Say What? Lin-Manuel Miranda Is Working On A Secret Disney Movie With ‘Zootopia’ Co-Director

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After leaving his Broadway hit Hamilton in July, Lin-Manuel Miranda has been trying to keep up with all the fame and praise. He’s one of the hottest names in Hollywood and everyone wants to work with him, especially a little studio called Disney.

He’s set to begin filming the sequel Mary Poppins Returns in London later this year. The sequel is currently scheduled for a 2018 release. In addition to the starring role, Miranda also wrote several songs for the upcoming animated feature Moana, so Disney is making sure we have plenty of Miranda in our lives.

In a recent interview with Vulture, the 36-year-old actor/composer revealed he’s working on his own animated feature with Zootopia’s co-director Byron Howard.

“That’s the fun thing about working with someone and having it go well — you go, ‘Okay, what else can we do?’ Lasseter took me aside and said, ‘I have an idea: Here’s Byron, and you guys should start talking.’ We literally haven’t gotten in the room yet, but we’re plotting.”

So yeah, it’s still in the early stages, but it’s something to get excited about. He wasn’t able to offer any details, but we’re sure we will be hearing more about it real soon.

By the way, Disney is on a ridiculous hot streak right now. Every single thing they put out turns to box office gold. Their latest film Moana will be released in just a little over a week, and if the early reviews from critics are correct, it’s going to perform extremely well.

Zootopia Reaches Huge Box Office Milestone, Find Out How Much It Has Made Globally So Far!

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When we first saw the hilarious trailers for Disney’s Zootopia, we knew it was going to bring in a lot of money at the box office, but we would be lying if we said we knew it was going to be THIS successful.

New releases are always looking for three things: the audience’s reaction, reviews from critics and numbers at the box office. Zootopia has dominated all three categories. Fans absolutely love the movie, it’s sitting at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and it just crossed the $1 billion mark at the global box office.

That’s right, folks. Billion. It’s only the fourth animated film in history to reach the $1 billion mark. The other three titles being Frozen, Toy Story 3 and Minions. That’s some pretty good company to be in.

Disney probably had a good idea this was coming after the film shocked everyone with a record breaking $73.7 million domestic opening weekend in March.

In total, there have been 26 movies to hit $1 billion worldwide. Of those 26 films, Disney (or its sub-studios) released 11 of them. But if you look at those 11 titles, most of them were either musicals or films that already had an established fanbase.

Zootopia was 100% original, which makes its success even more satisfying. If you’re one of the few people who haven’t seen the movie, you can still watch it inside most theaters. Or if you want to stay home, it’s scheduled to be released tomorrow (June 7) on Blu-ray and DVD.

Movie Review: Zootopia – Earns Every Bit of the Critics Praise

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It’s very rare that you see a movie that manages to universally please critics the way the Zootopia has. I have to say I’m a bit surprised, as Disney’s latest effort earned its praise.

Judy Hopps (voiced by Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny, grows up on a carrot farm with her conventional parents and 225 bunny brothers and sisters. Showing large reserves of empathy and kindness, she springs into action when a bully turns aggressive in a schoolyard. Judy’s mother and father are taken aback when she decides to leave for the city to become a cop. At the police academy, this tiny rookie has trouble with physical prowess exercises but through her immense will power and wit eventually graduates at the top of her class. Eager to hit the streets and do her law-and-order thing, Judy is disappointed when Bogo (Idris Elba), police chief, orders her to hand out parking tickets. Still wanting to prove that she is better than any other rookie on the force, she writes 200 tickets before noon. Eventually, Judy gets the chance to shine when she’s allowed to investigate the mystery of a missing otter, with the help of conniving fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman).

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The unique storyline is both adorable and complex enough to create something new and fresh. This is not a premise I’ve seen before, that I can say for sure. Despite that, it works. It’s clever and cute and smart enough for adults to enjoy too.

The message is subtle, especially for a Disney film, in that it makes Judy’s abilities not about her strength or athleticism but instead her cleverness and determination. It’s a good message for kids that they don’t try to nail us over the head with.

Of course, it’s Disney so the computer generated animation is flawlessly executed and adorable. In that department, Disney rarely strikes out. It’s worth seeing in 3D, as it’s a good looking film with lots of creative and imaginative scenery.

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The creativity comes into play with the creation of Zootopia, the mammal centric city where predatory instincts are gone and animals live like humans. You can see a spark of Disney’s old school imaginative style in this film.

Also, it’s smart enough for adults to enjoy too. The screenplay writers threw in a few clever quips just for mom and dad, making this an animated feature that the whole family can enjoy.

This is a clear hit and a clear winner for Disney. This animated film has the intelligence to keep adults audiences watching, with all the same appeal of Disney for the kids, so they can also cash in on the merchandising. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a film starring a bunny came out so close to Easter.

But Disney’s goal of world domination through movie revenues aside, this is a fantastic film that is sure to be fun for the whole family. I’d call this one an absolutely worth the watch, regardless  if you have children or not.

WE GIVE IT: 4.5 STARS!

four and a half stars

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‘Zootopia’ Sets An Impressive Box Office Record For Disney: You NEED To Watch This Movie!

 

We knew this was coming when we posted the second trailer for Zootopia back in December. You could just tell the film was going to be a huge hit from the success of the trailers. That might sound like a silly thing to say since a great trailer doesn’t automatically mean a great film, but just relive the hilarious sloth trailer released by the Zootopia team above and you’ll see what we are talking about.

The film was released this past weekend and it was a record-breaking opening weekend for Disney. It brought in $73.7 million, making it the best debut ever for a Disney Animation movie.

Yes, that’s correct. It beat Frozen’s wide release opening weekend of $67.4 million back in 2013. Obviously, some people are shocked by Zootopia’s success, but it’s honestly not that surprising when you look at the details.

It’s currently the best-reviewed film of the year. It has an incredible 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 135 fresh reviews to just two rotten reviews. And the release date certainly didn’t hurt. Spring Break is beginning around the country, the awards season is over, and studios are ready to release their blockbusters again.

Zootopia just scored the first touchdown of the 2016 season. If you haven’t watched it yet, cancel your plans tonight and treat your family to a Monday movie night.

The Huge Movie Trailers You Should Watch Out For During Super Bowl 2016!

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We all know how big the Super Bowl is. It’s less about the actual game being played, and more about the commercials and performances during halftime. It’s an event. One of the biggest events of the year, and there are a lot of companies putting down a ridiculous amount of money for a 30-second commercial.

Prices have hit a record high this year for a 30-second commercial. According to the reports, the price for a 30-second spot is $5 million. What company has that much money to spend on just a single commercial? Well, big studios wanting to promote their upcoming films do.

For some of the blockbusters listed in this article, $5 million is just a drop in their marketing bucket. We know Fox has purchased at least two 30-second commercials, and one of them is a confirmed TV spot for Deadpool. The film is scheduled to be released just five days after the Super Bowl, so it would be silly for Fox not to promote it during the game.

Disney has reportedly purchased “multiple spots,” and one of those spots will almost certainly go to Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. Disney will probably also promote their upcoming Zootopia animated film, it’s scheduled to hit theaters March 4, 2016. And if you haven’t watched the latest trailer, click on this link to check it out. It’s hilarious.

And while Warner Bros. hasn’t officially purchased a commercial during the Super Bowl, they are co-sponsoring the Doritos fan ad this year, which means they have probably worked out a deal to tease Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice during the big game. I think everyone would be shocked if they didn’t take this opportunity to promote the film.

We’ll find out in less than seven days now! Super Bowl 2016 will air on CBS this Sunday, Feb. 7.

Celebrate The Zoo Year By Watching The New Trailer For Disney’s ‘Zootopia’ (VIDEO)

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Let me first apologize for the horrible “Zoo Year” joke in the title. Disney’s marketing team has been shoving the whole Zoo Year’s Eve thing down our throats. At some point you are just forced to swallow, you know?

Anyway, the second trailer for Zootopia has been released, and it features the original song ‘Try Everything’ co-written by Sia and performed by Shakira, which sounds like the perfect combination for a Disney movie. The film is described as a “3D computer-animated action buddy comedy noir adventure.”

Zootopia was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore and co-directed by Jared Bush. All three contributed to creating the story as well. Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin will voice the two main characters. Idris Elba will play a character named Chief Bogo, and J.K. Simmons will play Mayor Lionheart.

In addition to this film, Disney will also be releasing Moana next year, which will mark the first time in over 10 years that Walt Disney Animation Studios has released two feature films in the same year. The last time it happened was in 2002 with Treasure Planet and Lilo & Stitch.

You can check out the official synopsis and trailer below. Zootopia hits theaters March 4, 2016.

“The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together — a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.”