Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
Disney Eyes Will Smith for Genie Role in Guy Ritchie’s Live-Action ‘Aladdin’
Get your Prince Ali mash-up memes ready because Will Smith might be taking on the role of the charismatic Genie in Disney’s live-action remake of Aladdin. The studio was previously in talks with Smith to play the villain role in Tim Burton’s live-action Dumbo movie, and although those discussions ultimately fell apart, it looks as though Disney might be able to land the actor for a part in another one of their many, many, many live-action remakes.
What’s Expiring From Netflix Instant: May 2017
You know the drill: Every month, Netflix Instant delivers a glorious bounty of new titles for us to stream until we can’t feel our butts anymore. But just as Netflix giveth, so must they taketh away, and with each new month comes a list of movies and TV shows that are set to expire from the streaming service — some temporarily, some perhaps forever. Think of it as your monthly reminder to stop procrastinating with that bloated queue of yours.
New Netflix Instant Releases: May 2017
The ratio of Netflix Originals to acquired content continues to skew more toward the former each month, and May is absolutely stacked with fresh original films, comedy specials and TV shows — including new season premieres of some of our favorite series, like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Master of None (finally!), Sense8, Bloodline, House of Cards and more. As for original films, next month’s additions include War Machine, along with specials from beloved comedians like Marie Bamford and Tracy Morgan.
Big ‘Star Wars’ Announcement Teased for 40th Anniversary
Star Wars Celebration is set to kick off in just a few days, and with the 40th anniversary of the iconic franchise on the horizon, fans are expecting this year’s festivities to be extra special — but it looks like we won’t have to wait until later this week for major news from a galaxy far, far away. Good Morning America is teasing a big Star Wars announcement for tomorrow’s episode, but what could it possibly be? The first teaser for The Last Jedi? A revelation about one of your favorite characters?
Don Rickles, Iconic Comedian and Actor, Dead at 90
Don Rickles’ talents were seemingly limitless: An outrageous insult comic, a gifted dramatic actor, a welcome sight on stages and screens (big and small), and a constant presence whose career endured for decades, often surpassing his contemporaries. And now he’s gone on to join them, as the legendary Rickles passed away today, April 6, at the age of 90.
Classic Disney Songs Get the Heavy Metal Treatment on This Wild New Cover Album
Have you ever wondered what Sir Elton John’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” from The Lion King soundtrack would sound like if it had been re-recorded by Ozzy Osbourne? Or maybe you’ve always loved the title track from Beauty and the Beast, but thought that Angela Lansbury’s genteel vocals would sound just a hair better if she had the shrieking warble of a demon veering down the highway at 90 miles per hour — you know, like if the artwork from a heavy metal record came to life. If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions or, “What would it sound like if Dokken covered The Little Mermaid?,” then Disney has the album for you.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Short Gives Gaston and Le Fou a Musical Origin Story
Gaston and Le Fou’s friendship is many things: Complicated and co-dependent, kind of weird, and definitely one of the greatest antagonist pairings in Disney history. It’s easy to see why they’re friends, but it’s difficult to imagine how this odd couple came together in the first place. That’s where this new claymation short film comes in. A collaborative effort between Disney, Tongal and Young Storytellers, the short — created by a 12-year-old boy — imagines how Gaston met Le Fou, and gives us a little bonus “Gaston” song action.
Colin Farrell in Talks to Join Eva Green in What Is Apparently a Very Sexy ‘Dumbo’ Movie
Disney’s live-action Dumbo remake has been officially upgraded from another basic Tim Burton project that elicits little more than a shrug to a full-out curiosity worthy of an eyebrow raise. Between the casting of Eva Green and Danny DeVito, and the almost-casting of Will Smith, and now the potential casting of Colin Farrell, maybe there’s more to this movie than flying elephants — like, is Dumbo sexy now or what?
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: April 2017
Every month, as dozens of new titles are added to Netflix Instant’s vast streaming library (with even more possibilities for your endlessly indecisive scrolling), several movies and TV shows are taken away, spirited into the expiration ether. Now’s the time to stop procrastinating and do a little spring queue-cleaning by watching some of these titles before they disappear — possibly for good. Read on for a full list of what’s expiring from Netflix Instant in April.
New Netflix Instant Releases: April 2017
April showers bring…new titles to stream on Netflix Instant. That doesn’t rhyme, but you get the idea. Next month’s additions include new seasons of Netflix Original series The Get Down and Chewing Gum, as well as the first season of Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return, and the premiere of one of two Louis C.K. comedy specials hitting the service this year. You’ll also find a couple of recent Disney films, classic movies like Gremlins and A Nightmare on Elm Street, and plenty of new Netflix Original Films. Read on for the full list of releases coming to Netflix Instant in April.
‘Beauty and the Beast’ Review: Even a Tale as Old as Time Can Become New Again
To say that the first trailer for Beauty and the Beast was evocative of the 1991 animated classic would be an understatement; it was a live-action carbon copy, and if Disney’s remake of Cinderella was any indication, we were in for yet another tedious — if visually stunning, well-acted and beautifully-designed — exercise in nostalgia-based capitalism. But Bill Condon’s live-action update of Beauty and the Beast is more reimagining than remake, a lavish and lovely take on a familiar tale (as old as time, no doubt) that enriches its source material without betraying it, embellishing a cherished antique with modern ideas.
Alabama Theater Won’t Show ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Because of Josh Gad’s Gay LeFou
When director Bill Condon confirmed that his live-action Beauty and the Beast remake features a gay character, it was only a matter of time before someone made a fuss over it. Turns out, that someone is a somewhere — a drive-in theater in Alabama, where the owner is refusing to screen the new Disney film because Josh Gad’s character, LeFou, is gay.
Disney Attempts Another New ‘Tron’ Movie, This Time With Jared Leto
After a series of delays and false starts (or near-misses, however you want to define it), Disney officially nixed Tron 3…but they didn’t take the Tron franchise off the table entirely. Just this week, Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski divulged some details from the third Tron film (titled Ascension) and revealed that the sequel wasn’t totally dead, but in “cryogenic freeze.” According to a new report, Disney is gearing up to return to the world of Tron, with Jared Leto eyeing a lead role in the new project — but it’s not exactly a sequel.
You Can’t Stop the ‘Trolls’ Sequel From Hitting Theaters in 2020
DreamWorks and Universal’s surprise animated hit is — unsurprisingly — getting a sequel. The news comes on the heels of Justin Timberlake’s charismatic opening number at the 2017 Oscars earlier this week — something most of you probably forgot all about at least two hours before Envelopegate even happened, somewhere between candy parachutes and that weird tour bus interlude.
Oscar Accountants Predicted Their ‘Unlikely’ Envelope Mixup Days Before the Awards
It was the Best Picture Winner announcement heard ’round the world; for just a brief, hilariously awkward moment in time, when La La Land was erroneously declared the big winner of Oscar night 2017, we forgot all about our current political turmoil and embraced the total madness of Envelopegate. How could such a ridiculous mixup happen? The explanation for the confusion is fairly simple, but, in a twist befitting the ongoing insanity of this whole debacle, the dependable accountants of PricewaterhouseCoopers may have predicted their own error just days before the awards. The plot thickens.
What’s Leaving Netflix Instant: March 2017
Just as dozens of new titles are being added to the Netflix Instant library each month, so must several others disappear. As you get ready for all the great new films and TV shows arriving in March, now would be a good time to make some room in your queue — starting with all the titles that are expiring from the streaming service next month, including favorites like Jaws and a pair of DC’s animated Justice League films.