Disney's Jungle Cruise channels Indiana Jones

The original Pirates of the Caribbean proved Disney could successfully transpose its theme park intellectual property (IP) to the big screen, combining critical and commercial success in the process.

Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji: The Next Level) and Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place), could repeat that trick during the pandemic as lockdowns ease and entertainment venues reopen worldwide. The upcoming action-adventure channels stablemate Indiana Jones even as far as the stunning Drew Struzan-inspired poster art.



Here’s the synopsis for Jungle Cruise:

"Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance."

Jungle Cruise is released in cinemas and on Disney+ with Premier Access on 30th July.

Are you looking forward to Jungle Cruise? Let me know in the comments below.

Oscar Isaac is Moon Knight on Disney+

Oscar Isaac, who played fan-favourite Poe Dameron in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, is officially Marvel Studios' Moon Knight for Disney+.

Are you looking forward to Moon Knight on Disney+? Let me know in the comments below.

LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle

Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiered on Star Wars Day on Disney+, and LEGO has announced a new set coming to your galaxy this August.

The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle set includes Clone Force 99 members Tech, Echo, Hunter, Wrecker and Crosshair. Plus, two speeders and a Gonk droid! Gonk... Gonk...

Jens Kronvold Frederiksen, Lego Star Wars creative lead said: "I’m thrilled that we can finally reveal this great new model that celebrates the launch of the new animated series. Star Wars: The Bad Batch characters are so unique and deserve an awesome ride, which they definitely got in the Attack Shuttle.

Really enjoying Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+!

"We hope it inspires many young fans to relive their favourite scenes from the new series, as well as to come up with their own storylines."

The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle set is available from LEGO AU, UK and US (affiliate links).

New episodes of Star Wars: The Bad Batch premiere every Friday exclusively on Disney+.

Will you be adding LEGO Star Wars: The Bad Batch Attack Shuttle to your collection? Let me know in the comments below.

Amazon buys James Bond studio MGM

The name's Prime, Amazon Prime. Amazon has bought Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) bringing James Bond to Amazon Prime.

“The real financial value behind this deal is the treasure trove of [intellectual property] in the deep catalog that we plan to reimagine and develop together with MGM’s talented team,” Mike Hopkins, senior VP of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, said in announcing the deal. “It’s very exciting and provides so many opportunities for high-quality storytelling.”

Once the $8.45 billion takeover deal is completed by the end of the year, MGM will continue to operate as a brand label within the Amazon company.

Kevin Ulrich, MGM’s chairman, said in a statement, “I am very proud that MGM’s Lion, which has long evoked the Golden Age of Hollywood, will continue its storied history, and the idea born from the creation of United Artists lives on in a way the founders originally intended, driven by the talent and their vision. The opportunity to align MGM’s storied history with Amazon is an inspiring combination.”

This isn't expected to have any material impact on the distribution of No Time To Die as Eon Productions, owned by the Broccoli family, has a significant say. However, the future of the James Bond franchise could be very different.

No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's delayed final outing as James Bond, is in cinemas this October.

Fan-favourite Fennec in Star Wars: The Bad Batch

The Mandalorian's Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) showed up in Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+ and the ruthless assassin spells trouble for Omega and Clone Force 99.

Whilst I won't go into any story-specific spoilers, the latest Star Wars spin-off series typifies (for me at least) there's no distinction between the live-action and animated series. They weave a cohesive galaxy-spanning tapestry much like stablemate the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Star Wars: The Bad Batch producer Jennifer Corbett discussed Fennec Shand's inclusion in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars spin-off. "This is a younger Fennec, she's new to the bounty hunting scene and it's an interesting introduction for her," she told the Radio Times. "She definitely comes in with a bang and proves to be a formidable force. It's been amazing to see her progression. The action that comes with that particular episode… it's really incredible."

Fennec Shand will be back alongside bounty hunter Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) in The Book of Boba Fett this December on Disney+.

What did you think of Fennec Shand's Star Wars: The Bad Batch debut and who do you think hired her to hunt down Omega? Let me know in the comments below.

Marvel Studios introduces Eternals

Marvel Studios has dropped an official teaser trailer for Eternals from Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao (Nomadland).



Read the official synopsis:

"The saga of the Eternals, a race of immortal beings who lived on Earth and shaped its history and civilizations. They have hidden themselves for thousands of years, must re-unite to protect Earth from their enemies, the Deviants."

The Eternals, god-like creations by Jack Kirby after he returned to Marvel Comics following a stint at rival DC Comics where he created the supervillain Darkseid, have never interfered in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Seemingly the Thanos Blip wasn't a big enough issue for them until the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame.

“We like the idea of introducing an ensemble, doing an ensemble movie from the start, as opposed to building up as we did with the first Avengers,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said previously. “More like Guardians, not tonally, but in terms of introducing a new group of people… Jack Kirby did an immense, amazing epic with Eternals that spans tens of thousands of years, and that’s also something we haven’t really done, which is why that among many other things post-Endgame, we find appealing.”

Unlike Marvel Comics superheroes Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and the X-Men. The Eternals are an unknown quantity to me. However, I was ambivalent about Guardians of the Galaxy and won over.

Phase 4 continues with Black Widow and Loki on Disney+, followed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in September.

Eternals will be in cinemas this November.

Are you looking forward to the Eternals? Let me know in the comments below.

MTV Awards spellbound by WandaVision

Marvel Studios' WandaVision was a huge hit with critics and fans (myself included) earlier this year on Disney+. The live-action spin-off series deftly explored themes of grief and loss in the wake of Avengers: Endgame.

It was WandaVision's night at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards, and here are the best moments with Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch) and Kathryn Hahn (Agatha Harkness).



Agatha All Along, the satirical theme song performed by Hahn herself, spawned countless memes and topped the iTunes charts.

Hahn cites a relative on her mother's side as an inspiration for fan-favourite Agatha. "My maternal grandmother," she said. "I heard her sing-song voice, definite [during] the ’50s and ’60s [eras]; everything ended on a question. She was in there."

What are your favourite moments from WandaVision? Let me know in the comments below.

Amazon's bid for James Bond studio MGM

Amazon has reportedly bid $9 billion for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which would give the tech titan access to the entire James Bond back catalogue for Amazon Prime in its battle with Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and more.

This means ITV may lose out. James Bond has become synonymous with rainy bank holidays in the UK and Scala Radio read out my tweet to that effect during an hour dedicated to the music of the eponymous spy. A mid-nineties rerun of Moonraker, on ITV, rekindled my James Bond fandom during the franchise's hiatus between Licence to Kill and GoldenEye.

No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's swansong in the titular role, has been delayed due to the pandemic and is expected in theatres this October after rumours it may stream exclusively on Apple TV+.

Would you miss James Bond on ITV in an era of non-linear, self-curated content? Let me know in the comments below.

Batman: Caped Crusader coming to HBO Max

Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series), JJ Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Matt Reeves (The Batman) are joining forces for Batman: Caped Crusader from HBO Max and Cartoon Network.

“We are beyond excited to be working together to bring this character back, to tell engrossing new stories in Gotham City,” said Abrams and Reeves in a statement. “The series will be thrilling, cinematic and evocative of Batman’s noir roots, while diving deeper into the psychology of these iconic characters. We cannot wait to share this new world.”

Timm, who previously worked with Paul Dini on He-Man and the Masters of the Universe in the eighties, has a storied history with the dark detective.

“Batman: The Animated Series was a masterpiece that shaped the perception of the character for an entire generation of fans,” said Warner Bros. Animation president Sam Register. “It is in that spirit that we are bringing together three master storytellers in J.J., Matt and Bruce – each with their own intuitive understanding and affection for the character – to create a new series that will continue in the same groundbreaking legacy.”

Abrams, having rebooted the Star Trek and Star Wars franchises, has a development deal at Warner Bros. (via his Bad Robot production company) and is linked to direct a new Superman movie.

Abrams says, “I know that Hollywood is a place where it used to be that people would be inspired by something that they would see or an old film or a show or something and think, ‘Oh, here's my response to that. Here's a version of that that.’ It's become a place where, more often than not, you see something and people get inspired by it and go, ‘Let's redo that exact thing.’ I feel like, as someone who started writing in television and telling original stories on film and in TV, it is something that I really do miss. The few things that I'm working on now, as a writer, are original ideas. I just feel, as a director, I really would love to have my next projects be things that didn't pre-exist me necessarily.”

Are you looking forward to Batman: Caped Crusader? Let me know in the comments below.

The Walking Dead moves to Star on Disney+

The Walt Disney Company continues to pivot towards Disney+ with the closure of the Fox channel after 17 years in the UK.

A Disney spokesperson said: “On 30th June the FOX channel in the UK will close. Many titles will become available on Star on Disney+ and will be announced in the near future. We appreciate the support of our UK fans and can’t wait to keep sharing the best stories with you.

The linear channel's shuttering is not entirely surprising as Disney+ continues to grow its subscription base buoyed by Star Wars and Marvel Studios' spin-offs during the pandemic. The Walking Dead will be joining War of the Worlds and more.

“Star on Disney+ serves as the home of movies and television from Disney’s creative studios, including Disney Television Studios (20th Television and ABC Signature), FX Productions and 20th Century Studios.”

The Walking Dead’s final season will be shown exclusively on Star on Disney+ this August. With the loss of the Fox channel in the UK, NOW (formerly NOW TV) looks less and less appealing as NCIS will very likely move to Star, too.

Will you be subscribing to Disney+ to watch the final season of The Walking Dead? Let me know in the comments below.