Tuesday 31 December 2013

Bolt Co-Director Chris Williams Joins Don Hall at Helm of Big Hero 6


Perhaps mirroring the production of their current mega-hit Frozen, The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Disney have added Chris Williams, who co-directed 2008's Bolt with Tangled's Byron Howard, as a director of their upcoming Marvel-adaptation Big Hero 6, alongside existing director Don Hall (Winnie the Pooh).

Saturday 28 December 2013

Awards Predictions 2014: Golden Globes Edition


We're starting the Awards season and while the Oscar nominations won't be announced until a few weeks, other major awards have already announced their nominees, including the Golden Globes and the Annie Awards. I'll post my predictions for the Annie Awards at a later date but, for now, let's begin with the Golden Globes.

I must say, I'm very disappointed with this year's nominees for Best Animated Feature. First, I thought there would be five nominees instead of three, and that one of those nominees was going to be Pixar's Monsters University. The fact that Pixar got shut out for the first time with a film that's superior to both of its predecessors (both of which were nominated) is befuddling considering the fact that the film is better than two of the three actual nominees. Well, now that I got that out of my system let's begin with the predictions.

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #48: Bolt (2008)


Last Week’s: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #47: Meet the Robinsons (2007).

John Lasseter didn't have it easy when he arrived at the Disney Studio. First, Meet the Robinsons needed a complete overhaul before it could be released in theatres, and then the following film was even more troubled. Bolt was first titled American Dog and it was to be the next project by director Chris Sanders, who co-directed the highly acclaimed Lilo & Stitch (one of the few popular films from the previous era). However, problems in the production led to the removal of Sanders from the director's chair (after which he left Disney and went to DreamWorks) and the team of Chris Williams and Byron Howard taking over. The film was completed in 18 months and, against all odds, it was warmly received and represented another step in the right direction for the studio.

Monday 23 December 2013

Christmas Recommendations: What Animated Things You Should Be Watching This Christmas


It's that time of year again (notice our festive banner and logo, once again designed by the fantastic Damien Chevrier), and we hope you're all having a restful, relaxing and enjoyable Holiday season so far! So, for those of you here in the UK, here are our ho-ho-hot picks for animated stuff (and generally-linked-to-animation stuff) that's on tele over the next couple of weeks.

Sunday 22 December 2013

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #47: Meet the Robinsons (2007).


Make Sure You’ve Read: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - The Revival Era (2007 - present) Introduction.

I'm very fond of Meet the Robinsons. It's not a perfect film but it did something remarkable for the studio and for me: it gave us both hope. Hope that a better studio was coming and hope that their future output would return it to its former glory.

Saturday 21 December 2013

Munir's Disney Retrospective - The Revival Era (2007 - Present) Introduction


Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #46: Chicken Little (2005).

After a very difficult early/mid-2000s, Walt Disney Animation Studios could've easily ceased to exist and no one would've cared. Yes, the oldest animation studio was in such a crisis that putting it out of its misery was a very viable and merciful option at the time. Thank goodness for John Lasseter. Yes, I just said that. The man often reviled nowadays, John Lasseter, completely rehauled the studio, giving it back its identity, putting it back on the map and making it a worthy competitor to the other animation studios again. He healed the heart of the Disney Company and released a string of films that, step-by-step, created a stronger studio, a confident studio that not only embraced its rich history but also wasn't afraid of trying new things and delivering fresh stories with wonderful characters and heartfelt messages. Better still, the studio was no longer a DreamWorks or Pixar wannabe, but had its own style to differentiate it from the others. That wasn't an easy feat. Critical reception and box office started to grow slowly but surely, and now, seven years after Lasseter took over, the studio is back where it was always meant to be: at the very top of the pack. Whether it's a musical fairy-tale that pays homage to the Renaissance features while also offering something new and exciting, or a completely fresh story set in the video gaming world or a shiny future, Walt Disney Animation Studios has returned from the dead, risen like the phoenix, and taken the world by storm. We can only hope that this comeback will never subside again, as the studio's recent output has been simply outstanding to say the least. Welcome back Disney Animation, I hope you're here to stay!

Ice Age 5 Coming in 2016 (Yes, Really), Anubis Pushed Back to 2018


This news is sure to draw collective groans from animation fans, particularly given the rate at which the quality of the films is plummeting (just have a gander at their Rotten Tomatoes scores), but so long as they keep bringing in the mammoth (no pun intended) numbers that they are doing (Continental Drift, the fourth film in the series, made almost $875 million worldwide), Fox and Blue Sky will keep making Ice Age films. And the fifth one is coming in 2016.

Friday 20 December 2013

Watch: Epic New Promo for Disney's Frozen



Frozen is riding a tidal wave of momentum right now, and - particularly with some international release dates still to come, and a hopefully big Christmas period haul in the US, UK, and other territories - Disney are capitalising on that, by building the well-deserved hype surrounding the film. Namely, check out this powerful new promo for the film, focusing on the stellar reviews it's earned.

For the record, I've seen it three times now, and loved it whole-heartedly every single time.

Edgar Wright Has Found His Ant-Man: Paul Rudd!

After many weeks of speculation, Marvel have announced that Paul Rudd will star as the size-changing superhero in Edgar Wright's kick off of Phase 3 in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

Thursday 19 December 2013

New How to Train Your Dragon 2 Trailer: Beware Dragon Hunters and Spoilers


The first full length trailer for DreamWorks' hotly-anticipated How to Train Your Dragon 2 has arrived, and it's fantastic! Unfortunately, it also packs a pretty hefty spoiler. But first, the positives: the film looks absolutely phenomenal. More dragons, more intensity, more badassery, and the set-up for what looks to be one of DreamWorks' most mature films yet - it's a trailer worth watching... most of it, anyway.

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Studio Ghibli Announces New Film for Summer 2014!


The majority of the world still hasn't seen Hayao Miyazaki's latest and final masterpiece, The Wind Rises, nor Isao Takahata's latest, The Tale of Princess Kaguya, but that hasn't stopped Studio Ghibli from announcing their next project, due for release in Japan next Summer. The film is called When Marnie Was There, and it'll be helmed by The Secret World of Arrietty director Hiromasa Yonebayashi.

Tuesday 17 December 2013

Joseph Gordon-Levitt To Front English-Language Dub of Miyazaki's The Wind Rises


Hayao Miyazaki's ostensibly final film, The Wind Rises, is earning a lot of praise right now - just yesterday it was one of five animated films to get nominated for this year's Critics' Choice Award for Best Animated Feature. As such, the English-language dub of the film isn't far off. And while English dubs are often a bit of an irritant or distraction (Spirited Away, Ponyo, etc...), this one, fronted by Internet-favourite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is really rather exciting.

Monday 16 December 2013

2014 Critics' Choice Nominations Revealed


Awards season is starting to gear up now, and you'll be happy to hear, after the somewhat controversial Golden Globe nominations last week, that the nominations for the 2014 Critics' Choice Awards are a lot more in line with what we were expecting. That is to say, Pixar's Monsters University and Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises, notable omissions from the Globes, are both included in the animation line-up. Check the full list of five nominees for Best Animated Feature below.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #46: Chicken Little (2005)


Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #45: Home on the Range (2004)

The early-to-mid 2000s was a difficult time for Disney Animation, one where it tried to stay relevant amongst a fiercely competitive market. Troubled productions, half-baked stories and little revenue were some of the reasons why, in my humble opinion, they made the worst mistake they have ever made in their long and storied history. Instead of trying to tell better stories, executives blamed traditional animation as their main source of box office disappointment, judging it as "old fashioned" and switching completely to CGI like all the other studios. This not only caused Disney Animation to lose its identity, but also to hit rock bottom and release what can only be called their worst animated film of all time: Chicken Little.

Meet Cate Blanchett-Voiced Dragon Rider in New How to Train Your Dragon 2 Still


The sequel to DreamWorks' 2010 hit, How to Train Your Dragon, seems in many ways poised to be even bigger and better than the original. We got an intense teaser trailer for the film back in July, and now we've got a new still, introducing an interesting new character, voiced by Oscar winner Cate Blanchett! Meet Valka.

Thursday 12 December 2013

Golden Globe Nominations: Frozen, Despicable Me 2 and The Croods Fight It Out, Monsters U Left Out


Controversy is always abound with awards ceremonies, and this latest batch of Golden Globe nominations is no exception. But first, the positive: three really stellar animated films earned nominations for Best Animated Feature, with Universal/Illumination's Despicable Me 2, Fox/DreamWorks' The Croods, and awards-favourite Frozen all snagging a nomination. Now what seems to be missing from that line-up?

Monday 9 December 2013

Frozen Ices Over the US Box Office; Takes First Place in Second Week


After a strong first week, taking almost $93.6 million in its first 5 days, Walt Disney Animation Studios' Frozen has managed another impressive showing at the US Box Office, supplanting The Hunger Games: Catching Fire as the States' top-grossing movie this week. The icy princess pic took an estimated $31.6 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total so far to $134.2 million, and $190 million worldwide.

Sunday 8 December 2013

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #45: Home on the Range (2004)



And now, we've arrived at the moment where the word "classic" is really a stretch. Here's a movie that could've been a charming half hour special for the Disney Channel, but instead it's from the same studio that brought you timeless classics like Snow White and Beauty and the Beast. Home on the Range is the worst traditionally animated film from the studio, and now, nine years after its release, it's still hard to fathom why a film with such a generic story, unappealing characters and cheap animation was ever released to theatres.

Saturday 7 December 2013

Tarzan Composer to Score Ron Clements and John Musker's Moana


Details are still scant for what is expected to be Disney’s 57th animated film, Moana. But today we've learned that the film, the next project by the revered duo of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), has found its composer!

Friday 6 December 2013

Frozen Out Now In the UK! Who's Seeing It This Weekend?


It's actually not been a particularly long wait (especially when compared to the 3 month gap between the US and UK releases of Wreck-It Ralph), but UK Disney fans should be extremely happy to know that Frozen, the studio's acclaimed new hit, is out now!

Thursday 5 December 2013

Annie Nominations: Frozen and Monsters University Lead the Pack


The Awards season is upon us and the Annies have taken the lead, announcing their nominations for outstanding achievements in the animation field. For animation fans, this is the only time we can see animated films get rewarded in multiple categories, instead of just the usual "Best Animated Feature." Here's a full breakdown of the nominations for both production and individual categories in theatrical films:

Monday 2 December 2013

Frozen Opens With Massive $93 Million, Smashes Disney Records


Frozen is an inexorable steamroller of momentum right now; the film has opened to extremely strong reviews, A113Animation readers seem very taken with it too, it's been given an A+ CinemaScore, and it's also racked up the biggest opening ever for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film, with a massive $93 million over the 5-day Thanksgiving weekend!

Friday 29 November 2013

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #44: Brother Bear (2003)


Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #43: Treasure Planet (2002)

After departing from the Broadway formula for most of the new decade and striving for a darker approach, and yielding few effective results, the Disney Studio returned to a more 90s formula with Brother Bear. Bearing a striking resemblance to Tarzan in its music style, Brother Bear is not a perfect film, but remains one of the better films of this (mostly) lacklustre era. The main problem with the film is that it doesn't quite know what it wants to achieve, with many serious and powerful moments being hindered by poorly executed humour.

Thursday 28 November 2013

Frozen's Out Now in the US: What Did You Think?


After months of hype and waiting, Walt Disney Animation Studios' 53rd animated feature film finally hit North American cinemas yesterday! We really liked the film, our friends at Rotoscopers really liked the film, most of Rotten Tomatoes really liked the film; so now we want to know, did you? If you've seen Frozen, what did you think of it? Is it as good as the hype suggests? Or not? Let us know below! If you've not seen the film, beware of probable spoilers in the comments section.

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Watch: New Handmade Teaser for The BoxTrolls


Laika are making a name for themselves as a really brave, boundary-pushing, outside-the-norm animation studio. With two acclaimed films - Coraline and ParaNorman - under their belt, and a desire to tell personal, spooky stories, in an animation medium that has proven less than popular at the box-office. Yet that's exactly what they're pushing in the new teaser for their next film, The BoxTrolls.

Sunday 24 November 2013

Watch: New Full Trailer for Mr. Peabody & Sherman Pays Homage to Doctor Who


Doctor Who's 50th Anniversary special aired tonight (it was bloody marvellous, wasn't it?), and DreamWorks have capitalised on the longest running sci-fi series' immense popularity to front the first full trailer for their upcoming time-travel flick, Mr. Peabody & Sherman! Check it out below.

Pixar Begin Layoffs In Wake of The Good Dinosaur Delay

Credit: Stitch Kingdom

After the announced 18 month delay of erstwhile first-time director Bob Peterson's The Good Dinosaur, Pixar have announced an undisclosed amount of their 1200-strong workforce has been laid off, to accommodate the schedule reshuffle. The layoffs affect less than 5% of the staff, says an L.A. Times source.

Friday 22 November 2013

Awesome New Poster for How to Train Your Dragon 2


20th Century Fox have released an intense new poster for DreamWorks' hotly anticipated sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2! Hiccup's looking badass, Toothless's looking imposing, and the film's looking incredibly exciting.

Thursday 21 November 2013

Watch: Tom Hanks Talks About Being Walt Disney for Saving Mr. Banks


Mary Poppins is inarguably one of Walt Disney's crowning achievements - up there with Steamboat Willie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Disneyland. Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of that story, and how Walt Disney acquired the rights to author P.L. Travers's original book. Emma Thompson plays Travers, and Tom Hanks is the first person to play Walt Disney; Hanks talked about the pressure and importance of taking on such a high profile role in a new featurette for the film, below.

Photos: Frozen Premiere Ices Over Hollywood


Disney's 53rd animated feature film is well and truly upon us, and hype for Frozen is reaching crescendo levels. With less than a week to go until its theatrical release, Disney held a massive white carpet event world premiere for Frozen this past Tuesday. Check out photos of the filmmakers and cast at the event here!

Wednesday 20 November 2013

New Trailer(s) for Muppets Most Wanted! It's Not Easy Being Mean...

We're all getting rather excited for the sequel to 2011's musical hit The Muppets here at A113 Animation. To keep up the excitement, we have a brand new trailer two brand new trailers for Muppets Most Wanted!

Diane Disney Miller, Daughter of Walt Disney, Passes Away at 79


Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt Disney, has sadly passed away. The last living child of Walt, Diane devoted her life to preserving and sharing personal artefacts from her father's rich history, as well as her philanthropy. She sadly died yesterday, at age 79, following complications from a fall in September.

Monday 18 November 2013

Watch: Brand New Clip from Disney's Get a Horse!

Disney animation legend Eric Goldberg, who served as hand-drawn animation supervisor for Get a
 Horse!

85 years ago today, Mickey Mouse first appeared on our screens in the now classic Steamboat Willie (watch the short in our recap for Disney 90th anniversary here). To commemorate this milestone, Disney have released a brand new clip from Get a Horse!, the vintage-styled Mickey short that precedes Frozen in cinemas.

Packed New Poster for The Lego Movie


Warner Bros.' re-emergence on the animation scene is next year's The Lego Movie, directed by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and 21 Jump Street's Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and today we got an action-packed new poster for it!

Frozen Review - Believe the Hype


Not that you would have believed it six months ago, when you couldn't find any decent advertising for the film to save your life, but there is a considerable amount of hype surrounding Frozen right now. The 53rd animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios has been called "Disney's best since Beauty and the Beast;” particularly coming off massive successes with Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph - in addition to critically acclaimed, if less financially impressive, films like The Princess and the Frog and Winnie the Pooh - there's a lot of expectation. Surely it can't be that good? Surely it's not all that? It can. And it is. I was extremely privileged to see the first UK screening of the film this morning, and can now tell you, with full confidence, to believe the hype. Frozen is the best Disney Animated film in about 20 years.

Friday 15 November 2013

Watch: Extended Trailer for The Tale of Princess Kaguya


Though we have yet to hear about any other release dates for The Tale of Princess Kaguya, we will soon find out how Japanese audiences will react to Studio Ghibli's latest release, directed by Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies); it hits Japanese theatres next week, on 23rd November.

Charming New Poster for The Wind Rises


Today is the last day to catch The Wind Rises in select theatres if you live near LA or New York City. If you happened to miss the screenings, couldn't scrape enough money to fly out, or just had to do laundry, no worries! There will be another American limited release starting 21st February, 2014 before it is released wide on 28th February, although those release dates come with the American dub.

In the meantime, enjoy the new English poster for the film, or read about the sudden controversy it's received from American critics (mostly the MPAA, really), and read up on my review of the film, which I had the opportunity to watch at the New York Film Festival.

Via /Film

Pixar Co-Founder Ed Catmull Writing Book About the Studio's History


Ed Catmull, as well as being an accomplished computer scientist and computer graphics pioneer, is also a very successful businessman. That's going to be the focus of his new book, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration, which will be published by Random House on 8th April, 2014. So says The Hollywood Reporter.

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Watch: First Trailer for Disney's Maleficent


Following on from the teaser poster we got yesterday, the first trailer for Disney's live adaptation of Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent, has been released. Watch the trailer below!

Tuesday 12 November 2013

First Poster for Disney's Maleficent!

The first poster for Disney's live-action Sleeping Beauty adaptation, Maleficent, has surfaced, showing a particularly horned and evil-looking Angelina Jolie. With it, we hear that the first teaser trailer will appear online at some point tomorrow, which will hopefully show us how dark the fairytale adaptation will be.

Watch: Olaf Sings in New Frozen Clip


Disney continue their recent Frozen marketing blitz with a brand-spanking new clip from the film, featuring Olaf (voice of Josh Gad) singing a fun new song, called "In Summer!" Contrary to the impression early over-saturation gave us of him, Olaf actually seems immensely loveable, and this cute, barmy song certainly helps only makes one's affection for the little snowy fella grow.

Monday 11 November 2013

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #43: Treasure Planet (2002)


Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #42: Lilo & Stitch (2002).

2002 arrived with a ray of hope for Disney Animation. Lilo & Stitch was released in the summer to great acclaim and box office success, something the studio hadn't achieved since the beginning of the decade, and the second film to be released that year looked to be a promising endeavour. After all, Treasure Planet was directed by two of the top people at the studio, John Musker and Ron Clements, who practically launched the Disney Renaissance a decade earlier with beloved films like The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. Also, Treasure Planet was a dream project for the directors, something they'd been wanting to do for a long time. Finally they were granted the chance to adapt Robert Louis Stevenson’s beloved novel, Treasure Island, but in a sci-fi setting. Unfortunately, when the film arrived in the Fall of 2002, it bombed at the box office and now remains one of the most obscure films from the canon.

Saturday 9 November 2013

Star Wars: Episode VII Gets Release Date

With open auditions starting this weekend, Disney have finally announced the release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, ending months of speculation. It will be a Star Wars Christmas, because it's due to open on 18th December, 2015.

Friday 8 November 2013

Watch: Charming New John Lewis Ad, The Bear & the Hare


John Lewis always have great Christmas adverts. This year's one - as well as being part of a £7 million advertising blitz campaign (including "television, social media, soft toys, in-store events and even a mini manmade forest on the banks of the Thames" - via The Guardian) - is a great little animated piece, with a little bit of Disney in it.

Thursday 7 November 2013

The Wind Rises's Upcoming U.S. Release Stirs Up More Controversy


The Wind Rises will be opening in LA and New York City this weekend from the 8th through the 14th of November for an Oscar qualifying run. Though my review of the film, along with others, from the New York Film Festival, was incredibly positive, there's been some apprehension popping up regarding its US release.

Wednesday 6 November 2013

Frozen, The Wind Rises, Monsters U and 16 More Submitted for Oscar Consideration


AMPAS have announced the 19 animated film that are in contention for a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the upcoming 86th Academy Awards. Among the contenders are the likely big-name frontrunners: Disney's upcoming Frozen, Miyazaki's final film, The Wind Rises, and Pixar's latest, Monsters University; there are also smaller scale films, like French animated pic, Ernest & Celestine (which won the Best Animated Film gong at the César Awards, the French equivalent to the Oscars, back in February). Check out the full list of films submitted for consideration below, complete with their Rotten Tomatoes score (current at the time of writing), where there is one.

Monday 4 November 2013

The Wrap Calls Frozen "Disney’s Best Animated Musical Since Beauty and the Beast"


We're under a month away from the release of Disney's 53rd animated feature, and the glowing reviews are already coming in. We've seen it called the "Greatest Disney Animated Event Since The Lion King," and a new review from The Wrap calls it the best since Beauty and the Beast! "Proactive princesses and catchy tunes make for a winning combo in this updating of Hans Christian Andersen’s “Snow Queen”," says the review.

The Wrap's Alonso Duralde praises the film on pretty much every level, from music, to story, to the film's message. Check out highlights from the review below - but if you're reading the full one, beware of spoilers:

Sunday 3 November 2013

Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #42: Lilo & Stitch (2002)


Last Week’s: Munir’s Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).

When Lilo & Stitch came out in 2002, I was in a phase where I no longer cared for Disney Animation films. After Tarzan, my excitement and interest for Disney films was gone, and replaced by enthusiasm for Pixar's output, which was (and still is) formidable. So, while I was disenchanted by films like Atlantis and Dinosaur, I was utterly thrilled by Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. By the time Lilo & Stitch was released, I was completely devoted to Pixar, so I wasn't excited by this film. When I first saw it, more than ten years ago, I wasn't impressed and quickly discarded it like I did with so many of its contemporaries. As I got older and wiser (hopefully), I've come to realise how good Lilo & Stitch is and how it has stood the test of time to become a true Disney classic.

Thursday 31 October 2013

Watch: Bat-tastic New Trailer for The Lego Movie


Although quite a few of the films originally slated to open in it have migrated (Pixar pushed The Good Dinosaur back to November 2015, Universal also pushed Minions back to July that year), 2014 still has a pretty exciting line-up of animated films - this is one such film. Warner Bros. have rolled out a hilarious new trailer for The Lego Movie, featuring a healthy dose of Will Arnett's Lego Batman!

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Morph's Coming Back! Aardman Take to Kickstarter.


A few months back, Aardman co-founder Peter Lord announced that machinations were falling into place to bring back one of Aardman's first little plasticine men, Morph. The character, who first appeared alongside Tony Hart in 1977, will be on his way back soon, if Aardman's new Kickstarter campaign takes off!

Watch: Teaser Trailer for Planes: Fire & Rescue



It's the sequel no one asked for! But money. Disney have released the first teaser trailer for the second film in an apparent Planes trilogy, Planes: Fire & Rescue. It's only about a minute long, but it feels much longer... That said, the animation's really nice.

The first Planes film was critically panned (it garnered a caustic 27% on Rotten Tomatoes), but made $206 million from a modest budget of $50 million. Disney will presumably be hoping for a repeat performance with what will be DisneyToon's 62nd (yes, really) film next year.

Planes 2 is directed by Bobs Ganaway (Secret of the Wings), with Julie Bowen (Modern Family) joining the cast alongside a returning Dane Cook. The film flies into cinemas on 18th July, 2014 in the US, and 8th August in the UK.

Monsters vs. Aliens Director and Muppets Screenwriter to Adapt Captain Underpants for DreamWorks


We heard a couple of years ago that DreamWorks had acquired the rights to adapt Dav Pilkey's bestselling (and really fun) Captain Underpants books. Now the studio has detailed the crew that will be bringing the bald, occasionally bipolar, scantily-clad superhero to the big screen!