After outcry, Disney nixes attempt to trademark 'Dia de Los Muertos' for movie-themed products



Faster than you can say mala idea, the Disney Co. has announced it is withdrawing its attempt to trademark the phrase Día de Los Muertos — as in the name of the traditional holiday that is celebrated in Mexico and elsewhere to honor the dead.

Disney had filed several trademark applications in relation to a forthcoming Día de Los Muertos-related Pixar film. The backlash was swift, and late Tuesday afternoon a Disney spokesperson issued this statement:

“As we have previously announced, Disney-Pixar is developing an animated feature inspired by the Mexican holiday Día de los Muertos. Disney’s trademark filing was intended to protect any potential title for our film and related activities. It has since been determined that the title of the film will change and therefore we are withdrawing our trademark filing.”

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First Look: Concept Art For ‘The Good Dinosaur,’Inside The Mind’ Film, And ‘Dia de los Muertos’ Film



reclaimingthelatinatag:

lyndez:

The Untitled Pixar Movie About Dia de los Muertos (Release Date TBA – Likely 2016)

From director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla K. Anderson, the filmmaking team behind the Academy Award®-winning “Toy Story 3,” comes a wholly original Pixar Animation Studios film that delves into the vibrant holiday of Día de los Muertos.


Hoping to see some fab Latinas respectfully represented!

'Order Of The Seven': Disney's Snow White Retelling Moving Forward


Sure, there are already two live action Snow White films in production, but if there's any studio that knows that fairytale, it's Disney. As such, it shouldn't be terribly unexpected that the House of Mouse would be coming out with its own retelling of the princess and dwarves story; what they're doing with it, however, may be a bit of a surprise.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is moving forward with its far east, warrior-focused version of the tale; now called "The Order of the Seven," it's been in development for years, and, so says THR, will actually minimize the aspects associated with the Grimm legend. It will be trading those trappings for an ancient action storyline that will feature a band of warriors from around the world that, once downtrodden, are galvanized by meeting an English woman in China. [SOURCE]


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Old News: ‘This is Arjun’s coming of age story’

THE BIGGEST Indian animated feature, Arjun: The Warrior Prince, is set to be a summer blockbuster. Director Arnab Chaudhuri, 40, talks to Aradhna Wal about scaling animation for adults with a story every child knows.



Tell us about the project.
It is a huge film. It took us three years to make it. Ronnie (Screwvala) approached me with the idea of a film on Arjun and I jumped at it. Common depictions of the Mahabharata are so formal. We’ve used the story to make a big martial arts spectacle. In that sense it’s quite a contemporary take. It’s not just a comedy for kids.

Why tag it ‘The Untold Story’?
It’s about the approach. People think of Arjun as a hero without flaws. But he was a man involved in a power struggle. Before that he was a boy who was a very talented marksman. There is a big difference between being able to hit the target and being a warrior leading an army into battle. We deal with his insecurity, doubt, his transformation and his coming of age. The same with the other Pandavas. What you read and what you see, they’re fine upstanding characters. That is boring. How do you create differences between them? Bhim and Yudhishthir bicker, like brothers would.

EDITED EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW )

Pixar's Día de los Muertos movie a nod to Latin American audiences


Pixar's "Toy Story 3" is the highest-grossing movie of all time in Mexico, where the animated adventure tale of children's toys Woody and Buzz Lightyear collected $59 million at the box office in 2010, more than megahits like "Avatar" and the "Harry Potter" finale.

The follow-up from "Toy Story 3" director Lee Unkrich and producer Darla K. Anderson is also likely to have strong appeal with Mexican audiences -- and to boast more authentically Latino characters than a Spanish-speaking Buzz Lightyear doll.


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