The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian - It's not surprising that Disney and Walden Media would want to pursue adapting the other books in C.S. Lewis's best-selling fantasy series, after The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe became the second highest grossing film of 2005, the third highest grossing live action film domestically in Disney's history (behind Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Hollywood Pictures' The Sixth Sense) and the company's all-time #1 live action film worldwide. (It's since been surpassed by Pirates sequel Dead Man's Chest.) Caspian catches up with the four Pevensie children, who return to Narnia to find that one thousand years have passed since they left. They are again enlisted to join the magical world's colorful creatures in an effort to combat an evil villain preventing the rightful prince from ruling. On Groundhog Day 2006, Disney and Walden officially announced the commencement of preproduction on this sequel. Wardrobe's director Andrew Adamson, composer Harry Gregson-Williams, and most of its principal cast are back for this follow-up. Returning actors include William Moseley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Skandar Keynes (Edmund), Georgie Henley (Lucy), and Liam Neeson (as the voice of Aslan). Among the new additions is Ben Barnes, a 25-year-old English stage and film actor, who will portray the titular teen prince Caspian. Peter Dinklage, memorable as the demanding, petite author in Elf, has signed on to play Trumpkin the Dwarf. Spanish actress Alicia Borrachero (star of "Hospital Central", Spain's equivalent of "ER") has been cast as Prunaprismia, queen of Narnia and wife of the evil General Miraz, while Belgium's Vincent Grass will tackle the role of Doctor Cornelius. Several major parts -- including King Miraz and Reepicheep the mouse -- remain to be cast. Filming is slated to begin later this February in New Zealand before moving to Prague and Slovenia for the brunt of photography. Originally planned for release on December 14, 2007, Caspian is now scheduled to reach theaters on May 16, 2008. In a January 2007 interview, Walden Media's Bob Beltz revealed that the third Narnia book -- The Voyage of the Dawn Trader -- has been greenlit for adaptation and that plans are in motion for this and The Silver Chair to film close enough to release one new Narnia film a year. WALL•E - Little is known about this, the project lined up to be Pixar Animation Studios' ninth feature film with an anticipated release date of June 27, 2008. The title (which has also appeared as WALL-E and Wall E) is said to refer to the main character (seen above in a picture released January 2007), a young robot who is looking for a home in outer space. Jim Morris, a former president of LucasFilm Digital, is producing and longtime Pixar writer Andrew Stanton is directing, for the first time since he helmed the studio's highest-earning work, 2003's Finding Nemo. American Dog - This long-in-production film tells the story of a canine TV star who bids farewell to a life of martinis and starlets when he winds up stranded in his trailer in the Nevada desert. There, he meets up with an oversized radioactive rabbit and a testy one-eyed cat who are looking for new homes. Described as both "charming" and "twisted", the film has been in the works since 2004. It was expected to arrive in theaters some time in the fall of 2007, but a delay announced in November 2005 set Summer 2008 as a new anticipated release date. In December of 2006, it became known that the movie's writer Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch) had been dropped as director. Just days earlier, Disney executives had officially greenlit the film as Walt Disney Feature Animation's 2008 release. This computer-animated project is now in the hands of Chris Williams, a story artist on Mulan and The Emperor's New Groove. Voices have already been recorded from the likes of John Travolta, Thomas Haden Church, Woody Harrelson, Bernie Mac, Bruce Greenwood, and stand-up Mario Cantone. Haunted High School Musical - Between viewership highs, a best-selling soundtrack, and two well-received DVDs, the Disney Channel's original movie High School Musical broke all sorts of records. It's already being followed up by High School Musical 2, scheduled to debut on the Disney Channel this August and arrive on DVD by the end of the year. After that, it's onto the big screen, for this 2008 theatrical release announced in February 2007. The cast -- which includes Zac Efron, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Lucas Grabeel, and Corbin Bleu -- is all expected to return, but plot specifics have yet to be announced. The title suggests a Halloween theme. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - On the heels of their record-breaking Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Jerry Bruckheimer and Walt Disney Pictures are collaborating not just on a National Treasure follow-up but also a new film series based on the popular Prince of Persia video game series. Debuted in 1989 for the Apple II, Prince of Persia was then quickly developed for IBM PCs, the Atari ST, Nintendo and Sega's third-generation systems, and Game Boy. Sequels followed in the 1990s and in the fall of 2003, the franchise gained new life when Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was made available on PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, and Windows computers. Subsequent adventures have premiered in the two following holiday seasons. From the title, it would appear that Bruckheimer's first adaptation, pegged for late 2008 release, would be based on merely 2003's game and would be the first of three installments made. If it remains true to the video game, Sands of Time follows the Prince of Persia, his father King Sharaman, and the Maharajah's daughter Princess Farah in a trek across India to Azad. Along their way, their potent, newly-acquired possesions (a giant hourglass full of sand and a mysterious dagger) make them the targets of a dying Vizier and his staff. Romantic relationships, time warps, and twisted allegiances all figure into what unravels and most of that is sure to translate to the type of sweeping, spectacle cinema that Bruckheimer has repeatedly relied on with success. Swiss Family Robinson (remake) - Mandeville Films had hoped to start shooting this new adaptation of Johann Wyss's classic book sometime early in 2006, months after wrapping production on The Shaggy Dog remake. Then, hired director Jonathan Mostow (Terminator 3, U-571) pushed things back for Tonight, He Comes, a superhero mid-life crisis movie starring Will Smith. Mostow has since left that Sony project, giving Swiss the go-ahead to proceed. While attempts were made to modernize the story (perhaps like the Wonderful World of Disney's 1998 telemovie Beverly Hills Family Robinson?), the script by Greg Poirier ultimately kept the 19th century period setting as it was employed for Disney's popular 1960 filming of the same text. Mostow is also to rework Poirier's script with writing partner Sam Montgomery. No confirmed casting has been announced, but news in July 2005 stated that Lindsay Lohan was reportedly in talks to unite with Disney (for a sixth time) and presumably play "Bertie", the cute castaway who catches the eyes of two Robinson brothers. A release date has yet to be set, but filming is scheduled to begin fall 2006 and the movie could possibly be a major Christmas opening in 2008 the way the original film was in 1960. Jungle Cruise - On the heels of big screen adventures Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion comes this latest film inspired by a Disneyland attraction. Described as a family version of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, this comedy/adventure will follow a group which travels upriver to find a cure. Originally said to have a screenplay written by Josh Goldstein and John Norville (Tin Cup), this Disney/Mandeville production is now reportedly going forth with a script commissioned of Al Gough and Miles Millar, the executive producers of TV's "Smallville". The only plot specific released is that the film will be set sometime in the 20th century. Originally slated to start shooting early in 2006, this has since been delayed with 2007 release now looking quite unlikely. Rapunzel - Certain films attract buzz from an early stage. Often these projects hold a best-selling book as a source or carry a world famous superhero in the title. This computer-animated project doesn't quite fit either of those requirements, but Disney fans have been excited by it for years, even though it has been repeatedly bumped and always off in the distance. Longtime A-list Disney animator Glen Keane (supervising animator of such protagonists as Ariel, Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Tarzan) simultaneously makes his directorial and CGI debuts in this new take on the classic fairy tale of a long-haired princess and her valiant prince. Here, a frustrated witch brings two romantically-challenged teenagers from the real world into that of the story, casting them as Rapunzel and her prince. Broadway veteran Kristin Chenoweth (who starred in the Wonderful World of Disney musicals Annie and The Music Man) will voice Rapunzel, while another stage actor (Dan Fogler) will lend his vocals to the prince. Although estimated releases have seemingly changed with the years, current plans pin this for summer 2009 release, which gives it plenty of time to stay on schedule. Toy Story 3 - Few films can boast the guaranteed box office success of this project, once a major factor in the Disney/Pixar contract negotations. In the twelve years since the original Toy Story reached theaters as the first all-CGI film, the animation industry has moved almost exclusively to the domain of computers. 2006's crop of films found a glut of CG-animated works from new players in addition to output from established studios like DreamWorks and Blue Sky. Pixar nevertheless proved that the pioneers have remained well ahead of the learning curve: if their summer release Cars didn't quite match past productions in box office earnings and critical favor, it still outdid all of its competition, from Blue Sky's Ice Age: The Meltdown to DreamWorks' Over the Hedge to Sony's Monster House, in terms of those two criteria, making it a frontrunner for next week's Best Animated Feature Oscar. As you doubtlessly know by now, the Walt Disney Company purchased Pixar in 2006, which put this project back in the hands of the people who created the 1995 masterpiece and its blockbuster 1999 sequel. Disney had earlier announced plans (i.e., made threats) to move forth with a Toy Story 3 using its newly-formed Circle 7 Animation division, a script by Meet the Fockers writer James Herzfeld, and director Darrell Rooney (who helmed Lady and the Tramp, The Lion King, and Mulan...sequels). After the acquisition, Pixar executive John Lasseter, given new power at Disney Feature Animation, saw to it that Circle 7 was closed and the ball was back in the creators' court. Though many assumed the busy Lasseter would step back into the director's chair he claimed on the first two Toy Story films, in February 2007, it was announced that longtime Pixar editor and Toy Story 2 co-director Lee Unkrich would single-handedly be helming the film, from a script by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine). To date, no other specifics have been issued by Disney-Pixar, which isn't too surprising since Pixar has been mum on all post-Ratatouille projects while plowing ahead at a proposed one-film-per-summer rate. We won't see the Buzz-is-recalled-to-Asia plotline that Disney was not long ago touting as its core. One of the most reliable sources for Toy Story sequel news has been Tim Allen, a longtime Disney regular who has confirmed he'll be reprising his role of once-deluded space ranger action figure Buzz Lightyear in a follow-up he claims "is going to be great." He believes Tom Hanks is also on board to again voice pullstring cowboy Woody. Other likely returning cast members? John Ratzenberger as know-it-all piggy bank Hamm, Wallace Shawn as nervous dinosaur Rex, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, Estelle Harris as Mrs. Potato Head, Joan Cusack as the energetic cowgirl Jessie, Annie Potts as the porcelain Bo Peep, R. Lee Ermey as the authoritative Sarge, and Laurie Metcalf as Andy's Mom. At least two parts will need to either be written out or recast in light of the premature deaths of Jim Varney (Slinky Dog) and Joe Ranft (Wheezy the Penguin). While the usual four-year-production period can be somehwat shortened due to the fact that all existing characters are already modeled and in Pixar's computers, the release is still distant. A February 2007 Entertainment Weekly article reported that the tentative release date is 2010, where the film will likely arrive in June. Related Reviews: Toy Story: 10th Anniversary DVD • Toy Story 2: 2-Disc Special Edition DVD Kiki's Delivery Service - A live action English language adaptation of Eiko Kadani's book series, which was previously brought to the screen in Hayao Miyazaki's popular late-'80s anime film of the same name. Jeff Stockwell (The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys) is writing a screenplay. The Banshee and Fin Magee (Originally titled The Banshee) - Dean DeBlois, co-writer and co-director of Lilo & Stitch, tries his hand at live action with this period ghost story set in Ireland. In writer-director-producer DeBlois's own words, "It's the story of a little boy who is ignored by the world and pretends to be a ghost, who (then) comes into contact with a real ghost." DeBlois claims this "story of friendship, love and loss" is aimed at the Harry Potter audience; he hopes older kids will enjoy this supernatural mystery. Production was supposed to begin spring 2005, but as of now, nothing has been shot and there is no firm release date yet set. In February 2006, it was reported that Robert Nelson Jacobs has been hired to rewrite DeBlois' script. Jacobs was Oscar-nominated for his Chocolat screenplay, but got fewer raves for his work on Dinosaur, Out to Sea, and The Shipping News. The Frog Princess - This currently in development fairy tale is being closely watched for it is said to represent Disney's first 2D-animated feature since 2004's Home on the Range. Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin) are writing and directing what is said to be a musical set in 1920s New Orleans. A casting call has revealed the lead characters to be Maddy, a 19-year-old chambermaid; Charlotte La Bouff, a spoiled 18-year-old southern debutante; villain Dr. Duvalier, a voodoo magician; and Mama Odie, a 200-year-old voodoo priest. In a departure from the norm, three of the four (not Charlotte) are African American. Though Alan Menken was originally pegged to handle the film's music, Pixar veteran Randy Newman is now said to hold this command. No release date has been set, but traditionally animated films have traditionally taken about four years from first news to reaching the big screen, making this unlikely to show up until 2010. Joe Jump - The title is the only thing made known about this upcoming animated Disney film.
Wardrobe's director Andrew Adamson, composer Harry Gregson-Williams, and most of its principal cast are back for this follow-up. Returning actors include William Moseley (Peter), Anna Popplewell (Susan), Skandar Keynes (Edmund), Georgie Henley (Lucy), and Liam Neeson (as the voice of Aslan). Among the new additions is Ben Barnes, a 25-year-old English stage and film actor, who will portray the titular teen prince Caspian. Peter Dinklage, memorable as the demanding, petite author in Elf, has signed on to play Trumpkin the Dwarf. Spanish actress Alicia Borrachero (star of "Hospital Central", Spain's equivalent of "ER") has been cast as Prunaprismia, queen of Narnia and wife of the evil General Miraz, while Belgium's Vincent Grass will tackle the role of Doctor Cornelius. Several major parts -- including King Miraz and Reepicheep the mouse -- remain to be cast.
Filming is slated to begin later this February in New Zealand before moving to Prague and Slovenia for the brunt of photography. Originally planned for release on December 14, 2007, Caspian is now scheduled to reach theaters on May 16, 2008. In a January 2007 interview, Walden Media's Bob Beltz revealed that the third Narnia book -- The Voyage of the Dawn Trader -- has been greenlit for adaptation and that plans are in motion for this and The Silver Chair to film close enough to release one new Narnia film a year.
If it remains true to the video game, Sands of Time follows the Prince of Persia, his father King Sharaman, and the Maharajah's daughter Princess Farah in a trek across India to Azad. Along their way, their potent, newly-acquired possesions (a giant hourglass full of sand and a mysterious dagger) make them the targets of a dying Vizier and his staff. Romantic relationships, time warps, and twisted allegiances all figure into what unravels and most of that is sure to translate to the type of sweeping, spectacle cinema that Bruckheimer has repeatedly relied on with success.
