Quick teaser trailers for 'Christopher Robin' and 'Mary Poppins Returns' highlight Disney's next live-action adventures
While Marvel fans around the world patiently await the arrival of the new trailer for next month's Avengers: Infinity War, which should arrive sometime in the next week or two, Disney has switched gears and kicked off the marketing campaigns for two of their smaller-scale 2018 offerings. Well, small in comparison to Marvel blockbusters, a new Star Wars movie, and the long-awaited sequel to The Incredibles. The two movies that received teaser trailers this week are a new adventure for beloved children's character and a follow-up to one of the most popular movie musicals of all-time, respectively. We're not exactly talking about indie movies here. Earlier today, Disney revealed the first look at Marc Forster's Christopher Robin, a unique take on the Winnie the Pooh story. You may have heard the story of A.A. Milne in last year's Goodbye Christopher Robin, but you haven't seen him interact with a CGI Pooh Bear. Check out the teaser below!
Since this is just a teaser trailer, we obviously don't get much in the way of plot details or big action setpieces. The comparisons to Steven Spielberg's Hook and the Paddington franchise have popped up already, and it's understandable that people are using those reference points. I feel like it would be funny if you had no idea that this trailer was for a Winnie the Pooh movie, as the bear just kinda pops up out of nowhere at the end. The final surprise makes this a solid little tease, yet I can't say that I'm sold entirely. I wasn't really sure what kind of movie we were in for, but I must say that I wasn't prepared for a CGI/live-action hybrid.
However, even though Christopher Robin seems to be upending expectations, there's a lot to like here. Firstly, Ewan McGregor has been a reliable actor for decades, and I'll watch him in just about anything. And with supporting actors like Hayley Atwell, Chris O'Dowd, and Toby Jones to back him up, this film has the makings of a solid ensemble. Second, I'm always down for a new Winnie the Pooh adventure- I love these characters and I'm excited to see them back on the big screen. Christopher Robin looks a little safe in the wake of the quirky and colorful Paddington series, but I'm curious to see what Forster and McGregor do with this story. Christopher Robin opens on August 3.
At the Oscars on Sunday, Disney revealed the first look at Rob Marshall's Mary Poppins Returns. Watch the brief teaser below!
Obviously this trailer is very similar in form to the one for Christopher Robin, as it's merely meant to give the audience a taste of what's to come at the end of 2018. But despite the lack of almost any substance whatsoever, it's impossible not to get a little excited when Emily Blunt's Mary Poppins floats down from above the clouds. I've seen Mary Poppins on the stage in various forms before, but I can't claim to be much of a fan of the original Julie Andrews/Dick van Dyke movie version. In fact, I'm not even sure if I've ever seen it from start to finish.
And yet for some reason, I'm still very much intrigued by this upcoming sequel, mostly because of how different it feels in contrast to Disney's recent adaptations of their classic tales. While it's Emily Blunt playing the practically perfect nanny instead of Andrews, this is still intended as a direct sequel to the original film. I like that we're not completely retreading old ground, mining nostalgia while still moving forward. And plus, the cast is terrific- Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Colin Firth, Emily Mortimer, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, and the list goes on and on. This could be a cheap and cynical cash grab from the Mouse House, but I'm banking on something a little more substantial. Here's hoping for a surprise holiday hit (quality wise, that is, we already know this is gonna make so much money).
Mary Poppins Returns arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.
Image: Disney/IMDb
Since this is just a teaser trailer, we obviously don't get much in the way of plot details or big action setpieces. The comparisons to Steven Spielberg's Hook and the Paddington franchise have popped up already, and it's understandable that people are using those reference points. I feel like it would be funny if you had no idea that this trailer was for a Winnie the Pooh movie, as the bear just kinda pops up out of nowhere at the end. The final surprise makes this a solid little tease, yet I can't say that I'm sold entirely. I wasn't really sure what kind of movie we were in for, but I must say that I wasn't prepared for a CGI/live-action hybrid.
However, even though Christopher Robin seems to be upending expectations, there's a lot to like here. Firstly, Ewan McGregor has been a reliable actor for decades, and I'll watch him in just about anything. And with supporting actors like Hayley Atwell, Chris O'Dowd, and Toby Jones to back him up, this film has the makings of a solid ensemble. Second, I'm always down for a new Winnie the Pooh adventure- I love these characters and I'm excited to see them back on the big screen. Christopher Robin looks a little safe in the wake of the quirky and colorful Paddington series, but I'm curious to see what Forster and McGregor do with this story. Christopher Robin opens on August 3.
At the Oscars on Sunday, Disney revealed the first look at Rob Marshall's Mary Poppins Returns. Watch the brief teaser below!
Obviously this trailer is very similar in form to the one for Christopher Robin, as it's merely meant to give the audience a taste of what's to come at the end of 2018. But despite the lack of almost any substance whatsoever, it's impossible not to get a little excited when Emily Blunt's Mary Poppins floats down from above the clouds. I've seen Mary Poppins on the stage in various forms before, but I can't claim to be much of a fan of the original Julie Andrews/Dick van Dyke movie version. In fact, I'm not even sure if I've ever seen it from start to finish.
And yet for some reason, I'm still very much intrigued by this upcoming sequel, mostly because of how different it feels in contrast to Disney's recent adaptations of their classic tales. While it's Emily Blunt playing the practically perfect nanny instead of Andrews, this is still intended as a direct sequel to the original film. I like that we're not completely retreading old ground, mining nostalgia while still moving forward. And plus, the cast is terrific- Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Colin Firth, Emily Mortimer, Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, and the list goes on and on. This could be a cheap and cynical cash grab from the Mouse House, but I'm banking on something a little more substantial. Here's hoping for a surprise holiday hit (quality wise, that is, we already know this is gonna make so much money).
Mary Poppins Returns arrives in theaters on Christmas Day.
Image: Disney/IMDb
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