Latest news with #AnikaNoniRose
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Eyes of Wakanda' creator explains that ending 'Black Panther' tie-in
"'Wakanda forever' is not just a motto," Todd Harris tells EW of this moment. Warning: This article contains spoilers from episode 4. Eyes of Wakanda creator Todd Harris knew he needed his animated Marvel series about the Black Panther's home nation to have a culmination. "You've got to make a show mean something," he tells Entertainment Weekly. That culmination happens in the fourth and final episode of season 1, which dropped on Disney+ in its entirely on Friday. The half-hour season finale begins in 1896 Ethiopia in the city of Adwa. A young Wakandan prince, Tafari (Zeke Alton), and his advisor, Kuda (Steve Toussaint), are on a mission to extract a stolen vibranium artifact: an axe acquired by a pirate-turned-merchant while sailing the Indian Ocean. They successfully acquire the axe, but it places them in the crosshairs of a Black Panther from the future (Anika Noni Rose). In her time, she's the last Black Panther. The Horde, an alien species from Marvel Comics, invaded Earth, but because Wakanda was still isolated from the world, they did not send aid to the other nations and they all fell as a result. This future Black Panther traveled back through history to find the moment that could change their fate, and it relates to the axe. The artifact is the same axe that Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) will find in a British museum around the time of Black Panther (2018). As MCU fans know well, the discovery leads Killmonger to take over the Wakandan throne, a conflict that will compel King T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) to open the advanced nation's doors to the outside world. That act alone will continue the chain of events that will stop the Horde hundreds of years in the future. "All comic book fans love feeling like they're on the inside, like, 'That's the thing! I know about this!' So you get that instant buzz," Harris tells EW. "But then also, too, that thing is the string that goes through [the show]. 'Wakanda forever' is not just a motto, it's that all these people have the same mentality no matter what point in history they are in. That dedication to that continuity is the most important part of this show. It's there to secure a future that none of those people will be around to see happen. That's the beauty of the show." And then, of course, there's the Disney legend from The Princess and the Frog, Mufasa: The Lion King, and Dreamgirls in the badass role of a future Black Panther. "She came through so amazing," Harris comments. "I've been a fan of hers for years and years and years, so I was so happy to work with her. Hopefully [Eyes of Wakanda] tickled all the right Marvel spots, and some spots that you weren't expecting in terms of all the variations, because every episode's like its own little movie." All four episodes of Eyes of Wakanda are available to stream now on Disney+. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly Solve the daily Crossword
Geek Culture
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Eyes of Wakanda' Animated Series Showrunner Teases 'Giant Spy-Espionage Story' Across MCU History
Todd Harris, showrunner of the upcoming Marvel Disney+ animated miniseries Eyes of Wakanda , has given some insight into the ambitious project, teasing the show's unique setting that spans different Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) time periods and its cast of Wakandan warriors. Speaking during an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Harris describes the upcoming animated series as a combination of his passion for both history and Marvel. 'I really liked the idea of everyone's view of history,' he said, 'The story starts off during the end of the Western Bronze Age, and that spark sets off this giant spy-espionage story that reverberates through time…. You get Wakanda-grade James Bond, and sometimes a Jane Bond, with the backdrop of all the awesomeness that is Wakanda.' Harris also teased some of the warriors featured in the show, although he understandably revealed his desire to keep as many details a secret as possible. These characters include the Lion, voiced by Cress Williams (Black Lightning) and Noni, voiced by model Winnie Harlow. Princess and the Frog Disney legend Anika Noni Rose will also lend her voice in an unspecified role, with Harris teasing that she 'came in like an archangel and just blew the scene away.' Another notable name in the show's roster of voice talent is House of the Dragon star Steve Toussaint, who 'plays a jaded agent who is jaded for all the right reasons'. According to Harris, Eyes of Wakanda will be 'anthology adjacent', comprising a collection of short stories set in different MCU time periods and telling a continuous narrative, with the showrunner teasing 'a globe-trotting adventure'. 'There's a couple of surprises because part of the opportunity here is to sprinkle little pieces of history and go, 'I didn't know that happened.' Part of it is holding a mirror up to some historical theories and some historical facts and some historical preconceived notions,' he concluded. Eyes of Wakanda will debut on Disney+ on 6 August 2025, and will consist of four episodes. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Disney+ Eyes of Wakanda Marvel
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Ride Passengers ‘Dumbfounded' After Man Jumps From Log to Wander With His Son Causing ‘40 Minute' Delay
A Disney World guest left fellow passengers on a ride frustrated after ignoring instructions to remain seated during its brief pause. On Thursday, March 6, the unidentified man was on the Tiana's Bayou Adventure water ride in Magic Kingdom, when he decided to 'jump out of his log with his kid." The ride had been paused for around 10 minutes before his antics caused it to be delayed further, according to an anonymous member of the Walt Disney World Tips and Tricks Public Facebook Group. 'Shout out to this guy, who held up everyone on Tiana's for 30-40 minutes because he and his son jumped out of their log,' the Facebook user wrote in a now-deleted post, per Disney news outlet Wow News Today. According to the post, the guest exited the carriage despite 'very clear announcements to remain seated.' Related: We Tried It: Riding Disneyland's New Princess Tiana Ride, and Spending a Day On Her Bayou (Exclusive) 'The cast members came over the speaker three times — yes, three times — asking him to get back into the log, and he refused,' the post continued. The Facebook member said the man 'began shining his phone flashlight around, looking for an exit' and 'waving the bright light in [the] faces' of the seated guests, leaving them 'dumbfounded' at the situation. According to the post, the man was told to wait at the ride and he and his child were eventually escorted out by employees, per Wow News Today. 'We went from a 10-minute ride pause to a 30-40 minute ride pause because of this guy,' they wrote. '...There was absolutely no need for this to happen. This guy is teaching his son that the rules don't matter and you can do whatever you want, even if it inconveniences everyone else.' Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related: Anika Noni Rose Gets Emotional About Disneyland's New Tiana Ride 15 Years After Film: 'The People's Princess' (Exclusive) Tiana's Bayou Adventure officially opened at Disney World Resort in Florida on June 28, 2024, and Disneyland in California on Nov. 15, 2024. The ride, which replaced Splash Mountain, was created in homage of Princess Tiana from the groundbreaking 2009 Disney animated film Princess and the Frog and it is set in New Orleans Square like the picture. This latest incident at Disneyland comes after several recent incidents at the resort where the guests have refused to follow the rules. In January, a guest was caught stealing an out-of-order sign and putting it on her scooter. A woman was also tasered at Disney's Port Orleans Resort for her drunken behavior, per Wow News Today. Disney didn't immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Pulls Plug on 'Tiana' Series Amid Shift Away From Animated Episodic Content
In a heartbreaking update to fans of the Louisianian culinary prodigy turned- amphibian-turned-princess, Walt Disney Animation Studios has officially abandoned its Tiana animated series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. An unnamed animated feature set to go straight-to-streaming has also been cancelled."Tiana" was set to be a follow-up to Disney's 2009 animated feature "The Princess and the Frog," a film focused on the story of Tiana, Disney's first Black canon princess. The series would have seen Anika Noni Rose reprise her role as the titular character, and, like its feature counterpart, would likely have showcased music inspired by the characters' New Orleans involved in development allege that, even through various staffing changes, the series wasn't able to reach a satisfying point in development to justify its production animation studio is now said to be developing a short-form project inspired by "The Princess and the Frog." It's unclear whether or not this will be a direct continuation of the beloved love story of Tiana and Naveen, or an all-new twist on the classic Grimm Brothers' tale. Joyce Sherri, the lead writer and director of the now-cancelled "Tiana" series, is also attached to the new short-form special as writer and director, along with co-director Steve decision to rework or cancel these particular projects reflects the studio's pivot away from developing animated long-form content for streaming. Just last year, Pixar announced that it would deprioritize longform episodic content for Disney+ after releasing "Win or Lose" and "Dream Productions" on the animated series announced at the same time as the Tiana series was "Moana," a series follow-up to the 2016 hit movie of the same name. The series was reconfigured into the 2024 theatrical feature release "Moana 2," which went on to net the studio $1 billion at the global box office. Moreover, Pixar's "Inside Out 2" was 2024's highest-grossing film by a long shot — putting a fine point on why the studio may be prioritizing their animated theatrical releases for at least the short-term future. Never Miss a Beat! Subscribe to Los Angeles Magazine's The Daily Brief for daily updates delivered straight to your inbox. Join below or by clicking here.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney+ Shelves ‘Princess and the Frog' Series — and Its Long-Form Animated Content for Streaming
It ain't easy being green, and it ain't easy spending so much green either. Disney has axed a series meant for Disney+ called 'Tiana' spun off from its 2009 animated film 'The Princess and the Frog,' one that would have featured the return of the original film's voice actress Anika Noni Rose, IndieWire has confirmed. The series was announced back in 2020, has been in development since, and has gone through several different creative teams, but the production costs to make it work were too great to continue, a source told IndieWire. THR first confirmed the news about the series being shelved. More from IndieWire 'The Americas' Spent 5 Years Filming Wildlife - and Discovered New Species in the Process How Conan's Costume Designer Made the Oscars Sandworm - in His Garage Using Zip Ties for Teeth The loss of 'Tiana' is not indicative of just one project; it's part of a larger change of thinking at Disney around long-form animated content intended for streaming. In addition to 'Tiana,' an untitled, unannounced, animated feature film meant for Disney+ is also being shelved. Pixar also recently made news that it wouldn't be prioritizing any more longer-form streaming series for Disney+ like 'Dream Productions' or the just-released 'Win or Lose.' And 'Moana 2' too originated as a Disney+ series before it was converted into a feature. That last one turned out to be a win for Disney. 'Moana 2' has made a cool billion dollars at the box office and is dropping on Disney+ soon, where the first 'Moana' continues to be one of the most-streamed titles on the planet. But not everything can so easily shift gears and be put into theaters, and the cost of producing half hour-long animated limited series — even ones based on core IP — is a lot when the real time and dollars are clearly elsewhere. One of the most-watched series anywhere on streaming is 'Bluey' which, in 2023 on Disney+, was watched for nearly as many hours as 'Suits,' despite the fact that 'Bluey' episodes are just 8 minutes long. Some of the newer episodes of 'Bluey' are even shorter, 1-3 minutes. To that end, Disney+ has other short-form series like 'Zootopia+' and 'Baymax!,' and it's even now developing a different short-form special about 'The Princess and the Frog' (Disney needs to keep the franchise going after revamping Splash Mountain into a 'Frog' themed ride at its theme parks). Why develop 6-8 episodes of a kids show 22-30 minutes in length when an 8-minute show with a lot more episodes will keep them just as engaged? If you're looking for someone to point the finger at, blame Bob Chapek. The former Disney CEO had mandates to get Disney's film units to produce longer-form series content for Disney+ to quickly grow subscribers. It's why Marvel started churning out Disney+ series that had diminishing returns and eventually had to change gears. Disney Animation is only just catching up to the same thinking. Disney Animation will still have at least one feature film a year, including this year's 'Zootopia 2,' 2027's 'Frozen 3,' and an untitled film slated for Thanksgiving 2026. And it will still produce other shorts and special projects. Anything longer than a 'Bluey' You're likely going to have to watch that in a movie theater. Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie The 55 Best LGBTQ Movies and TV Shows Streaming on Netflix Right Now
