Latest news with #animated
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Smurfs get surreal, which might be lost on the kids
The biggest surprise about the new 'Smurfs' movie was the smattering of applause that bubbled forth in the darkness of a recent, kid-friendly preview screening as the credits began to roll. But the animated film — a complicated portal-hopping adventure set in the (groan) multiverse that also incorporates a smattering of live action, mostly scenery and no actors — does have its moments.
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Award-winning singer lands major role in new animated film after smash-hit movie success
She previously starred in a hit musical that won over both critics and fans. Now, pop star Ariana Grande, 32, has been cast in an animated adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic Oh, The Places You'll Go! - meaning fans may be waiting a while longer for a new album. But there's some consolation, the upcoming film will be a musical, so audiences will still get to hear her sing when it lands in cinemas in March 2028. The project is being produced by Jon M. Chu, the director behind Wicked, so it's no surprise Ariana was tapped for the role. She will star alongside Josh Gad, 44, best known as the voice of Olaf in Frozen. And fans won't have to wait that long to see her on screen - Ariana is set to return to cinemas this November in Wicked: Part Two - For Good. The epic fantasy film, based on the 1995 book by Gregory Maguire that was later turned into a three-time Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in 2003, hit theatres last November. Directed by Jon M. Chu with an eye-popping budget of $145million, Wicked is split into two feature-length films, with the final chapter slated for November 2025. Critics have already called Wicked: Part One a 'masterpiece' that 'pops and enchants on the big screen' as audiences were welcomed to the fantastical world of Oz. The film's leads, Ariana and Cynthia Erivo, who play witches Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, received high praise for their jaw-dropping vocals and onscreen chemistry. Film & TV journalist Scott Menzel boldly called it the 'very best big-screen adaptations of a Broadway musical ever.' 'Wicked is a cinematic spectacle that serves as one of the very best big screen adaptations of a Broadway musical ever. Jon M. Chu perfectly captures the magic of the Broadway show while adding in some of his own unique flourishes to the source material,' Menzel tweeted last year. 'Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo completely knock it out of the park as Elphaba and Glinda. Jonathan Bailey is also quite phenomenal in the film. Wicked lives up to the hype and often succeeds it.' Menzel also teased at the time that fans of the Broadway musical were 'going to absolutely lose their minds over' one particular scene. 'Wicked is hands down one of the year's best films,' Menzel concluded. Variety's Jazz Tangcay said that Wicked is 'much more than we could have ever expected' and that director Chu, Erivo and Grande 'gifted us a musical masterpiece.' Tangcay continued: 'Ariana & Cynthia will blow you away. The production design and costumes are a visual spectacle.' Film critic Katcy Stephen, also from Variety, admitted that they were initially 'pessimistic' but were happy to report that Wicked is 'a masterpiece.' 'Ariana Grande makes Glinda sparkle: she milks every moment with gusto, humor and hair flips,' Stephen tweeted. 'Jon M. Chu added so much new life to the story that I can see why it needed to be 2 parts! Well worth the 20-year wait.' Erin Stecker of IndieWire celebrated Wicked as 'the best musical-to-movie adaptation' since Chicago (2002) starring Renee Zellweger and Mamma Mia (2008) starring Meryl Streep. Wicked is about an unlikely friendship that emerges between Elphaba (Cynthia) and Glinda (Ariana), two clashing witches in the magical land of Oz. Elphaba is wrongfully cast as a wicked witch as she seeks to expose the fraudulent, corrupt Wizard who rules the land. Wicked is the origin story of 'a green-skinned woman who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West.' It serves as a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, exploring the narrative before Dorothy's arrival and delving into the former friendship between the characters Elphaba and Glinda.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Thank u, next musical: Ariana Grande reuniting with 'Wicked' director Jon M. Chu on Dr. Seuss movie
Ariana Grande has been tapped to voice a character in an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go! Wicked filmmaker Jon M. Chu will direct the movie alongside Abominable director Jill Culton. Josh Gad will also play a role in the Grande's next musical will be a Seussical. The "Into You" singer is set to reunite with Wicked director Jon M. Chu on another movie musical: an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss' Oh, the Places You'll Go!, Entertainment Weekly has learned. "I love this book, i love this script, i love the beautiful world of @drseuss, i love this incredible group of creative human beings," Grande wrote in an Instagram story. "I am so thrilled to be a part of this one." The Warner Bros. film will also star Josh Gad, who has previously leant his voice to two Frozen movies, two Angry Birds movies, A Dog's Purpose, Marmaduke, and three seasons of Central Park. Jill Culton, who made her directorial debut with 2019's Abominable after working as a story artist on films like Toy Story and Shrek, will direct alongside Chu. The film's original songs will be written by EGOT-winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who earned acclaim for penning songs for The Greatest Showman and Dear Evan Hansen as well as lyrics for La La Land. Oh, the Places You Go! will Warner Bros. Pictures Animation's second Dr. Seuss adaptation after 2026's The Cat in the Hat starring Bill Hader. The film will be produced by J.J. Abrams and Gregg Taylor of Bad Robot. Other Seuss adaptations have dominated the box office in the past, including the live-action How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Illumination's animated takes on The Lorax and The Grinch. Those films, however, are based on Seuss' more narratively-oriented picture books, whereas Oh, the Places You'll Go! — which was the writer's final project released in his lifetime — is a much more abstract poem of a book, without particularly defined characters or specific story beats. That means that the Oh, the Places movie should have creative space to essentially build characters and plot from the ground up, as the only essential elements from Seuss' book are the mysterious "Waiting Place" and the author's dazzling illustrative style. Following the smashing success of last year's Wicked, Grande will reprise her Oscar-nominated role of Glinda in Wicked: For Good. Directed by Chu, the film is the second half of the Wizard of Oz prequel musical and is set to release on Nov. 21. After finishing her stay in Oz, Grande will act opposite Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in a fourth Meet the Parents comedy, which will hit theaters in November 2026. Chu has a massive slate of film projects lined up after Wicked: For Good, and it's not immediately clear if any of his potential upcoming movies will be released before Oh, the Places You'll Go! The In the Heights filmmaker is attached to helm a Britney Spears biopic for Universal; a Jesus Christ Superstar adaptation for Amazon; an art-heist movie based on a true story for Warner Bros.; an adaptation of the video game Split Fiction starring Sydney Sweeney; another film for Warner Bros. based on Mattel's Hot Wheels toy line; and possibly a Play-Doh animated movie for eOne and Hasbro. He's also set to direct a stage musical adaptation of his 2018 rom-com Crazy Rich Asians on the Places You Go is scheduled to be released in IMAX on March 17, 2028. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Have the Fictional Pop Stars of ‘KPop Demon Hunters' Already Scored Bigger U.S. Hits Than So Many Real-Life K-Pop Stars?
If you've been paying any attention to the Billboard charts the past couple weeks, you've undoubtedly noticed the chart onslaught of two brand-new groups: HUNTR/X and Saja Boys, who now have a combined six Billboard Hot 100 entries (and a top 40 hit each). If you're wondering why you'd never heard of either before a couple weeks ago, it's because they didn't exist prior to that — and in some ways technically still don't, as both are inventions of the hit animated Netflix musical KPop Demon Hunters. Despite their fictional nature, both groups are having real-life breakout success befitting their in-universe superstardom — to the point where they're racking up chart achievements that many of the biggest flesh-and-bone K-pop icons have yet to add to their resumés. More from Billboard 'KPop Demon Hunters' Slays Its Way to No. 1 on ARIA Albums Chart Saweetie Announces New Track 'Boffum' Ahead of Australian Tour BLACKPINK Return With High-Energy Anthem 'JUMP': Stream It Now On this first-ever Fictional Pop Star Review on the Greatest Pop Stars podcast, host Andrew Unterberger is joined by Billboard Assistant Social Editor and K-pop superfan Abby Webster to talk about all things HUNTR/X and Saja Boys — what about the girl group and boy band feels authentic, what reminds us of other real-life K-pop idol groups and what maybe stretches credibility a little. We also talk about what has made KPop Demon Hunters into such a runaway phenomenon, and how much bigger it still could get from here. Along the way, we discuss all the most important questions: Why has KPop Demon Hunters been the first musical since Encanto to have such chart-blanketing impact? How many members is too few for a plausible 2025 K-pop group? Is it weird that the HUNTR/X version of 'Takedown' is actually outstreaming the cover done by the established real-life K-pop superstars on the soundtrack? And could a HUNTR/X and Saja Boys tour ever actually happen in real life — and would we go see it if it did? Check it out above — along with two Abby-assembled Spotify playlists, one helping new-to-K-pop Demon Hunters fans find their footing within the genre, and also looking at some of the real-life genre hits echoed by the movie's fictional jams. And please subscribe to the Greatest Pop Stars podcast on Apple Music or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts) for weekly discussions every Thursday about all things related to pop stardom! And as we say in every one of these GPS podcast posts — if you have the time and money to spare, please consider donating to any of these causes in the fight for trans rights: Transgender Law Center Trans Lifeline LGBTQ Fundraising on GoFundMe Also, please consider giving your local congresspeople a call in support of trans rights, with contact information you can find on of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
