Latest news with #DISNEY
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
New Disneyland attraction SLAMMED by Walt Disney's granddaughter who calls mechanical tribute to him a ‘robotic grampa'
Walt Disney's granddaughter says the tribute is 'dehumanizing' 'SOULLESS' DISNEY BOT New Disneyland attraction SLAMMED by Walt Disney's granddaughter who calls mechanical tribute to him a 'robotic grampa' WALT Disney's granddaughter has slammed the entertainment giant for turning its late founder into a 'robotic grampa'. Disney is unveiling an animatronic Walt Disney for Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration this July - despite repeated protests from his granddaughter Joanna Miller. Advertisement 4 Joanna Miller, the granddaughter of Walt Disney, is against the company's plan to create an animatronic of their founder Credit: Getty 4 Miller says her grandpa would have hated being digitally revived - as pictured in an illustration of Walt Disney presenting a Disneyland model Credit: Disney 4 Pictured is an illustration of an animatronic Abraham Lincoln on a stage Credit: Disney Joanna Miller told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that her beloved grandfather would have hated being turned into a talking mechanical replica. 'I think I started crying,' she said, recalling the moment she first saw the figure. 'It didn't look like him to me.' Miller said she voiced her concerns early on, sending a letter to Disney CEO Bob Iger when the idea was first proposed. She said she later met with Iger and the team responsible for creating the attraction, telling him: 'I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grampa's legacy. Advertisement "They will remember the robot - and not the man.' Despite Iger being 'very kind" and despite his promises to protect her grandfather's legacy, she said her request that they scrap the animatronic was ultimately ignored. Miller told the LA Times she wasn't speaking on behalf of any family members except her grandfather and mother. She added that it 'pains' her to call out the very company he created. Advertisement In a Facebook post in November, Miller wrote that the company's "idea of a robotic grampa" made her feel "so so sad and disappointed". She explained: "The idea of a Robotic Grampa to give the public a feeling of who the living man was just makes no sense. "It would be an imposter. They are dehumanizing him. People are not replaceable." Disney announces brand new theme park She also argued that her late grandfather had "told Sam McKim that he never wanted to be an animatronic", claiming that she has been provided with first-hand proof to back this up. Advertisement The figure will appear in a new attraction called Walt Disney - A Magical Life, located in the park's Main Street Opera House. The proposal to show 'what it would be like to stop by Walt's office' was announced by Disney last year. The company said it would be "a fitting tribute" to the man who made "significant advances with Audio-Animatronics". Walt Disney co-founded The Walt Disney Company (originally called Disney Brothers Studio) in 1923, with his brother Roy O. Disney. Advertisement Walt is regarded as a pioneer of Audio-Animatronics, famously bringing Abraham Lincoln to life at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Josh D'Amaro, chair of Disney Experiences, told people at D23, the company's annual fan event: 'Creating our first Walt figure is an idea that's been whispered in the hallowed halls of imagineering for years, decades, even.' He added: 'We just had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams. And we're finally ready.' Disneyland California, which opened on July 17, 1955, will celebrate its 70th anniversary this July. Advertisement
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Kanye West to Make Amends With His Mentor Jay Z? Rapper Says He ‘Dreams' About Apologizing
Kanye West is yet again making headlines. The rapper shared on his social media that he is hoping to make amends with his former collaborator, Jay-Z. West, who is often known to make controversial statements, is regretting his remarks about the Drunk in Love crooner and Beyoncé's kids. Taking to his X account, the father of four claimed that he often 'dreams' about apologizing to a fellow artist. In the past months, the rapper grabbed attention after stating that Jay-Z and Beyonce 's twins, Rumi and Sir Carter, had mental instabilities. However, West went on to share an apology on his social media. Kanye West's apology to Jay-Z Regretting his comments about his mentor and Beyoncé's kids, Kanye West shared an apology on his social media. In one of the tweets he posted in April, the rapper wrote, 'I'm sorry Jay Z.' He further added, 'I be feeling bad about my tweet but I still feel I gave my life to this industry and thought so many people were my family but when I needed family on some real sh– none of these rap n—as had my back.' Later in the same month, West revealed on his social media that he had a fallout with the Renegade artist over the red MAGA hat during the making of the Jail song, from his 2021 album, Donda. West wanted one of the lines out from the lyrics, but it seems that the latter would not allow him to do so. Meanwhile, the Heartless musician has also been in the news for aiming his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, via his tweets. Kanye West's controversial statements against Kim Kardashian Kanye West has made multiple mean remarks about his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, amid the ongoing custody battle. Taking a dig at Kim and other Kardashians, the rapper wrote on his X account, 'I DONT WANT TO JUST 'SEE' MY KIDS. I NEED TO RAISE THEM. I NEED TO HAVE SAY SO OF WEAR THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND WHO THEIR FRIENDS ARE AND WHOS HOUSES THEY SLEEP OVER WEATHER MY DAUGHTERS WEAR LIPSTICK AND PERFUME.' He further added, 'ALL THESE RIGHTS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM ME BY THE KARDASHIAN MOB HULU AND DISNEY AND THE BIGGER AGENDA TO USE THE SELECTIVELY BRED BLACK CHILDREN TO BE PLATFORMS TO INFLUENCE BLACK PEOPLE.' West also added in the later tweets that he regretted having kids with Kim and instead should have slept with Paris Hilton. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West parted ways in 2022 after eight years of marriage.
Straits Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Ne Zha 2 and Snow White: A contrast in fortunes
Ne Zha 2 has become a film that many Chinese are only too keen to get behind, while Snow White has sparked divisions in the US. PHOTO: ENCORE FILMS , DISNEY I was at a mall recently when I saw posters of the Chinese animation movie Ne Zha 2 and Disney's live-action movie Snow White, side by side. Both are ambitious projects but have enjoyed vastly different fortunes: Ne Zha 2, a massive box office hit, has become a film that many Chinese are only too keen to get behind, while Snow White, plagued by controversies, has sparked divisions in the US. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Herald Sun
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Herald Sun
TV reviews: top picks include Welcome To Wrexham, Eurovision, Duster and Murderbot
We've sifted through the latest offerings from TV and streaming platforms to find the best shows you should be watching this week. Wrexham FC continues its charge towards the English Premier League. WELCOME TO WREXHAM FRIDAY, DISNEY+ Hardcore football fans will already know whether Wrexham FC – the Welsh team owned by Hollywood heavyweights Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – achieved the unprecedented feat of three consecutive promotions in their quest to one day join the elite English Premier League. But watching this funny and uplifting sports documentary spoiler-free is even more rewarding in its fourth season, although it's always been about so much more than the results on the pitch. Having been promoted to League One – the country's third top tier – last season, the owners and management are faced with the dilemma of consolidating their rapid rise or spending an eye-watering amount of money on players, staff, facilities and infrastructure to have a real crack at moving up again. The fans are split, with some daring to dream and others already managing expectations, but the formerly down-at-heel mining down is buzzing with the new lease of life courtesy of the spotlight the show has brought. While the snarky banter from celeb pals Reynolds and McElhenney is always welcome, the show truly shines with the personal stories that demonstrate the bond forged between teams and the communities when sport is at its best. Tony Armstrong and Courtney Act unpack this year's Eurovision Song Contest. EUROVISION SONG CONTEST WEDNESDAY, 5AM, SBS Even a decade after Australia's surprise acceptance into the world's biggest song competition, I have to confess that I still don't carry the Eurovision gene but have nothing but respect for the passionate fans who'll drag themselves out of bed at all hours for the musical mash-up of kitsch, class and downright craziness. Our representative at this year's event in Switzerland is singer-songwriter Go-Jo, with his track Milkshake Man, and steering viewers through the wildly eclectic genres and looks will be Tony Armstrong and Courtney Act. The Grand Final will go out live at 5am on Sunday and there will be Access All Areas wrap-ups on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights at 7.30pm. Island expert Martin Clunes heads to the Atlantic Ocean. MARTIN CLUNES: ISLANDS OF THE ATLANTIC THURSDAY, 8.50PM, ABC Having already done documentaries on Britain, Australia, and America, Doc Martin star Martin Clunes is becoming quite the island expert and this time sets his gaze on tiny specks in the vast, pole-to-pole Atlantic Ocean. His first stop is the island nation of Sao Torme and Principe, off the coast of Africa, with a combined population of less than a quarter of a million people. The wry and self-deprecating Clunes makes for a wonderful guide, barely containing his joy at shepherding endangered baby turtles into the ocean, while also showing the appropriate respect and gravitas while talking to locals who endured the islands' dark slavery past thanks to Portuguese colonists and the rapacious sugar plantations that exploited them. Josh Holloway is an expert wheelman in the crime thriller Duster. DUSTER THURSDAY, MAX Come for Alias and Lost legend JJ Abrams first foray into the TV world in six years and stay for the fast and furious wheel work and fabulously funky soundtrack (there's also an excellent official soundtrack playlist on Spotify). Abrams, who co-wrote the '70s set crime thriller with LaToya Morgan, has smartly tapped his Lost star Josh Holloway to play Jim Ellis, a cocky, good old Southern boy and the best wheelman in Arizona in his cherry-red Plymouth Duster muscle car. Jim plies his trade at breakneck speed (with nary a seatbelt to be seen) for local gangster Ezra with no questions asked, until Nina (Love, Victor's Rachel Hilson), the FBI's first black female agent – who has battled sexism and racism her entire career – makes him question his loyalty in her mission to make him an informer. Alexander Skarsgard as a sentient cyborg in Murderbot. MURDERBOT FRIDAY, APPLE TV+ If this sci-fi comedy adapted from the book series The Murderbot Diaries isn't the best thing that Alexander Skarsgard has done since True Blood, it's certainly the most fun. The shredded Swedish hunk is fabulous with an awkward, nerdy inner monologue as the title character, a cyborg who has hacked his code to become self-aware, and thereby developing a love for cheesy soap operas (the Star Trek meets Days of Our Lives show-within-a-show is hilarious) and a contempt for the vast bulk of humanity. When he's reluctantly hired to protect a bunch of clueless hippy scientists on a hostile planet – and haunted by memory flashes of terrible past deeds – he has to hide his true nature, or risk being scrapped. Ewan McGregor is back on his bike in The Long Way Home LONG WAY HOME APPLE TV+, NEW EPISODES FRIDAYS Actor Ewan McGregor and his bestie Charlie Boorman conquered some hostile, remote terrain and brutal conditions in their previous motorcycle treks across Eastern Europe, Africa and South America. As befits their advancing years – and the fact that Boorman nearly died in a 2016 bike crash – their latest jaunt around Europe on refurbished vintage motorcycles is a much more genteel affair. But what it lacks in drama as they travel through Holland, Germany, the Arctic Circle and the Baltic States, it makes up for in humour as the affable pair lean more into travelogue territory, investigating local customs, like the obscure Dutch sport of far-leaping and having surprise encounters such as the German shooting and drinking club. What could possibly go wrong? Michel Roux traces his father's footsteps in Roux Down the River. ROUX DOWN THE RIVER SATURDAY, 7.30PM, SBS FOOD Never mind the Michelin starred restaurants and the gastronomic marvels whipped up by French-English chef Michel Roux as he floats down the Thames, the true MVP of this new cooking-travel series is the saliva-inducing, heart-attack-beckoning cheesy chips dish, available at pub that's only accessible by boat. Roux's own version looks even better and his enthusiasm for food and family is infectious as the retraces the steps of his famous father and uncle, who founded The Waterside Inn and helped turn the tiny riverside village of Bray into the high-end food capital of the UK. Watching him cook with his cousin Alain is a joy and his Roux's easily ability to put at ease the nervous chefs cooking for him is charming. The FA Cup final is Manchester City's last shot at some serious silverware this season. Picture:FA CUP FINAL SUNDAY 12AM, OPTUS SPORT It's been a bit of a dud season for Manchester City by their own lofty standards of recent years, with no shot at winning the league and bundled out early in the Champions League. But a win in the oldest national football competition in the world would give Pep Guardiola's billion Euro squad some consolation and a guaranteed place in the Europa League. In their way is Crystal Palace, who are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League and haven't won a major trophy in more than two decades. But the FA Cup final has rich history of upsets (and one day I'll get over unfancied Wimbledon knocking off mighty Liverpool in 1988, but probably not this century) so anything can happen. Game on! Dan Aykroyd explores the extraordinary in The Unbelievable on SBS. THE UNBELIEVABLE WITH DAN AYKROYD MONDAY, 8.30PM, SBS VICELAND Spook enthusiast and former Ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd, who claims to have had four alien encounters himself, is exactly the right person to host this documentary about strange experiences and phenomena from around the world and beyond. His clipped tones and matter-of-fact delivery – backed up by news reports and various experts – make the extraordinary stories of people bossed around by nature somewhat more credible. There's close encounters with meteors, tornado survival tales, fish and gelatinous blobs falling from the sky and the man who apparently had his sight restored by a lightning strike. It veers into woo-woo territory occasionally, but does it in a briskly entertaining fashion. Train Rescue Down Under will make you look at the mighty machines with new respect. TRAIN RESCUE DOWN UNDER TUESDAY, 8PM, 7MATE This doco might be aimed at squarely as the gunzel community (that's trainspotters to you and me) but anyone who's ever stepped on to a train might be astounded by the amount of work and tech that goes into keeping your daily commute on track. This week's first episode spotlights a group of mostly blokes living their best lives by working on the Ghan, Brisbane's passenger train network and at the heritage-listed Ipswich Rail Workshop, home to Queensland's longest running steam locomotive. There's a lot of animated talk about flange rollers, gudgeon pins, keeper plates, capdabblers and smendlers (I might have made a couple of them up) but their passion, knowledge and skill can't be faulted.
The Irish Sun
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Tricks to get free Disney+ membership without any trials – and top option gets you full year of TV app worth £60
TELLY fans might already be owed Disney+ memberships without even realising it. Sadly Disney no longer offers free trials for its Netflix rival in the UK – but there's still hope for plenty of Brits. 5 Disney+ is one of Britain's top streaming apps – and you might be eligible to watch for free Credit: Disney 5 You can claim a free Disney+ subscription via O2 Credit: O2 / The Sun It turns out that free Disney+ is a built-in perk for several services that you might already be using. That means you can access its massive library of Disney content, including Star Wars and Marvel shows and movies too. DISNEY+ DISCOUNT TRICK #1 – MOBILE NETWORK If you're an O2 customer and a Disney fan then you're in luck. O2 Read more on TV tech The main perk is a free six-month membership to the Disney+ Standard plan. That's normally billed at £8.99 a month – equal to £107.88 a year. It's available if you're new to O2 or upgrading with the network. This is the closest thing to a Disney+ free trial that exists in the UK today. Most read in Tech Once that's up, you can then add Disney+ Standard or Premium to your plan as a paid extra, and then get £2 a month back as a discount to your airtime bill. DISNEY+ DISCOUNT TRICK #2 – BANK ACCOUNT Phone networks aren't the only way to bag free Disney+. Netflix unveils first TV make-over in 10 years for millions of viewers There's a special benefit for Lloyds Bank members who have opened a Club Lloyds current account. This is a free account if you're putting at least £2,000 a month into it – or £3 a month if you pay in less than that. Once you've got this account, you can choose a free Disney+ subscription as a benefit. You'll receive a free 12-month subscription to Disney+ on the Standard With Ads plan. That's normally £4.99 a month, or about £60 a year. 5 Lloyds Bank serves up a year of free Disney+ to current Club Lloyds current account holders Credit: Lloyds Bank / The Sun This plan gets you Full HD 1080p viewing, two streams at once, and the regular library of content (albeit interrupted by ads). The downside is that you can only get the "With Ads" subscription – and there's no way to upgrade it to Standard or Premium during the free period. Once you've chosen Disney+ as a benefit, you'll have to wait for the 30-day selection period to end. After that, a Disney+ activation link should be issued within two working days. SUBSCRIPTION TRICK – SAVE HUNDREDS! Once you've checked your subscription renewals, try the swap trick too... Here's a clever method from The Sun's tech editor Look, streaming bills are a nightmare. Especially when it comes to TV. There are loads of services – all packed with top telly – that demand your cash. So Cancel all of them but, say, Disney+, then watch that for a month. Now bin it, and Then scrap that, and swap to Amazon's Prime Video for the third month. Once you're done (or you've added a fourth service to your mix), start over from the beginning. It means you get to watch all of the top TV shows and movies on these services without paying for a full 12 months for each. You'll save hundreds over a year. Picture Credit: Sean Keach You'll be able to use that to claim your free year of Disney+. DISNEY+ DISCOUNT TRICK #3 – SHOPPING LOYALTY SCHEME If you don't have a Tesco Clubcard already, go get one now. They're free to claim, you can add it to your phone's virtual wallet, and you'll get in-store discounts – as well as a very tempting Disney+ perk. It's not technically free Disney+, but it's a major saving regardless. 5 You can trade Tesco Clubcard vouchers for discounted Disney+ Credit: Tesco / The Sun Tesco will effectively double the value of your Clubcard vouchers if you're spending them on Disney+. For instance, you can swap £7.50 in Clubcard vouchers for a three-month Disney+ Standard With Ads subscription (usually £14.97). And a Standard three-month subscription worth £26.97 can be snagged for just £13.50 in Clubcard vouchers. Just go into the Clubcard app, place the order, and wait for your "Partner Code" to appear in the My Rewards section – and via your email. You might have to wait 15 minutes for the code to turn up. Sadly it's not possible to trade Clubcard vouchers for the Disney+ Premium plan. But it's worth noting that Tesco has previously given away three-month Disney+ memberships for free to Clubcard members, so keep an eye out for offers like that in the app. It's also worth noting that this Tesco Clubcard offer is available for both new and existing Disney+ subscribers, so it's a great way to save some money. As you're technically getting the Disney+ membership for half price – and through free vouchers, no less – this is like bagging a no-cost subscription for at least part of your year. 5 Disney+ is packed with top content from Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel franchises Credit: Disney All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed. Always do your own research before making any purchase.
