our great brands.&quot;

The media giant plans to launch an&nbsp;ESPN-branded multi-sport video streaming service in early 2018 and also a new Disney-branded streaming service that will be rolled out in 2019.

Disney confirmed that like its competitors,&nbsp;it will make &quot;significant investment&quot; in its original movies, TV shows and short-form content, adding that the service will feature the brand&#39;s vast and lengthy library of content, including Disney and Pixar movies and Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD television programming.

According to a statement on the Walt Disney Company&#39;s website, &quot;The new Disney-branded service will become the exclusive home in the US for subscription-video-on-demand viewing of the newest live action and animated movies from Disney and Pixar, beginning with the 2019 theatrical slate, which includes Toy Story 4, the sequel to Frozen, and The Lion King from Disney live-action, along with other highly anticipated movies.&quot;

This move could prove to be a big blow for Netflix while spelling some trouble for others in the market like HBO Go, Amazon Prime and etc.&nbsp;

(WION)

They will have a Disney branded streaming service in 2019

In what may come as a shocker to Netflix-Disney fans, you might not be able to stream any Disney movies on Netflix for long. According to a statement issued by Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company: "Disney will end its distribution agreement with Netflix for subscription streaming of new releases, beginning with the 2019 calendar year theatrical slate." Justifying the move, it said: "The media landscape is increasingly defined by direct relationships between content creators and consumers, and our control of BAMTech's full array of innovative technology will give us the power to forge those connections, along with the flexibility to quickly adapt to shifts in the market. This acquisition and the launch of our direct-to-consumer services mark an entirely new growth strategy for the Company, one that takes advantage of the incredible opportunity that changing technology provides us to leverage the strength of our great brands." The media giant plans to launch an ESPN-branded multi-sport video streaming service in early 2018 and also a new Disney-branded streaming service that will be rolled out in 2019. Disney confirmed that like its competitors, it will make "significant investment" in its original movies, TV shows and short-form content, adding that the service will feature the brand's vast and lengthy library of content, including Disney and Pixar movies and Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD television programming. According to a statement on the Walt Disney Company's website, "The new Disney-branded service will become the exclusive home in the US for subscription-video-on-demand viewing of the newest live action and animated movies from Disney and Pixar, beginning with the 2019 theatrical slate, which includes Toy Story 4, the sequel to Frozen, and The Lion King from Disney live-action, along with other highly anticipated movies." This move could prove to be a big blow for Netflix while spelling some trouble for others in the market like HBO Go, Amazon Prime and etc. (WION)

Disney ends partnership with Netflix, to launch its own streaming service

Marvel brought thousands of fans to their feet on Saturday as it assembled a stellar panel of superheroes to preview &quot;Avengers: Infinity War&quot; at Disney&#39;s D23 convention.

The movie, which comes out next year, unites the characters from all 16 films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- and most of the actors who play them took the stage at the star-studded fan event in Anaheim, southern California. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The packed 7,000-capacity convention hall cheered as Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle and Benedict Cumberbatch were introduced one by one.

Tom Holland, Benicio del Toro, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff and Chadwick Boseman and co-director Joe Russo were also part of the star-studded panel.&nbsp;

&quot;I&#39;ve got to admit, these guys have not been together on stage for a long time, and even I find myself geeking out,&quot; said Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige before introducing world-first &quot;Infinity Wars&quot; teaser footage.&nbsp;

The movie opens in May 2018 -- the 10th anniversary of the US release of the original Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, &quot;Iron Man.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s funny to think Kevin and I figured all of this out at Randy&#39;s Donuts shooting &#39;Iron Man 2,&#39;&quot; quipped Downey, who plays the titular superhero.

The panel was part of a presentation of the next two years of live-action movies from Disney, which owns Marvel and Lucasfilm.

&nbsp;

&#39;Unexpected elements&#39;

Lucasfilm&#39;s &quot;Star Wars&quot; panel has become one of the most talked-about panels at the biennial D23. But here were no new announcements or footage this time around.&nbsp;

The 2018 Han Solo spin-off movie, which fired directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in favour of Oscar-winning Ron Howard last month, was largely glossed over, with no cast appearances or footage.&nbsp;

But Rian Johnson, who directed the forthcoming eighth installment of the main series, &quot;The Last Jedi,&quot; delighted fans by introducing much of the cast, including Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Gwendoline Christie.

Johnson introduced a behind-the-scenes featurette and interviewed the cast on their experiences filming in Pinewood Studios, near London, and on Ireland&#39;s west coast.

&quot;When I read the script there were so many unexpected elements, which is great in a &#39;Star Wars&#39; film,&quot; said Hamill, who came on last to a rapt standing ovation. &quot;It&#39;s getting harder and harder to bring new things to the table and this is a real game changer.&quot;

Another highlight was a section offering news and footage from the studio&#39;s upcoming animation to live-action slate, including remakes of &quot;The Lion King,&quot; Mulan,&quot; &quot;Aladdin&quot; and &quot;Dumbo.&quot;

The crowd was on its feet again after seeing a stunning first clip from &quot;The Lion King,&quot; climaxing in the iconic moment when Rafiki introduces newborn Simba to the animals of the savannah.

&nbsp;

&#39;Respectful&#39;

&quot;This is a story that belongs to everyone who grew up with the original film,&quot; said Jon Favreau, who directed the movie, due to hit theaters in July 2019. &quot;I wanted to demonstrate that we could be respectful of the source material while bringing it to life using new techniques and technologies.&quot;

Disney announced newcomer Mena Massoud in the titular role for Guy Ritchie&#39;s &quot;Aladdin,&quot; which reboots the 1992 animated classic, and Will Smith as the genie.

Disney also revealed that production is underway for the live-action reimagining of its 1941 animated classic &quot;Dumbo,&quot; slated for release in March 2019.

The movie is being directed by Tim Burton (&quot;Alice in Wonderland,&quot; &quot;Charlie and the Chocolate Factory&quot;) and stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green.&nbsp;

Burton, who is starting production in England, addressed the D23 crowd via a video clip in which he described &quot;Dumbo&quot; as &quot;one of my favorite of the Disney movies.&quot;

Disney also showcased &quot;Nutcracker and the Four Realms,&quot; starring Misty Copeland, and &quot;A Wrinkle in Time,&quot; an epic adventure directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine and debutante Storm Reid, all of whom appeared onstage.

British actress Emily Blunt talked about playing the practically-perfect nanny in &quot;Mary Poppins Returns,&quot; a sequel to the iconic 1964 original that hits theaters on December 25 next year.&nbsp;

&quot;I needed to try to pay homage to Julie Andrews but carve out a new space for myself. And we were very loyal to the books,&quot; said Blunt.&nbsp;

Fans went nuts as Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle and Benedict Cumberbatch were introduced one by one

Marvel brought thousands of fans to their feet on Saturday as it assembled a stellar panel of superheroes to preview "Avengers: Infinity War" at Disney's D23 convention. The movie, which comes out next year, unites the characters from all 16 films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- and most of the actors who play them took the stage at the star-studded fan event in Anaheim, southern California. The packed 7,000-capacity convention hall cheered as Josh Brolin, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Don Cheadle and Benedict Cumberbatch were introduced one by one. Tom Holland, Benicio del Toro, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Anthony Mackie, Karen Gillan, Dave Bautista, Pom Klementieff and Chadwick Boseman and co-director Joe Russo were also part of the star-studded panel. "I've got to admit, these guys have not been together on stage for a long time, and even I find myself geeking out," said Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige before introducing world-first "Infinity Wars" teaser footage. The movie opens in May 2018 -- the 10th anniversary of the US release of the original Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, "Iron Man." "It's funny to think Kevin and I figured all of this out at Randy's Donuts shooting 'Iron Man 2,'" quipped Downey, who plays the titular superhero. The panel was part of a presentation of the next two years of live-action movies from Disney, which owns Marvel and Lucasfilm. 'Unexpected elements' Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" panel has become one of the most talked-about panels at the biennial D23. But here were no new announcements or footage this time around. The 2018 Han Solo spin-off movie, which fired directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in favour of Oscar-winning Ron Howard last month, was largely glossed over, with no cast appearances or footage. But Rian Johnson, who directed the forthcoming eighth installment of the main series, "The Last Jedi," delighted fans by introducing much of the cast, including Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega and Gwendoline Christie. Johnson introduced a behind-the-scenes featurette and interviewed the cast on their experiences filming in Pinewood Studios, near London, and on Ireland's west coast. "When I read the script there were so many unexpected elements, which is great in a 'Star Wars' film," said Hamill, who came on last to a rapt standing ovation. "It's getting harder and harder to bring new things to the table and this is a real game changer." Another highlight was a section offering news and footage from the studio's upcoming animation to live-action slate, including remakes of "The Lion King," Mulan," "Aladdin" and "Dumbo." The crowd was on its feet again after seeing a stunning first clip from "The Lion King," climaxing in the iconic moment when Rafiki introduces newborn Simba to the animals of the savannah. 'Respectful' "This is a story that belongs to everyone who grew up with the original film," said Jon Favreau, who directed the movie, due to hit theaters in July 2019. "I wanted to demonstrate that we could be respectful of the source material while bringing it to life using new techniques and technologies." Disney announced newcomer Mena Massoud in the titular role for Guy Ritchie's "Aladdin," which reboots the 1992 animated classic, and Will Smith as the genie. Disney also revealed that production is underway for the live-action reimagining of its 1941 animated classic "Dumbo," slated for release in March 2019. The movie is being directed by Tim Burton ("Alice in Wonderland," "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory") and stars Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Eva Green. Burton, who is starting production in England, addressed the D23 crowd via a video clip in which he described "Dumbo" as "one of my favorite of the Disney movies." Disney also showcased "Nutcracker and the Four Realms," starring Misty Copeland, and "A Wrinkle in Time," an epic adventure directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine and debutante Storm Reid, all of whom appeared onstage. British actress Emily Blunt talked about playing the practically-perfect nanny in "Mary Poppins Returns," a sequel to the iconic 1964 original that hits theaters on December 25 next year. "I needed to try to pay homage to Julie Andrews but carve out a new space for myself. And we were very loyal to the books," said Blunt.

Marvel stuns fans with giant Avengers gathering

Disney chief Bob Iger said Monday hackers claiming to have access to one of the company&#39;s unreleased movies were demanding a &quot;huge&quot; ransom, according to US media reports.

He did not reveal which film had been stolen but said the company would not be giving in to the blackmail attempt, according to The Hollywood Reporter, quoting Iger from a meeting in New York with employees of the Disney-owned ABC television network.

The weekly reported on its website -- citing multiple unnamed sources -- that Disney is working with federal agents and monitoring for leaks online.

Movie website Deadline identified &quot;Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,&quot; which opens on May 26, as the target, without revealing its sources, while some film writers speculated on Twitter that Pixar&#39;s &quot;Cars 3,&quot; due for release next month, might have been hit.

Although both films are expected to do well for Disney, their profits are likely to be dwarfed by another film on the company&#39;s slate -- &quot;Star Wars: The Last Jedi,&quot; which hits theaters on December 15.

&quot;IMO, if it were &#39;Last Jedi,&#39; he would pay in a heartbeat. But &#39;Pirates&#39;... meh,&quot; Ryan Parker, a staff writer on the Hollywood Reporter, speculated on Twitter.

The cyber-thieves demanded to be paid in online currency Bitcoin and are threatening to release five minutes of the movie, followed by 20-minute segments until the ransom is delivered.

The hack follows a recent cyber attack on internet streamer Netflix that led to 10 episodes of &quot;Orange is the New Black&quot; being leaked ahead of release.

&quot;Dead Men Tell No Tales&quot; is the fifth in the &quot;Pirates of the Caribbean&quot; series, which stars Johnny Depp and has taken $3.7 billion at the box office since 2003.&nbsp;

Sci-fi novelist Paul Tassi, who comments on technology and the internet for Forbes Magazine, said &quot;Pirates&quot; would be unlikely to suffer were it the target, since its release date is so near.

&quot;Yes, going to a movie in theaters is one of the more exhausting media experiences still left in society, but the kinds of people who are willing to pay money to see Johnny Depp stumble his way through a fifth &#39;Pirates of the Caribbean&#39; movie in theaters are probably not the type to download a stolen copy of it right before it comes out,&quot; he said.

&quot;And like all movies, &#39;Pirates&#39; would appear on torrent sites regardless practically the day of its release, so the hackers seem to be really over-estimating their impact here.&quot;&nbsp;

More than 200,000 computers in 150 countries were hit by a ransomware cyberattack, described as the largest-ever of its kind, over the weekend.

Since Friday, banks, hospitals and government agencies have been among a variety of targets for hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in older Microsoft computer operating systems.

Microsoft president Brad Smith said the US National Security Agency had developed the code used in the attack.

The Walt Disney Company didn&#39;t respond to requests for comment.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The cyber thieves reportedly demanded to be paid in Bitcoin and are threatening to release five minutes of the movie, followed by 20-minute segments until the ransom is delivered

Disney chief Bob Iger said Monday hackers claiming to have access to one of the company's unreleased movies were demanding a "huge" ransom, according to US media reports. He did not reveal which film had been stolen but said the company would not be giving in to the blackmail attempt, according to The Hollywood Reporter, quoting Iger from a meeting in New York with employees of the Disney-owned ABC television network. The weekly reported on its website -- citing multiple unnamed sources -- that Disney is working with federal agents and monitoring for leaks online. Movie website Deadline identified "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales," which opens on May 26, as the target, without revealing its sources, while some film writers speculated on Twitter that Pixar's "Cars 3," due for release next month, might have been hit. Although both films are expected to do well for Disney, their profits are likely to be dwarfed by another film on the company's slate -- "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which hits theaters on December 15. "IMO, if it were 'Last Jedi,' he would pay in a heartbeat. But 'Pirates'... meh," Ryan Parker, a staff writer on the Hollywood Reporter, speculated on Twitter. The cyber-thieves demanded to be paid in online currency Bitcoin and are threatening to release five minutes of the movie, followed by 20-minute segments until the ransom is delivered. The hack follows a recent cyber attack on internet streamer Netflix that led to 10 episodes of "Orange is the New Black" being leaked ahead of release. "Dead Men Tell No Tales" is the fifth in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, which stars Johnny Depp and has taken $3.7 billion at the box office since 2003. Sci-fi novelist Paul Tassi, who comments on technology and the internet for Forbes Magazine, said "Pirates" would be unlikely to suffer were it the target, since its release date is so near. "Yes, going to a movie in theaters is one of the more exhausting media experiences still left in society, but the kinds of people who are willing to pay money to see Johnny Depp stumble his way through a fifth 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie in theaters are probably not the type to download a stolen copy of it right before it comes out," he said. "And like all movies, 'Pirates' would appear on torrent sites regardless practically the day of its release, so the hackers seem to be really over-estimating their impact here." More than 200,000 computers in 150 countries were hit by a ransomware cyberattack, described as the largest-ever of its kind, over the weekend. Since Friday, banks, hospitals and government agencies have been among a variety of targets for hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in older Microsoft computer operating systems. Microsoft president Brad Smith said the US National Security Agency had developed the code used in the attack. The Walt Disney Company didn't respond to requests for comment. (AFP)

Hackers threaten to leak unreleased Disney movie if not paid 'huge' ransom: Reports

A toddler posed for the camera as a Disney princess when her father decided to do an extensive photo series paying homage to Walt Disney&rsquo;s fairytale romance, Beauty and the Beast. 
 
The 3-year-old Nellee, channeled a tiny golden gown as Disney&rsquo;s character Belle of Beauty and the Beast for the photo shoot, recreating some iconic scenes from&nbsp;the movie.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQiKeVUhYln/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Josh Rossi (@joshrossiphoto)</a> on <time datetime="2017-02-15T13:24:15+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 15, 2017 at 5:24am PST</time>
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Her father, Josh Rossi, is a commercial photographer who planned the photo series&nbsp;a&nbsp;month in advance. He planned, shot and edited the series with support from his wife.The entire shoot was carried out in&nbsp;European locations with costume designs commissioned to luxury costume designer, Ella Dynae.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BQgjwwlBVBO/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Josh Rossi (@joshrossiphoto)</a> on <time datetime="2017-02-14T22:26:44+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Feb 14, 2017 at 2:26pm PST</time>
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In an interview to Mashable, Josh&nbsp;said, &ldquo;Usually we are just playing games our kids like. This time we play a game we both truly love, which is taking magical pictures together. I honestly hope that dads will get inspired to spend more time with their daughters and find something they can do together to connect.&quot;

The film, directed by Bill Condon, will hit theatres on March 17, 2017. The film stars Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as Le Fou and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts. 
 
Watch the extended trailer of the movie here:&nbsp;

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(WION)

&nbsp;

The entire shoot was carried out in?European locations with the outfits designed by luxury costume designer, Ella Dynae

A toddler posed for the camera as a Disney princess when her father decided to do an extensive photo series paying homage to Walt Disney’s fairytale romance, Beauty and the Beast. The 3-year-old Nellee, channeled a tiny golden gown as Disney’s character Belle of Beauty and the Beast for the photo shoot, recreating some iconic scenes from the movie. A post shared by Josh Rossi (@joshrossiphoto) on Feb 15, 2017 at 5:24am PST Her father, Josh Rossi, is a commercial photographer who planned the photo series a month in advance. He planned, shot and edited the series with support from his wife.The entire shoot was carried out in European locations with costume designs commissioned to luxury costume designer, Ella Dynae. A post shared by Josh Rossi (@joshrossiphoto) on Feb 14, 2017 at 2:26pm PST In an interview to Mashable, Josh said, “Usually we are just playing games our kids like. This time we play a game we both truly love, which is taking magical pictures together. I honestly hope that dads will get inspired to spend more time with their daughters and find something they can do together to connect." The film, directed by Bill Condon, will hit theatres on March 17, 2017. The film stars Emma Watson as Belle, Dan Stevens as the Beast, Ewan McGregor as Lumiere, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Luke Evans as Gaston, Josh Gad as Le Fou and Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts. Watch the extended trailer of the movie here: (WION)

Father-daughter duo recreate scenes from 'Beauty and the Beast' in photo shoot

Walt Disney Co is in talks with a financial adviser over a possible bid for Twitter, Bloomberg reported today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The social media giant,&nbsp;however,&nbsp;is reportedly&nbsp;discussing a potential deal with Alphabet Inc and might soon get a formal bid offer. &nbsp;Meanwhile,&nbsp;Salesforce.com Inc is also planning a bid, according to Reuters.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bloomberg has&nbsp;said in its report that Disney chairman and cheif executive officer Bob Iger has invested in technology-related media businesses because of losing viewevers on cable TV, which is the company&#39;s largest business.

&nbsp;

Iger has also sought to increase Disney&rsquo;s new media proficiency by&nbsp;adding Twitter chief Jack Dorsey and Facebook Inc. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg to his board in the past few years.

&nbsp;

Twitter has around 300 million active users since 2015 and according to reports, the microblogging site&nbsp;is having trouble in&nbsp;keeping pace with&nbsp;their growing social networking smartphone apps.

&nbsp;

Twitter&#39;s September results had shown the company weighing ways to cut costs, ramp up revenue or maximise shareholder value by selling itself. 
&nbsp;

(WION)

According to media reports, Twitter is already discussing a potential deal with Alphabet Inc and might soon get a formal bid offer

Walt Disney Co is in talks with a financial adviser over a possible bid for Twitter, Bloomberg reported today. The social media giant, however, is reportedly discussing a potential deal with Alphabet Inc and might soon get a formal bid offer. Meanwhile, Salesforce.com Inc is also planning a bid, according to Reuters. Bloomberg has said in its report that Disney chairman and cheif executive officer Bob Iger has invested in technology-related media businesses because of losing viewevers on cable TV, which is the company's largest business. Iger has also sought to increase Disney’s new media proficiency by adding Twitter chief Jack Dorsey and Facebook Inc. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg to his board in the past few years. Twitter has around 300 million active users since 2015 and according to reports, the microblogging site is having trouble in keeping pace with their growing social networking smartphone apps. Twitter's September results had shown the company weighing ways to cut costs, ramp up revenue or maximise shareholder value by selling itself. (WION)

Walt Disney planning Twitter bid: Bloomberg

Polynesian activists have accused Disney of promoting &#39;brown face&#39; through their Halloween costumes of the Pacific demi-god Maui. 
 
Disney&#39;s upcoming animated feature Moana is set to release in November this year. The full-body costume, designed to look like the Maui character, is voiced by Dwayne Johnson. It features brown skin with traditional tattoos, a grass skirt and bone necklace. 
 
The advertisement for the costume on disneystore.com promises &#39;Your little one will set off on adventures in this Maui Costume&#39;. 
 
Marama Fox, co-leader of New Zealand&#39;s Maori Party, accused Disney of aiming to &quot;make a profit off the back of another culture&#39;s beliefs and history&quot;, AFP reported. 
 
&quot;(It&#39;s) no different to putting the image of one of our ancestors on a shower curtain or a beer bottle,&quot; she told Fairfax Media. 
 
People took to Twitter to express their anger over Disney&#39;s choice of colour and tattoos on the costume. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Disney?src=hash">#Disney</a> , our brown skin is not a costume. Get outta here with that crap. Sincerely, a furious brown skinned Pacific Islander. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Moana?src=hash">#Moana</a>
&mdash; taleifiji (@TaleiFiji) <a href="https://twitter.com/TaleiFiji/status/777980682077208576">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
This is just a mess. Brown skin and tattoos that are sacred to a certain culture? That&#39;s not a costume. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Moana?src=hash">#Moana</a> <a href="https://t.co/yaFUPOUSWY">pic.twitter.com/yaFUPOUSWY</a>
&mdash; G (@gracedarienzo) <a href="https://twitter.com/gracedarienzo/status/777915212603219968">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Who&#39;s bright idea was it to make a brown skinned Maui Halloween costume from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Moana?src=hash">#Moana</a>? A SKINNED costume! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/wtf?src=hash">#wtf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/culturalappropriation?src=hash">#culturalappropriation</a>
&mdash; ??Jacqueline?? (@Mobilemoll) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mobilemoll/status/777904419157446656">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
However, some preferred to look over the idea attached to the costume. 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Disney costume is representing a character, not a culture. It&#39;s an animated movie, people, not a documentary. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/moana?src=hash">#moana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iamhawaiian?src=hash">#iamhawaiian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/imua?src=hash">#imua</a>
&mdash; Napuapepper (@napuapepper) <a href="https://twitter.com/napuapepper/status/777659693493653504">September 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Disney">@Disney</a>, As a Pacific Islander, I&#39;m not offended by the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Moana?src=hash">#Moana</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maui?src=hash">#Maui</a> costume at all. I appreciate other people appreciating my culture.
&mdash; Konami Ai (@Konami_Ai) <a href="https://twitter.com/Konami_Ai/status/778134688015773696">September 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
 
&quot;Right now Polynesian people from across the Pacific region are voicing their views about this costume and it&#39;s their voices that are important right now,&quot; New Zealand Human Rights Commission told the stuff.co.nz news website. &quot;We hope Disney listens to the views of the communities and people whose cultures their movie is based upon.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Disney came under fire in June for the representation of the Polynesian demi-god Maui in the movie. The character appears as obese in the movie&#39;s trailer. Critics slammed Disney for perpetuating the stereotype that people from Pacific Islands are overweight. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

Disney's upcoming animated feature Moana is set to release this November

Polynesian activists have accused Disney of promoting 'brown face' through their Halloween costumes of the Pacific demi-god Maui. Disney's upcoming animated feature Moana is set to release in November this year. The full-body costume, designed to look like the Maui character, is voiced by Dwayne Johnson. It features brown skin with traditional tattoos, a grass skirt and bone necklace. The advertisement for the costume on disneystore.com promises 'Your little one will set off on adventures in this Maui Costume'. Marama Fox, co-leader of New Zealand's Maori Party, accused Disney of aiming to "make a profit off the back of another culture's beliefs and history", AFP reported. "(It's) no different to putting the image of one of our ancestors on a shower curtain or a beer bottle," she told Fairfax Media. People took to Twitter to express their anger over Disney's choice of colour and tattoos on the costume. Dear #Disney , our brown skin is not a costume. Get outta here with that crap. Sincerely, a furious brown skinned Pacific Islander. #Moana — taleifiji (@TaleiFiji) September 19, 2016 This is just a mess. Brown skin and tattoos that are sacred to a certain culture? That's not a costume. #Moana pic.twitter.com/yaFUPOUSWY — G (@gracedarienzo) September 19, 2016 Who's bright idea was it to make a brown skinned Maui Halloween costume from #Moana? A SKINNED costume! #wtf #culturalappropriation — ??Jacqueline?? (@Mobilemoll) September 19, 2016 However, some preferred to look over the idea attached to the costume. Disney costume is representing a character, not a culture. It's an animated movie, people, not a documentary. #moana #iamhawaiian #imua — Napuapepper (@napuapepper) September 19, 2016 @Disney, As a Pacific Islander, I'm not offended by the #Moana #Maui costume at all. I appreciate other people appreciating my culture. — Konami Ai (@Konami_Ai) September 20, 2016 "Right now Polynesian people from across the Pacific region are voicing their views about this costume and it's their voices that are important right now," New Zealand Human Rights Commission told the stuff.co.nz news website. "We hope Disney listens to the views of the communities and people whose cultures their movie is based upon." Disney came under fire in June for the representation of the Polynesian demi-god Maui in the movie. The character appears as obese in the movie's trailer. Critics slammed Disney for perpetuating the stereotype that people from Pacific Islands are overweight. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Polynesian activists accuse Disney of 'brown face' over Maui costume

Flush with the stunning popularity of the Pokemon GO mobile game, Nintendo&nbsp;aims to make more from marketing popular characters such as Super Mario, taking a leaf from the Walt Disney&nbsp;playbook where Mickey Mouse and friends bring in billions of merchandising dollars each year.

But, where Disney&#39;s animated characters often earn more than the films they star in, Super Mario, Pokemon and other Nintendo franchises have languished amid the Japanese firm&#39;s reluctance to push them beyond its struggling game console platform.

The success of Pokemon GO - created by Nintendo, Pokemon Company and Niantic, a Google&nbsp;spinoff - may signal that Nintendo&#39;s move to let its characters roam beyond that console universe could help revitalise a company that had grown from a card game maker in nineteenth century Kyoto to the world&#39;s top computer game and console maker.

&quot;We are now expanding how we leverage Nintendo IP in various ways beyond our traditional use of them predominantly within the dedicated video game platform business,&quot; Tatsumi Kimishima, the company&#39;s president, wrote in a message to investors.

It could be sitting on a goldmine.

&quot;We believe the value of Nintendo intellectual property is enormous and will eventually be unlocked over a 3-5 year period,&quot; Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal wrote in a Monday research note.

A spokesman for Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy&nbsp;said: &quot;We are seeing a resurgence of interest in Pokemon toys after the launch of Pokemon GO.&quot;

Nintendo, which yesterday partly blamed a strengthening yen for its April-June operating loss, is said to be doing more to expand the reach of its popular franchise characters, which also include The Legend of Zelda.

&quot;Nintendo used to have only few people in its licensing business and deal only with a limited number of merchandising companies,&quot; said a toy company official, who asked not to be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media. &quot;That&#39;s gradually changing as the company has made it clear it will boost its IP business.&quot;

Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the puppet-inspired Super Mario, has indicated Nintendo has more appetite now to allow its franchise characters to spread beyond console gaming, and into revenue generating licensing agreements.

&quot;These projects will take time to bear fruit, but they are something to look forward to,&quot; Miyamoto told Nintendo&#39;s shareholder meeting late last month, adding Nintendo had started licensing characters for attractions at Universal Studios theme parks and was working to expand Nintendo products.

Faded Wii

Since its Wii game console boom faded four years ago and its successor, the Wii U, flopped, Nintendo has been buffeted by losses that have more than halved its cash pile to around $5 billion.

Nintendo sold almost 100 million of its Wii consoles between its late-2006 launch and end-2011, the year before the Wii U was released. Subsequent sales of the Wii U have added only 13 million units. As casual gaming has shifted from the living room to the smartphone, sales of its handheld 3DS video game system are just a third of the older DS model.

Wary of losing focus on its ailing console business, Nintendo has largely steered clear from producing games for other platforms or agreeing lucrative licensing agreements.

In the year to end-March, the company&#39;s licensing revenue was just $54.2 million&nbsp;- around 1 per cent of overall sales, and a tiny fraction of what Disney earns from the likes of Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh and, more recently, Star Wars.

Disney&#39;s revenue from consumer products - from Mickey Mouse tea pots and tie clips to books, magazines and even English language schools in China - totalled $4.5 billion in its last full business year - around 9 per cent of its total sales.

It was Disney&#39;s fastest growing business segment in the year to Oct. 3, 2015, with operating profit up 29 per cent from a year earlier. While the Toy Story 3 movie, released in 2010, earned Disney $1.7 billion at cinemas and from TV broadcasts, the franchise&#39;s licensed toys, books and a smartphone app have brought in $7.3 billion.

That&#39;s a merchandising masterclass that some investors reckon Nintendo will struggle to match.

&quot;Monetising IP is a whole different thing from selling games,&quot; said a fund manager at a Japanese asset management firm which owns Nintendo shares.

&quot;They say they&#39;re going to sell a wrist watch, but it&#39;s adults who are playing Pokemon GO&nbsp;and are they going to wear a Pokemon GO Plus watch?&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Nintendo?aims to make more from marketing popular characters like Mario to revitalise a company struggling with its game console platform

Flush with the stunning popularity of the Pokemon GO mobile game, Nintendo aims to make more from marketing popular characters such as Super Mario, taking a leaf from the Walt Disney playbook where Mickey Mouse and friends bring in billions of merchandising dollars each year. But, where Disney's animated characters often earn more than the films they star in, Super Mario, Pokemon and other Nintendo franchises have languished amid the Japanese firm's reluctance to push them beyond its struggling game console platform. The success of Pokemon GO - created by Nintendo, Pokemon Company and Niantic, a Google spinoff - may signal that Nintendo's move to let its characters roam beyond that console universe could help revitalise a company that had grown from a card game maker in nineteenth century Kyoto to the world's top computer game and console maker. "We are now expanding how we leverage Nintendo IP in various ways beyond our traditional use of them predominantly within the dedicated video game platform business," Tatsumi Kimishima, the company's president, wrote in a message to investors. It could be sitting on a goldmine. "We believe the value of Nintendo intellectual property is enormous and will eventually be unlocked over a 3-5 year period," Jefferies analyst Atul Goyal wrote in a Monday research note. A spokesman for Japanese toymaker Takara Tomy said: "We are seeing a resurgence of interest in Pokemon toys after the launch of Pokemon GO." Nintendo, which yesterday partly blamed a strengthening yen for its April-June operating loss, is said to be doing more to expand the reach of its popular franchise characters, which also include The Legend of Zelda. "Nintendo used to have only few people in its licensing business and deal only with a limited number of merchandising companies," said a toy company official, who asked not to be named as he is not authorised to talk to the media. "That's gradually changing as the company has made it clear it will boost its IP business." Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the puppet-inspired Super Mario, has indicated Nintendo has more appetite now to allow its franchise characters to spread beyond console gaming, and into revenue generating licensing agreements. "These projects will take time to bear fruit, but they are something to look forward to," Miyamoto told Nintendo's shareholder meeting late last month, adding Nintendo had started licensing characters for attractions at Universal Studios theme parks and was working to expand Nintendo products. Faded Wii Since its Wii game console boom faded four years ago and its successor, the Wii U, flopped, Nintendo has been buffeted by losses that have more than halved its cash pile to around $5 billion. Nintendo sold almost 100 million of its Wii consoles between its late-2006 launch and end-2011, the year before the Wii U was released. Subsequent sales of the Wii U have added only 13 million units. As casual gaming has shifted from the living room to the smartphone, sales of its handheld 3DS video game system are just a third of the older DS model. Wary of losing focus on its ailing console business, Nintendo has largely steered clear from producing games for other platforms or agreeing lucrative licensing agreements. In the year to end-March, the company's licensing revenue was just $54.2 million - around 1 per cent of overall sales, and a tiny fraction of what Disney earns from the likes of Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh and, more recently, Star Wars. Disney's revenue from consumer products - from Mickey Mouse tea pots and tie clips to books, magazines and even English language schools in China - totalled $4.5 billion in its last full business year - around 9 per cent of its total sales. It was Disney's fastest growing business segment in the year to Oct. 3, 2015, with operating profit up 29 per cent from a year earlier. While the Toy Story 3 movie, released in 2010, earned Disney $1.7 billion at cinemas and from TV broadcasts, the franchise's licensed toys, books and a smartphone app have brought in $7.3 billion. That's a merchandising masterclass that some investors reckon Nintendo will struggle to match. "Monetising IP is a whole different thing from selling games," said a fund manager at a Japanese asset management firm which owns Nintendo shares. "They say they're going to sell a wrist watch, but it's adults who are playing Pokemon GO and are they going to wear a Pokemon GO Plus watch?" (Reuters)

Nintendo's Mario to get a merchandising makeover

Walt Disney Co has taken three Chinese firms to court over concerns local animation The Autobots&nbsp;copied elements from Disney&#39;s own hit movie Cars, as the US firm looks to protect its drive into the world&#39;s second-largest economy. 
 
A court in Shanghai held a hearing on Tuesday, a Disney spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters. The dispute was over &quot;copyright infringement&quot; and &quot;unfair competition&quot;, according to a notice on the Shanghai Pudong New Area People&#39;s Court website. 
 
Disney is making a major push into China with the recent opening of a $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai, its first on the mainland, while its animated movies including Zootopia&nbsp;and Big Hero 6&nbsp;have been big box office hits in the country. 
 
The iconic US firm, however, faces tough competition in the market from local theme park developers, popular Chinese animations as well as counterfeits from merchandise to fake Disney hotels. Chinese authorities have promised to give Disney &quot;special&quot; trademark protection. 
 
The Autobots&nbsp;drew ire from netizens in China when it was released last year, with some pointing out similarities with Disney&#39;s 2006 film Cars starring Owen Wilson and its sequel in 2011. Cars 3 is pencilled in to be released next year. 
 
Zuo Jianlong, the director of The Autobots for production company Blue MTV, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday he was &quot;relaxed&quot; about a potential ruling. 
 
&quot;Lots of people online have talked about plagiarism, but it seems from the legal side that the matter is quite clear - at root there is no plagiaristic behaviour,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;If you put the two films side-by-side to compare them, then you will know they are completely different.&quot; 
 
Disney declined to comment further on the case. 
 
The Chinese film is about animated racing cars including main heroes K1 and K2, while Disney&#39;s offering follows the story of legendary racing car Lightning McQueen. 
 
The three Chinese firms involved in the suit are production company Blue MTV, media company Beijing G-Point, and online content platform PPLive Inc. 
 
An official for Beijing G-Point, who gave her name only as Ms Cheng, said the firms had hoped to reach a settlement, but Disney had been opposed to this. She added G-Point was not involved in production, but rather in the film&#39;s distribution. 
 
Reuters could not immediately reach PPLive for comment. 
 
China&#39;s box office hit around $6.8 billion last year, and is growing fast, a lure for overseas studios to tap into the market despite a cap on imported films, censorship concerns and a rising challenge from locally made movies. 
 
(Reuters)

Chinese authorities have promised Disney 'special' trademark protection as it faces competition from local theme park developers

Walt Disney Co has taken three Chinese firms to court over concerns local animation The Autobots copied elements from Disney's own hit movie Cars, as the US firm looks to protect its drive into the world's second-largest economy. A court in Shanghai held a hearing on Tuesday, a Disney spokeswoman confirmed to Reuters. The dispute was over "copyright infringement" and "unfair competition", according to a notice on the Shanghai Pudong New Area People's Court website. Disney is making a major push into China with the recent opening of a $5.5 billion theme park in Shanghai, its first on the mainland, while its animated movies including Zootopia and Big Hero 6 have been big box office hits in the country. The iconic US firm, however, faces tough competition in the market from local theme park developers, popular Chinese animations as well as counterfeits from merchandise to fake Disney hotels. Chinese authorities have promised to give Disney "special" trademark protection. The Autobots drew ire from netizens in China when it was released last year, with some pointing out similarities with Disney's 2006 film Cars starring Owen Wilson and its sequel in 2011. Cars 3 is pencilled in to be released next year. Zuo Jianlong, the director of The Autobots for production company Blue MTV, told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday he was "relaxed" about a potential ruling. "Lots of people online have talked about plagiarism, but it seems from the legal side that the matter is quite clear - at root there is no plagiaristic behaviour," he said. "If you put the two films side-by-side to compare them, then you will know they are completely different." Disney declined to comment further on the case. The Chinese film is about animated racing cars including main heroes K1 and K2, while Disney's offering follows the story of legendary racing car Lightning McQueen. The three Chinese firms involved in the suit are production company Blue MTV, media company Beijing G-Point, and online content platform PPLive Inc. An official for Beijing G-Point, who gave her name only as Ms Cheng, said the firms had hoped to reach a settlement, but Disney had been opposed to this. She added G-Point was not involved in production, but rather in the film's distribution. Reuters could not immediately reach PPLive for comment. China's box office hit around $6.8 billion last year, and is growing fast, a lure for overseas studios to tap into the market despite a cap on imported films, censorship concerns and a rising challenge from locally made movies. (Reuters)

Cars vs Autobots: Disney sues China firms in copyright dispute

Pixar&#39;s Finding Dory&nbsp;has made box office history, industry data showed on Monday, taking in the biggest-ever opening weekend revenue for an animated movie.

&quot;Dory,&quot; voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, earned $135.1 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, smashing the $121.6 million take of the previous record holder, 2007&#39;s&nbsp;Shrek the Third.

The movie earned an 11th weekend at the top of the North American box office for Disney, which owns Pixar and was behind the three top-grossing 2016 films so far - Zootopia,&nbsp;Captain America: Civil War&nbsp;and&nbsp;The Jungle Book.

&quot;Finding Dory&nbsp;is almost guaranteed to hit $1 billion worldwide this summer, as the franchise is one of Pixar&#39;s most beloved series,&quot; said Jeff Bock, a box office expert at Exhibitor Relations.

&quot;Dory&quot; follows a forgetful fish on a quest to find her parents, much as she did as a supporting character in the 2003 hit&nbsp;Finding Nemo.

The sequel blew away the competition, including Central Intelligence,&nbsp;a comedy with Dwayne &quot;The Rock&quot; Johnson and Kevin Hart that also was new in theatres this weekend.

The film about a spy who recruits a high school buddy for an action-packed caper made a respectable $34.5 million at the box office.

Last week&#39;s top earner, The Conjuring 2,&nbsp;dropped to third place with a $15.5 million take its second week in theatres.

The supernatural fright fest stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as a paranormal-investigating couple.

Now You See Me,&nbsp;starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as illusionists, dropped a notch to fourth after making $9.4 million over the weekend, the crime caper&#39;s second in theatres.

Fifth with $7.2 million was Warcraft,&nbsp;a CGI extravaganza based on the hit video game&nbsp;World of Warcraft.

It was directed by Duncan Jones, son of the late British music legend David Bowie, and starred Dominic Cooper, Travis Fimmel and Paula Patton. 
 
(AFP)

Pixar's 'Finding Nemo' sequel 'Finding Dory' has the biggest-ever opening weekend revenue for an animated movie, earning $135.1 million

Pixar's Finding Dory has made box office history, industry data showed on Monday, taking in the biggest-ever opening weekend revenue for an animated movie. "Dory," voiced by Ellen DeGeneres, earned $135.1 million, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations, smashing the $121.6 million take of the previous record holder, 2007's Shrek the Third. The movie earned an 11th weekend at the top of the North American box office for Disney, which owns Pixar and was behind the three top-grossing 2016 films so far - Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War and The Jungle Book. "Finding Dory is almost guaranteed to hit $1 billion worldwide this summer, as the franchise is one of Pixar's most beloved series," said Jeff Bock, a box office expert at Exhibitor Relations. "Dory" follows a forgetful fish on a quest to find her parents, much as she did as a supporting character in the 2003 hit Finding Nemo. The sequel blew away the competition, including Central Intelligence, a comedy with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Kevin Hart that also was new in theatres this weekend. The film about a spy who recruits a high school buddy for an action-packed caper made a respectable $34.5 million at the box office. Last week's top earner, The Conjuring 2, dropped to third place with a $15.5 million take its second week in theatres. The supernatural fright fest stars Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as a paranormal-investigating couple. Now You See Me, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as illusionists, dropped a notch to fourth after making $9.4 million over the weekend, the crime caper's second in theatres. Fifth with $7.2 million was Warcraft, a CGI extravaganza based on the hit video game World of Warcraft. It was directed by Duncan Jones, son of the late British music legend David Bowie, and starred Dominic Cooper, Travis Fimmel and Paula Patton. (AFP)

'Finding Dory' swims into box office history

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