The Weekly Ringer

The University of Mary Washington Student Newspaper

Disney fulfills dreams with a year full of new films

3 min read
By ALEXANDRIA RIKER Attention all Disney lovers, both young and old. Whether you grew up as a Disney kid or just recently acquired the taste for spectacular family-friendly movies, Disney has some exciting news for you. This year, Disney has eight new films coming out; including juicy re-makes of several Disney classics, sequels that we have been dying to finally see, as well as some Disney Original movies.

Tom Bricker | Flickr

By ALEXANDRIA RIKER

Attention all Disney lovers, both young and old. Whether you grew up as a Disney kid or just recently acquired the taste for spectacular family-friendly movies, Disney has some exciting news for you. This year, Disney has eight new films coming out; including juicy re-makes of several Disney classics, sequels that we have been dying to finally see, as well as some Disney Original movies.

“The Finest Hours” a Disney movie based off the true story of the most daring rescue mission in U.S. Coast Guard history, came out on Friday, Jan. 29 of this year. Rated PG-13, this movie captures the remarkable efforts of the Coast Guard to rescue a tanker that has split completely in half with only hours left before it sinks in one of the worst recorded storms ever.

“The Finest Hours” was rated a 7.1/10 on the Internet Movie Database and given a 59 percent rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Rolling Stone said “On the waves, The Finest Hours finally finds its sea legs and delivers an old school adventure based on a heroic deliverance that deserves its day in the sun.”

“Zootopia,” coming out Friday, March 4 of this year, is centered on a fox, voiced by Jason Bateman, who is framed for a crime he really didn’t commit. He and various other animals are in the race against time to uncover the truth and find justice in this exciting, animated film.

Coming out Friday, April 15 of this year is a re-make of one of Disney’s most classic films, “The Jungle Book.” This once animated movie is now coming to life, featuring noteworthy actors including Christopher Walken, Bill Murray, Scarlet Johansson, and Lupita Nyong’o to help tell the story of young Mowgli, a boy raised in the jungle by animals.

“Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass” is scheduled to come out Friday, May 27. This film is based off Tim Burton’s remake. It features, once again, Johnny Depp as the beloved Mad Hatter. This sequel will reveal just how dark Wonderland has become in the time of Alice’s absence. Expect the return of many prominent characters in this film, including the Queen of Hearts, as Alice travels back in time in attempts to save her friend, the Mad Hatter.

Disney’s “Finding Dory,” which is in line to come out on Friday, June 17 of this year, is a sequel to one of Disney’s most beloved animated films, “Finding Nemo.” In this follow up adventure, Marlin and Nemo are back in the water. This film features a change in plot as this time Marlin and Nemo search for Dory.

“The BFG” or as some may know it, “The Big Friendly Giant” is based off of the popular children’s book written by Ronald Dahl. In young, main character Sophie’s world, a world where bedtime stories are taken seriously, giants eat children. However, one night, Sophie discovers an unlikely creature; a nice giant, and this movie tells the story of their adventure together. “The BFG” is set to come out on Friday, July 1 of

“Pete’s Dragon,” which will be a remake of the 1977 animated Disney movie, tells the story of a poor orphan who finds a dragon which he befriends in an attempt to escape his abusive home life. This movie will swoop into theaters Friday, Aug. 12 of this year.

Lastly, Disney’s animated film “Moana” is set to come out on Wednesday, Nov. 23 of this year. “Moana” introduces the newest addition to the line of Disney princesses. Featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, this Disney Original film is sure to be filled with the crazy adventures of young Moana and a demigod name Maui in a quest to find a fabled island.

2016 is sure to be filled with joy and wonderment with these eight Disney releases, which are part of the 24 movies Disney plans to put out over the next two years. So whether you plan on catching one of these films with a companion, solo, or with the whole family, you’re sure to enjoy it. Make sure to mark your calendars.