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Time of India
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Mufasa: The Lion King' to 'Scoob': 5 children-friendly movies to watch with your kids
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Based on Judith Viorst's beloved children's book "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," this new iteration of the tale centers on Alexander Garcia (the adorable Thom Nemer from FX's "Snowfall") and a road trip gone, of course, horribly wrong. Alex's mother, Val (Eva Longoria), wants to inspire some family bonding by bringing her children to Mexico City to get in touch with their roots. So -- along with his father, Frank (Jesse Garcia), and older sister, Mia (Paulina Chávez) -- Alex gets ready to set off in a fancy recreational before they leave their home in Denver, Alex finds an ancient idol in their attic, which unleashes chaos and all the terrible, horrible things you'd expect in a road-trip comedy gone berserk -- including Grandma Lidia (Rose Portillo) getting left behind at a gas station. (Cheech Marin plays Grandpa Gil.)Marvin Lemus directed from a script by Matt Lopez (who wrote the 2022 version of "Father of the Bride").I saw this in the theater with my son in December, and he was transfixed from the first photorealistic frame. Since the hit 1994 Disney movie in which James Earl Jones voiced Mufasa, there has been a long-running Broadway show, TV spinoffs and the 2019 Jon Favreau-directed version -- to name a few winner Barry Jenkins ("Moonlight") directs this latest installment, which is an origin story about how Mufasa (voiced as a cub by Braelyn Rankins and as an adult by Aaron Pierre) meets Taka, aka Scar (Theo Somolu as a cub and Kelvin Harrison Jr. as an adult). Just as she did in Favreau's version, Beyoncé voices the lioness Nala, and this time, her daughter Blue Ivy Carter voices a cub named children will care more about the adventure, the drama and Lin-Manuel Miranda's songs than the star power, though. There are lessons about loyalty, family and bravery as Taka and Mufasa go from adoptive brothers to archenemies, and Jenkins creates some pretty epic action sequences. You also get to learn how Rafiki (John Kani) got his staff. Mads Mikkelsen voices the bad-guy lion Kiros, and Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner provide some over-the-top comic relief as Pumbaa and Timon. Jeff Nathanson, who penned 2019's "The Lion King," wrote the "The Lion King," Jules Verne's 1872 classic has seen its fair share of cinematic retellings, this time with a young marmoset named Passepartout (voiced in English by Cory Doran) taking the journey around his island home alongside his charming con-artist friend, a surfing frog named Phileas (Rob Tinkler). This French-Belgian production isn't quite the 1956 Oscar-winning version with David Niven and Cantinflas in the lead roles, but it's packed with endearing silliness and film is best suited for toddlers and younger elementary-age children. Passepartout's overbearing mother (Shoshana Sperling) sounds like she's from the Bronx for some reason; it's an odd touch, but little ones are unlikely to question the mishmash of accents. Despite her warnings to "do nothing until you're fully prepared," Passepartout sets off with Phileas to make good on his bet to traverse the world (in this case, their island) in 80 days. Along the way, they meet a frog princess named Aouda (Madi Monroe) and Passepartout's hero Juan Frog de Leon (Juan Chioran). The ultimate message is, as Phileas tells his little buddy, "Dream big, man, you can do it."Samuel Tourneux directed, and Gerry Swallow and David Michel wrote the exactly did the best friends Scooby and Shaggy meet, you might wonder? According to this telling, Young Shaggy (voiced by "Young Sheldon" star Iain Armitage as a kid and Will Forte as an adult) was eating a sandwich at Venice Beach one day when a cute stray pup wandered over, and the rest is history. Frank Welker, who has been voicing the goofy Great Dane for over 20 years, adds his voice talent to an impressive cast that includes Amanda Seyfried as Daphne, Gina Rodriguez as Velma and Zac Efron as Fred -- as well as Mark Wahlberg as an insecure yet egocentric superhero, Jason Isaacs as the baddie Dick Dastardly and Tracy Morgan as Captain Dastardly wants to unleash evil upon the world in the form of a glowing green Cerberus, and poor Scooby is the pooch who has the power to help him do just that. The mix of Greek mythology, robots and mechanical flying scorpions is a little all over the place, but my son was plenty entertained by Scooby and Shaggy's ability to act like bumbling fools one minute and brave heroes the next. Fred's beloved Mystery Machine even gets a modern-day reboot is a little light on mystery, but it's a fun addition to the franchise led by longtime Looney Tunes director Tony Cervone and written by Adam Sztykiel, Jack C. Donaldson, Derek Elliott and Matt the start of this Australian-Irish production, a young couple, Aneska (Miranda Otto) and Nerlin Flood (Ardal O'Hanlon), are scared away from their mountain cabin one snowy night. A pregnant Aneska tries to use her magic to dispel an evil force, but it's no use. Cut to years later, and the Floods are raising a teenage daughter, Betty (Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the "Harry Potter" franchise), along with a gaggle of other Munsters-esque children: Winchflat (Ed Byrne); lavender-haired twins Morbid and Silent (Sarah Aubrey); and their talking dog, Staniel (Neil Delamere). Betty longs to possess magical powers like everyone else in her freaky family (even Staniel), but her only real talents are singing and playing music on her hot-pink by a children's book series by Colin Thompson, this movie focuses on an evil king (who happens to be Betty's grandfather) who banished music and magic from the land. It's up to Betty, of course, to bring harmony back to their people, and along the way, she comes to understand that being human is its own sort of magic. Australian television veteran Mark Gravas directed, and Cleon Prineas and Penny Greenhalgh wrote the article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Eva Longoria: I have many dreams to fulfil
Picture Credit: Facebook Hollywood star Eva Longoria, who turned 50 in March, said she still has "many dreams to fulfil." Longoria told HELLO! magazine: "I'm excited about this new decade. It's a time to look back, to be grateful for the beautiful life I've had and to dream about what's to come. I am a very positive person with an optimistic mindset. I have many dreams to fulfill." She added: "Everything is centred on gratitude: for the life I have and for the one I'm going to have. That is, in essence, the real secret." Longoria has developed from an award-winning actress into a producer and director, making her feature debut behind the camera on the 2023 film "Flamin' Hot". She feels that determination has been keen to her progress in the industry, reports "I'm not good at taking 'no' for an answer. Things tend to work out for me because I put in the effort, I use my intelligence, I use all my ingenuity to make them happen." Longoria, a successful businesswoman. feels her love of "creating" has helped her as an entrepreneur. "I love the business world and building things. Whether it's putting together a TV series, a team to make a movie or a brand like my Casa del Sol tequila , I'm passionate about creating," said the actress. Longoria stars in the new family comedy film 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip' and was grateful to star in a project that involved her Mexican-American background. She said: "For me, never forgetting where I come from is fundamental. Being with my family, being from Texas, being Mexican-American... all these things define me. They're what have kept me grounded in this industry. If you don't know where you come from, it's hard to know where you're going."
Perth Now
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Eva Longoria is looking to the future after turning 50
Eva Longoria still has "many dreams to fulfil" in her life. The 'Desperate Housewives' actress celebrated her 50th birthday last month and is optimistic about what's coming next. In an interview with HELLO! magazine, Eva said: "I'm excited about this new decade. It's a time to look back, to be grateful for the beautiful life I've had and to dream about what's to come. "I am a very positive person with an optimistic mindset. I have many dreams to fulfil." She added: "Everything is centred on gratitude: for the live I have and for the one I'm going to have. That is, in essence, the real secret." Eva has developed from an award-winning actress into a producer and director – making her feature debut behind the camera on the 2023 film 'Flamin' Hot' – and believes that determination has been keen to her progress in the industry. She explained: "I'm not good at taking 'no' for an answer. Things tend to work out for me because I put in the effort, I use my intelligence, I use all my ingenuity to make them happen." Longoria is also a successful businesswoman and thinks her love of "creating" has helped her as an entrepreneur. The star said: "I love the business world and building things. Whether it's putting together a TV series, a team to make a movie or a brand like my Casa del Sol tequila, I'm passionate about creating." Longoria – who has son Santiago, six, with her husband Jose 'Pepe' Baston – stars in the new family comedy film 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip' and was grateful to star in a project that involved her Mexican-American background. She said: "For me, never forgetting where I come from is fundamental. "Being with my family, being from Texas, being Mexican-American... all these things define me. They're what have kept me grounded in this industry. If you don't know where you come from, it's hard to know where you're going." The star is particularly happy that the film focused on the joyous part of being in the Latino community. Eva said: "Often, we only see our struggles or sadness. It was nice, finally, to celebrate our happiness."
New York Post
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Pope Francis dead at 88: Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Longoria and more stars react
Hollywood is mourning Pope Francis. Celebrities shared tributes to the head of the Catholic Church on social media Monday after he died at age 88 following a prolonged battle with double pneumonia. Whoopi Goldberg, who met Pope Francis in 2023 and 2024, shared a photo of the pair in her Instagram tribute. 10 Pope Francis and Whoopi Goldberg. ABC 'He was the closest in a long time that seemed to remember that Christ's love enveloped believer and none believer,' the EGOT winner wrote. 'He felt more like Pope John the 23rd who made belief real. Sail on Pope Frances with your love of humanity & Laughter.' 10 Pope Francis at St Peter's Square in the Vatican in May 2013. VATICAN MEDIA/AFP via Getty Images Antonio Banderas similarly posted a picture with the late pontiff from their 2016 meeting and wrote, 'Pope Francisco has died — a man who, at the head of the Catholic Church, showed kindness, love, and mercy to the neediest people.' 10 Pope Francis and Antonio Banderas in 2016. Sipa USA via AP Russell Crowe, who met the pope in 2014, shared a photo of the Rome skyline on X (formerly Twitter) and said, 'A beautiful day in Rome, but, a sad day for the faithful. RIP Francis.' Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria both reshared a post about the pope's death on their Instagram Stories, with the latter actress adding a praying hands emoji. Donatella Versace also honored Pope Francis on her IG Stories and wrote, 'Rest In Peace His Holiness Pope Francis.' 'Bridgerton' star Adjoa Andoh posted on Instagram, 'RIP Pope Francis ♥️ Within the constraints of his tradition, manifestly compassionate and standing with the marginalised. What a loss.🙏🏾.' 10 Eva Longoria at the premiere of Disney+'s 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip' in March 2025. FilmMagic 10 Adjoa Andoh at the 31st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Feb. 2025. FilmMagic World leaders including Britain's King Charles III, Argentina's Javier Milei, France's Emmanuel Macron, Russia's Vladimir Putin, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and Italy's Giorgia Meloni also honored Pope Francis after his death. US Vice President JD Vance, who met the pope on Easter Sunday before traveling on to India, wrote on X, 'My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.' 10 King Charles III at the Royal Maundy Service at Durham Cathedral on April 17. Samir Hussein/WireImage 10 JD Vance meets Pope Francis at Vatican City on Easter Sunday. Getty Images 10 JD Vance at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025. Getty Images 'I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill,' Vance added. Pope Francis' death Monday was confirmed by Cardinal Kevin Ferrell, the Vatican camerlengo. 10 Pope Francis in Greece in 2016. Handout 10 Pope Francis leads mass in Rome on May 26, 2024. Getty Images 'Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis,' Farrell said in the announcement. 'He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with faithfulness, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized,' the statement continued. The selection process of a new pope is expected to take over the next few weeks.
Los Angeles Times
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Jesse Garcia and his epic, winding hero's journey to Hollywood
Beneath the fluorescent lighting of his hotel room in Pylos, Greece, Jesse Garcia combs through his greasy strands of hair after a daylong shoot for 'The Odyssey' — Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie adaptation of the Greek epic. 'I got set hair,' says Garcia on our video call, somewhat apologetically. Despite a demanding schedule, he has relished his time shooting in Morocco and Greece, along with Hollywood A-listers like Matt Damon and Zendaya. As he looks back on his trajectory, Garcia's own hero's journey through Hollywood seems to mirror that of the Greek character Odysseus: a man faced with great challenges that at times feel insurmountable yet formative. 'It's like nothing else I've done before,' says Garcia of the big-budget film, which is set for release in 2026. The actor, 42, has just wrapped up a different kind of odyssey — he also stars in a new Latino road trip comedy on Disney+, 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip.' Released on March 28, the family film sees Garcia as the loving patriarch of the fictional Garcia family, played by an all-star cast made up of Eva Longoria, Paulina Chávez, Thom Nemer, Rose Portillo and Cheech Marin. 'Road Trip' follows the 2014 film 'Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day,' which was based on Judith Viorst's 1972 children's book. Garcia appeared in the first movie as an animal wrangler; in the new film, he plays a chef. 'Maybe I was an animal wrangler so I could put myself through chef school,' he says. Directed by Marvin Lemus, the new flick depicts a topsy-turvy experience that Garcia is familiar with. 'My parents used to take us to [Durango] to see my dad's family every year,' says Garcia. 'So we [did] that road trip a lot when we were little kids.' Unlike many of his colleagues in Hollywood, who came from affluent families and studied in prestigious schools, Garcia was born into a Mexican American family in Rawlins, Wyo., a small mining town with few resources for aspiring actors. 'I auditioned for a play in high school,' says Garcia. 'Of course I didn't get it, because I didn't know what I was doing!' Garcia, an athlete, would devote himself to cheer routines and stunts in high school — he was later awarded a cheerleading scholarship to the University of Nebraska, where he studied exercise science. This skill set later helped him choreograph a scene in the 2007 sports parody 'The Comebacks,' which featured former NFL tight-end Tony Gonzalez. 'If I'd known better back in the day, I would've done cool classes [in college],' Garcia says with a chuckle. At the behest of a friend, he moved to Atlanta to find his direction. This led him to take acting classes at WHAT Films, an innovative theater class where he learned to write, direct, act and produce original materials under actor-director Judson Vaughn. 'It was a very unique format — that was the foundation of how I work,' says Garcia. In 2003, with only $2,000 in his pocket and a roommate he found on Craigslist, Garcia made L.A. his home. The city's strong Chicano presence overwhelmed him at first, but he eased into the community. 'I didn't grow up with a strong Latino community in Wyoming,' he explains. 'When I got to L.A., I worked in this movie called 'Walkout' with Edward James Olmos [and] started learning about the history of Latinos in L.A.' Garcia landed his breakout role in the 2006 film 'Quinceañera,' a coming-of-age film directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland. In it, Garcia played Carlos, a gay teen estranged from his Mexican family, along with his pregnant cousin and protagonist Magdalena (played by Emily Rios). The film gained traction at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. The film was later acquired and distributed by Sony Pictures. 'I [think] I got like a thousand dollars to do that movie,' says Garcia of his indie flick, which was a nonunion production. '[But] it started my career.' Garcia followed this momentum with small roles in procedurals like 'CSI: Miami,' 'Law & Order: Criminal Intent' and 'ER.' Although he asked his agents to opt out of stereotypical Latino roles, usually limited to gardeners and gangsters, he relented for a role in the movie 'Days of Wrath,' an 'action gangster flick,' as he puts it. Directed by Celia Fox, it featured a stellar roster of Black and Latino actors: Laurence Fishburne, Lupe Ontiveros, Taye Diggs and Wilmer Valderrama. But the film, which was slated for release in 2008, would never see the light of day — though he's still looking to get the rights to it. 'Celia, call me,' he says to the camera. 'I was just a broke actor, then 2008 happened,' says Garcia, whose happy-go-lucky demeanor instantly seems to wash away. In the aftermath of the 2007-08 writers' strike, roles for the blooming actor became harder to come by — a situation that was made more dire by the nation's crushing financial crisis. Nearly 20 years later, creatives continue to fight for their artistry amid growing concerns about AI and streaming revenue, all while production has slowed down in L.A. His first lead role in a major studio film would not come until 2023, when he was cast as Richard Montañez in 'Flamin' Hot,' the story of a janitor turned self-proclaimed 'godfather of Latino marketing,' who claimed to have invented the finger-licking snack Flamin' Hot Cheetos. 'When I first got the audition for 'Flamin' Hot,' I read it and went, 'This is mine. … They wrote this for me,'' says Garcia. 'I just have to jump through hoops and prove that it's mine.' First-time director and friend Eva Longoria tells De Los that Garcia, whom she considers her 'cosmic soulmate,' was 'meant to be Richard Montañez.' 'He didn't have one day off, so he had this intense approach to it,' says Longoria. 'He wanted to do well — not just for me but for our community. … We could not fail on 'Flamin' Hot.'' The pressures of the role weighed on Garcia — not because he carried the Latino community on his shoulders, which is an obligation he vehemently shrugs off, but because he was present for all 36 days of shooting. 'Nobody knew [it], but I could have had a mental breakdown every day,' he says. 'There was one day that [co-star] Annie Gonzalez put her hand on my chest just to say hello and check in with me, and I was like, 'Oh s—, why am I so emotional right now?'' says Garcia. Gonzalez, who played Montañez's wife Judy in 'Flamin' Hot,' remembers this moment during filming. 'Jesse does mask a lot of things with play,' she says. 'I put my hand on his chest and gave him my energy, 'cause I can only imagine carrying this film.' Although the veracity of this marketing success story was contested in a 2021 L.A. Times investigation, which the real-life Montañez cites in his 2024 defamation suit against the popular chip company, Garcia says he resonates with his character's go-getter spirit. (And, for the record, he also stands behind Montañez's account of events: 'I believe him, he has receipts.') 'I [too] have felt like the underdog,' says Garcia. 'I've felt like I've wanted to quit.' He says that when thinking back on those stormy moments in 2008, he asks himself: 'Would the 21-year-old version of myself be stoked to meet the current version?' To that, he says: 'Yeah, I would be proud of that guy.'
