While I'm not the biggest Star Wars fan, I still think these are pretty cool if only because the princesses seem super kick-ass and not at all like damsels in distress. I also like the little subtle nods to the other characters in the film -- although Pascal, Rajah and Flounder are not nearly as cute and cuddly in Berry's versions.
Rapunzel might be my favorite -- after all, she's using her hair as a weapon, freeing up her hands, so the bad-ass potential is pretty high here.
Runner-Up probably goes to Ariel -- probably because she's my favorite princess in general.
Berry rounds out his quartet with Jasmine and Belle:
For some reason, I'm not as big of a fan of the Belle one (to each his own!), mainly because if Beast wasn't there, I'd have a hard time knowing it was Belle. Her pose is also less active and striking, but maybe she's more of a strategist.
The news that Disney is basically remaking every one of it's animated classics into a live-action film isn't new.
What is new is reports that they're pursuing Emily Blunt for the role of Mary Poppins -- but not in a remake.
(c) Entertainment Weekly / Getty Images
The news comes from a Variety report and indicates that Rob Marshall (Chicago, Into The Woods) would direct.
The most important information of the report -- at least to Disney/children's lit scholars/fans -- is this:
"Insiders confirm the new film will take place in Depression-era London 20 years after the first film and will take story lines from P.L. Travers’ children books focusing on Poppins’ continued adventures with the Banks family."
First--it does confirm the reports that this would not be a remake of the 1964 live-action/animated film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. (In other words, Emily Blunt would not be replacing Julie Andrews, but rather stepping into her (albeit rather large) shoes.)
This is key, I think, namely because Julie Andrews is so beloved, and this was an iconic role for her.
What's interesting though is the decision to fast-forward 20 years. Jane and Michael will have (presumably) grown up at this point, so I'm assuming that perhaps Mary Poppins will come to deal with their children, the next generation. (Although Jane and Michael would have had to get married rather early in life to have children the same age they were when Mary visited them...but details.)
I'm also curious to see whether Emily-Blunt-as-Mary-Poppins will be more faithful to Travers' original vision of Mary. While Disney romanticized the relationship between Travers and Walt in the film Saving Mr. Banks, the true account is much more...contentious. Travers and Walt fought over almost every aspect of the film, and she left the premiere in tears. (Which apparently led to her reluctance to give the rights for the Broadway musical, but that Mary is much more in line with the literary version: sterner, less "spoonful of sugar.")
Of course, all speculation at the moment, since nothing is set in stone, but interesting nonetheless.
For some reason, I love those social media posts where Disney Princesses are envisioned as "something." And pretty much whatever you can imagine Disney Princesses as, some graphic artist out there has done it. (Even hot dogs.)
The latest to pop up on my newsfeed was "Disney Princesses as Millenials" by Anoosha Sayed. According to Sayed, the project is "a series of digital illustrations of what I imagine these girls would be like as 21st century teens/young adults." She also " tried to be accurate to their personalities, writing little backstories
for each character. I also put [in] little homages to their movies."
While not my favorite reimagining -- mainly because I don't see a whole lot of re-imagining going on, but that's just me -- they are pretty to look at. And they do get you thinking about what each princess might be like in the 21st century. (If you think about things like that. I do.)
My favorite, and probably the most unique re-imagining, is probably Snow White, the Social Media Queen:
I love that Sayed made her full-figured and curvy -- as the 1930s Princess, she's definitely a different body type than the more willowy (and more criticized) princesses.
Runner-up for me goes to Belle, the Fangirl:
Belle would be the fangirl. I don't know if she'd be into anime, but okay. She'd definitely be a Harry Potter fangirl though -- a Ravenclaw all the way. Although, she'd probably be a Twihard too...I can see that really being a story she identified with.
And then there's Esmeralda. Who I love is included, but I'm not sure she'd be a ballet dancer...given her gypsy roots, I can see her being more of a burlesque dancer, even jazz, but not really ballet.
Last night, the Broncos won the Super Bowl and Peyton Manning finally got his second Super Bowl Ring (and a host of other stats -- 200 career wins, oldest quarterback to win the Super Bowl, etc.).
It wasn't the best game -- albeit one which proved the adage that "defense wins championships" -- but this isn't the blog that's going to break down the game or discuss the players.
It's literally like three of my favorite things in one photo: a Disney castle, Mickey Mouse, and Peyton Manning.
(c) Disney 2016
I'm not entirely sure why Disney is celebrating "Peyton Manning" -- as opposed to, you know, the Denver Broncos -- especially as he wasn't the MVP. But whatever.
Okay. Not really. I'm not going to Disney World -- but someone tonight will probably utter those words.
I'm a Peyton Manning fan -- such a class act, IMHO -- and I'd love to see him go out on top, but being a Carolina resident, I feel like it's blasphemous not to root for the Panthers. So I call tonight a win-win game. (Anyone but the Patriots. Well, really anyone but Tom Brady. I think that comes from being raised in a Giants household.)
So, I *could* go to Disney World...basically, to encourage Disney guests to stay at the Swan & Dolphin -- which, while on Disney property (they're walking distance from the Boardwalk, Beach & Yacht Club, and EPCOT), are not technically Disney hotels anymore; you don't get quite the same benefits -- residents of NC, SC, and Colorado get a BOGO deal. Book at least two nights, get one free.
Added Bonus? If your team wins the Superbowl, residents of that state get a free room upgrade. Which...staying there, maybe for my birthday weekend in November, walking into EPCOT for Food & Wine...there are worse things!
I've always found it a fascinating link -- Disney World and football/the Super Bowl. I mean, not now, because Disney owns ESPN, but the connection has been there since 1987.
Phil Simms -- of the New York Giants, thank you very much! -- was the first to say it -- although it just as easily could have been John Elway. The story goes that Michael Eisner's wife came up with the idea -- during the Eisner era, everything was a marketing strategy -- and they offered each quarterback a pretty penny to say the phrase if his team won. The Giants did, Phil Simms said it, and the rest is sort of history.
Again--now it makes sense, with Disney owning ESPN. But in 1987? I guess Disney World (or Land, perhaps depending on your team's location...?) was a logical place to celebrate a fairy-tale win?
I'll leave you with another Giant in his celebratory parade:
Will it be another Manning riding alongside Mickey? Or will Cam Newton teach Mickey how to dab?
Okay. Whatever you're doing -- stop, take 5 minutes of your day, and listen to this beautiful cover/Disney mash-up.
I am always in total awe of people who can not only sing but who can sing acapella since I have no musical skill whatsoever.
Here, Kirstin Maldonado (of Pentatonix) and Jeremy Michael Lewis (of AcoUstiKats) mash-up "I See The Light" (from Tangled), "You'll Be In My Heart" (from Tarzan) and "Go The Distance" (from Hercules) and the result is stunning. I'm so used to Phil Collins' version of "You'll Be In My Heart" that I think hearing the soprano version when Maldonado sings is a bit weird for me, but she absolutely slays the Rapunzel vocals in "I See The Light." (And, as I explained to my husband, she's the reason I'm nitpicky about the actresses who play the Disney princesses on Broadway -- a few years ago, we saw an Ariel who was just so nasal, it bothered me the whole show: yes, Disney Princess songs are incredibly hard to sing, and I'm not professing to do any better, but when you find the right vocalist, it's amazing. They're out there!)
And those vocalists in the background? Doing the "music"? SO TALENTED.
