TEASER POSTER FOR DISNEY’S “THE LITTLE MERMAID” SURFACES

 

The first poster for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” the live-action reimagining of the studio’s Oscar®-winning animated musical classic, is here! “The Little Mermaid,” helmed by visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall, opens exclusively in theaters nationwide May 26, 2023. 

 

The beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure, “The Little Mermaid” stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton,” “Snowpiercer”) as the voice of Sebastian; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca,” “Room”) as the voice of Flounder; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. 

“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), and written by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”), with a live-action story adaptation by David Magee, Rob Marshall, and two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), based on the short story by Hans Christian Andersen, and the Disney animated film by Ron Clements and John Musker. The film is produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”), Rob Marshall, and John DeLuca, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer. The score is by multiple Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”), who won two Oscars® for the music in the animated version of “The Little Mermaid,” with music supervised and produced by Mike Higham (“Mary Poppins Returns,” “Into the Woods”). Music is by Alan Menken; lyrics are by Howard Ashman and new lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda. 

Halle Bailey Is Disney’s Ariel

Halle Bailey has been cast as Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid. The film is directed by Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, John DeLuca, Marc Platt and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film will feature beloved songs from the animated classic by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, as well as new songs by Menken (music) and Miranda (lyrics). 

“After an extensive search, it was abundantly clear that Halle possesses that rare combination of spirit, heart, youth, innocence, and substance — plus a glorious singing voice — all intrinsic qualities necessary to play this iconic role,” says Marshall. 

Production is anticipated to begin in early 2020.

Additional announcements regarding The Little Mermaid are expected in the coming weeks.

SOPHIA LOREN HOSTS "MARY POPPINS RETURNS" SPECIAL SCREENING AND RECEPTION

Sophia Loren hosted a star-studded reception for “Mary Poppins Returns,” nominated for 4 Golden Globe® Awards including Best Picture, 9 Critics’ Choice Awards and AFI’s Top 10 Films of 2018, earlier tonight after a special screening in Beverly Hills. Filmmakers joining her at the reception were: director Rob Marshall, producer John DeLuca, director of photography Dion Beebe, production designer John Myhre, composer, songwriter/co-lyricist Marc Shaiman and co-lyricist Scott Wittman.

In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays herfriend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London.

“Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

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BLAKE LIVELY AND RYAN REYNOLDS HOST "MARY POPPINS RETURNS" RECEPTION AND SCREENING

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds hosted a reception in New York at Feinstein’s / 54 Below followed by a special screening of “Mary Poppins Returns,” nominated for 4 Golden Globe® Awards including Best Picture, 9 Critics’ Choice Awards and AFI’s Top 10 Films of 2018, earlier tonight. The film’s star Emily Blunt, Rob Marshall (Director), John DeLuca (Producer), David Magee (Screenwriter), Marc Shaiman (Composer, Songwriter/Co-lyricist) and Scott Wittman (Co-lyricist) joined the couple at the reception. Also in attendance were Morena Baccarin, Corbin Bleu, Harry Connick Jr., Tony Lo Bianco, Ben McKenzie, and Dayo Okeniyi.

In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London.

“Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

For more information on “Mary Poppins Returns,” follow us on:

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YouTube:         https://youtube.com/disneymovietrailers

Hashtag:          #MaryPoppinsReturns 

"Trip A Little Light Fantastic" Featurette and Clip | Mary Poppins Returns

A new clip and a featurette which goes behind-the-scenes on the biggest song-and-dance number, “Trip a Little Light Fantastic” from Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” nominated for 4 Golden Globe® Awards including Best Picture, 9 Critics’ Choice Awards and AFI’s Top 10 Films of 2018. “Mary Poppins Returns,” is in theaters now!


In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character. Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneystudios Instagram: https://instagram.com/marypoppinsreturns YouTube: https://youtube.com/disneymovietrailers Hashtag: #MaryPoppinsReturns

Mary Poppins Returns Non-Spoiler Review - Practically Perfect In Every Way

Mary Poppins Returns is practically perfect in every way. And just like the Banks family, I had no idea how much I needed Mary Poppins back in my life until I watched Mary Poppins Returns. This will be a non-spoiler review.

Now when this sequel was first announced I was concerned. Would it live up to the original? Would Emily Blunt be able to fill Julie Andrews shoes? Rest assured, the classic Disney magic is back and Mary Poppins Returns is a warm hug to the original. 

The story picks up in Depresssion-era London where we find Michael Banks, a father of three children. The family is struggling to cope with the loss of Michael's wife. His sister Jane tries to help as much as she can. Fortunately, Mary Poppins appears once again to try to bring love, laughter and life back into the house on 17 Cherry Tree Lane.

Emily Blunt is simply perfect to play Mary Poppins. She creates her own version of the character, who seems stern and quite reserved on the outside, while being warm-hearted and childlike on the inside. Emily brings both of these sides of Mary to life with warmth and sophistication. Next to Mary is a new character, Jack, played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jack is a lamplighter and he brings light, literally and metaphorically, when it is needed most.

Ben Whishaw plays Michael Banks and brilliantly conveys his sense of struggle and loss. Jane Banks is played by Emily Mortimer and brings a sense of family love and balance into Michael's life. Ellen the housekeeper is played by Julie Walters. Ellen has been a part of the Banks household since Michael and Jane were children. Colin Firth plays William Weatherall Wilkins the head of Fidelity Fiduciary. Meryl Streep plays Mary's cousin Topsy.

Pixie Davies plays Annabel, the precocious and strong-willed daughter of Michael. Nathanael Saleh plays John, the thoughtful and oldest son. Joel Dawson plays Georgie, the energetic and youngest son. All three children are brilliant and they had to be, for they carry a good portion of the movie on their shoulders.

Rounding up the cast are Disney Legends Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke. Angela plays the balloon lady, a treasured character from the books. Dick Van Dyke plays Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank and the son of the character he played in the original movie.

The music of Mary Poppins Returns is purely magical. The team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman channeled their inner Sherman Brothers to create music and lyrics that fit not only into this sequel but sound like they could have been in the original. The team created nine original songs and every single song moves to advance the story. From lullabies to showstoppers, the songs are a pure joy to hear and to see on the big screen. 

The hand-drawn animation, yes, hand-drawn animation in the film is spectacular and made me miss this art form even more when I saw it on the big screen.

Director Rob Marshall and his team took the very challenging idea of creating a sequel to one of the most beloved Disney films of all-time and created something special. Mary Poppins Returns feels both fresh and nostalgic at the same time. The performances of Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, and the Banks children are powerful and emotional. The music and songs will make you dance, sing and at times even cry. You will leave the theater, not only with a huge smile on your face, but feeling like everything is possible, even the impossible. The world right now needs some hope. Mary Poppins is the person who can remind you that there is hope and wonder in the world.

Mary Poppins Returns opens in theaters December 19th.

"The Story Continues" Featurette | Mary Poppins Returns

See Mary Poppins Returns in theatres December 19, and get your tickets now: http://bit.ly/MryPpnsTx In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character. Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneystudios Instagram: https://instagram.com/marypoppinsreturns YouTube: https://youtube.com/disneymovietrailers Hashtag: #MaryPoppinsReturns

Mary Poppins Returns | Special Look

Watch a new special look at the music and magic of Mary Poppins Returns, and see the film in theatres December 19! In Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” an all new original musical and sequel, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives following a personal loss. Emily Blunt stars as the practically-perfect nanny with unique magical skills who can turn any ordinary task into an unforgettable, fantastic adventure and Lin-Manuel Miranda plays her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter who helps bring light—and life—to the streets of London. “Mary Poppins Returns” is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Rob Marshall & John DeLuca based upon the Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers. The producers are John DeLuca, p.g.a., Rob Marshall, p.g.a. and Marc Platt, p.g.a. with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer. The music score is by Marc Shaiman and the film features all new original songs with music by Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman. The film also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks; Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks; Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen; Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and introducing Joel Dawson as the Banks’ children, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary Bank’s William Weatherall Wilkins; and Meryl Streep as Mary’s eccentric cousin, Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady, a treasured character from the PL Travers books and Dick Van Dyke is Mr. Dawes, Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.

FIRST LOOK AT EMILY BLUNT AS MARY POPPINS IN "MARY POPPINS RETURNS"

Here is the first glimpse of Golden Globe® winner Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in “Mary Poppins Returns,” the all new sequel to Disney’s 1964 film “Mary Poppins.” 

Directed and produced by Rob Marshall, “Mary Poppins Returns” also stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer and Julie Walters with Colin Firth and Meryl Streep. The film, which introduces three new Banks children, played by Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh and newcomer Joel Dawson, also features Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury. The film is set in 1930s depression-era London (the time period of the original novels) and is drawn from the wealth of material in PL Travers’ additional seven books. In the story, Michael (Whishaw) and Jane (Mortimer) are now grown up, with Michael, his three children and their housekeeper, Ellen (Walters), living on Cherry Tree Lane. After Michael suffers a personal loss, the enigmatic nanny Mary Poppins (Blunt) re-enters the lives of the Banks family, and, along with the optimistic street lamplighter Jack (Miranda), uses her unique magical skills to help the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Mary Poppins also introduces the children to a new assortment of colorful and whimsical characters, including her eccentric cousin, Topsy (Streep). The film is produced by Marshall, John DeLuca and Marc Platt.  The screenplay is by David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by PL Travers with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman writing all new songs and Shaiman composing an original score.

Please feel free to share with your readers. “Mary Poppins Returns” will be released in U.S. theaters on December 25, 2018.

“Mary Poppins Returns” To Be Released December 25, 2018 with Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins

 EMILY BLUNT AND LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA TO STAR IN

“MARY POPPINS RETURNS,” THE SEQUEL TO THE STUDIO’S 1964 CLASSIC,

DIRECTED BY ROB MARSHALL 

“Mary Poppins Returns” To Be Released December 25, 2018

BURBANK, Calif. (May 31, 2016) – Golden Globe Award® winner Emily Blunt (“Into the Woods,” the upcoming “Girl on the Train”) and Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony Award® and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”) are set to star in “Mary Poppins Returns,” a sequel to the studio’s 1964 classic, “Mary Poppins,” which will be released on December 25, 2018.

Reuniting the director and producing team behind Disney’s hit film musical “Into the Woods,” the film will be directed by Oscar® nominee, Emmy® and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, Emmy winner and Golden Globe® nominee John DeLuca and Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award® nominee and Golden Globe winner Marc Platt. The screenplay will be written by Oscar nominee David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers, with Oscar nominee and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman composing an all-new score and Shaiman and Emmy nominee and Tony Award winner Scott Wittman writing original songs.

Blunt has been cast as Mary Poppins and Miranda will play a new character, a street lamplighter named Jack. Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers’ further adventures to the screen. The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation,” says Marshall.

P.L. Travers introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 book “Mary Poppins,” which Disney adapted for the screen and released in August, 1964. The film, which was directed by Robert Stevenson and starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, won five Academy Awards®, including Best Actress for Andrews. However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of P.L. Travers’ seven additional books, which she published between 1935 and 1988.

About Walt Disney Studios:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Movie Review: Into The Woods

One of my favorite musicals is coming to the big screen in a major way. The musical adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods opens in theaters on Christmas Day.

There have been several false starts by other directors, but this time, Director Rob Marshall is the right person to bring this musical to life on film. After all, Marshall was the director of the Best Picture Oscar winner Chicago, the last musical to bring home the Academy's top prize.

Right from the opening number, which sets up the tale of why all of our characters are venturing forth Into The Woods, we are off on an epic journey.

The musical follows the classic fairy tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and The Beanstalk and Rapunzel all weaved together with an original tale of a baker and his wife who are trying to have a child and a witch who has placed a curse on them.

Many times when a musical comes to the screen, the director chooses to space the songs and scenes differently than the stage blocking and that takes away from the story's stage roots. For instance, instead of allowing a character to sing their solo, the director has that character move around in the world around them, Or instead of having what amounts to a wide shot like on the stage, the director uses the close-up for the film. But Marshall knows when to let the big songs just break free and when to focus on the drama. This allows for a great transition between the darkness of the story as well as the magic.

The movie is superbly acted and moves along swiftly. If a film deserves a win for best ensemble it is this film. This cast supports one another. If there is a lead, then it is James Corden, who plays the Baker, along with his wife, who is played to perfection by Emily Blunt. Meryl Streep is a shoe-in for her 19th Oscar nomination, but this time for a supporting role as the witch. Chris Pine and Anna Kendrick are solid here as well. I had no idea that Chris Pine can sing! Plus, you will fall in love with Lillia Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood and Daniel Huttlestone who plays Jack. Johnny Depp is the wolf, but is only in the movie for a few minutes, but he does sing one of the darkest songs in the entire musical.

I was worried that this movie would not remain as dark as the stage show but Disney allowed this film to retain much of its darker tones. There are some creative changes but I think fans of the stage show will agree that this film plays out to the audience.

I expect Into The Woods to rack up the nominations come award season. Spectacular performances combined with stunning sets and costumes make this the musical, no, the film of the holiday season!

How does this all end? Will there be a happy ending for everyone involved? Well, in order to find out, you must venture Into The Woods!

Photos from the Q&A with the cast and filmmakers of Disney's Into The Woods!

Take a look at some of the images from tonight's Q&A with the cast and filmmakers of INTO THE WOODS (Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, director Rob Marshall and screenwriter James Lapine).The cast & filmmakers took part in a Q&A in NY simultaneously seen in LA on Saturday, November 22. Into the Woods opens in theaters Christmas Day.

Like INTO THE WOODS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyIntoTheWoods  

Follow INTO THE WOODS on Twitter:@IntoTheWoods

Follow INTO THE WOODS on Tumblr: http://intothewoodsmovie.tumblr.com/

ROB MARSHALL SET TO DEVELOP "INTO THE WOODS" FEATURE FILM WITH DISNEY

ROB MARSHALL SET TO DEVELOP “INTO THE WOODS” FEATURE FILM WITH DISNEY
LUCAMAR Productions Inks Multi-Year First-Look Deal With The Walt Disney Studios

Rob Marshall is set to direct a film adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical “Into the Woods,” featuring Stephen Sondheim’s original music, for The Walt Disney Studios, to be produced by Marshall and John DeLuca through their production company LUCAMAR Productions. James Lapine, who wrote the stage musical with Stephen Sondheim, will adapt for the screen.
The project is in development under a new multi-year producing deal between Disney and LUCAMAR.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine on this extraordinary and inspiring work,” said Rob Marshall and John DeLuca. “We are greatly looking forward to continuing our creative and rewarding relationship with Rich Ross, Sean Bailey and the ever supportive team at Disney.” 

“Rob Marshall brought his signature flair to ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ with tremendous results and he is the perfect person to bring ‘Into the Woods’ to the screen,” Studio Chairman Rich Ross and President of Production Sean Bailey said in a statement. “We’ve loved working with Rob, and this is a great start to our collaboration with LUCAMAR.”

Rob Marshall most recently directed Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which earned over $1 billion at the global box office and is the #8 highest grossing film of all time, the #3 film of 2011, and Disney’s biggest overseas release ever. It was the first “Pirates” film to be shot in 3D and the first major production at any studio to be shot in 3D on location. Marshall’s critically acclaimed stage musical adaptation “Chicago” (2002) grossed over $300 million worldwide and was nominated for 13 Academy Awards, winning six including best picture, with Marshall earning a nomination for best director. It also won the Golden Globe for best comedy/musical. His other feature films include “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005), winner of three Academy Awards, and “Nine” (2009), which was nominated for four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes. Marshall is a four-time Emmy Award winner and a six-time Tony Award nominee, including choreographing and co-directing the 1998 Broadway revival of “Cabaret.” 
“Into the Woods” weaves together the story of several of the most beloved fairytales (Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel) into the original story of a Baker and his wife who try to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a child, exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests and their desire for “happily ever after.” With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book and direction by James Lapine, “Into the Woods” earned 10 nominations at the 1988 Tony Awards, winning three including best score and best book of a musical. The 2002 Broadway revival won a Tony for best revival of a musical.
Sondheim and Lapine’s other collaborations include 1984’s Tony-winning “Sunday in the Park With George,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and 1994’s “Passion,” winner of four Tonys including best musical.  Sondheim has won eight Tony Awards, more than any other composer, as well as several Grammy Awards and an Academy Award, while Lapine has earned seven Tony nominations for direction and is a three-time winner (out of four nominations) for best book of a musical. 
LUCAMAR most recently produced the film adaptation of the Broadway musical “Nine,” starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman,  Penélope Cruz, and Marion Cotillard, which was nominated for four Academy Awards and five Golden Globes. LUCAMAR also produced the star-studded, NBC television event “Tony Bennett: An American Classic,” which won seven Emmy Awards, the most of any nominated show that season. The company is headed by co-presidents Rob Marshall and John DeLuca, with Michael Zimmer serving as director of development. 
Marshall and DeLuca are represented by Kevin Huvane and Brian Siberell at CAA and Michael Gendler of Gendler & Kelly.