Disney

Among the most difficult aspects of parenting is the matter of simply filling the hours in a day. Kids become bored after approximately twenty unstimulating minutes, so moms and dads have to constantly plan out diversions to keep their offspring occupied. Disney just did the parents of America a real solid, however. Animated movies have long been a go-to option for parents hoping to run out the clock, and they’ll be able to go back to Moana for seconds later this month, when the film re-enters theaters for a one-day sing-along engagement.

This Friday, Paramount Pictures is releasing what will arguably be the finest family film of the year (to date): Monster Trucks, which has had a famously messy production up to its release in the doldrums of the first month of the year. (Shocking that a movie thought up by a 4-year old wouldn’t have smooth sailing!) Leaving its behind-the-scenes rockiness aside, Monster Trucks ostensibly has the ingredients to be a kids’ movie: it’s a mix of computer animation and live action; it’s directed by Chris Wedge of the Ice Age franchise; and it’s about big trucks. But all accounts suggest that the oddity of the concept’s genesis is borne out by the finished film, making for a truly odd film intended for the whole family. In (dubious) honor of Monster Trucks, thus, here’s our list of 10 of the truly weird, oddball children’s movies.

With the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast officially one of the most anticipated movies of next year, and a trailer that looks just like the original cartoon (except with, you know, real people) we’ve all been dying to know what they sound like singing those iconic songs. I, for one, am most excited for Luke Evans to belt “Gaston” with as much gusto as the song allows for (a lot), but a ton of other classics will make their way into the picture, from the furniture and cutlery ensemble number “Be Our Guest” to the theme “Beauty and the Beast.” There’s been no official soundtrack release yet, but today we’ve gotten our first listen to Emma Watson’s Belle singing her part of the movie’s opening number.

More streaming services than you can shake a virtual stick at have cropped up over the past year, which makes it all the more aggravating when that one movie you want to watch is nowhere to be found. You shell out every month for Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Shudder, Filmstruck and a dozen more, and yet once that craving to rewatch The Lion King hits, you’re plum out of luck. What’s the point of having countless hours of programming at your fingertips for your immediate enjoyment if that doesn’t include The Little Mermaid?

Adding to their roster of upcoming live-action remakes of popular Disney films, the company has announced that the next classic they’re updating will be Snow White.

With the success of 2015’s live-action Cinderella, Disney knew it had hit a gold mine. Plans for a live-action take on another favorite, Mulan, started being developed that same year, along with plans to adapt The Jungle Book, whose almost-completely-CGI take hit theaters earlier this summer and had a mighty good run at the box office. In a wild set of coincidences, Sony has also been working on live-action versions of The Jungle Book and Mulan, although their Jungle Book, directed by Andy Serkis, has been delayed to 2018. Both studios, however, are looking for Asian directors for their respective projects.

When Disney set a release date for their live-action remake of Mulan, some fans were understandably concerned that the studio might whitewash the story — Marvel had, after all, cast Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, and the new Iron Fist Netflix series boasts a mostly white cast. When a breakdown of Disney’s Mulan script made the rounds yesterday, it validated those concerns by revealing that the story features a white love interest. But according to a new report, you don’t need to worry because that script is being heavily rewritten to feature a predominantly Chinese cast.

Few things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and Disney’s live-action remakes of animated classics. One of the studio’s many, many, many upcoming live-action projects has graduated from concept to reality (or something close to it) as Disney has officially set a release date for Mulan, giving you ample time to clear your calendar for the first weekend of November…in 2018.

Disney’s Gigantic just got a little more interesting, as the studio has promoted screenwriter Meg LeFauve to co-director for the upcoming animated project. The co-writer of Inside Out and Marvel’s Captain Marvel solo movie joins Tangled director Nathan Greno on the new film, which offers an animated reimagining of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk story, first previewed during last year’s D23 Expo.

Last Friday, Walt Disney Pictures gave a limited release to Queen of Katwe, a new film inspired by the true story of a girl from the slums of Uganda who became a chess grandmaster. Though it may seem like an off-kilter choice for Disney and co-producer ESPN Films to make a bio-drama about chess, Disney has a long history of making true-story films. In the last few years, Disney has been on a kick of true-story films, interspersing them in each year’s production slate between the latest Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm entries. But which is best? Here, you’ll find our list of the 10 best Disney movies based on true stories. Get your tissues ready!

Let’s hope they don’t wreck it.

As it turns out, making a politically-minded movie for kids can be financially successful.

Maine is on the list to get a little "Disney Magic" next year when the Disney Cruise Line lays anchor in Bar Harbor!

Whether or not you watch Boy Meets World sequel series Girl Meets World, it’s hard to deny the twinge of nostalgia that comes from seeing certain characters (Turner lives!) and gags pop up again. So it is with the new Season 3 title sequence, a near shot-for-shot remake of one of the classic opening credits from the original series.

Way back in 2012 (or at least it feels way back), Netflix and Disney struck a deal for all of Disney’s movies — including Marvel, Pixar and Lucasfilm — to stream exclusively on Netflix Instant. According to the terms of their agreement, the deal wouldn’t kick in until 2016, which just so happens to be the year in which we are currently living. As announced today, Netflix will officially begin streaming Disney films in September, but that doesn’t mean the studio’s entire library will magically appear in your Instant browser.

Firth will star with Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Meryl Streep in the sequel set 25 years after 'Mary Poppins'.