Lin-Manuel Miranda

The acclaimed Broadway musical is coming to Disney+.

What’s its name, man?

It Is a Powerful Night With Hamilton at DeVos Performance Hall

And in today’s least shocking news item, Disney wants a white dude to direct an upcoming live-action remake of a classic animated movie. The studio has reportedly made Rob Marshall their top pick to helm The Little Mermaid, based on their 1989 animated adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Marshall, who previously directed Into the Woods and the forthcoming Mary Poppins Returns for the studio, is said to be taking the holidays to mull it over.

When word got out that Emily Blunt had been cast as the title character in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns, the overwhelming response from most people was, “Well, sure.” Blunt has proven herself to be genre agnostic over the years, as likely to wow audiences in a science-fiction or action film as she is in a light-hearted comedy. That alone would make her an ideal candidate for Mary Poppins  —  as the rare actress capable of convincing audiences that she’d do justice to an iconic character  —  but she also bears a physical resemblance to Julie Andrews to boot. You couldn’t ask for better casting.

After months of rumormongering and speculating and debating over whether Lin-Manuel Miranda has what it takes to make the jump to the big screen from Broadway, sequel Mary Poppins Returns has finally begun shooting. Disney sent out an official press release yesterday announcing that the production was officially underway at Shepperton Studios in Burbank, California, with a project release date of Christmas Day in 2018. (Nothing gets people in the mood for a movie-musical quite like the holidays, it would seem, as director Rob Marshall’s last film Into the Woods found a release date in late December as well.) And along with the news that the gears are now turning, the press release provided a full cast list and more comprehensive description of the plot as well.

The cast of 'Hamilton' shared a poignant message with show attendee Mike Pence on November 18.

Hamilton, a musical about the life of America Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, has been a sensational hit. Hamilton was nominated for a record 16 Tony Awards and it won 11. It has also won a Grammy, a Pulitzer Prize and enjoyed an unmatched level of pop culture crossover success. The show has now opened in Chicago, but how does the Chicago show compare to the original cast in New York? Read Mor