Sunrise On The Reaping Character Posters

All images: Lionsgate

Lionsgate has released a set of fourteen character posters for the latest film in the Hunger Games franchise: Sunrise On The Reaping. It's the story of Haymitch Abernathy's journey through the Hunger Games, which, to me, is the saddest tale in the series. First up, the characters associated with District 12. Joseph Zada stars as young Haymitch Abernathy, a tribute from District 12.

Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove, a Covey girl from District 12.

McKenna Grace as Maysilee Donner, a tribute from District 12.

Ben Wang as Wyatt Callow, a tribute from District 12.

Glenn Close as Drusilla Sickle, the tribute escort for District 12.

Billy Porter as Magno Stift, the uncaring stylist for District 12.

Elle Fanning as Effie Trinket, who hopes to become the escort for District 12.

Next up, the characters from the Capitol. First is Ralph Fiennes as President Coriolanus Snow.

Kieran Culkin as Caesar Flickerman, the over-the-top television host of the Hunger Games.

Jesse Plemmons as Plutarch Heavensbee, the man who will eventually become pivotal in the downfall of the Capitol.

And finally, the Victors and an unexpected tribute. Lili Taylor as Mags Flanagan, a former Victor from District 4 who has become a mentor for District 12.

Maya Hawke as Wiress, a former Victor from District 3 who has become a mentor for District 12.

Kelvin Harrison Jr as Beetee Latier, a former Victor from District 3 who is desperate to save his son.

Percy Daggs IV as Ampert Latier, Beetee's son and a tribute from District 3.

The Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping arrives in theaters on November 20th.

Hexed

All images: Disney

The first full trailer for Disney's Hexed has arrived and it looks so fun. Billie Doe has no idea that she's a witch, but she's about to find out in the most spectacular fashion.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney: 

In “Disney’s Hexed,” an impulsive and unconventional teenage girl named Billie Doe (voiced by Hailee Steinfeld) discovers secret magical abilities which, once unleashed, hurtle her out of suburbia and into a spectacle-filled journey through a vast witch realm called Hexe. Forced to team up with her cautious mother, Alice (voiced by Rashida Jones), they uncover family mysteries that could change the world of witches forever.

Walton Goggins voices Beef Roger Crummchuk, a reclusive, magical three-eyed cat who forges an uneasy alliance with Billie and Alice. Jodie Foster voices Queen Celeste, a sinister figure who will stop at nothing to maintain her power in perpetuity over Hexe.

Hexed arrives in theaters on November 25th.

The Magic of Disney Animation

Disney

"The Magic of Disney Animation" in Hollywood Studios looks amazing. I'm so glad they brought back the theme of a working animation studio, but with an all-new look. Disney has released two walk through videos of this reimagined space. The first shows every room that makes up the building. 

The second features Imagineers pointing out Easter Eggs and talking about the inspiration for each space.

"The Magic of Disney Animation" opens on September 14th.

Beware The Beast Of Mossy Bottom

All images: Aardman Animation

Shaun and his flock are up to Halloween hijinks in the latest Shaun the Sheep movie from Aardman Animation. A giant, hairy Beast is running loose in Mossy Bottom, and the Farmer has gone missing! Will Shaun and Bitzer be able to stop the Beast and save Halloween? I can't wait to find out. 

Here's the official synopsis from Aardman Animation:

"Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom" sees the residents of Mossy Bottom Farm looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch! When Shaun turns MAD SCIENTIST to fix the problem, things rapidly spiral out of control... With The Farmer missing and a wild beast roaming the woods of Mossingham, all the ingredients are in place for a monstrously fun family adventure.

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom arrives in theaters on September 18th.

There's Something Magical About Wildwood

LAIKA

LAIKA's Wildwood just looks better and better. The latest trailer gives us a glimpse of what Prue McKeel is up against in her quest to rescue her brother. 

Here's the official synopsis from LAIKA:

Courage is the greatest power. 

From the makers of Coraline, Wildwood is a sweeping, darkly magical adventure about Prue, a young girl who journeys into a hidden forest to rescue her younger brother. Along the way she encounters warring factions, extraordinary creatures, and a world unlike anything she's ever known.

Wildwood arrives in theaters on October 23rd.

Spaceship Earth

I love to see Spaceship Earth all a twinkle. It really lights up the night in EPCOT.

Ted Lasso Season 4

All images: AppleTV

It's nearly time! Ted Lasso is returning to AppleTV for a fourth season. Everyone's favorite coach is back, but this time he's coaching a women's football team.

Here's the official synopsis from AppleTV:

Jason Sudeikis is Ted Lasso, an American football coach hired to manage a British soccer team - despite having no experience. But what he lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with optimism, underdog determination…and biscuits. In season 4, Ted returns to Richmond, taking on his biggest challenge yet: coaching a second division women’s football team. Throughout the course of the season, Ted and the team learn to leap before they look, taking chances they never thought they would.

Season 4 of Ted Lasso arrives on AppleTV on August 5th.

New episodes will debut each Wednesday.

You Oughta Be In Pictures

On the Echo Lake side of Keystone Clothiers, a clothing shop on Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood Studios, is what looks like a Mayan temple. Its windows are filled with nods to old movies and this sign above them looks straight out of old Hollywood. In Disney World, you never know what you'll see if you would only look up.

Project Hail Mary Review

All images: Amazon

Have you seen Project Hail Mary yet? If not, then I highly recommend that you do. I was not sure what to expect when I went to the drive-in to watch this movie, but I ended up loving it. I thought it was going to be just another "it's the end of the world so we're going to send one guy into space to save us" movie. It does have elements of that trope, but it's so much more.

When middleschool teacher Ryland Grace wakes up, alone, aboard the spaceship Hail Mary, he has no idea how he got there, or even who he is. As his memory slowly returns, he realizes that he has been sent into space to save our sun from a microscopic organism called an astrophage. He is headed for a planet whose sun does not appear to be affected by the astrophage to hopefully find a solution that saves the Earth.

It's there, in space, that he meets Rocky, an Eridian scientist, who happens to resemble a spider made of stone, sent by his planet to save them from the astrophage. This is where the movie becomes fantastic. Rocky and Grace discover how to communicate and decide to work together to solve the astrophage problem. In the process, they also become best friends. I know it sounds a little trite, but honestly, this is the best buddy movie I've seen in years.

Overall, Project Hail Mary is an incredible story of unexpected friendship and what working together can accomplish.

Project Hail Mary is available now on Amazon Prime Video.

Pompeii: Out Of Time

All images: National Geographic

Pompeii has fascinated us for centuries. It was lost when an eruption of Mount Vesuvius covered the city in volcanic ash in 79 AD. For years, we thought that everyone living there had died in the city. But what if we were wrong?

Recent excavations have added to our understanding of this ancient city and its people, including those who survived. National Geographic and Tom Hiddleston, best known as Marvel's Loki, are revisiting the story of Pompeii in a new three-part docudrama, Pompeii: Out Of Time.

Here's the official synopsis from National Geographic: 

Host and “Loki” star Tom Hiddleston and “Loki” executive producer Kevin R. Wright reunite for "Pompeii: Out of Time", a fusion of cinematic scripted drama and investigative documentary storytelling that transports audiences to ancient Rome in the hours before and during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 

Guided by a team of archaeologists, historians, geologists and disaster experts, he uncovers remarkable evidence — and the stories of real people that challenge long-held assumptions about Pompeii and its final hours — not least revealing that many of those caught up in the disaster had the chance to survive. Blending cutting-edge archaeological discoveries, expert analysis and deeply personal storytelling, the series reframes Pompeii not as a story of destruction but as a human drama of resilience, sacrifice and survival, revealing the lives, choices and destinies of those who stood in the shadow of Vesuvius.

Pompeii: Out Of Time debuts on National Geographic on July 22nd at 8/7c.

It arrives on DisneyPlus and Hulu the next day.

X-Men '97 Season 2

All images: Marvel

The second season of Marvel's X-Men '97 is just one week away. The first season picked up where X-Men: The Animated Series left off in 1996. Season one was great, though intense, so I can't wait to see what happens in season two, including the return of Apocalypse.

Here's the official synopsis from Marvel: 

X-Men ’97 Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home. Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence. 

The second season of the original animated series features 9 episodes, and the voice cast includes Ross Marquand as Professor X, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, Lenore Zann as Rogue, and George Buza as Beast.

Season 2 of Men '97 arrives on DisneyPlus on July 1st.

Ice Age: Boiling Point Teaser & Poster

All images: 20th Century Studios

The wild and ever growing herd of the Ice Age movies is back for another crazy adventure. The first teaser trailer and poster for the sixth installment, Ice Age: Boiling Point, has appeared and it looks just as fun as the previous films. Who knows what nuttiness Manny, Ellie, Diego, Sid, Crash, Eddie, Buck and Scrat will get up to. But, is that a baby Scrat and where's Peaches?!

Here's the official synopsis from 20th Century Studios: 

"Ice Age: Boiling Point" is a wild adventure through dinosaurs and lava as Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Scrat and the herd explore uncharted regions of the dangerous Lost World. This upcoming film stars Ray Romano, Denis Leary, John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, and Queen Latifah.

Ice Age: Boiling Point arrives in theaters on February 5, 2027.

The Mandalorian and Grogu At Disney World

All images: Disney

To celebrate the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, lots of fun new treats and collectibles are headed to Disney World on May 22nd. From blue cookies and backpack sippers to an all-new adventure on

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, there's something for everyone. First up, the food and foodie collectibles. (✨️ - New)

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios

Kat Saka’s Kettle

• Grogu Cookies: White chocolate-dipped macaron cookie with pineapple cream ✨️
• BDX Droid Bucket ✨️

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo

• Sweet-and-Spicy Puffer Pig Pasta: Flat noodles with pork belly, bok choy, sweet-and-spicy soy sauce, and hard boiled egg ✨️
• The Mandalorian and Grogu Jetpack Sipper ✨️

Oga's Cantina

• Oga’s Obsession: Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, cotton candy flavor, and blueberry fruit juice-filled pearls with a bursting dried fruit mixture and gummy candy frogs

• Rodian Ration: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple Schnapps Liqueur, green apple, and Sprite with fruit juice-filled pearls and gummy candy frogs

• Spotchka: Hendrick’s Gin, honey syrup, Lillet Blanc Aperitif, lemon juice, and Bols Blue Curaçao​ Liqueur served in a jet chill glass

Hollywood Studios

ABC Commissary

• The Mandalorian and Grogu Jetpack Sipper ✨️

Backlot Express

• The Mandalorian and Grogu Jetpack Sipper ✨️

Fairfax Fare

• The Mandalorian and Grogu Jetpack Sipper ✨️

Ice Cold Hydraulics

• BDX Droid Bucket ✨️

Hollywood Hills Amphitheater Refreshments near Fantasmic

• BDX Droid Bucket ✨️
• The Mandalorian and Grogu Jetpack Sipper ✨️

Select Popcorn Carts

• BDX Droid Bucket ✨️

Cart near the Main Entrance

• The Mandalorian and Grogu Jetpack Sipper ✨️

Disney Springs

The Ganachery 

• Beskar Ingot Pop: Dragon fruit ganache covered in 65% dark chocolate ✨️

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Din Djarin and Grogu join Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run for an exciting new adventure. Here's the official description from Disney:

In this new storyline, Hondo Ohnaka has caught wind of a high-stakes deal unfolding on the sands of Tatooine, where ex-Imperial officers have crossed paths with a ruthless band of pirates. With a hefty bounty on the line, you’ll take possession of the Millennium Falcon, join forces with Mando and Grogu, and launch into a daring pursuit across the stars.

Adding to the fun, each role introduces fresh gameplay moments, new interactions, and unexpected surprises along the way. A new interactive feature allows the engineer position to check in on Grogu throughout the mission, and make the pivotal planet choice that charts the course.

New collectibles such as toys, puzzles, water bottles and clothing will be available at multiple locations in the Parks and at Disney Springs: Tatooine Traders, Mission: SPACE Cargo Bay, Star Wars Galactic Outpost, or World of Disney.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu blasts into theaters this Friday, May 22nd.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets

All images: Disney

The Muppets are taking over Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Hollywood Studios. And with that, we get a whole new look and story. In the Courtyard, the guitar is getting a psychedelic new paint job and the piano at the base will feature a gold key in honor of Dr. Teeth.

Throughout the queue in G-Force Records, you'll discover awesome posters featuring the members of that famous Muppet Band: The Electric Mayhem. 

And you never know what celebrity cameo you may find hidden anywhere from the queue to the merch shop. Celebrities include:

• Awkwafina
• Danny Trejo
• Darren Criss
• John Stamos

• Neil Patrick Harris
• Travis Barker
• Yvette Nicole Brown
• Wayne Brady
• “Weird Al” Yankovic

Once you reach the recording studio, you'll see the Electric Mayhem jamming out the familiar sounds of Can You Picture That? 

Scooter, with the help of a host of penguin audio engineers, is trying to get the band to stop rehearsing and head to their concert across town. 

And Muppet Labs has developed a new super-powered vehicle to get you there: a Lengthy Immediate Motion Object (L.I.M.O.).

The Electric Mayhem teamed up with a few famous names for the set list. And, of course, they've been working on a few bonus tracks, too.

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets blasts off from zero to sixty on May 26th.