Disney Has Updated Disney Plus’s Content Warning for Old Racist Movies
When Disney Plus launched, it did so with a vague warning attached to some of its older, more, well, racist content, citing them as outdated. Recently, that warning got a whole lot more specific. As pointed out by NPR, Disney has recently changed the message that appears before certain streaming content on Disney Plus, strengthening and elaborating the message. The message is now much more specific as to what sort of content is being referred to and contains a link to a Disney website containing more information. Here’s what the advisory reads as now, via Disney: This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now. Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together. Disney is committed to creating stories with inspirational and aspirational themes that reflect the rich diversity of the human experience around the globe. To learn more about how stories have impacted society, please visit www.disney.com/StoriesMatter
Michael B. Jordan Producing Static Shock Movie
Back in August, during the first part of Warner Bros. big DC FanDome event, one of the biggest surprises was the return of Milestone Comics, whose creative team, including Reginald Hudlin, announced a movie based on the company’s Static character. As the project moves forward, Michael B. Jordan will join it as producer. The imprint debuted as Milestone Media in 1993. Founded by black writers and artists Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle and the late Dwayne McDuffie, and based on the belief that comics significantly underrepresented anyone outside of the dominant straight white demographic, Milestone Media was intended as a response to the problem. Its output, published through DC but retaining editorial and merchandise control internally, was set in the fictional city of Dakota, and referred to as the “Dakotaverse.” The Static comics featured teen hero Virgil Hawkins, who is exposed to a strange, mutagenic gas during an encounter with law enforcement and gains the ability to create, generate, absorb, and control electricity and magnetism. He takes up the alter-ego Static, and must deal with the less virtuous other powered people created at the same time, the “Bang Babies”. In addition to comics, the character anchored a Static Shock animated series.
‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Renewed for Season 4 at CBS All Access
A day after its third-season launch, CBS All Access has handed out a fourth-season renewal for the cornerstone of its rapidly expanding Star Trek franchise. Production on the new season will resume Nov. 2. A return date has not yet been determined. Franchise captain Alex Kurtzman and Michelle Paradise will continue to serve as co-showrunners on season four of the drama from CBS TV Studios and starring Sonequa Martin-Green. Paradise in season three became the third showrunner to pilot Discovery. Kurtzman, who co-created the series alongside Bryan Fuller, took over for Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg after the duo were dismissed early in production of season two. Harberts and Berg replaced Fuller, who was also let go before Discovery’s debut. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter’s TV’s Top 5 podcast this month, Kurtzman said he had the future of the Star Trek franchise mapped out through 2027. Discovery is the flagship of the Star Trek universe for CBS All Access, which, like other streamers, does not release viewership information. A Discovery spinoff, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, starring Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn was recently ordered to series at CBS All Access.
A quickie Q&A with Tatiana Maslany, who denies she’s She-Hulk
Regina-born, Emmy Award-winning actor Tatiana Maslany spoke with the Leader-Post Thursday morning (just after noon in Toronto). The main reason: Maslany was a juror for the Glenn Gould Prize, newly awarded to prolific Canadian Indigenous filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin. In a quick seven-minute phone call, Maslany also discussed her own work — and said her She-Hulk (Disney +) casting is just a rumour. Q: What was it like being on this jury (which included author Neil Gaiman, musician Chilly Gonzales, and many other accomplished artists)? A: It was an incredible honour to be on the jury and I feel like I’ve learned so much in the last week in terms of just getting to have discussions with people from so many different disciplines who are just absolute masters of their art form … And going over all of the nominees and getting to learn about some artists that I hadn’t heard of or didn’t know the full breadth of their work was really incredible.
Emma Roberts to Produce Series Adaptation of YA Vampire Short Story ‘First Kill’ at Netflix
Netflix has given a series order to the YA vampire drama “First Kill,” with Emma Roberts set to executive produce. The one-hour show is based on the short story of the same name by Victoria “V.E.” Schwab that was published in the Imprint story collection “Vampire Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite” back in September. Netflix has ordered eight episodes. In the show, when it’s time for teenage vampire Juliette to make her first kill so she can take her place among a powerful vampire family, she sets her sights on a new girl in town named Calliope. But much to Juliette’s surprise, Calliope is a vampire hunter, from a family of celebrated slayers. Both find that the other won’t be so easy to kill and, unfortunately, way too easy to fall for. Schwab created the series and will serve as co-writer and executive producer. Felicia D. Henderson will serve as co-writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Roberts and Karah Preiss will executive produce under their Belletrist Productions banner.
