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Disney+ is about to get a lot more Canadian, eh?

Pixar’s latest movie, Turning Red, was a big deal in a lot of ways.

It was the studio’s first feature film to be solely directed by a woman, Toronto’s own Domee Shi (the Oscar-winning short Bao), as well as its first to feature a predominantly Asian cast. What’s more, the movie was a rare opportunity for Toronto to play itself, rather than an American city, while also featuring Canadian talent like Ottawa’s Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) and Mississauga’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan (Never Have I Ever).

Turning Red also, incidentally, was just the first in a slew of new Disney+ originals featuring significant Canadian connections. In fact, a quick glance at the streamer’s upcoming film and TV slate reveals many projects in which Canadians play prominent roles both in front of and behind the camera. The future of Marvel and Star Wars, in particular, is looking quite Canadian.

With all of that said, here’s a breakdown of major upcoming Disney+ titles, in order of release, that heavily feature Canadians:

Obi-Wan Kenobi — May 27th, 2022 (two-episode premiere)

Synopsis: Ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi comes out of hiding to embark on a critical mission.

Genre: Sci-fi

Canadian connections: While Obi-Wan himself is once again played by Scottish actor Ewan McGregor, two of the key players that he’s working with on Obi-Wan Kenobi are Canadian.

Notably, the series reunites Obi-Wan with his former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, with Vancouver’s own Hayden Christensen reprising the role from George Lucas’ Star Wars prequels. (Christensen is also expected to return in the currently undated Ahsoka series, which stars Rosario Dawson as the eponymous former Jedi and apprentice of Anakin.)

On top of that, Toronto-raised Deborah Chow, who helmed multiple episodes of The Mandalorian, is directing all six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. In an interview, Chow even talked about sharing “Canadian pride” on set with Christensen.

Ms. Marvel — June 8th, 2022

Synopsis: Pakistani-American teen Kamala Khan balances family responsibilities and school with newfound superpowers.

Genre: Superhero

Canadian connections: Kamala is played by Markham, Ontario’s Iman Vellani, a newcomer who’s previously worked with TIFF and, like Kamala, is an Avengers fangirl. On top of the Disney+ series, Vellani will co-star in next year’s The Marvels alongside Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau).

She-Hulk — TBA 2022

Synopsis: We don’t have official story details yet, but we do know that the series will focus on Jennifer Walters, lawyer and cousin of Bruce Banner/The Hulk, as she turns green and develops her own powers.

Genre: Superhero

Canadian connections: Regina’s own Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) leads the cast as Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk, while Mark Ruffalo and Tim Roth reprise their MCU roles of Banner/Hulk and Emil Blonsky/Abomination, respectively.

Secret Invasion — TBA 2022

Nick Fury Maria Hill Spider-Man: Far From Home

Cobie Smulders’ Maria Hill with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in Spider-Man: Far From Home. (Image credit: Sony/Marvel)

Synopsis: Nick Fury re-teams with the alien Talos to stop the shapeshifting Skrulls, who have infiltrated all aspects of life on Earth.

Genre: Superhero

Canadian connections: While Samuel L. Jackson (Fury), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos) and most of the remaining principal cast aren’t Canadian, Secret Invasion does see Vancouver’s Cobie Smulders reprise her long-running MCU role of Maria Hill. It’s also worth noting that the series had a secret one-day shoot in Toronto to wrap filming.

Peter Pan & Wendy — TBA 2022

 

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Synopsis: David Lowery (Pete’s Dragon) directs this live-action remake of the Disney animated classic Peter Pan, starring Alexander Molony as the titular hero, Ever Anderson as Wendy, Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell and Jude Law as Captain Hook.

Genre: Fantasy adventure

Canadian connections: On top of being filmed in Vancouver, Alberta-raised Cree actor Alyssa Wapanatâhk plays Tiger Lily, a Warrior Princess of Neverland’s Indigenous tribe.

Reservation Dogs (Season 2) — TBA 2022

Reservation Dogs cast

Pictured: (Left to Right): Paulina Alexis as Willie, Devery Jacobs as Elora, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Bear, Lane Factor as Cheese in Season 1 of Reservoir Dogs. (Image credit: FX)

Synopsis: Specific details for Season 2 have yet to be revealed, but the show is focused on four Indigenous teenagers who live on a reservation in rural Oklahoma.

Genre: Comedy-drama

Canadian connections: Three of the four leads are Canadian: Kahnawake, Quebec’s Devery Jacobs (American Gods) as Elora, Toronto’s D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Murdoch Mysteries) as Bear and Edmonton’s Paulina Alexis (Ghostbusters: Afterlife) as Willie. All three, plus Lane Factor (Cheese), will return for Season 2. On top of that, Jacobs has joined the all-Indigenous writer’s room for the second season.

Note: Reservation Dogs is a Hulu series in the U.S. that streams exclusively in Canada on Disney+ under the streamer’s ‘Star’ banner.

Echo — TBA (expected in 2023)

Synopsis: Exact story details for Echo are unclear, but the series is confirmed to be a spin-off of Hawkeye featuring Alaqua Cox’s deaf Native American character, Maya Lopez. Fan favourites Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are also expected to return as Daredevil and Kingpin, respectively, given their characters’ close ties to Echo.

Genre: Superhero

Canadian connections: If Reservation Dogs wasn’t enough, Devery Jacobs was also recently cast as one of Echo‘s lead characters, who Deadline reports will be a “resilient and strong-willed” woman named Julie.

Moana (series) — TBA 2024

Moana and Maui from 2016's Moana (Image credit: Disney)

Moana and Maui from 2016’s Moana. (Image credit: Disney)

Synopsis: TBA

Genre: Musical

Canadian connections: Walt Disney Animation Studios opened a new office in Vancouver last year to focus on original shows, and its first co-production with the flagship Burbank, California location will be this Moana musical series.

The Muppets Mayhem — TBA

 

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Synopsis: Artists and repertoire junior executive Nora manages the Electric Mayhem Band as they try to record their first studio album. The Goldbergs creator Adam F. Goldberg is writing and directing the series.

Genre: Musical comedy

Canadian connections: Toronto’s Lilly Singh (A Little Late with Lilly Singh) is set to star as Nora.

Darkwing Duck reboot — TBA

Darkwing Duck

Darkwing Duck in the original ’90s series. (Image credit: Disney)

Synopsis: A reboot of the original ’90s series about a duck superhero, who lived an ordinary life under the secret identity of Drake Mallard.

Genre: Animated superhero

Canadian connections: Vancouver’s own Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (Superbad) are developing the reboot through their production company, Point Grey Pictures.

Real Steel series — TBA

Real Steel Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman in 2011’s Real Steel. (Image credit: Disney)

Synopsis: A series based on the 2011 film in which a man builds a robot with his son to compete in a boxing match.

Genre: Sci-fi, sports drama

Canadian connections: Since the project was said to be in “early development” as of January, exact details remain unknown, including whether Hugh Jackman or other actors from the film may return. We do know, however, that Montreal’s Shawn Levy, who directed Real Steel, is developing the series through his production company, 21 Laps.

Miscellaneous

Under the Banner of Heaven Andrew Garfield

Under the Banner of Heaven, Hulu’s acclaimed new true crime drama series starring Andrew Garfield, is coming to Disney+ Star in Canada later this year. (Image credit: Hulu)

Here’s an assortment of other Disney+ projects that have smaller, but still notable, Canadian connections:

  • Sneakerella musical comedy film (May 13th, 2022) — filmed in and around Toronto
  • Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers film (May 20th, 2022) — co-starring Toronto’s Will Arnett and Vancouver’s Seth Rogen
  • Under the Banner of Heaven drama starring Andrew Garfield (TBA 2022) — filmed in Calgary
  • Predator prequel film Prey (TBA summer 2022) — filmed in Calgary
  • Live-action Percy Jackson series starring The Adam Project’s Walker Scobell (TBA) — will film in Vancouver

Of course, that only covers the streaming side. Upcoming big-screen Disney productions set to feature Canadians include this month’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (London, Ontario’s Rachel McAdams), the untitled Shang-Chi sequel starring Mississauga’s Simu Liu and the third Deadpool film from Vancouver’s Ryan Reynolds and the aforementioned Shawn Levy.

Which of these projects are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments.

Header image credit: Disney, NBC

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Cinéma

James Bobin to direct Alice in Wonderland 2?

James Bobin is in talks to direct ‘Alice in Wonderland 2’.

Disney is hoping to land the ‘Muppets’ director to helm its sequel to the hit 2010 blockbuster directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bobin already has a working relationship with the family friendly movie studio after directing the big screen reboot of ‘The Muppets’ starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams – which was a big hit in 2011 – and its upcoming sequel ‘The Muppets… Again!’ starring Ricky Gervais and Tina Fey.

Discussions with the filmmaker are said to be in the early stages and he has yet to meet with producers Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd and Jennifer Todd.

Tim Burton’s re-imagining of the classic Lewis Carroll fairytale – which starred Mia Wasikowska as the titular character and Depp as the Mad Hatter – was hugely successful upon its release in 2010 and grossed over $1 billion worldwide.

Scriptwriter Linda Woolverton was hired to write the sequel last year and was initially considered to direct the film also.

It’s not yet known which cast members may return for the sequel or if the film will follow Carroll’s second Alice book, ‘Through the Looking Glass’.

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Nouvelles quotidiennes

A Very Muppet Cruise

Fresh from their recent successful film, the lovable furry characters known as the Muppets are boarding a Disney Cruise for a much needed rest.

Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and Animal, among others, will be traveling with passengers on the maiden voyage of the Disney Fantasy to play their part in a new interactive game aboard the ship.

Designed for kids age 9 and up, the new Muppets adventure game, The Case of the Stolen Show, takes guests on a self-paced interactive quest around the ship via more than a dozen pieces of framed LED screens called ‘Enchanted Art,’ along with some physical clues.

The goal of the game is to help the Muppets find their missing props so they can take the stage for a big performance. The game has several different endings and randomized sequences so passengers can enjoy multiple go-arounds.

More than 20 Muppets will appear in the game, including Miss Piggy, Gonzo, the Swedish Chef, and Pepe the King Prawn. The new ship, the fourth in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, is currently under construction in Germany, and will sail out of Port Canaveral, Florida, with seven-night cruises to the western and eastern Caribbean next March.

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Uncategorized

Excusez-moi! – Ahem! Muppet nail polish

In honor of the upcoming Muppet movie on November 23 – the first theatrical release in 12 years starring the lovable group of puppet characters – OPI cosmetics brand has introduced a new line of nail polishes, reports Relay.

After the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean and Justin Bieber nail polish collection, OPI is trying a similar tie-in strategy for The Muppets Trendsetter nail polish collection, which will be released in November – just in time for the holiday season.

“Not only do The Muppets characters inspire fun, bright and joyful colors, the fashionable Miss Piggy lends her name to three high-shine pink-based hues, ranging from bold red flecked with silver to a multi-dimensional strawberry shade,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann at OPI.

The collection is divided into two mini-collections: The Muppets Reds & Neutrals and The Muppet Glitters.

The colors have named with typical Muppet-style humor: Excuse Moi!-Ahem! (This pink glitter has something to say!), Animal-istic (This wild bright red cannot be tamed!), Fresh Frog of Bel Air (A glitter that prefers the greener things in life), and Warm & Fozzie (A feel-good shade of metallic copper), among others.

Like all OPI nail lacquers, the hues included in this limited edition nail polish collection are DBP, toluene and formaldehyde free.

Starting in early November, the nail polish shades will be available for $8.50 at selected retailers.

Categories
Musique

New Music August 23

Actress, singer, producer and philanthropist, Barbra Streisand releases What Matters Most, marking the 36th release from the 69-year-old, legendary performer.

From the French music scene comes singer Kim Richardson’s Mes Amours, which contains 11 classic European and Quebecois-flavored tracks. Ranging from the bold to the tender, Richardson is accompanied by a trio of bass, drums and piano, giving a loungey-atmosphere to this latest offering.

Hip-hop heavyweights Jay-Z and Kanye West release the highly anticipated Watch The Throne Deluxe Version containing bonus tracks The Joy featuring soul singer Curtis Mayfield and Illest MotherF—-r Alive featuring rapper Kid Cudi.

For the kids, Muppets: The Green Album is a brand new compilation featuring delightfully inventive songs from contemporary artists including OK-GO, Weezer and My Morning Jacket.

Finally, American rapper and West Coast hip hop artist The Game releases The R.E.D. Album comprising 21 new songs. Recording sessions for the album took place during early 2009, but the final product was rescheduled for release more than ten times. Fans of the rapper will only be too happy to see it hit the shelves at last.