Did You Hear? is a weekly examination of headlines in the entertainment industry and a take on what they could mean for the future of the industry and (often), the little geeky bubble that we occupy!
Wicked Movie Part 1 Moves from Christmas to Thanksgiving
On Monday of this week musical theatre nerds all over the globe screamed with glee as a “Popular” announcement came our way – the live action movie adaptation of the multi Tony Award winning musical Wicked (itself based on the book by Gregory Maguire), has moved the release date for the first installment not backward … but forward?
Per The Hollywood Reporter Wicked Part 1 will hit cinemas all over the world on November 27th, 2024.
I first saw the new on Wicked Part 1 star, Cynthia Erivo’s Official Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpxgw1Mthas/?hl=en
Erivo (Luther: The Fallen Sun), plays the lead role of Elphaba opposite Ariana Grande (Don’t Look Up)’s Galinda and Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible, to name just some of the star-studded cast this musical adaptation has accrued. Wicked is directed by Crazy Rich Asian‘s Jon M. Chu.
Typically when it comes time for me to write about movies altering their release dates it’s because they are being pushed back (here’s looking at you, No Time to Die!), so this is something of a relief and a surprise, I confess. It speaks to a level of confidence from the producers and studio (Universal Pictures). It also begs the question: what is Universal going to slot into Wicked’s previous winter holiday release slot?
The Little Mermaid Releases Trailer During the Academy Awards
This year’s Academy Awards ceremony was a landmark for so many reasons. Overdue respect was finally paid to so many creators who have been overlooked by the industry for decades. Smarter, more appropriate writers than me have addressed the significance of the ceremony. For myself, I’m here to write about a trailer that was released last Sunday:
The Little Mermaid live action adaptation full trailer:
The Little Mermaid | Official Trailer
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Spoilerites, like myself, who were raised obsessed with the original animated feature (a breakthrough Academy Award winner, itself!), will recognize many familiar sequences and characters – including the iconic Kiss the Girl silhouette moment!
As expected, social media exploded with positivity and love toward The Little Mermaid for a new generation.
The Little Mermaid stars: Halle Bailey, Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Javier Bardem, and more with Mary Poppins Returns director Rob Marshall at the helm, if you will. This movie is just one in a long line of live action remakes Disney has produced of some of their most beloved animated films including: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and The Jungle Book to name a few.
The movie hits cinemas all over the world on May 26th, 2023.
American Born Chinese Drops Full Trailer & Series Release Date
Also on Sunday yet another Michelle Yeoh vehicle dropped a full trailer and a release date (imagine that!), and this one is based on a comic book (even better!): Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese:
Worlds Collide | American Born Chinese | Disney+
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To say I’ve been waiting for this release date since the live action adaptation was announced is nothing short of absolutely true! Per the trailer, American Born Chinese will debut on Disney+ on May 24th, 2023.
FINALLY
American Born Chinese is based on the award winning graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang (as mentioned above), and stars, in addition to Michelle Yeoh: Daniel Wu, Ben Wang, Stephanie Hsu, Ke Kuy Quan, James Hong, Ronnie Chieng, and more Hollywood super stars.
Per IMDB the series:
Follows Jin Wang, an average teenager juggling his high-school social life with his immigrant home life. When he meets a new foreign student at school, even more worlds collide in his life.
I can’t recommend enough checking out the American Born Chinese graphic novel before the series arrives on streaming. Yes. It is THAT good.
