Disney

A young Howard Ashman, photographed on the set of his musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Music & Culture

A New Documentary Shines A Spotlight On The Lyricist Behind The Disney Renaissance

9:26am August 06, 2020

by Tim Greiving

The Disney+ documentary Howard features the life and work of Howard Ashman, a lyricist known for Little Shop of Horrors and one half of the duo that brought the music for three classic films to life.

Queue Listen Now

A visitor wearing a protective mask walks past a statue of Mickey Mouse at the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort on June 18, the day it initially reopened. The amusement park will close again on Wednesday.

Hong Kong Disneyland Closes Again Because Of Coronavirus

12:40pm July 14, 2020

by Austin Horn

A city health official called the virus's spread in Hong Kong "a bit out of control," according to a report from Asia Times. Hong Kong has reported 1,469 cases of the coronavirus and seven deaths.

Visitors waiting in line at Shanghai Disneyland will need to maintain physical distancing as part of the theme park's plans to reopen on Monday.

World News

Shanghai Disneyland Sells Out Of Tickets For Post-Shutdown Reopening

1:18pm May 08, 2020

by Bill Chappell

Visitors' health status will be checked on a smartphone app before they enter the park. Once inside, they will be required to wear face masks at all times unless they are eating.

Russi Taylor and her husband Bruce Allwine pose with their characters Minnie and Mickey Mouse at the 2008 Disney Legends Ceremony at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

Arts

Russi Taylor, Voice Of Minnie Mouse For Over 30 Years, Dies At 75

6:00pm July 28, 2019

by Josh Axelrod

Taylor also played Martin Prince on The Simpsons and a number of other iconic animated characters. Her husband, Wayne Allwine famously portrayed Mickey Mouse and died in 2009.

Halle Bailey will star in the live-action remake of the 1989 blockbuster The Little Mermaid.

Arts

Disney Cable Channel Defends Casting Black Actress As New 'Little Mermaid'

6:41pm July 09, 2019

Certain circles of the Internet are aghast that the ingenue — actress and singer Halle Bailey — is African American. "Spoiler alert ... the character of Ariel is a work of fiction," Disney said.

Disney CEO Bob Iger speaks onstage at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., on Wednesday. Iger says Disney may stop filming in the state of Georgia should a new, restrictive abortion law take effect.

Media Companies May Stop Productions In Georgia Over New Abortion Law

4:04pm May 30, 2019

by Sasha Ingber

The Walt Disney Co., NBCUniversal and Netflix are concerned that the rights of people working on productions in the Southern state could be restricted. The move threatens a booming industry.

Naomi Scott plays Jasmine in the new live-action Aladdin movie. The character was the first official Disney princess of color in the 1992 animated version of the film.

How Disney Princesses Influence Girls Around The World

4:49pm May 24, 2019

by Susie Neilson

A researcher wanted to see how girls of different nationalities perceived the idea of a princess.

The exterior of Fox Studios is pictured Tuesday in Los Angeles. Disney's $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox's entertainment assets closed around 12 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Arts

Disney Officially Owns 21st Century Fox

11:48am March 20, 2019

by Matthew S. Schwartz

The $71 billion deal strengthens Disney's portfolio and gives it even more leverage to compete against other streaming powerhouses.

"The Lion King," released in 1994 and one of the top grossing U.S. films of all time, is celebrated at a Disney fan event in Anaheim, Calif.

Swahili Speakers Debate Disney's Trademark of 'Hakuna Matata' For T-Shirts

5:46pm December 14, 2018

by Malaka Gharib

The song title from the film The Lion King has been trademarked by Disney since 2003. In recent weeks, Africa media has launched a discussion on whether that's cultural appropriation.

Disney put the seven dwarfs under bed nets for a 1943 short film about malaria prevention, produced for the U.S. government.

Health & Safety

VIDEO: The 7 Dwarfs Whistle While They Work To Fight Malaria

9:57pm August 19, 2018

by Melody Schreiber

There are two animated anti-malarial videos out there — a new one from the "Wallace and Gromit" team and a 1943 Disney cartoon that put the seven dwarfs under bed nets.