In a world filled with the oddball gods and monsters of Japanese mythology, one of the creature’s free-spirited daughters, Onari, is determined to follow in the footsteps of the mighty heroes of lore, but her unique powers are yet to be revealed. Does she have what it takes to fight to protect her peaceful village from the encroaching threat of the gods’ mysterious enemies, the “Oni”?
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale 4-episode series drops on Netflix October 21, 2022.
Wednesday is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy. Wednesday’s attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the supernatural mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
Wednesday drops November 23, 2022 on Netflix.
Wendell & Wild is an animated tale about scheming demon brothers Wendell (Keegan-Michael Key) and Wild (Peele) – who enlist the aid of Kat Elliot – a tough teen with a load of guilt – to summon them to the Land of the Living. But what Kat demands in return leads to a brilliantly bizarre and comedic adventure like no other, an animated fantasy that defies the law of life and death, all told through the handmade artistry of stop motion.
Wendell & Wild comes to Netflix October 28, 2022 in time for Halloween viewing.
A story of kindness, friendship, courage and hope for viewers of all ages in a heart-warming, classically animated film based on Charlie Mackesy’s book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. The poignant and heartfelt journey follows the unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse travelling together in the boy’s search for home.
“The journey of making the film of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse with my incredibly gifted animation team has been a magical one,” says author Charlie Mackesy. “I never dreamt it would happen – but it’s so moving to think the story will be watched at Christmas. I really hope it brings a bit of joy, laughter and comfort.”
Look for it Christmas Day on Apple TV+.
Did you ever wonder why the D23 Disney fan club is called D23? Well, it’s because the Disney Company was formed in 1923. That makes 2023 the hundredth year. Marking this great milestone there will be celebrations throughout all the Disney brands, including Disneyland. The whole shebang kicks off January 27.
Throughout the Disneyland Resort, a new platinum décor will be unmistakable. And Mickey and Minnie, as well as some of the other characters, will be sporting new looks. New food and beverages, as well as merchandise (remember we’re talking about Disney, the king of merch) will be available to mark the anniversary. And not only do the characters get a festive celebratory look, the entire park including Sleeping Beauty Castle will be dressed up for the occasion.
Two special nighttime spectaculars will impress guests of all ages. “Wondrous Journeys” in Disneyland celebrates the Disney animation through the years with fireworks, music and projections. This new show will wow guests not only at the castle and Main Street, U.S.A., but also on the façade of “it’s a small world” and at the Rivers of America. There will be brand new song, “It’s Wondrous,” that will play on select nights. And over at Disney California Adventure, the new “World of Color – One” has a new song, “Start a Wave,” as well as a fresh story playing out over the water. So guests in both parks will be able to see the new spectaculars honoring the 100 years of the Disney Company.
As the year progresses new features will be unveiled, including the reopening in the spring of Mickey’s Toontown, which has been closed for a complete overhaul. Mickey’s Toontown will have plenty of fun areas for families to enjoy.
And the new Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction is scheduled to open on January 27 when the celebrations begin.
Also in the spring the “Magic Happens” parade returns to Disneyland. This parade has been absent since the park closed due to the pandemic. The return of this daytime parade celebrated the magic of many favorite Disney stories. And since the company has now been around 100 years, there are plenty of them. This parade was created to mark the 65th anniversary of Disneyland and debuted in 2020 but was immediately halted due to the park closing. It returns to awe guests for the 100th anniversary of the company.
As mentioned above, the celebrations will take place in all the Disney parks with new and commemorative shows and merchandise marking the milestone.
Walt Disney was born in 1901 and passed away in 1966. His legacy is more than his movies and theme parks. His legacy is part of our culture.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.
Thanks to Disneyland Resort for all the photos and concept art.
Whether your favorite Disney princess is Aurora, Belle, Tiana, Snow White, or someone else, this new book covers them all. It’s a beautifully designed book with a hard cover that makes it nice to display.
Raya is the newest Disney princess so she is not included, however the following princesses are featured: Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Merida, Moana, Mulan, Pocahontas, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Tiana, with a shout out to Vanellope.
The book delves into the history of the characters, the films and the design of them all. With the advent of live-action Disney princess movies, this aspect is also included, although most of us probably most recognize the characters from their animated films. Also included are looks at the actors who play the famous women in the live action versions as well as those who voice the animated characters.
The Disney princesses are entrenched in pop culture. They are recognizable around the world. This book brings them all together, with the backgrounds as well as everything that goes into creating a Disney princess. Whether it is their iconic fashions, the songs, the dolls and games, and the art, the immense facts within the pages of the book are amazing and worth exploring.
With input from those who were part of the creation of the iconic characters, there are some eye-opening admissions about how they were created. To be honest, this is all encompassing when it comes to the Disney princesses. It is not a fluff book. It delves deep into all aspects of the characters.
Whether you’re five, fifty, or eighty, the Disney princesses have touched your life. In the back of the book is a timeline when the different princesses made their debuts and other appearances. Did you know that Snow White, Cinderella, and Jasmine were part of an episode of Full House? Splash Mountain in the Disney parks is being transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to encompass this delightful princess and her story. (This part is not in the book. It’s just an additional fact.) The princesses are beloved characters throughout all the Disney parks and little kids love dressing up like their favorite Disney princess.
Jodi Benson, who voices Ariel, penned the foreword to the book. She admits, “Ariel and I are a lot alike.”
Disney Princesses have evolved over the years. No longer do they wait for their prince. Nevertheless, their true loves are still important in their lives.
While it is not a book for kids per se, sharing some of the background and the fashions with them might be of interest. And they will definitely enjoy the pictures.
Beyond the Tiara: Disney Princess is a great holiday gift this year, and a fun birthday gift for anyone who enjoys the characters.
Beyond the Tiara: Disney Princess – The Stories, The Influence, The Legacy
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.
The Disneyland Resort is always growing and changing. Imagination is the key, which the folks at Disney have plenty of.
With the upcoming reimagining of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, there was little doubt Tiana’s influence would be felt more than in the one attraction. There will soon be a restaurant in New Orleans Square with plenty of Tiana’s New Orleans tastes. Also, a new shop in the square features apparel, foods, and more. Eudora’s Chic Boutique is inspired by Princess Tiana’s mother Eudora. This shop is a much-needed addition to New Orleans Square. (photos courtesy Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort)
And Disneyland Resort will soon be supporting the Magic Band+. Finally! This is a welcome addition to the resort. Guests who have visited Walt Disney World know the advantages of having a Magic Band. It is hands free and allows guests to enter the parks and some attractions just by swiping the band next to the electronic icons, making entry to the parks and some lightning lanes fast and easy.
Magic Band+ adds additional elements, which add interactive elements for guests. For instance, some of the nighttime shows will be synched to the bands. PhotoPass photographers will be able to tap the band to synch your photos.
In Star Wars: Galaxy Edge the bands bring a new interactive element to the galaxy far, far away. More features of the MagicBand+ will be revealed at a future date. If WDW is to be the example, statues around the parks will be interactive simply by waving the band in front of the statues. Let’s wait to see if this feature makes it to Anaheim. Needless to say, many of the new updates to the resort will be a great addition and add more enjoyment for guests as they experience all the fun of Disney.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 28 years. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.
In 2011 Death in Paradise premiered on BBC. The first season is available on BritBox for all of us to watch. Even though this is over ten years old, it is still fun and entertaining, thanks in part to the star Ben Miller.
Miller has had a long career in the acting business that continues today. Having just discovered Death in Paradise, it is no surprise. Viewers will recognize him from shows like Bridgerton, Primeval, and other TV series as well as feature films. Fans of the movie The Prince and Me will recognize him as Soren, the faithful aide to the Prince. With a resume going back to 1991, his career has been long and varied.
In Death in Paradise Miller steps into the shoes of DI Richard Poole, a straight-laced, uptight London cop who is sent to the Caribbean island of Saint-Marie to investigate the murder of a fellow British policeman who was working on the island. Poole insists on wearing his dark suit, leather shoes, and carrying his briefcase, even though the temperature is high and half of the time he is walking on the sand. He wants to solve this crime and return to the dreary streets of London as soon as possible.
To his chagrin, Poole is permanently assigned to the Saint-Marie police department and he must work alongside DS Camille Bordey (Sara Martins), who is more easy-going (although everyone on the island is more easy-going than Poole) and tries her best to help him learn the island ways.
Officer Fidel Best (Gary Carr) always gets the drudgework, thanks to his superior Officer Dwayne Myers (Danny John-Jules). This foursome is a motley crew, but they always manage to solve the crimes, thanks in large part to the great mind of Richard Poole.
Poole is in the same vane as Columbo, except he is not disheveled or untidy. He often looks like he just stepped out of a page of British GQ and he fixes up his cluttered beach home to reflect his cleanliness. He is a fish out of water yet makes the best of his situation. He is not one for cute banter. He is professional – most of the time. That said, he does have his island moments.
This is a fun show with plenty of entertaining characters, and at the top of the list is DI Richard Poole. He is a brilliant detective who manages to see things in little clues that others cannot. Sound familiar? (Columbo) Later seasons Poole is replaced however the original episodes are filled with his unusual ways and clever mind.
Death in Paradise is now streaming on BritBox. Check out their website for subscription information. They have a free 7-day trial so there is nothing to lose.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.
The latest film in the franchise, Minions: The Rise of Gru, is 90 per cent minions and 10 percent Gru, which will please fans of these adorable little yellow fellows. The story explains how Gru ended up adopting the Minions, and not only are Kevin, Stuart, and Bob front and center, this film introduces their friend Otto. Otto is a sweet rolly polly guy with braces and he is eager to help and eager to please.
12-year-old Gru admires the Vicious 6 who are the most evil bunch of villains. When a vacancy arises in the group, Gru applies to join this notorious gang of villains, but when they discover he is only a child instead of a tiny man they belittle him and evict him from their lair. But Gru decides to show them how evil he can be and steals their precious stone, intending on returning it once they admit him into the fold.
The problem is, Gru doesn’t fully anticipate their reaction and soon it is Otto who is entrusted with the stone. But Otto is not the most trustworthy of the group. With the stone lost somewhere in suburbia, Gru is taken hostage by his hero, and soon the minions must find the stone and take it to San Francisco to rescue their beloved Gru.
Steve Carell returns to voice Gru alongside Julie Andrews voicing his mom. Alan Arkin voices Gru’s hero Wild Knuckles, with Michelle Yeoh supplying the voice of Master Chow who ends up teaching martial arts to Kevin, Bob, and Stuart. Taraji P, Henson adds the voice of Belle Bottom, Russell Brand is Nefario, Jean-Claude Van Damme is Jean-Clawed, Dolph Lundgern is Svengeance, Danny Trejo is Stronghold, and Lucy Lawless is Nun-Chuck.
This action-packed story is now available on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital with plenty of bonus features: 2 mini-movies featuring the adorable Minions, outtakes, a look at the characters, a lesson on how to draw the characters, and some more fun things to watch and do.
Minions: The Rise of Gru is rated PG for some action/violence and rude humor.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Francine is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA. Follow her on Twitter.
As ever, the D23 Expo was filled with people, merch, info, and a lot of fun. Here is a roundup of the 2022 expo at the Anaheim Convention Center.
To kick things off, the opening ceremony and Disney Legends awards was everything I expected. This year’s legends are: Anthony Anderson, Kristen Bell, Chadwick Boseman, Rob’t Coltrin, Patrick Dempsey, Robert Foster, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Don Hahn, Doris Hardoon, Idina Menzel, Chris Montan, Ellen Pompeo, and Tracee Ellis Ross. Coming from the animation side as well as film and TV, the new legends take their place among some of the giants of Disney history. The ceremony was MC’s by Tamron Hall.
Next, Walt Disney’s iconic airplane, known as “The Mouse” was on display. This is a true historic plane. The plane was used by Walt and his wife to search for land for what is now Walt Disney World, to transport them to the New York World’s Fair, back and forth between Burbank and the East Coast, and overseas.
Disney Parks – well, even though there was a full session about the parks, not much new was discussed. “It’s terrific to be together in person and connect with our fans again at D23 Expo. I love sharing in the excitement with them for what we have ahead of us,” said Josh D’Amaro. “As the world’s greatest storytellers, I’m thrilled to share the new and innovative ways we are bringing next-generation Disney magic to life across Disney parks and experiences.” We know Splash Mountain is being transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in the near future. Now there will be a Palace restaurant, which delighted all the fans. I always thought there would have to be a restaurant in the parks celebrating the world of New Orleans since that was Tiana’s dream.
Star Wars fans were delighted to learn that Grogu will be making personal appearances in Disneyland with the Mandalorian. Also appearing at the Avengers Campus will be Hulk. This guy is huge. DCA (Disney California Adventure) will be expanding and remodeling. The bridge in the park will be reimagined as San Fransokyo from Big Hero 6. And the Pixar Pier Hotel is changing into the Pixar Place Hotel and will immerse guests into the animated world of Pixar.
Other changes in WDW and overseas parks were also discussed.
Merchandise!!
With plenty of panels throughout the three days, most fans were interested in the merchandise, and there was plenty of that. From pins to art to everything Disney, if you wanted it it was probably there.
This year several items that made their debut at the Expo also launched on shopDisney that same day.
While they were available at the Expo, these items will be available on shopDisney later this Fall
So, you might be wondering what I purchased. My followers know I always make a big purchase at the Expo. This year was a little different. Although there were plenty of items that caught my eye, I simply purchased some of Duffy’s friends. Duffy is set to make a big return to the parks soon. Duffy and his friends are very popular overseas, and although they did not prove to be as popular in the U.S., they will be coming back. Yes, Duffy and his friends will be starring in their own show next year on Disney+. Let’s face it, these guys are adorable!
So, if you missed the D23 Expo for 2022, here are some moments from the Anaheim Convention Center and remember, 2023 is the 100th anniversary of DISNEY.
This is just a small snippet! And to think, it all started with a mouse!
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.