Based on the 1992 animated classic of the same name, Aladdin was one of Disney’s first animated features to have characters of color. Representation is important in this day and age because it allows people of color and the marginalized to see themselves in the characters seen on screen. So it was significantly important to reflect that in the casting of the live-action adaptation of Aladdin. Though there were reports of some casting issues, director Guy Ritchie and the rest of the Disney team were dedicated to finding the right actors for the film. And they found them in Mena Massoud, who plays the title character, and Naomi Scott, who plays Princess Jasmine.

Geeks of Doom and a group of journalists were invited to attend the global press conference in Los Angeles, CA, where Massoud and Scott talked about what it was like to be a part of the production, working with Ritchie, and how they all infused some of their own personalities and quirks into the characters while also respecting the animated original. Check out what they had to say below.

Disney’s live-action take on Aladdin will see Will Smith bring the high-spirited and energetic Genie to life. With his own brand of charisma and a bit of hip-hop flair, this Genie is not like the Robin Williams take in the animated original, but the performance still pays homage to the late comedian. In fact, the actor says the remake is the highlight of his career. And you can see how much fun he is having in that performance.

Geeks of Doom and a group of journalists were invited to sit down at the Aladdin global press conference where Smith spoke about believing in that Disney magic, how he made some of those memorable songs his own, finding a career resurgence, and what representation means to him. Check out what he had to see below.

The marketing campaign for The Lion King has been leaning towards nostalgia by giving us the updated looks of the animated original. Jon Favreau directs this newly updated kinda sorta live-action take on the Walt Disney Animation Studio classic, which sees Simba learning what it takes to be a true king.

Now there is a new trailer out that shows us just how beautiful this film will look and how far the technology has come since Favreau used something similar in The Jungle Book. Check it out below.

So far, 2019 has already been a good year for cats in film. Last month’s Captain Marvel, the latest release for Marvel Studios, had an orange tabby named Goose play a major role in the superhero film, and in this weekend’s Pet Sematary, a Maine Coon cat named Church was front and center.

In the new Pet Sematary, a Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) moves his family, including their beloved cat, Winston “Church” Churchill, from Boston to a small town in Maine so they can live a quieter life. Unbeknownst to them, on their property is a pet cemetery, as well as a mysterious ancient burial ground. After the sweet and friendly Church is run over by a truck, Louis, under the guidance of his friendly elderly neighbor Jud (John Lithgow), buries the cat in the burial ground, a place where the dead rise. But when Church returns, he’s not the lovable lap cat he used to be, much to the family’s horror.

Pet Sematary
Based on the novel by Stephen King
Screen Story written by Mark Greenberg
Screenplay by Jeff Buhler
Directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer
Starring Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow, Jeté Laurence
Di Bonaventura Pictures | Paramount Pictures
101 minutes | Rated R
Release date: April 5, 2019

Nostalgia is a powerful drug. I saw Mary Lambert’s 1989 big-screen interpretation of Stephen King‘s novel Pet Sematary as a child and it was one of the first films to truly horrify me. I will forever be haunted by the ghastly performance of Andrew Hubatsek as the spinal meningitis-stricten Zelda. And the achilles tendon scene made me wear high-top sneakers throughout middle school. Having recently rewatched it as an adult, it’s a very flawed film. The 2019 remake/reimagining directed by Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer (Starry Eyes) is a much better overall film, although one that will likely not leave the lasting impression of the original.