Disney
Rapunzels Tangled Adventure/Tangled:The Series concludes (Sundays from January 12th-March 1st)
Since it premiered in March 2017, Rapunzels Tangled Adventure (Formerly known as Tangled: The Series) - the followup to Disney's 2010 smash Tangled - has established itself as one of the most interesting TV spinoffs of a Disney film. The show has expanded the world of Rapunzel and
Onward (Released March 6th)
A major reason for Pixar’s rise to fame in the late 1990s was their decision to create a unique formula entirely separate from the Disney musicals of the era and their many imitators. Even with the lines between the two studios blurring later on in the Lasseter era, this distinction has generally been maintained, but Pixar dipped their toes into Disney-style classic fantasy with their 2012 film Brave, and Onward represents a far different take on the same subgenre. It is set in an alternate universe where mythical creatures live a mundane suburban life like our own, with unicorns prowling through gardens like foxes, and centaurs and fauns working in the police force. A pair of teenage elf brothers (voiced by the ever-popular Chris Pratt and Tom Holland) are given a magical staff which belonged to their father and contains some of the last magic in the world. They attempt to bring their deceased father back for one last day, but are only able to resurrect his bottom half, and have to go on a quest to find a way of restoring their father for real. The trailers have promised a wacky and comedic tone, but also given hinted that the film will do justice to the poignancy inherent in the premise. The first of two original Pixar films coming out in 2020, Onward promises to cement Pixar’s new direction under Pete Docter, maintaining the humour, heart and creativity of classic Pixar films whilst ensuring that there are enough changes to keep the studio feeling fresh and exciting.
Mulan (Released March 27th)
Last year, Disney's live-action division broke records as their focus on remaking classic Disney animations resulted in billion-dollar grosses for their takes on Aladdin and The Lion King. However, the excessively faithful approach of these films annoyed many fans and critics, so Disney’s remake of their 1998 animated hit Mulan will represent a change in approach. Director Nikki Caro and screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are creating a remake which will adopt a new tone and style whilst sticking to the same basic outline. Liu Yifei will play the titular heroine, who disguises herself as a man in order to fight in the Chinese army. The new version of Mulan is primarily targeted at Chinese audiences, so is making a variety of alterations which will make it closer to Chinese Martial Arts epics than traditional Disney musicals. Wisecracking sidekick Mushu has been replaced by a mute Phoenix, the villain will be working with a sinister shapeshifting witch (played by the prolific Gong Li) and there will be a lot less singing. A group of hardcore fans have been dismayed by these changes, and Caro will need to find ways of satisfying them without compromising her vision. There have also been concerns about how the project legitimises the authoritarian Chinese government (Not helped by Yifei's support of the Chinese-backed authorities in the Hong Kong riots). However, the trailers have generally been very well-received, and Mulan’s new approach could allow it to dodge comparisons with the original film. With many of Disney’s biggest hits already adapted by the live-action division, they will need to adopt a new and more innovative approach, and Mulan could lead the way in this regard.
Frozen arrives in the West End (Performances begin October 2020)
With Frozen 2 emulating the success of the first film and generally reviving interest in Anna and Elsa's world, it's a pretty good time to bring the 2018 Broadway adaptation of the original Frozen to the West End. Princess Anna's epic journey to find her older sister Elsa has been expanded into a 2 hour-plus spectacular for the stage, and this production will be reopening London’s massive Theatre Royal Drury Lane after 18 months of renovations. The inescapable songs from the original (including "Let It Go" and "Do You Want to Build A Snowman?") are joined by several new numbers including "Monster" and "What Do You Know About Love?". However, despite the popularity of the Frozen franchaise, this production still has a lot to prove. Whilst it has earned more than enough money to justify its international rollout, it hasn't emulated the success of The Lion King and did badly at the Tony Awards, only receiving three nominations in a very weak year. The new touring version of Frozen premiered in LA last month and made improvements (including brighter lighting and more colourful set designs) which will hopefully be incorporated into the West End version. Director Michael Grandage has promised that the Brits will get their own “bespoke” version, and has acquired an impressively big name to play Elsa, with Les Miserables fan favourite Samantha Barks headlining the cast as the powerful but vulnerable Ice Queen (We will find out who will play Anna in a few weeks, with the rest of the actors being announced later in the year). Grandage has been a West End icon since the late 1990s, so he will hopefully be putting extra effort into giving his home territory a truly special production of Frozen.
Raya and the Last Dragon (Released November 25th)
After two messy but enjoyable sequels in the form of Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen 2, Raya and the Last Dragon will be Disney Animation's first original animated movie in four years. Anticipation has been high since it was formally unveiled at the D23 Expo 2019, as it will pay tribute to the culture of East Asian nations such as Vietnam and the Philippines. The film has been written by Crazy Rich Asians screenwriter Adele Lim, who is working with a team of Disney veterans, including storyboard artist and animator Paul Briggs (making his directorial debut) and Moana producer Osnat Shurer. The film is set in a fantasy realm called Kumandra, and centres on a girl searching for a mysterious dragon who has taken on human form, The titular heroine Raya is voiced by half-Filipino, half-Canadian actress Cassie Steele, whilst Crazy Rich Asians breakout star Awkwafina will be voicing Sisu the dragon, who may be able to protect Raya and her kingdom from a mysterious dark force. Raya and the Last Dragon seems like it will be providing an East Asian spin on the formula established by Moana and Frozen 2, but with enough changes to provide it with its own identity. There seem to be no songs, and the tone seems to be inspired by Asian fantasy epics as much as fairy tale classics. If Raya and The Last Dragon sticks to its vision, it could allow Disney Animation’s recent revival to continue into the new decade.
Non-Disney films and TV
Gretel and Hansel (Released 31st January)
Oz Perkins - The son of horror icon Anthony Perkins (famed for his role in the Hitchcock horror classic Psycho) - has made his name by writing and directing eerie gothic horrors such as The Blackcoats Daughter and I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In the House, and this take on the age-old story of Hansel and Gretel is his biggest project yet. Whilst other adult-orientated variations on the Brothers Grimm classic have often been lurid and trashy (such as 2013's Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters), Gretel and Hansel promises a more restrained approach, whilst remaining scary and sinister. The creepiness implicit in the Brothers Grimm source material is brought to the forefront, with sinister houses, trees covered with children’s shoes, and a gross moment where the Witch pulls a long thread of hair out of her mouth. As the switching of names in the title implies, Gretel’s status as a strong and fearless female lead will also be emphasised, as she is now a teenager looking after her much younger brother – IT star Sophia Lillis will play Gretel, and her performance could mark her out as an actress to watch in the future. January releases are generally not known for their high quality, but Oz Perkins’ distinctive vision could make Gretel and Hansel into a pleasingly creepy standout.
Come Away and Wendy (Screening at the Sundance Film Festival 24th January-2nd Febuary)
The Sundance Film Festival is one of the first major events of the cinematic year, as a variety of independent films make their big screen debuts. This year, audiences will be treated to two unique takes on Peter Pan. One of the biggest films at the festival this year is Come Away, the live-action debut of animation icon Brenda Chapman, who has worked on films ranging from The Lion King to The Prince of Egypt. Come Away is about two children, Alice and Peter (played by Keira Chansa and Jordan Nash), who end up in a fantasy world as they try to deal with a death in the family and find themselves having to choose whether to stay in the real world or go into their imaginary landscape. A prequel to both Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, Come Away will explore the classic worlds these two protagonists will go on to inhabit, and the way they impact on their bond. Chapman has gathered a top-notch cast, with Angelina Jolie and David Oyelowo playing the parents, and Michael Caine, Derek Jacobi and Clarke Peters also featuring prominently. Chapman’s first film after being controversially fired from Pixar’s Brave, Come Away could allow Chapman to fully showcase her ability at creating fairytale magic.
In contrast, Wendy is a much smaller production, but one which embodies the Sundance spirit perfectly. It is directed by Benh Zeitlin, whose drama Beasts of the Southern Wild was one of the breakthrough films at the 2012 Sundance Festival. Here, Wendy is a girl from modern America, who lives with her family in a diner. The unusual Peter takes Wendy and her brothers to a Neverland suspended in time by a mysterious pollen, but a series of threats to this world means that Wendy needs to take responsibility and save all the children on the island. Zetlin announced the project in 2013, just after Beasts of the Southern Wild became an unlikely Oscars contender, but it has taken over six years to bring his idea to life The winning formula of Beasts of the Southern Wild is being maintained for Wendy, with a cast of newcomers (including Devin France as Wendy and Yashua Mack as Peter) a mysterious and oddly magical tone, and a depiction of a wonderful but endangered natural world. Amusingly, Wendy has been produced by the Disney-owned Fox Searchlight, but it could not be more different from the action-packed approach of Disney blockbusters, making it a great alternative to more mainstream fairytales. Come Away does not have a confirmed release date, but it should come out at some point later in the year. Meanwhile, Wendy will be released in America on 28th Febuary. We can expect both productions to entertain and enchant fairytale fans all over the world during 2020.
The Secret Garden (Released 17th April in UK)
Since it was first published in 1911, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel The Secret Garden has become a staple for many children, Over a century after the first known film adaptation, audiences are getting a new version which will introduce a new generation to this story. The Secret Garden tells the story of Mary, a girl who is sent from India to live in the house where her late aunt lived. Mary initially hates life in Misselthwaite Manor but meeting two other children and discovering an incredible hidden garden allows her to change the lives of the people around her, and become a better person herself. Dixie Egerickx will play Mary, Colin Firth (who had an early role in the 1987 Hallmark version of this tale) plays guardian Archibald Craven, whilst Julie Walters is the authoritarian housekeeper Mrs. Medlock. Screenwriter Jack Thorne was recently behind the TV adaptation of His Dark Materials, so he knows a thing or two about adapting classic children’s stories. This new version has two big changes. Firstly, it will be set in 1947, meaning that the partition of India and the aftermath of World War Two will be major influences on the lives of our characters. Second, it will take advantage of the rise of CGI to bring the titular Garden to life in a new and impressive way. This will not be the only version of The Secret Garden in the UK this Spring. A semi-staged concert version of the 1991 stage musical adaptation will be staged at the London Palladium on April 4th, with Ramin Karmaloo, Lucie Jones and Jac Yarrow amongst the performers. Both the film and the concert will succeed in demonstrating the continued appeal of the timeless source material.
Cursed (released in 2019)
Since Wicked premiered on Broadway, writers have got mileage out of classic fairy tales and legends by shifting their focus to the supporting cast, The Netflix series Cursed promises to refresh the tale of King Arthur by explaining the origins of the mysterious Lady of the Lake. Cursed is based on a recent novel of the same name created by an unlikely writing team: Thomas Wheeler, a screenwriter and producer who has worked on animated films such as Puss in Boots and The Lego Ninjango Movie, and Frank Miller, the legendary illustrator behind violent and gritty graphic novels such as 300, The Dark Knight Returns and Sin City. Both are executive producers on the Netflix adaptation, working with Silenn Thomas and Zetna Fuentes. Cursed tells the story of Nimue, a girl with mysterious powers who ends up in control of a mysterious sword after her family is murdered. She teams up with a mercenary named Arthur to return the sword to Merlin whilst fighting the soldiers responsible for the crime and the tyrannical ruler who enabled them. The cast will be headed by Katherine Longford, who came to prominence in the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, and she will be joined by rising star Devon Terrell as Arthur. Adaptations of Arthurian legends have flopped in recent years, but Cursed’s more epic approach and contemporary themes (about respecting nature and resisting tyranny) mean it could gain wider appeal. Netflix have recently put a lot of effort into fantasy series in recent years and Cursed could be an interesting companion to the likes of Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and The Witcher, whilst successfully winning over a different audience.
The Witches (Released October 9th)
Probably the most iconic children's author of the late 20th century, Roald Dahl provided unique stories which drew on classic fairytale tropes and combined the wondrous and the sinister. The influence of Norwegian mythology on his work was most evident in The Witches, one of his scariest stories. This Whitbread prize-winning tale of a boy who tries to stop the titular villains turning children into mice was adapted into a cult favourite film in 1990, but this new version promises to take a different direction. Although it will be closer to the source material than the earlier movie (Dahl famously hated the happier ending) it is relocating the action to 1960s Alabama, which should provide the opportunities to bring the fight for fight for Civil Rights into the story. Newcomer Jahzir Bruno will play the unnamed protagonist, with Octavia Spencer as his supportive, witch-hunting grandma. However, the main draw is Anne Hathaway, playing the monstrous Grand High Witch. The film is being produced by Guilermo Del Toro, king of adult fairy tale films, and Alfonso Cuaron, who came to prominence after successfully adapting A Little Princess and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Due to their busy schedules, they have given the directorial reins to Robert Zemeckis, (Although Del Toro had a hand in creating the screenplay). Although his status has waned over the last couple of decades, Zemeckis has directed some truly brilliant films in the past (Romancing the Stone, Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump), and hopefully The Witches will be a deliciously creepy return to form for him.
Part Two is coming soon!
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