The trailers didn’t quite sell me. They made it look like light chaos, bright colors, maybe a few solid jokes, and not much else. I mean, even though it’s mentioned in the film, it ACTUALLY felt like it was going to be Avatar for kids. Pixar has built a reputation on emotional storytelling, but the marketing here felt like it was holding something back. I’m very glad I ignored my doubts.

Hoppers isn’t just fun; it’s heartfelt, thoughtful, and far more layered than its previews suggest.

Directed by Daniel Chong and written by Jesse Andrews, the film follows an animal lover named Mabel who uses new technology to transfer her consciousness into a life-like robotic beaver. She goes undercover in the animal kingdom, befriending a beaver named King George to save their habitat from the city’s development-focused Mayor. Piper Curda leads the ensemble with warmth, sincerity, and genuine compassion, bringing a vulnerability that anchors the film’s emotional core, while giving space for the character’s personal revelations.

Bobby Moynihan delivers steady humor that never undercuts the heart, but adds to it. He is an honest-to-goodness ray of sunshine who endures throughout the film. Jon Hamm brings a surprising amount of fun stubbornness to his performance, which marries well with the cast. Kathy Najimy adds a sense of chaotic fun as the professor, and Dave Franco rounds things out with a lively and nefarious energy as the Caligula-like Insect King.

The chemistry within this vocal cast is what truly makes the film soar. These performances feel connected. Conversations bounce naturally, emotional exchanges land without feeling forced, and the humor comes from developed character rather than punchlines. It feels like a group that actually knows one another, and that makes every moment resonate more deeply.

Visually, Pixar remains in a class of its own. The animation bursts with texture and light. Landscapes feel lived in. Expressions are layered and nuanced. The world of Hoppers carries a sense of movement that feels both playful and intentional. There are sequences that shimmer with imagination, yet it’s the quiet character beats that linger the longest.

What surprised me most was how confidently the story leans into its emotional themes, despite the heavy emphasis on zany antics based on the trailers. It explores community, insecurity, ambition, and the courage to embrace who you are without becoming heavy-handed. The humor keeps things buoyant, but the sincerity gives the story weight. I found myself laughing one moment and sitting quietly reflective the next.

Going in, I was uncertain. Walking out, I felt genuinely grateful that I had given it a chance.

Hoppers is the kind of animated film that sneaks up on you. It looks playful on the surface, then reveals a depth that feels earned and honest. It reminded me why Pixar remains such a powerful storyteller when it trusts its characters and lets them breathe.

Right now, it stands as the best animated film I have seen this year.

Rating: 5/5 atoms

Hoppers, starring Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Kathy Najimy, and Dave Franco, hops its way into theaters this Friday, March 6th.

The post Hoppers Review – A Beautiful Surprise That Leaps Straight for the Heart appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

On the board game side, Ravensburger has produced the strategy card/board game Disney Villainous, which launched in 2018. Players are tasked with becoming a Disney villain, each with special abilities and challenges, and the one who completes their objectives wins the game. The games featured characters from classic Disney animated films, including Captain Hook, Jafar, Maleficent, Ursula, Hades, Scar, Cruella de Vil, and Shere Khan. Live-action villains also received some love, including Davy Jones.

Marvel also joined, with players getting to become supervillains like Thanos, Ultron, or Loki.

There’s also a Star Wars edition with iconic bad guys like Darth Vader and General Grievous. This year, we saw the release of Star Wars Villainous: Cold Tactics, with the option of playing as Grand Admiral Thrawn or Count Dooku. As Thrawn, you are tasked with taking over and controlling planets for the Empire. As Count Dooku, you are tasked with convincing an organization to join him in the Separatist Movement. Cold Tactics can be used with other Star Wars Villainous games, including Power of the Dark Side, Scum and Villainy, and Revenge at Last.

Here are the available Villainous Board Games (prices shown as of January 1, 2026). A few are sold out and are available via resellers, as you can tell from the marked-up prices.

Nerd Reactor may earn a commission from purchases through links on our site.

Villainous Board Games

• Disney Villainous (Base Game) – $29.99
• Wicked to the Core – $29.49
• Evil Comes Prepared – $70 (Reseller Price)
• Perfectly Wretched – $28.61
• Despicable Plots – $96.18 (Reseller Price)
• Bigger and Badder – $23.99
• Filled with Fright – $17.99
• Sugar & Spite – $9.47
• Treacherous Tides – $22.99

Marvel Villainous Games

• Marvel Villainous: Infinite Power (Base Game) – $35.99
• Marvel Villainous: Mischief and Malice – $32.95
• Marvel Villainous: Twisted Ambitions – $19.98
• Marvel Villainous: We Are Venom – $17.99

Star Wars Villainous Games

• Star Wars Villainous: Power of the Dark Side (Base Game) – $22.49
• Star Wars Villainous: Revenge at Last – $17.53
• Star Wars Villainous: Scum and Villainy – $27.62
• Star Wars Villainous: Cold Tactics – $19.99

The post From Scar to Darth Vader: The Evolution of Disney Villainous Board Game appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Casey Hudson Returns

The biggest gripe people have with Hudson is how he left the Mass Effect series and the disaster that was, is, Anthem (Anthem is shutting down in January of 2026). However, I beg you to “come, stay a while, and listen” (yes, I know that is from Diablo 2). I will regale you on why Fate of the Old Republic is the game that Star Wars fans have been waiting looking forward to for a while.

First, I would like to say that yes, we were all disappointed by the ending in Mass Effect 3. It felt rushed and like your choices earlier did not matter. However, game development has certainly changed since Mass Effect 3 was released. Fans are now more involved in game development. They play the games before they come out in alphas and betas. Developers look at social media more to see what fans are saying. There are more chances to show off your game and more people to get eyeballs on it through that same social media. Hudson and the folks at Arcanaut will know if the fans are happy before the game even releases.

Also, remember, Hudson had nothing to do with the 4th game in the series. He did, however, have a hand in Anthem. My argument for this was that the game industry was starting a shift to live service, and everyone was trying it. Having played Anthem, in what we want to call its prime, I actually enjoyed the gameplay and doing the missions with my friends. The game has not aged well, which is why it is shutting down, but Hudson is not at fault for that either. Now that we have squashed the negatives about Hudson, let’s move on to the game itself.

Death Star Plans Acquired

The year is 2004, and you just popped Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic into your original Xbox, Duke controller in hand. You marvel at the graphics, squeal at the story, and cheer at the gameplay. Fast forward 20 years, and the game, while still fun, has not aged well. The controls are archaic, and the cameras and graphics are janky. All of this reminds me of another game. This, too, is an amazing game, but it did not age the best, as many games do not. If you guess that I was speaking about Final Fantasy VII, you get yourself a gold star.

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth reinvented a game that is almost 30 years old. Modern technology allowed it to look beautiful and play smoothly. The switch to ARPG really helped open the game to players who are not keen on traditional turn-based mechanics. Plus, with modern technology, Square Enix was able to throw in award-winning motion capture and voice acting. Hudson and Co. have their blueprint for Fate of the Old Republic.

Star Wars on the big and small screens has been somewhat shaky recently. However, Star Wars games over the past decade have been pretty on point. Sure, there have been a few misses or two (eg, Star Wars Hunters and the Battlefront 2 lootbox debacle), but overall, Star Wars titles have had good stories and great gameplay. From the Fallen Order series to Outlaws, the longevity of Star Wars: The Old Republic, plus all the great LEGO games, gamers heading to a galaxy far, far away have rarely been disappointed.

What also really helps the case for Fate of the Old Republic is how many modern spiritual successor games are successful. Games like Bioshock (System Shock), Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild (Ocarina of Time), Elden Ring (Dark Souls/Demon Souls) come to mind. They all took games that had limited technology, moved the story forward while also creating new experiences with modern mechanics. Hudson aims to do the same.

A Game for All Fans

Casey Hudson and Arcanaut Studios have a big task ahead of them. With the model of the recent Final Fantasy VII games, the modern technology at their disposal, and the voice of the fans, the model for how to make a modern RPG that fans love is right in front of them. Making a game like Knights of the Old Republic but for the modern gamer with modern mechanics that anybody can pick up and play, is a winning formula. As a long-time gamer, I grew up on turn-based RPGs. I understand they are not for everyone, and the menus can often be overwhelming in battle. So, all gamers and every Star Wars nerd rejoice! We are getting the game we deserve.

Star Wars: Fate of The Old Republic still has no release date. Check out the website and stay with Nerd Reactor for more updates on the game as they are given to us.

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“Traditionally in any of the LEGO content, we just see the minifigs, the really, really small characters,” Eckstein tells Nerd Reactor. “This is one of the first times that they’ve actually had a BrickHead interact with minifigs. So when they first told me, it was just like, ‘Oh okay, that’s different. I was excited. But while she looks different, it’s still Ahsoka’s spirit. It’s still her heart. It’s still the same Ahsoka. She’s just in BrickHead form.”

Rey is portrayed by Daisy Ridley in the live-action films, but in the series, she is voiced by Helen Sadler. With that said, there is a connection between Eckstein and Ridley, and surprisingly, it’s not Star Wars-related.

“I think one thing that a lot of people don’t know, and it kind of slipped under the radar, is I have worked with Daisy Ridley before,” Eckstein explained. “You know, some people might think like, ‘Oh, yeah, you voiced Ahsoka in Rise of Skywalker,’ but actually not that. I play Daisy Ridley’s sister in the English dub of Studio Ghibli’s film Only Yesterday.

“And so that was just such a huge honor to get to do a voice in a Studio Ghibli film. But then to get to play Daisy Ridley’s sister, that was really, really cool. So when I actually met Daisy Ridley for the first time, I don’t think she knew who Ahsoka was because this was a long time ago. And so someone introduced her and they said, ‘Oh, this is Ashley Eckstein, and she’s a voice of Ahsoka.

“And I could tell that didn’t register. And I said, ‘But I’m also your sister in Only Yesterday.’ And she got so excited. She’s like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ And we hugged and we took photos and she just couldn’t have been nicer. And so, yeah, that’s one thing that I think a lot of people don’t know that I did.”

The Pieces of the Past subtitle is a reference to LEGO and Star Wars, taking place a long time ago. For Ahsoka, we get a familiar version of her.

“We are forever one,” she said. “BrickHead Ahsoka, she’s in her season seven kind of Mandalore outfit. So I had to go back to my past and kind of age her in season seven, which I’m always very mindful of. ‘OK, what age is she? So how does she sound?’ So I did have to go back to the past and make sure she sounded like season seven. I’ve been voicing her since 2006. They may say it’s a piece of my past, but she’ll always be a piece of my heart.”

About LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past

Synopsis: A continuation of the story that began in 2024 with LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, Pieces of the Past introduces a new threat rising in the galaxy, forcing Sig Greebling and Dev Greebling to combine their powers of Force Building and Sith Breaking to stop it. Alongside Jedi Bob, Yesi Scala, and Servo, they journey into the deepest corners of LEGO Star Wars lore, uncovering pieces of all the galaxies that have come before.

Returning voice cast includes Gaten Matarazzo as Sig Greebling, Tony Revolori as Dev Greebling, Bobby Moynihan as Jedi Bob, Marsai Martin as Yesi Scala, Michael Cusack as Servo, Ahmed Best as Darth Jar Jar, and a special guest appearance by Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. The four-piece sequel series welcomes Dan Stevens as Solitus, Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano, and Ben Schwartz as Jaxxon.

The series is written and executive produced by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit and directed by Chris Buckley. James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, Josh Rimes, Jill Wilfert, Jason Cosler, and Keith Malone are executive producers. The producers are Daniel Cavey & Dan Langlois. Produced in collaboration with Atomic Cartoons.

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy – Pieces of the Past is now available on Disney+.

The post Ashley Eckstein Talks Ahsoka’s Legacy, Daisy Ridley Connection, and LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

Disney+ Throwback Experience will bring to life The Cheetah Girls’ recording studio, Hannah Montana’s closet, an all-denim boutique inspired by Boy Meets World, and the Pink Slip garage from Freaky Friday.

Immersive Rooms

Here are the details for the immersive rooms:

• Cheetah Girls’ Studio (The Cheetah Girls): Rehearse in a faux fur-covered studio accented by cheetah prints, hot pink shag, and Dorinda and Chanel’s sleepover phone. Grab a mic for karaoke and belt out “Cinderella.” Know the words? Even better!
• Topanga Denim Co. (Boy Meets World): This denim-patched boutique is stitched with Topanga’s journal, Feeny’s fence clipboard, and Cory-coded flannel. Match Boy Meets World-themed props to the right character.
• Hannah Montana’s Closet (Hannah Montana): A pop star’s dream closet, packed with sequins, guitars, and secret identities.
• Pink Slip Garage (Freaky Friday): Crash into a punked-out garage cluttered with Doc Martens, demo CDs, and guitar-case stickers.

Photo Ops!

Photos are encouraged throughout, but these spots are extra camera-ready!

• Paolo’s Palace (The Princess Diaries): Glow up in a Princess Diaries glam room worthy of Paolo’s approval – complete with Mia’s tiara, wooden brush, and “Shut UP!” energy.
• Luke’s Diner (Gilmore Girls): Ultimate pit stop for nostalgia lovers, coffee drinkers, and fast talkers alike.
• Suite Life Bellhop (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody): Esteban’s Tipton turf – luggage cart ready and bellhop duties in full swing.
• The Lanai Closet (Golden Girls): Sassy pastels, Sophia’s glasses, and framed zingers make this Miami nook cheesecake-ready.
• “People Always Leave” Closet (One Tree Hill): Peyton’s sketchbook, the Naley bracelet, and Ravens gear set the mood for maximum teen angst.

Disney+ has partnered with the online thrift store ThredUp to supply and style 100 items for the pop-up experience. These items will have a QR code that links to a shopping page.

About Disney+ Throwback Experience

WHEN: Thursday, June 12 – Sunday, June 15 from 11 am – 7 pm

WHERE: Rock Etiquette | 7550 Melrose Blvd., Los Angeles, CA

TICKETS: The public can reserve entry via a ticketed time slot at https://www.showclix.com/tickets/disneyplusthrowbackexperience.

WHY: The experience is just one of many summer activations part of the first-ever Disney+ Throwback campaign. The campaign is a summer-long celebration of the ‘90s and 2000s titles that defined a generation.

The post Disney+ Throwback Experience Recreates Boy Meets World, Freaky Friday & Hannah Montana in Immersive Pop-Up Location appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

A Nostalgic Journey

The game was a Nintendo Switch timed exclusive, and it received a decent reception from several outlets with an average Metacritic score of 73. After 2 years, it has finally come to PC, Xbox and PlayStation. The game only has local multiplayer, but using Remote Play on Steam, I had some help completing this one.

Before this release, the game had enjoyed two free content updates. These came in the form of time trial and mystery solving modes. Keeper Up and Mystery of Monoth are unlocked as you play the story. This version of the game includes Diala Studios’ third update titled Cave Adventuring Scavenger Hunt, or C.A.S.H. for short.

Once you complete the main campaign, you will need to go back to the main menu and reload your save. This will prompt a cutscene where a question mark will appear on your map. Luckily, there is a mailbox right next to it so you can go ahead and teleport right by it. What you will find is a little hut in the middle of Monoth wearing a Scrooge McDuck top hat.

Inside this hut, you will find good old Scrooge himself in the feather, and Mickey and his friends are super excited to see Donald’s Uncle. As players we were excited as well, especially because he supplied us with a shovel and unlocked a roguelike coin collecting mode.

Get Gold, Get Upgrades

C.A.S.H. is broken into vertical levels. Each level has its own levels, so you will be digging in every direction. You dig to uncover and collect coins, jewels and more, and this is done while avoiding obstacles. Many of these will be recognizable from the main game, and you also have to make sure you get to an exit point which appear on every other level. If you do not make it to one, you lose all the money you have collected except for money earned via tasks. These tasks are challenges for your run, and the few we have encountered were ones like getting so many levels deep, collecting so many coins or even digging so many blocks of dirt.

Rewards from successful runs and tasks can be used to upgrade multiple aspects of your run. As you get deeper, you there you start to see three or four different colored dirt blocks that require an upgraded shovel. To get that deep though, you will most certainly need to upgrade your time. Fans of platformers and roguelikes will appreciate all the elements of these features.

Final Reaction

It is great to see a good end game mode that has a high replay value. Disney Illusion Island Starring Mickey & Friends is a fantastic addition to the multiplayer Metroidvania collection. Bringing Cave Adventuring Scavenger Hunt to the mix adds a layer to the game that will keep players coming back for a long while. With 2 players it was fast chaotic fun, so one can only imagine what it would be like adding that third or fourth player.

Whether you are enjoying the game and the new mode solo, locally with friends, or via remote play, you are guaranteed for some good Disney platforming action. It is reminiscent of the genre’s great games that came before it.

Disney Illusion Island Starring Mickey & Friends is available on Steam, GOG, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.

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Moana 2 was directed by Jason Hand, Dana Ledoux Miller and David Derrick Jr from a screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. The Moana sequel features songs by Barlow and Bear with Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson reprising their roles as Moana and Maui, respectively.

Spoiler Warning for Moana 2 Ending

At the end of Moana 2, Moana becomes a demigod after being revived thanks to Maui, Tautai Vasa and Moana’s ancestors. Maui gets his powers back as a demigod and lifts the island of Motufetu above the ocean, reconnecting the people. With Moana now a demigod, what will this mean for Moana 3?

“As filmmakers, we love it when people ask questions after they see our film,” Derrick Jr. tells Nerd Reactor. “It creates conversation and even debate. We set out to make a film that would celebrate the fact that in our lives, we are always growing, evolving and changing. We never stop choosing who we are. And I love that we leave it open, but very clear that Moana has become a demigod. What that means is yet to be discovered.”

“At the end of the first film, there’s a sense of almost infinite possibilities that Moana has that she’s out there on her canoe going out,” Hand added. “What does that mean? We enjoyed the fact that there’s a similar feeling to that. It’s much different because there are more pieces to the puzzle now with her being a demigod. What does that mean when she puts that oar into the water and you see this incredible piece of magic that goes out from that? I love that there’s a possibility for us to tell more stories. What that is we’ll see.”

The sequel introduces new characters including Moni and Matangi. Moni, voiced by Hualālai Chung, is part of Moana’s wayfinding crew and a huge Maui fan. Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser, serves Nalo, a storm god who sunk the island of Motufetu.

“I screamed at my seat and went, ‘Yes! Let’s see what’s going to happen,'” said Fraser. “I think it’s really fascinating to see the relationship between Matangi and Nalo and to explore the ‘deal’ that was going on there. She thought she was free but she’s now she’s not. What’s happening? I would really love to see her explore a world with Moana instead of toying with her so much. I think she could be a little bit more supportive in the next one.”

“I think for me I’m so grateful that everybody wants to see more of the story,” Chung said. “I think what I would love to see more from Moni is to actually see him build a relationship with Maui. He’s been such a fanboy on the outskirts of who Maui is this whole time, and right at the end of the movie, you actually kind of see them getting along and starting to build somewhat of a relationship. So to see how they can go back and forth and see the comedy that it brings and the warmheartedness that it brings, that would be awesome.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda was one of the songwriters for the first Moana film with songs such as “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny,” “You’re Welcome,” and “We Know the Way.” In Moana 2, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear were tasked with the songs, which included “Beyond,” “What Could Be Better Than This?” “Get Lost” and “Can I Get a Chee Hoo?”

“All the writing sessions,” Bear said of the songs where they had to let loose creatively. “I mean, if you get too in your head, then you’re in this vicious cycle where it’s just bad, and then you just end up going nowhere. The song ‘Get Lost’ is all about forgetting the world that you live in, letting yourself feel that uncomfortableness, and letting yourself forge a new path. Because taking all the old paths isn’t going to work, and that’s scary.”

The post Moana 2 Cast and Crew on Music, Characters and Moana 3 Possibilities appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

The trailer showcases many things that fans have loved from the animated film, including Elvis Presley songs, beautiful Hawaii, and the beloved characters.

Synopsis: Lilo & Stitch is the wildly funny and touching story of a lonely Hawaiian girl and the fugitive alien who helps to mend her broken family.

The film is directed by Dean Fleischer Camp (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), with a screenplay by Chris Kekaniokalani Bright and Mike Van Waes.

It stars Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Billy Magnussen, Tia Carrere, Hannah Waddingham, Chris Sanders, with Courtney B. Vance, and Zach Galifianakis, and introducing Maia Kealoha.

Lilo & Stitch crashes into theaters nationwide on May 23, 2025.

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Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) is no stranger to composing music for Disney. He has written songs for Moana including “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome,” and he was responsible for composing the songs for Mufasa: The Lion King. The musician knows making music for a new Lion King movie would be daunting due to the legacy of Elton John’s music.

“The Lion King – that original ’94 soundtrack is an immortal soundtrack,” Miranda said during the press conference for Mufasa: The Lion King. “It’s like no skips from Elton John and Tim Rice, and then Hans Zimmer’s incredible score. But if it had just been that first movie, I think I would have been very intimidated, but there’s been an entire world of Lion King music.”

There has been more music in the world of The Lion King including the Broadway musical, Beyonce’s The Gift, and more. This has made it less intimidating for Miranda. Plus, he had a secret weapon to help him.

“And then my secret weapon was Lebo M., who is the first voice you hear in that original film,” he said. “I knew his choral arrangements and his incredible choir were going to raise whatever I wrote to the next level. And working with him and Mark Mancina, who I worked with on Moana, I knew I had incredible talent in my corner that would help us get to that Lion King level.”

2024 is the year for Aaron Pierre, who was the lead in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge and was cast as John Stewart / Green Lantern in DC Studio’s Lanterns series. He portrayed Malcolm X in the fourth season of Genius with Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Martin Luther King Jr. The two actors are in another project again in Mufasa: The Lion King, with Pierre as Mufasa and Harrison Jr. as Taka (later known as Scar).

“So, this particular picture was the first time that Kelvin and I had the opportunity to work together,” Pierre said. “And beyond that point, we had the great privilege and honor of portraying heroes of ours, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X (el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz). But interestingly, on both of these projects, we didn’t spend an enormous amount of time in the same room, so our friendship and our brotherhood, the foundation and the roots of that actually developed 90 percent of that outside of the context of work. And that’s what we engaged with and that’s what we drew from to find the brotherly bond and sort of the familiarity that these two, of course, brothers, would have.”

The origin story for Mufasa in the 2024 film is different from what fans may know. Mufasa told his son, Simba, about how they are part of the kings of the past in the classic animated film. In Mufasa: The Lion King, the titular character is separated from his family and finds a new family.

“When I first read the script, I realized, ‘Well, wait a second, Mufasa grew up with a found family the same way that I did,'” Director Barry Jenkins said. “Or if I told you I have a movie about a child who has a biblical event that involves water, and then he’s cast away from his family and has to build a new life with a new family, I could be talking about Moonlight or talking about Mufasa.

“I was able to see myself in Mufasa through this telling of the story. And something about that made me feel like I was taking these really raw, beautiful feelings of encountering this story as a child and expanding them, with the complexity, I will say, of 25 additional years of life. Or 30 years of additional life in the case of people who encountered this in 1994. I think just not separating myself from someone who I believe was gonna have that experience, but being one of those people. I think it was the key to figuring out how to make this film.”

About Mufasa: The Lion King

Synopsis: Mufasa: The Lion King enlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny—their bonds will be tested as they work together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.

The film stars Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Taka/Scar), Tiffany Boone (Sarabi), Kagiso Lediga (Young Rafiki), Preston Nyman (Zazu), Mads Mikkelsen (Kiros), Thandiwe Newton (Eshe), Lennie James (Obasi), Anika Noni Rose (Afia), Keith David (Masego), John Kani (Rafiki), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), Donald Glover (Simba), Blue Ivy Carter (Kiara), Braelyn Rankins (Young Mufasa), Theo Somolu (Young Taka), Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings, and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter (Nala).

The film is directed by Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and written by Jeff Nathanson.

Mufasa: The Lion King releases in theaters on December 20, 2024.

The post Lin-Manuel Miranda on His Secret Weapon for the Music of Mufasa: The Lion King appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

One thing that stood out was the kids using Old Republic credits. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has mentioned before that they are developing something set in the Old Republic, but that was years ago. This era was set thousands of years before the films, and one of the most popular games set during that time was Knights of the Old Republic. It featured wars between the Sith and Jedi, Mandalorian wars, and more.

About Star Wars: Skeleton Crew

Synopsis: Star Wars: Skeleton Crew follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.

The series stars Jude Law, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyriana Kratter, Robert Timothy Smith, Tunde Adebimpe, Kerry Condon and Nick Frost.

Episodes are directed by Jon Watts, David Lowery, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), Jake Schreier, Bryce Dallas Howard and Lee Isaac Chung,

Jon Watts and Christopher Ford are the head writers and also serve as executive producers along with Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. Chris Buongiorno, Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck are the co-executive producers, and Susan McNamara and John Bartnicki are the producers.

Star Wars: Skeleton Crew launches on December 3 with the first two episodes, exclusively on Disney+.

Featured image courtesy of Lucasfilm.

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