Few Disney franchises are quite as big as Frozen, so the news that we’re getting not one, but two more Frozen movies is sure to have a lot of people very excited. Disney certainly has a lot riding on the success of the films, and the rumor was they were paying very well to ensure the core cast was on board. However, it sounds like maybe the Mouse hasn’t been quite as generous as rumored.

Last year, it was reported that Frozen’s main trio of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad had all signed deals that were in the realm of $60 million each to appear in both Frozen 3 and 4. ET caught up with Bell ahead of the Actor Awards, which she hosted, and the voice of Anna said that while she’s getting paid well for the sequels, she’s not getting paid that well. Bell explained…

The $60 million number seemed bizarrely high when it was announced. $30 million per film for two movies is a massive up-front number that most live-action stars don’t get these days, as many take their salary on the back end based on a film’s success. Perhaps the $60 million number is the cost for the three stars together, as it would still equal a pretty impressive payday per actor. I hope Jonathan Groff got a decent contract, too.

It’s also possible that the reported number was technically accurate, though it may encompass more than just two movies of work. Being the voice of Anna from Frozen doesn’t mean simply doing work on two films, after all. It could include additional voice work for anything from animated shorts to toys to Frozen theme park attractions. It could be a larger contract designed to make sure that Kristen Bell and the rest of the team are involved with Frozen for the long haul.

Whatever the truth, it’s clear that Kristen Bell and her co-stars are getting paid well to continue with Frozen. It’s only fair considering how much money Frozen has brought to Disney over the years. But again, I really hope Jonathan Groff got a nice deal, too.

It’s impossible at this point to understate the power of Frozen. The original film was a massive hit that has since spawned one sequel (that was an even bigger hit at the box office), an entire theme park land (at two Disney theme Parks), and sold more merch than just about anything. It’s no wonder that the stars of the film, like Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Josh Gad, are reportedly being paid the big bucks for two more Frozen sequels.

Anybody who was involved in Frozen has earned the right to be at least a little proud, though it seems that showing off that you’re related to one of the stars didn’t have quite the same effect. It seems that back when Idina Menzel’s son was all of four years old, he tried to impress some girls that his mom sang “Let it Go,” but it didn’t exactly have the desired effect. Menzel told ET:

It’s a hilarious, if not particularly surprising, response from a bunch of little kids. I have a four-year-old now, and while she certainly understands there’s a difference between live action and animation, I’m not sure she really understands the mechanics involved in giving Elsa a voice. These kids literally didn’t understand what he was saying.

To be fair, this would have been back shortly after Frozen was released in theaters, and back then, yes, everybody’s mom was singing “Let it Go.” The song was everywhere, to the point that even Kristen Bell was apologizing for the way the movie had seemingly invaded every aspect of pop culture. If you weren’t hearing the song, you were probably hearing some cover or parody version of it that was trading on the song’s popularity. Idina Menzel knew how much the song annoyed some parents.

Idina Menzel’s son is much older now, and people are probably a lot more impressed today with the fact that his mom sings “Let It Go” even if the song itself isn’t quite anywhere anymore. Of course, with not one, but two Frozen sequels currently in development, there are going to be plenty more opportunities for a new Frozen song to take the world by storm.

Frozen 3 only recently appears to have begun recording voice actors. Idina Menzel probably isn’t allowed to tell her son what she’s doing, but I’m sure if he can get a few early details, it will impress some girls.

The Frozen movies are big business for Disney. At the box office, the two big screen releases – 2013's Frozen and 2019's Frozen II – have earned over $2.7 billion worldwide, and the amount of brand merchandising that has been produced is overwhelming. It's for this reason that the studio is very much committed to making more sequels to the blockbuster hits , and as a big part of that plan, the company has reportedly closed some major deals with stars Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Idina Menzel.

According to The Wrap, Disney has signed deals with the actors to reprise their respective roles in both Frozen 3 and Frozen 4, and the value of those contracts is said to be north of $60 million. It's a lot of money... but can you really imagine Anna, Olaf and Elsa being voiced by anyone else? Their work as part of the deal will begin soon, as Frozen 3 has been in development since 2023 and it is currently scheduled for release on November 24, 2027 (after being delayed a year from 2026).

Jennifer Lee is set to direct Frozen 3 after she stepped down as Chief Creative Officer at Walt Disney Animation Studios last year, though not much is known about the plot of the film. At the end of Frozen II, Anna is crowned as the queen of Arrendale after Elsa decides to live her life in the enchanted forest, but we don't know what is on the horizon for the characters. At D23 Expo 2024, the first concept art for the movie was released, featuring Anna and Elsa on horseback looking at a city in the clouds while a dark figure looms... but further context for the image doesn't really exist.

Beyond their work in the Frozen movies, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, and Idina Menzel have all kept very busy. Bell's most high-profile work of late has been on the Netflix series Nobody Wants This, which debuted its second season this fall has has been renewed for a third. Gad has recently been hard at work on Spaceballs 2 (which he is starring in and he co-wrote), and Menzel most recently played the lead in the musical Redwood on Broadway from January to May earlier this year.

By the time Frozen 3 is released, it will have been eight years since Frozen II arrived in theaters, but it will be interesting to see if these contracts signed with the franchise stars ends up accelerating development of Frozen 4 (and that may or may not end up having an impact on the story told in the second sequel). In addition to Frozen 3, Walt Disney Animation Studios is also presently developing the fantasy feature Hexed for next year.

While most of us will have to wait for one of the most anticipated upcoming 2025 movies, Wicked: For Good, to see Elphaba and Glinda duet, a group of lucky audience members got to see the original actors behind the Broadway musical, Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, reunite to sing a tune from Wicked on Thursday. What’s especially amazing to me is how two of them apparently paid $16,000 to be just inches from the pair as they sang “For Good.”

Idina Menzel is currently back on Broadway to lead the new musical Redwood. After performing the show where her character sings a sprawling eleven numbers, she came back on stage and was joined by Kristin Chenoweth for a special performance of “For Good.” Check it out, and I dare you not to cry!

As you might have noticed in the video, behind Chenoweth and Menzel are two fans who were singing along with the Wicked stars and getting super emotional over the reunion moment. Per Vulture, they were the two winners of a Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS campaign, which were offered to be on stage with them during a performance of the fan-favorite song and take pictures with them as well.

The bidding war capped off at $8,000, meaning that the whole experience cost the two of them a combined $16,000! Talk about a high price tag, but I don’t think anyone, aside from Wicked cast members can say they’ve ever been that close to Wicked magic with the original Broadway stars of the show, who have hung up their wand and broom since 2005. Plus, their cash went to a good cause.

The moment was especially sweet because the pair were a little out of practice with the song. Menzel hilariously called out herself for being “flat” after belting one note and then they couldn’t figure out if they were supposed to sing one part together. Despite the two Wicked leads being a little rusty on the song, they did an amazing job singing the emotional tune, and you could just tell these two knew this track like it’s part of them.

Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth recently reunited for the Wicked movie to sing a new song in Emerald City, but they almost had different cameos. It was an amazing tribute to the Broadway stars after playing the roles first and recording the original Broadway soundtrack before it became one of those forever-running Broadway shows. It felt right to have them in the movie, and some viewers of the movie liked it even better than the show!

Seeing this performance is a great reminder that we’ll soon see Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo sing the tune in the second Wicked movie this fall. Ahead of its release on November 22, check out the first look at the poster and what we learned from this week’s Universal CinemaCon panel.

Broadway musical talent Idina Menzel made history originating the role of Elphaba in the long-running Broadway show Wicked. It was the best musical project for the American actress to show off her pipes and portray her character’s complexity in a way that captivated audiences and sparked a new generation of musical theater fans. The Daytime Emmy winner explains how “evil and witchy” she was when it came to snagging that career-defining role and it involves an F-bomb.

A Menzel fan account recently shared an Instagram video, with the actress recalling sing “Defying Gravity” for her Wicked callback. But singing the powerful song in the room wasn’t the same as practicing the beloved number at home. As she shared:

I can’t blame Idina Menzel for her F-bomb audition moment, considering how frustrated I would be blowing a high note I was able to previously nail during practice. It’s definitely not an easy song to sing. But considering all of the high notes she belted when she made her Broadway debut in the Jonathan Larson musical Rent, (her ongoing role in Frozen) this was clearly just a little audition snag that happens to even the best musical actresses.

One of the best ways to impress casting directors at an audition is to show glimpses of the character you’re auditioning for while being yourself. That’s exactly what Idina Menzel did being “so evil and witchy” when she blew that “Defying Gravity” note:

That’s seriously the best way to prove you have a “wicked” sense of talent to pull off Elphaba! No one can bring down this highly gifted actress. “Defying Gravity” is an appropriate audition piece because it had such an emotional impact in the stage show and the movie. We see Elphaba demonstrate she’s a force to be reckoned with standing up against The Wizard and being the “Wicked Witch” we know her to be. By not giving up during the audition, you could argue that the Shiz University student role was made for Menzel, who won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for her Wicked performance.

Because Idina Menzel was incredibly wicked sporting that green and hitting each note with perfection, the talented actress’s career continued to grow after Wicked. Menzel decided to give movies a shot reprising her Broadway debut role in the classic movie musical Rent and lent her voice as Elsa in one of the best Disney princess movies Frozen. Her strong vocals singing “Let It Go” for the animated movie truly became the new “Defying Gravity” for Disney and musical fans. As of now, the Glee actress is headed back to Broadway as the lead in the original musical Redwood about a woman on a path of self-discovery in a redwood tree forest.

Idina Menzel being “so evil and witchy” during her Wicked audition teaches us the importance of showing your unique interpretation of the role while still being yourself. By doing so, you’re showing what makes you the perfect fit for a project and are more than capable of bringing a character to life. Not to mention, the Enchanted actress refused to let one sour note ruin a whole performance. That’s a professional who was born for the role of Elphaba if I do say so myself.

Make sure to watch Menzel’s new musical Redwood hit the Nederlander Theatre stage on February 13th. You also need to add the 2024 movie release of Wicked to your watchlist playing in theaters now.

Wicked took the country by storm last year and the Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth cameos were the icing on that deliciously fun cake. It’s an undeniable megahit musical and everyone seems to have their favorite songs, including the OG Elphaba and Glinda of Broadway. Menzel and Chenoweth unsurprisingly love their respective songs but some of their favorites aren’t the ones they sang.

The Frozen actress and Our Little Secret alum have been regularly included in the cinematic adaptation’s press tour, naturally so, and have been killing it. Menzel tapped in for Ariana Grande to appear with Cynthia Erivo on a carpet and the Elphabas’ coordinated outfits delivered. All four, Menzel, Chenoweth, Grande and Erivo appeared together for an Entertainment Weekly interview. The clip, via their Instagram, has the four stars talking about their favorite Ozian songs.

The present Elphaba and Glinda talked about, prior to the movie, they had only ever sang the other’s songs publicly. Chenoweth shares that she was so pleased to hear Cynthia Erivo’s version of a classic Glinda song.

As someone who is unfamiliar with the original Broadway show and only has Wicked context through the movie, I’m really looking forward to experiencing the song in full. Idina Menzel then revealed it was her favorite song from the show, too.

I can’t blame her for it. Broadway dedication is unparalleled, and performing your respective character and their songs night after night can get repetitive. Although, the Elphaba songbook is one of the most exciting ones for modern shows.

Kristin Chenoweth jumped in and confirmed that she knew of her Broadway partner’s favorite song, then added her favorite Elphaba song.

It’s a great moment between the four, showing love for their respective counterpoint’s character’s songs. I think it was a smart and natural move to include the OG’s in the movie and for the press. It’s drummed up hype and maybe helped garner some criticisms a la One Million Moms. Chenoweth smartly addressed their critiques head on and kept it very Glinda-like. I don’t know if the movie would have been exactly the same without their presence.

It was interesting to learn about the original plans for the duo’s cameo and how it all changed in the course of a night. How they have them feels just right to me, and it's a fun and theatrical part of a number where they can really shine. Jon M. Chu revealed that the next Wicked movie will bring on another Ozian icon, Dorothy, and it seems like she will have a bigger part than what some may expect.

As for Chenoweth and Menzel, hopefully, they’ll appear again in Wicked: For Good, which is part of the 2025 movie schedule. I also hope they are on the press circuit again and reveal some more of their feelings for Elphaba and Glinda. Wicked is still playing in theaters and available on VOD services.

It would be difficult for Jon M. Chu to mount a film adaptation of Wicked without paying some tribute to the Broadway sensation’s original stars, Idina Menzel (as Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (as Glinda). Those of you who have seen the new movie – and based on box office numbers, it’s a large number of people – know that Menzel and Chenoweth appear in Wicked in the third act, when Glinda and Elphaba leave Shiz University and arrive in the Emerald City. They are a huge part of the musical number “One Short Day.” But when we spoke with Chu, we learned that they had different plans for Menzel and Chenoweth, and they changed rapidly as the shoot went on.

Jon M. Chu appeared as a guest on CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, where he spoke about the film’s reception, and several elements of the filming of the Broadway musical. And when we brought up the cameo appearances of Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, we talked about walking the complicated line of showcasing these talents, but not taking audience members out of the movie that they have shown up to see. As “wickedly” talented as Menzel and Chenoweth are, they have the ability of possibly stealing focus away from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, whose movie this very much is.

But as Chu told us during this exclusive interview:

I love hearing how major sequences in a big movie like Wicked can change during production. It goes to show that no matter how much you plan in advance, and budget and prepare for a production to go a certain way, you have to be willing to push back when, creatively, something doesn’t feel right. Because, as Joh M. Chu went on to explain to us, things can be fixed rather quickly when you surround yourself with geniuses like composer Stephen Schwartz. Chu explained to ReelBlend:

“Give me one night.” Imagine being able to do that? To just scoot off, and write a song that Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel are going to sing in the Wicked movie? Insane. Make sure you listen to our full conversation with Jon M. Chu, on ReelBlend:

It’s great that audiences finally are getting the chance to see a Wicked movie, as the production had been rumored, started, stopped, paused, rushed, held and then some on its way to the screen. It seems to be a powerhouse, and I wonder if that will carry it all the way to the Oscars. Time will tell.

As the Wicked release date draws closer, we can’t wait to see the story of how Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, became who they are. Despite the storyline behind one of the most highly-anticipated 2024 movies being about a rivalry between two women, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, who play Glinda and Elphaba respectively, were committed to not let that bleed into their relationship on set. This was especially relevant because the original actors behind their roles reportedly dealt with tensions backstage on the Broadway production.

How Ariana Grande And Cynthia Erivo Avoided Feud Narratives

If you’ve seen these two together, it’s clear that Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo have bonded a lot and become close friends throughout the making of Wicked. Grande recently spoke about how they dodged getting on each other’s nerves. Here’s what she said:

During a cover story for Vanity Fair, Cynthia Erivo jumped in on the topic as well. In her words:

The two leads of the Wicked cast also shared that they vowed to take care of each other when they signed up to adapt the Broadway musical and novel it’s based on. The actresses filmed the movies (which yes, will split the story into two parts) in London over a few years. Grande shared that shooting the film happened at a time when she “went through a lot of life changes” which as we know included a divorce. Thankfully, these two stayed solid and seem to be the best of friends to this day.

The Rumored Tension Between Kristin Chenoweth And Idina Menzel

So, what happened between the original Wicked stars? Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth debuted the beloved roles of Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway back in 2003. It was rumored at the time that the pair dealt with tensions off stage, including during the time when they both were nominated for the same Tony. Menzel ultimately won the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical over Chenoweth.

Last year, when the musical turned 20, both of them spoke about their tension with Vulture. Here’s what Chenoweth said:

Performing a show eight times a week while one is going through the emotions of having a sick parent could not have been easy. Chenoweth got honest with herself about that time in her life, also saying this:

Despite the narrative that permeated between the Broadway stars, Menzel said it was ultimately “outlandish” and they were “extremely supportive” of each other despite being “tired” from over three years as the characters. “For Good” at the end of every show was “very healing” for both of them as well. As the Frozen actress continued:

So, all seems to be good between the original witches, and Grande and Erivo are a wonderful pair as well.

Going into Wicked, the only feud we hope to see is the one it will have at the box office with Gladiator 2 when both movies arrive in theaters on the same day, November 22!

If you know me, you know I love animation. I’ve always been a fan, from the latest animated movies coming out as part of the 2024 movie schedule to classics that I could rewatch again and again. I also love animation on television, something that I grew up on and have come to appreciate even more. But there are just some characters voiced by actors that I genuinely could not imagine another actor voicing them – and today, we’ll be going over them. 

Robin Williams As Genie (Aladdin)

This is the obvious answer. Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin was honestly one of Robin Williams' best roles, and he wasn’t even on screen. He was able to give so much energy, wit, and fun to a character that was drawn, and it almost made you feel like Genie was a friend rather than some random side character.

Tim Allen As Buzz (Toy Story Franchise)

Toy Story is hands down one of the best Pixar films, and a big reason for this is the natural partnership between Buzz and Woody. Of course, I had to put Tim Allen as Buzz here. I’m pretty sure we can barely think of Buzz in any other way aside from Allen doing it, even if Chris Evans did give it his all in the Lightyear cast. 

Dante Basco As Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

“Hello, Zuko here,” is a line that has lived in my brain since I was literally a child and will forever be there. Dante Basco as Zuko is iconic. Not only is Basco basically the biggest Avatar: The Last Airbender fan out there, but he’s also voiced not one but two characters in the ATLA universe. However, he, like Zuko, can’t be beaten, and we will always love him voicing one of the best redemption arcs on television. 

Bryce Papenbrook As Eren Yeager (Attack On Titan)

Let me preface this by saying that yes, I know the primary voice roles for anime are the Japanese voice actors but have you ever heard an English dub actor who is just so good that it makes it almost impossible to watch it in Japanese? That’s Bryce Papenbrook with Eren Yeager in Attack on Titan. As one of my favorite anime, I started this series listening to Papenbrook, and I ended it with him, too, when I watched the finale again with the dub. He does Eren so well, and it’s hard to picture anyone else but him. 

Eddie Murphy As Mushu (Mulan)

Eddie Murphy is one of those actors where it feels like he plays himself in his voice roles, and he, as Mushu, is certainly one of them. I cannot tell you how often I quote this character. “Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!” I mean, only Murphy could have that kind of delivery. 

Tara Strong As Timmy Turner (The Fairly Oddparents)

There are some voice actors out there who ultimately defined my childhood, and Tara Strong is one of them. I could put so many of her characters on here from multiple different TV shows, but I think the best one has to be Timmy Turner from The Fairly Oddparents. I couldn’t imagine Timmy having a distinct voice, and Strong brought so much character to his iconic kid. 

Seth MacFarlane As Stewie Griffin (Family Guy)

Family Guy has cemented itself as a show that just won’t stop, and the voice actors have pretty much stayed the same since the beginning. One that hasn’t changed is Stewie Griffin, who is voiced by the creator of the show, Seth MacFarlane, and obviously, he has to be here. I’m pretty sure Stewie is probably the most iconic character from the show, and it’s because of MacFarlane’s delivery and his hilarious lines. 

Tom Hanks As Woody (Toy Story Franchise)

Come on. You knew Tom Hanks would be here. Hanks is like the grandfather of our generation when it comes to voice roles, and his role as Woody will live on in our memories long after we’re all gone and Toy Story becomes a certified classic (if it isn’t already). Hanks is just that good, and I will listen to him voice Woody over and over again. 

Ellen DeGeneres As Dory (Finding Nemo)

Ellen DeGeneres isn’t exactly known for her movies, as she was mainly a daytime talk show host for many, many years, but her voice acting as Dory in Finding Nemo is top-notch. Dory wound up becoming just as big as the clown fishes that we followed in the movie and became a loveable character that children all around the world flocked to, and that’s because of DeGeneres and her voice skills. 

Jay Baruchel As Hiccup (How To Train Your Dragon)

Even though there’s a live-action How To Train Your Dragon set to release, you can’t beat the animated movies, and of course, Jay Baruchel is voicing Hiccup, the main character. Honestly, I think Hiccup would have been really tough to nail if the voice actor wasn’t right. Baruchel had to find the delicate balance between a surprisingly brave warrior and a kind of wimpy teenager and build on that for three movies straight – and he rocks it. 

Eddie Murphy As Donkey (Shrek)

Eddie Murphy as Donkey is everything. Look at me. Look at me and tell me you can picture someone else as Donkey because I surely can’t. This talking animal has cemented itself into pop culture with hilarious lines, memes, and so much more, and it’s because of Murphy’s delivery. Now I’m gonna go and make some waffles. 

Kaiji Tang As Gojo (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Kaiji Tang is an example of an English dub actor in anime who knocks it out of the park. I honestly love any version of Jujutsu Kaisen, and Season 2 was one of my favorite anime of 2023, but let me tell you, Tang, as Gojo, made it so much better. His line delivery is just phenomenal – it’s no wonder the character is, like, the anime community’s crush. With that smooth voice, it’d be hard not to crush on him.

Trey Parker As Eric Cartman (South Park)

There are so many outrageous episodes in South Park that make you squirm, and you want to know who’s behind most of them. Eric Cartman, because he’s a menace to society – so, of course, one of the creators is the voice behind him. Trey Parker is a naturally funny person, so he as Eric Cartman makes sense – only he could think of the most ridiculous and awful lines to say for a literal fourth-grader. 

Billy Crystal As Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc.)

When making this list, I thought about putting maybe John Goodman as Sully, but then I really thought about it and realized that Mike is actually low-key more iconic. Mike, in general, is a great character with a good backstory and a hilarious sense of humor, but you want to know why he’s so funny? It’s because of Billy Crystal—I can almost feel him through Mike. Mike is Billy, Billy is Mike. 

Shameik Moore As Miles Morales (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse)

Miles Morales proved anyone can wear the mask in Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse, a film that became a huge hit and spawned a sequel and another movie coming out soon enough. However, a big reason why Miles is such a great character is because of the voice behind him, Shameik Moore. Since the first film, Moore has brought humility to Miles, but also that kind of smooth swagger that we know only he could have. He’s excellent, and I can’t wait to hear more from him. 

Tom Kenny As Spongebob (SpongeBob SquarePants)

How could I not include Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants from the SpongeBob SquarePants series here? This man is my childhood. Sure, there are impressionists out there who believe they can impersonate SpongeBob, but no one can do it like Tom Kenny, and I stand by that. 

Kaley Cuoco As Harley Quinn (Harley Quinn)

There have been multiple people who have voiced Harley Quinn in Batman TV shows and animated movies, but I’m sorry. Kaley Cuoco takes the cake, and I want her to be the animated version of Harley Quinn from now on. Her take on Harley in the TV show Harley Quinn is hilarious, on-brand, and unforgettable, and if you haven’t had the chance to watch her voice the heck out of his classic DC villain/antihero, then you have to. 

Mike Myers As Shrek (Shrek)

Obviously, I had to put Mike Myers on this list. While I do think Donkey is a little more iconic, Mike Myers as Shrek is pretty much the same as butter and toast, or Oreos and milk, or popcorn and movies—you get my gist. Myers as Shrek is pretty much the standard for celebrities voicing animated characters, and he’s quite hard to beat. 

Dakota Fanning As Coraline (Coraline)

Coraline is one of the best stop-motion films out there, and surprisingly, no matter how creepy it might be to others, it’s a comfort film for me. And, of course, I can’t imagine anyone else voicing Coraline other than Dakota Fanning. She was so young at the time but still brought so much sass and wonder to the character, and it made me love Coraline for the explorer she was. 

Dan Castellaneta As Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

Oh, you know he would be here. The Simpsons is hands down the most iconic TV series of all time and has been around since the 1980s. Dan Castellaneta has voiced the patriarch of the Simpsons family since the very beginning and has cemented himself in television just as much as the rest of the cast. But you can’t get more iconic than Homer freaking Simpson. 

Christy Carlson Romano As Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

Kim Possible was a show from my childhood on The Disney Channel that made me want to be a spy. It likely led to a few injuries when I jumped from trees to show how cool I was. Either way, it was mainly because of Kim and how kick-butt she was while also being a remarkable teenager, and thanks to Christy Carlson Romano’s voice acting, she was made all the better. 

Christian Bale As Howl (Howl’s Moving Castle)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of my favourite Studio Ghibli movies, and I have to admit that for this, I do like the English dub better because, come on, you can’t beat Christian Bale as Howl! That man has a voice as smooth as butter, and you will find yourself falling for Howl so quickly because of how he voices the character. Ugh, I’m getting butterflies just thinking about it. 

Antonio Banderas As Puss (Shrek 2)

Shrek has plenty of iconic voices, but you want to know who has one of the best ones? Antonio Banderas didn’t even show up in the Shrek franchise until the second movie. But Banderas’ voice was so popular that he spawned not one but two spin-off films – the second of which featured one of the best DreamWorks Animation villains of all time, so you know he’s iconic. 

Jeff Bennett As Johnny Bravo (Johnny Bravo)

Okay, so, if we’re being honest, Johnny Bravo is actually a pretty lousy person and very misogynistic, but man, is it funny to get his butt handed to him in so many situations? It’s because of Jeff Bennett and the way he voices him. He’s just so funny in a messed-up way. I love it. 

Matthew Mercer As Levi Ackerman (Attack On Titan)

Attack on Titan is a case where I tend to lean more towards the English dub than the Japanese because of some of the voice-acting choices, and Matthew Mercer as Levi Ackerman is just *chef’s kiss.* Don’t get me wrong, the Japanese voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya does a great job, too, but when I think of Levi, I think of Matthew Mercer’s voice, and that just means I literally cannot imagine anything else.

Jack Black As Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Po the Panda is one of those characters that has become a pretty big name for DreamWorks Animation. In reality, it’s really just Jack Black behind a microphone in the sound booth voicing some of the most hilarious moments ever. Sometimes, it feels like I’m almost just watching Jack Black on screen because Po is as funny as him.

Helena Bonham Carter As Emily (The Corpse Bride)

The Corpse Bride is an excellent stop-motion animated film that certainly has a specific group of people who watch it every year (me included during Halloween). I could talk about Johnny Depp as Victor, but I have to point out Helene Bonham Carter as Emily. She voices the character so well and gives so much life to a literal corpse. It’s one of Carter’s best movies. 

Chris Rock As Marty (Madagascar)

Chris Rock as Marty makes sense. While there were only three Madagascar movies, Rock voiced the zebra in each of them and killed it every time. I could literally watch an entire spinoff film on just Marty. I want more, Marty. Please give me more hilarious lines like “Oh, sugar honey iced tea!”

Bill Fagerbakke As Patrick Star (SpongeBob SquarePants)

You can’t have SpongeBob without his best friend, and Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star is a match made in heaven. Since the show’s beginning, Fagerbakke has voiced the sea star, and he’s perfect for the role. Honestly, I almost want to watch him and Kenny voiceover the Super Bowl again next year because he as Patrick and them together is just perfect. 

Matthew Lillard As Shaggy (Scooby Doo)

There have been many voice actors who have come and gone to voice Shaggy, but let’s be honest here – Matthew Lillard has become Shaggy. Ever since he did the live-action version of Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo films, we’ve loved seeing him as Shaggy, and then he began doing the animated version. He’s been voicing the character (except for Velma, but we don’t talk about that), and he’s fantastic. 

Oscar Isaac As Miguel O’Hara (Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse)

Oh, Miguel. TikTok’s boyfriend of Summer 2023. The man, the myth, the legend that somehow captured my heart and reminded me that I have a thing for fictional brooding men. Either way, Oscar Isaac voices Miguel, and yes, this man is Miguel, and I will not accept any other person voicing him. 

Idina Menzel As Elsa (Frozen)

I had to put Elsa here somehow. Frozen is one of the biggest animated franchises of all time, and it’s mainly because of Elsa, her ice powers, and the incredible force of Idina Menzel’s voice. There isn’t another singer/actress on the planet that could belt like that.

While there are plenty of other animated characters we could discuss, these were just some of the first ones that came to mind—and now I feel like having an animated movie marathon. 

There’s little question that one of the biggest movies of the fall will arrive when the Wicked: Part One release date gets here in November. Stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are embodying their characters, at least visually, as we’ve seen the pair together in outfits that match the characters they’ll be playing. But we now have an even better picture, as the new Elphaba met up with the character's OG actress, Idina Menzel, at the Tony Awards -- and it was amazing.

Last night’s Tony Awards saw some amazing wins and some powerful speeches, but what may have been one of the best moments may have been seeing Cynthia Erivo and Idina Menzel come together. The latter played the original Elphaba in the Broadway production of the Wizard of Oz spinoff. And, of course, the other will be taking on the role in the big-screen adaptation as she and Grande lead the Wicked cast which is already expected to be one of the year's biggest movies. Check it out: 

We’ve been used to seeing Erivo and Grande wearing their trademark green and pink on red carpets over the last few months. Both have perfectly coordinated at the Met Gala and elsewhere, doing what amounts to the Broadway version of Disneybounding, or invoking a character look without specifically dressing in costume. It’s a great way to help keep their movie in people's minds leading up to its theatrical release.

Neither Erivo nor Menzel had green in their ensemble this time, but the two still looked great together. The appeared both dark and glamorous, which considering there wasn’t much coordination planned here, makes it all look even better. 

One imagines the two had plenty to talk about at the Tony Awards if they were able to spend any real time together. While there’s a chance that the Widows alum may need to go back for some reshoots of Wicked: Part Two between now and its release date in November 2025, she has otherwise completed the role. That means she and her predecessor could have really shared their experiences in the famous role.

The Uncut Gems star has been honest that she would have loved to have played Elphaba on screen, but knew she was too old for the role. Having said that, she and co-star Kristen Chenoweth were truly happy for Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande taking on the parts and Menzel seems as excited as the rest of us to see the finished product. 

The role of Elphaba catapulted Idina Menzel’s already solid career into the stratosphere, eventually landing her the role of Elsa in Frozen, likely making her a star in the eyes of many children whose parents loved Wicked. Cynthia Erivo is already only an Oscar short of an EGOT, though she’s been twice nominated. There’s a good chance that anybody who doesn’t already know her name won’t be able to forget it once the highly anticipated flick hits screens.

Wicked is set to hit theaters on November 27 as part of the 2024 movie schedule.

Swifties have been spoiled, between Taylor Swift’s most epic live show yet, the Eras Tour movie (which hits different from the actual tour experience) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) complete with its "glown-up" album cover. Amidst all the current Swift-related happenings in the world, Frozen star Idina Menzel threw things back to her own Swiftie moment, circa 2015 during the 1989 World Tour. It’s most definitely a great all-time on-stage moment for the artist that's worth melting for. However, the actress forget Swift's Olaf costume

Just ahead of the calendar turning to November, Idina Menzel took to her Instagram to recall where she was on All Hallow's Eve eight years ago, referring to the night as the “best Halloween ever.” The photo she shared can be viewed below:

That’s right, Idina Menzel took to the stage with Ms. Taylor Swift that night while she was playing Tampa, Florida. If you weren’t following Swift’s memorable 1989 era back then, then know that the singer would regularly bring out famous artists to her shows on the regular to sing a song and, most of the time, those performances would be duets. On Halloween, the crowd went absolutely wild when Swift brought out Menzel to sing “Let It Go.” 

I love the Uncut Gems alum for reminding us all of that major moment, but I can’t believe she left out the most important part of the whole appearance. At the beginning of the performance, the Midnights artist dressed as Olaf the Snowman, and the Wicked alum came out in an Elsa costume before the pair quickly changed into their fancy getups and walked across the stage together. Check it: 

There have been some great celebrity Halloween costume moments in 2023, but it's hard to top this one that took place eight years ago. The audience in Tampa certainly received a fun gift when they witnessed all of this that glorious Saturday night. Before the singer introduced Idina Menzel to sing “Let It Go,” Taylor Swift first strutted out in the Olaf costume for “Style” alongside her dancers, who were in reindeer costumes. Could this show be more iconic? 

After the Disenchanted shared the sweet throwback, tons of Swifties fondly shared their recollections of the moment as well. Take a look at some of the comments from the social media post: 

• "I just about peed myself when you came out on stage"
• "that was a cultural reset for sure 😍"
• "MY ROMAN EMPIRE"
• "queens recognize queens. 👑"
• "MOTHERS ARE MOTHERING"

That was an unexpected mash-up, to say the least, but it's clearly one that fans are still living for nearly a decade later. Idina Menzel was actually the songstress' final big guest on the 1989 World Tour since Tampa was the final U.S. stop for the globe-spanning show. Previously, Taylor Swift brought out tons of big artists like Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Nick Jonas and longtime bestie Selena Gomez. Despite that though, one could say that Menzel's appearance still stands as the most memorable of the bunch.

After venturing down memory lane with Idina Menzel, check out what other upcoming Taylor Swift projects are on the way.

Scooter Braun – arguably one of the most successful managers and music execs in Hollywood – has seen some major changes to his business dealings as of late. In recent weeks, he’s lost a number of high profile clients. Those who’ve since left his agency are Ariana Grande, Demi Lovato and Idina Menzel. It’s also been reported that Justin Bieber is planning to part ways with him. It’s likely that many are wondering why so many stars are pulling away from the businessman. Well, an insider dropped some details on why the A-listers supposedly made the decision to split from Braun.

On the outside looking in, it would appear that all of this is happening quite suddenly. A source, however, claims it’s actually the opposite. They allege that the dissolutions of these business partnerships have been on the horizon for some time now. They also say that the relationships between the Schoolboy Records and his clients were strained due to a professional change on his part: 

In 2021, Scooter Braun became the CEO of HYBE America after the South Korea-based parent company purchased Ithaca Holdings from Braun and the Carlyle Group. 42-year-old Braun has since taken on new responsibilities as a result. But as the source claimed to ET, those have allegedly had a less-than-positive impact on how he’s been handling his talent. The unnamed individual shared another sentiment with the news outlet in regard to how Braun supposedly feels about his managerial obligations: 

The stars at the center of this situation have remained mum, though rumors about their exits have continued to swirl. A source that’s reportedly close to Demi Lovato told ET that the split was “amicable.” Lovato has since signed a new management agreement with Good World Management, which is headed up by Brandon Creed. Meanwhile, it’s been said that Braun’s breakup with Ariana Grande is a bit more complex. One insider asserts that Grande’s affair with Wicked co-star Ethan Slater factored into her decision. Grande’s former manager purportedly didn’t provide her with ample support amid the flurry of backlash she faced after her relationship with Slater was divulged.

At this point, many eyes are likely on Justin Bieber, as he apparently makes business moves for the future. He and Scooter Braun seem to have had a complex working relationship – one that hasn’t been without occasional drama. Braun actually used to fear for Bieber’s life years ago due to the Grammy winner’s lifestyle. On the flip side, it was rumored that Bieber became entangled in Braun’s feud with Taylor Swift over her masters, with the specific link being his past relationship with Selena Gomez.

Scooter Braun does, of course, have other clients, yet it’s hard to deny that he lost some heavy-hitters. The man himself poked fun at the situation by posting a manager-related joke to X. Still, one can’t help but wonder if or when more clarity on Ariana Grande and co.’s exits might arise.

Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel are together again for one of the latest releases on Netflix’s 2023 movie schedule, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. The two previously worked on the dramedy film Uncut Gems, in which their characters were involved in a tense marriage. The bond between their two characters in this new film, however, very different. The director of the comedy, Sammi Cohen, couldn’t help but make a funny joke when describing how the dynamic between the two stars differs from what was seen in the Safdie Bros.' acclaimed crime flick.

The Happy Madison founder is widely known for reuniting with former co-stars from time to time whether it’s Drew Barrymore, Rob Schneider, Steve Buscemi or Kevin James. So it makes sense that for You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, Adam Sandler reunited with Uncut Gems co-star Idina Menzel, who once again plays his wife. To say that the actress was a massive get for this latest production would be an understatement. Sammi Cohen was asked by Variety just how they got the “Queen of Broadway” actress to take part in the film and responded by contrasting their characters here from the ones in the other aforementioned movie:

That’s a very interesting and humorous way of looking at it, and it's true that audiences didn't get to see the pair as a loving couple in the 2019 thriller. The movie portrayed more of a complicated relationship between their two characters as Adam Sandler played a gambling addict, and Idina Menzel played his long-suffering spouse, who's on the cusp of divorcing him. It was particularly interesting to see the Enchanted alum play such a role, given that she's mostly starred in uplifting fare. She lit up the big screen when she starred in Disney Animation’s Frozen and was also part of the killer cast of Amazon’s Cinderella, in which she played the wicked stepmother. So if you’re wondering how the Broadway actress could have possibly gotten into character for Uncut Gems, she joked that it took three tequilas for her to give that stellar performance!

You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah looks to be a solid showcase for both actors and seemingly serves a breathe of fresh air after their turns in the Safdies' production. Aside from playing the loving wife of Adam Sandler's character in the cast of the Netflix comedy, the character is also the mother of two girls, who are played by the real-life daughters of the 50 First Dates actor. Based on the film’s trailer, you see the Wicked actress’ character serves as a source of support for her daughter, who’s about to be viewed as a woman in the eyes of the Jewish community. As she’s going through friendship drama in the midst of preparing for her bat mitzvah, her mother seemingly does what she can to ensure her daughter has a positive experience. 

The coming-of-age comedy from Sammi Cohen is proving to be a success thus far. It currently has a 95% critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics also have strong opinions on Sadie and Sunny Sandler's performances, with many praising them for their work.

Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel seem to work well together, and it's great that they had the opportunity to collaborate once more. Here's hoping the two get to act alongside each a third time one of these days. While you wait for word on that, grab a Netflix subscription and stream You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah. And on the off chance you do want to see the two stars at each other's throats, stream Uncut Gems using a Paramount+ subscription.

The latest Netflix original movie to star Adam Sandler is a real family affair for the comedian, and not just because it is a family-friendly dramedy from the director of Hulu’s Crush, Sammi Cohen. This adaptation of Fiona Rosenbloom’s novel actually stars members of his real family, including his daughter, Sunny Sandler, in the lead role of Stacy — a Jewish girl who experiences a devastating betrayal as she enters her teens. We’ll talk more about the young actor’s role, and everyone else in the You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah cast in our following guide to who they play and where else you may have seen them below.

Idina Menzel (Bree Friedman)

The role of Stacy’s mother, Bree, marks Idina Menzel’s second time playing Sandler’s onscreen wife — the first time being in Uncut Gems from 2019. The Tony winner also recently reprised her Enchanted character, Nancy, in Disney+’s Disenchanted cast and is set to voice Elsa again in Frozen 3. However — unlike when she played Maureen in 2005’s Rent after originating the role on stage — Menzel will not be playing one of her definitive Broadway characters, Elphaba, in the upcoming cinematic adaptation of Wicked.

Jackie Sandler (Gabi)

Playing Gabi — the mother of Stacy’s best friend, Lydia — is Adam’s real-life spouse, Jackie Sandler, who (according to People) got her start in modeling before making her acting debut in Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo. It was on the set of Big Daddy, in which she appeared as a server, where she met her future husband, with whom she has since appeared in countless other movies — the most recent being Hubie Halloween and the next being the upcoming animated comedy, Leo. She has also reunited with Rob Schneider a few times (like in 2022’s Daddy Daughter Trip) and has appeared in more Netflix original comedy movies, such as The Out-Laws. 

Adam Sandler (Danny Friedman)

Playing Bree’s husband, Danny — the father of two girls played by his real daughters (more on them soon) — is producer Adam Sandler, whose career as of late (excluding the Hotel Transylvania movies and the aforementioned A24 masterpiece, Uncut Gems — primarily consists of Netflix originals like Murder Mystery and its sequel or the acclaimed basketball drama, Hustle. Previously, the former SNL star led theatrically released comedy classics like Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore in the 1990s. Also through Netflix, the recent Mark Twain Prize for American Humor recipient released his first stand-up special in years, 100% Fresh, in 2018.

Sadie Sandler (Ronnie Friedman)

As Danny and Bree’s oldest daughter, Ronnie, we have Sadie Sandler — an actor who is known for working exclusively with her father so far since 2008, in which she appeared in You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and Bedtime Stories. She last worked with both of her parents and her younger sister in Hubie Halloween and will also reunite with them all for Leo. 

Sunny Sandler (Stacy Friedman)

Leading the You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah cast as Ronnie’s younger sister, Stacy, is Sadie’s real-life younger sister, Sunny Sandler, whose filmography is also full of many Adam Sandler movies, having made her debut in 2010’s Grown Ups at just 2 years old and appearing in Hustle most recently. Even when not sharing the screen with her father, she has also been known to appear alongside her mother in the likes of The Wrong Missy, Home Team, and The Out-Laws. 

Samantha Lorraine (Lydia Rodriguez Katz)

As Stacy’s best friend-turned-sudden-enemy, Lydia — who has her own bat mitzvah — we have Samantha Lorraine, who made her debut as a featured cast member of the PBS children’s variety show, Kid Stew, in 2020. That same year, she made a quick transition into more mature content by appearing on three episodes of The Walking Dead spin-off, World Beyond, as a younger version of Alexa Mansour’s character, Hope. The following year, she made her feature debut in The Kid Who Only Hit Homers and next appeared in the 2023 rom-com, The Love Advisor.

Dylan Hoffman (Andy Goldfarb)

Stacy develops a crush on a classmate named Andy Goldfarb, whom she catches sharing a close encounter with Lydia instead, which leads to their volatile fallout. The boy in question is played by Dylan Hoffman, who is making his feature film debut in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, having previously gotten his start on Fox’s short-lived, technophobic drama, Next.

Sarah Sherman (Rabbi Rebecca)

Playing Stacy’s Hebrew school instructor, Rebecca, is current Saturday Night Live star, Sarah Sherman, whose previous film credits include 2019’s supernatural comedy, Holy Trinity; Tim Heidecker’s political satire, Mister America, from the same year; and 2023’s animated action-fantasy, Nimona, which is also her first Netflix movie. Her first collaboration with the platform, however, was in 2018 as a writer for Magic with Humans, which was also one of the unique comedian’s first major gigs after debuting her stage persona, Sarah Squirm. She also wrote for and appeared on an episode of Adult Swim’s Three Busy Debras and helped develop concepts for Jackass Forever in 2022.

Dan Bulla (Cantor Jerry)

Rebecca’s colleague — a music instructor named Jerry — is played by Dan Bulla, who is also known for SNL from behind the scenes as a writer and has worked with Adam Sandler both in front of and behind the camera on multiple occasions. For instance, he co-wrote, co-produced, and starred in 2017’s ‘90s-set comedy, Sandy Wexler and also executive produced 100% Fresh. More recently he served as a co-producer and penned an episode of Pete Davidson’s Peacock original comedy series, Bupkis.

Ido Mosseri (DJ Schmuley)

As a popular bat mitzvah emcee named DJ Schmuley, we have Ido Mosseri, who also starred opposite Adam Sandler in Sandy Wexler after previously appearing in You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star — the latter of which Sandler produced. Some the Israeli actor’s claims to fame also include the popular sketch comedy series, The Jews are Coming, and the Hebrew-dubbed version of SpongeBob Squarepants, for which he voices the title role.

Jackie Hoffman (Irene)

Bat mitzvah guest Irene is played by Jackie Hoffman, whom those with a Netflix subscription should recognize from the platform’s 2016 Gilmore Girls revival (subtitled A Year in the Life) or her brief, scene-stealing role among the Glass Onion cast as Duke Cody’s mother. The veteran comedian, Birdman star, and Emmy-nominee (for FX’s Feud) also steals the show on a regular basis from Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building cast as boisterous Arconian tenant, Uma Heller.

Zaara Kuttemperoor (Zaara)

In You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, Ronnie has a best friend, who spends enough time at the house to be considered a member of her family, named Zaara. That also happens to be the first name of the young actor playing her, Zaara Kuttemperoor, who is making her acting debut in the film.

Luis Guzmán (Eli)

As Lydia’s father and Gabi’s soon-to-be-ex-husband, Eli, we have Luis Guzmán, who has also worked with Adam Sandler on multiple occasions — such as in Anger Management and Punch-Drunk Love — and most recently worked with Netflix when he joined the Wednesday cast as Gomez Addams. Just a few of the other more notable titles from the Puerto Rican actor and comedian’s versatile, decades-long career includes other Paul Thomas Anderson classics like Boogie Nights, one of Steven Soderbergh’s best movies, Traffic, and Peacock’s Poker Face cast, more recently.

As of today, you can stream You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah on Netflix to see Adam Sandler, his family, and more bringing this diverse, insightful coming-of-age story to life.

Of all the hit animated movies that Disney has made and of all the Disney Princesses that fans fall in love with, few have ever had quite the impact of Frozen and Elsa, as voiced by Idina Menzel. The film is one of the studio’s biggest hits ever, in no small part thanks to the phenomenon that was the song “Let it Go.” It is the song Menzel is most known for, so of course, she sings it often. The problem for her now is that she actually made the song harder to sing.

The stars of Frozen have all talked at one time or another about the way that the film has changed their lives. Speaking with CNN, Idina Menzel says she had some understanding of what it would mean for her career in general to become a Disney Princess, but she had no clue that the film or the song would become the cultural touchstone that it is today. If she had, she might have not made the choice to sing the song so high, because now she has to do it every night. Menzel said…

Menzel’s thought process here is perfectly sound. Elsa is a young woman in Frozen and the voice actress wasn’t sure if the character was really going to sound like a young woman coming into her own the way she had previously sung “Let it Go.” So she decided to sing the song higher in order to give her voice a more youthful feel. 

Elsa is only supposed to be 21 years old in the first Frozen and she’s been living her entire life in the castle. It’s pretty key to the character that she comes across as young and vulnerable. It’s hard to argue that Menzel’s decision here didn’t work. "Let it Go" became the song that kids loved and parents got very tired of, and it also won the Oscar.

Unfortunately for her, it now means that every time she sings “Let it Go” she has to work that much harder because the song is just that little bit higher. It seems part of her wishes she hadn’t done that now. Menzel continues… 

While “Let it Go” may require a lit bit more from her whenever she sings it, Idina Menzel admits that the change she asked for worked perfectly, and so she’s still glad she did it that way.  

When Frozen’s Elsa said “let the storm rage on” during her show-stopping number, she wasn’t kidding. Nearly a decade after the Disney movie was first released, it remains a Mouse House classic and a popular favorite for families to listen to over and over. I’m sure many parents can relate to Gabrielle Union’s thoughts on “Let It Go,” which she recently admitted is on her do not play list. 

Gabrielle Union just joined the ranks of Disney animated characters as a part of the Strange World voice cast. But just because she’s now part of the Disney family doesn’t mean she’s going to bump Idina Menzel’s princess power ballad anytime soon. As Union recently said about the Frozen hit: 

Union burned “Let It Go” while compiling the soundtrack of her life with NME. Among the artists on her favorites were Earth Wind & Fire, Adele, Beyoncé and Boyz II Men, but when asked about the song she can no longer listen to, the Frozen track was No. 1. And, it all comes down to her daughter playing the song way too much during her “heavy Frozen phase.” 

It’s no secret Union’s daughter is a huge Disney fan. Earlier this month, the actress hosted an Encanto-themed 4th birthday party for her daughter, with their whole family getting dressed up. Previously after the trailer for the The Little Mermaid live-action movie dropped, Union also shared a photo of her daughter all decked out in an Ariel costume too. So clearly she’s raising a Disney kid! 

Following the massive success of Frozen, both Idina Menzel and Princess Anna actress Kristen Bell are well aware how annoying it can be to parents. Back in 2019, Menzel said that “as much as it might be annoying” to a lot of parents, it’s “one of the great gifts” of her career. She’s shared that it gives her a way to communicate and connect with people all over the world. 

Just a couple months ago, Bell was inducted into becoming a Disney Legend at the D23 Expo and said she was “sorry to every parent who had to listen to Frozen on a loop”. Kristen Bell also said playing the Disney Princess has been the “highlight” of her life, aside from her kids, of course. 

Union is far from the only parent who likely has blacklisted “Let It Go” from her ears, but it just goes to show how much of an earworm it is not only for kids, but everyone. You can, of course, relive Frozen with a Disney+ subscription now. And, you can meet Gabrielle Union’s Disney character, Meridian, in Strange World, which is now playing in theaters. 

Many people who have tuned in to catch the highly anticipated sequel to the early aughts Disney classic Enchanted seem to be having a magical and hilariously fun time watching it. As more viewers continue to watch Disenchanted they are sharing their thoughts about the nostalgic sequel, and we’ve compiled a few of the very best ones. 

Even though the film has received mixed reviews from critics, it’s clear that fans have been having an absolute blast as they stream Disenchanted with their Disney+ subscriptions. Take this user as an example, they, like me, grew up with Enchanted and used a both hilarious and accurate iCarly meme to tweet about their affection for Disenchanted. 

I feel like this meme in particular really captures what it felt like to sit down and watch Disenchanted all these years after Enchanted. I was 8 years old when the first film came out, and I truly was enchanted by it, so watching the sequel as a 23-year-old brought back all my warm, magical feelings and love for the original. 

Another person on Twitter also tapped into all the nostalgic feels with a hilarious meme from The Office, as they posted: 

Others were psyched to see the return of James Marsden’s over-the-top and lovable Prince Edward. While it felt like there wasn’t enough of Edward in the trailers, and he wasn't in too much of the movie, he did provide some of the most memorable moments, in my opinion. One fan was also incredibly enthusiastic about Marsden’s return as the prince, tweeting: 

While there were lots of fans commenting on the movie as a whole, others were hyper-focused on the music, especially because we actually got to hear the queen herself, Idina Menzel belt her heart out. I mean hearing the Wicked star sing “The Magic of Andalasia” and absolutely slay the power ballad “Love Power” was so fun. 

One person on Twitter captured their excitement while watching the Frozen star’s shining moment in Disenchanted, posting: 

As for the other songs in the film, this user posted a funny meme about Giselle’s tendency to break out into song anytime something went slightly wrong, tweeting: 

I feel like this tweet also encapsulates the general energy of evil Giselle in the movie, and watching Amy Adams switch from good to evil was wicked fun. 

If you re-watch the movie, I’m sure all these silly thoughts from fans will add an extra layer of fun and nostalgia to your viewing. Also, if you go back and watch Disenchanted make sure to look out for all the fun Easter eggs that are peppered all over the sequel. All these fun callbacks and nostalgic memories tied to Disenchanted really do make it a fun and magical addition to the 2022 movie schedule, especially if you grew up loving Enchanted. 

It’s been 15 years since Amy Adams brought her fairytale charm to New York City through princess-to-be Giselle, and fans of the live action Disney film have been looking forward to its sequel Disenchanted for quite a while. The time is finally here, as the movie is currently available for streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The Disenchanted cast sees the return of our old favorites — Patrick Dempsey as Robert, Idina Menzel as Nancy and James Marsden’s Prince Edward (though the trailers don’t show nearly enough of him). There are also quite a few new names to the universe, including comedy greats Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown and Oscar Nuñez.

Disenchanted will see Giselle and Robert moving their family out of Manhattan and into the suburbs. With Adam Shankman directing and Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz behind the music, we’ve been promised some major musical moments, including Idina Menzel finally getting to sing. The reviews are in to tell us what we need to know about this Disney+ sequel before deciding whether or not to settle in for a movie night with the fam. Let’s see what the critics have to say, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of Disenchanted. Our own Mike Reyes rates the movie 4.5 stars out of 5, saying it one-ups the original and is one of Disney’s best of the year: 

Amelia Emberwing of IGN agrees that this is a “mostly successful” effort, rating the movie a “Good” 7 out of 10. She warns that people hoping for simply more of the original movie might be disappointed, as Disenchanted takes the story in a different direction. The critic says:  

For Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times, this movie was well worth the wait, Amy Adams is still a dream, and the sequel is filled with lavish musical numbers. The critic rates it 3 out of 4 stars, saying: 

Not all of the critics enjoy Giselle’s turn as a villain, however. Owen Gleiberman of Variety opines that Amy Adams’ goody-two-shoes character was the highlight of Enchanted, and her transformation into a wicked stepmother leads to a “scattershot” sequel. He says: 

Lovia Gyarkye of THR is also underwhelmed with the follow-up to Enchanted, saying it lacks charisma and curiosity, despite the best efforts of its talented cast. According to the review: 

Giselle's sweet naivety was unquestionably part of what made Enchanted such a classic 15 years ago, and it seems like the critics aren’t all in agreement about the arc her character takes in the long-awaited sequel. Others, however, give it their full endorsement. If you’d like to check Disenchanted out for yourself, the movie is available now for streaming on Disney+. If you’d like to start planning your next trip to the theater, be sure to check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule, and see what’s coming to the big screen in 2023.

These days, Idina Menzel’s name is synonymous with some of the most popular songs to grace the stage and screen. It all began with the smash-hit musical Rent, then she defied gravity as Elphaba in Wicked. Following an incredibly successful career on Broadway, she went on to play Elsa in Frozen and sang the incredibly popular song “Let It Go." However, while Menzel has been a part of some of the biggest moments in musical history, the path between these stops has been rocky, which she is revealing in her new documentary Idina Menzel: Which Way To The Stage?  for Disney+. 

Idina Menzel Opens Up About Challenges After The Success Of Rent

In 1996 Menzel made her Broadway debut in the groundbreaking musical Rent. She played Maureen Johnson in Jonathan Larson’s seminal rock musical, and blew audiences away with her pipes, especially when she sang “Take Me Or Leave Me.” While she earned a Tony nomination for her performance, and the musical went down as not only one of the greatest shows on the stage but also a classic musical movie, Menzel’s career faltered a bit after leaving the show. In the trailer for her new documentary, the actress said: 

That restart ended up involving the smash-hit musical Wicked. Menzel ended up originating the role of Elphaba in 2003, and won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical that year. Now, the musical is being turned into a movie starring Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. Both stars of the 2003 production, Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, reacted to the casting, and while the OG Elphaba is a little bummed she’s too old to play the part in the movie, she’s very excited for Erivo and Grande. 

After leaving Broadway, Menzel began to make a career in the movies, and while it took a little bit for her to find her footing, things started to go back up again when she was cast in a little movie called Frozen. 

Frozen Was A Defining Moment For Idina Menzel, And Here’s Why

Back in 2013, the world was rocked by Disney’s princess movie about sisters Anna and Elsa. Since then, it has become such a big hit, its climactic song “Let It Go” is one of the biggest Disney songs of all time. Menzel belts out the lyrics to “Let It Go” in the movie and plays Elsa. Her character helped define many little girls' childhoods as they ran around belting like the ice princess and waving their hands around trying to move the snow. 

Understandably, the movie changed Menzel’s life, as she said in the trailer: 

She’s also been open about how the movie has been one of the “great gifs” of her career. Following the success of the musical, Menzel and the rest of the cast created Frozen II and are still being asked if there will ever be a Frozen III. While the actress behind Elsa doesn’t know if there will be, she’s enthusiastic about the idea and hopes a threequel is in the works. 

Menzel’s career has flourished in multiple ways over the last few decades, and it’s still growing. As for what’s next, the actress will appear in the sequel to Enchanted, and she’ll be singing this time! 

You’ll be able to watch the singer’s documentary on December 9 and see her in Disenchanted on November 18 with a Disney+ subscription. In the meantime, you can watch Menzel belt her heart out in Frozen on Disney+ and Rent with an HBO Max subscription. 

Over the past few years we've seen Disney+ become a powerful force in the entertainment world, delivering both TV and movie content. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming releases has been Adam Shankman's Disenchanted, which serves as a sequel to the 2007 classic Enchanted. And the movie's trailer reveals Amy Adams' villain era, and shows Idina Menzel singing for the first time in the franchise.

The first Enchanted movie was a box office and critical success, and fans have long waited for a sequel to finally arrive featuring the same starring cast. Luckily Disenchanted is almost here, and will allow Idina Menzel to use those magical vocal cords, after noticeably not singing at all in the first movie. As you can see in the trailer above, which also shows Amy Adams' Giselle turning into a villain.

The trailer opens on protagonists Giselle and Robert (Patrick Dempsey) in the midst of their happily ever after. They move out of the city with his daughter Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), who doesn't seem thrilled about the change of location. Eventually things get magical, starting with the arrival of James Marsden and Idina Menzel's Edward and Nancy. The two sing a quick Andalasian diddy, which I hope isn't the only time we'll get to hear the Wicked icon sing in this long-awaited musical sequel which is arriving for those with a Disney+ subscription. 

This new trailer for Disenchanted help to reveal the main plot of the upcoming movie, which seems to revolve around a spell and magical wand wielded by Amy Adams' Giselle. When wishing for her life to be a fairy tale, eventually she herself becomes a wicked stepmother. And the spell also branches out to the town at large, including new characters played by Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Glee's Jayma Mays. 

Of course, it doesn't look Giselle will be the only villain seen throughout Disenchanted's reported 120-minute runtime. The other antagonist is Maya Rudolph's new character Malvina Monroe. If Giselle is a wicked stepmother, it seems like Malvina is an evil queen in the new movie. What's more, she somehow has her own  powers, which will result in a magical battle between her and Amy Adams' protagonist. 

While this new trailer for Disenchanted helped to reveal the broad strokes of the upcoming streaming movie's plot, it doesn't seem like the House of Mouse revealed too much of its contents. And as such Adam Shankman and screenwriter
Brigitte Hales should be able to pack twists in the mysterious project. And among the surprises to come are the new songs written by the great Alan Menken. Luckily for fans, the wait until its release is nearly over.

Disenchanted will arrive exclusively on Disney+ November 18th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

When it comes to modern day shows, there are plenty that excel at casting great guest stars, and one of my personal favorites is Glee. Though there have been other shows with awesome guest stars, such as 30 Rock, or The Office, I really don’t think any other modern television show was as good as Glee (created by TV royalty, Ryan Murphy) at giving us great guest appearances.

While the show had its good and not-so-good moments, the guest stars were always some of the best parts of the series. Today, we’re going to go over the twelve best Glee guest stars that we seriously can’t stop thinking about, even more than a decade after the show debuted. 

Neil Patrick Harris

I have to put Neil Patrick Harris on here first, because he's one of my favorites to speak about. In the Season 1 episode of Glee, “Dream On,” Harris shows up as a former rival to Will Schuester, and wow what a performance. I always knew Harris was talented in musical theater and singing - as he has starred on Broadway and done other amazing things - but his time in Glee was something else. 

He managed to go toe-to-toe with Matthew Morrison while singing a cover of “Dream On” and jeez, I still listen to it years later, because I just can’t believe that Neil Patrick Harris hit that high note. He ended up winning an Emmy Award for his guest performance, so you know it was good. Such a talented star.

Kristin Chenoweth 

Another Season 1 guest star was Kristin Chenoweth. The actress is a Broadway legend, and has currently been in many things on television such as Disney’s Descendants series, as well as being a part of the Schimigadoon! cast. But watching the Season 1 episode, “The Rhodes Not Taken,” was something else, and hearing her version of “Maybe This Time” is just astounding. 

Her character, Amber Rhodes, would return for subsequent episodes, but nothing beats her first appearance on the show. 

Britney Spears

Talk about a legendary guest star. In one of Glee’s more popular episodes, “Britney/Brittany,” the pop princess herself, Britney Spears, ended up making an appearance in several of the kids' dream sequences as they were getting their teeth done and were put on laughing gas. 

While Spears didn’t have many lines, just seeing her show up in these musical sequences alongside the rest of the Glee cast was truly amazing, and I loved the moments where she would have interactions with the others. I wish she'd spoken more. 

John Stamos 

Also appearing for the first time in “Britney/Brittany” was legendary TV actor John Stamos. You might know Stamos from his iconic role as Uncle Jesse in the family sitcom, Full House, but in Glee, he ended up playing Carl in Season 2, a love interest for Emma (Jayma Mays). He doesn’t have many singing scenes, but there’s no denying that his charisma is there in full effect, and I loved it so much. 

He would also show up in later episodes, as well, until his relationship with Emma ended, but what a time to be alive and watch him on Glee. 

Idina Menzel 

Idina Menzel has been famous since her starring roles in hit musicals like Maureen Johnson in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked, the latter of which she won a Tony Award for. She later gained even more fame when she voiced Elsa in both Frozen and Frozen 2 and annoyed parents everywhere as their children kept listening to “Let It Go.” Let’s hope a Frozen 3 happens.

However, for her guest role on Glee, she actually played Rachel’s (Lea Michele) biological mother, Shelby Corcoran. She first showed up in the Season 1 episode, “Hell-O,” and while the beginning of them getting to know each other was rocky, as Idina Menzel was literally coaching Rachel’s competitors, they did end up on the right foot eventually. 

Together, they performed several amazing songs together. My personal favorite was “Poker Face,” where it’s not as fast as the original song by Lady Gaga, but a slow ballad that seems to blend both their powerhouse voices so well. Menzel did appear in several episodes – and even had a relationship with a student in Season 3 that I don’t want to talk about – but after that, she was nowhere to be seen. 

I still wish she had come around again during Seasons 5 or 6 when Rachel was having problems in her life, but it’s not the end of the world. I know she was out doing star-studded things. 

Demi Lovato 

Season 5 of Glee was, ah, something. 

It’s funny, because I was never a big fan of the show when it was at its height. I actually binged the first three seasons on Netflix and became a fan around Season 4
– and I really liked Season 4, just for the fact that I was a New Yorker and liked that they took the show there. But Season 5 was, um…not as great. 

However, the guest stars in Season 5 of Glee were top notch, and while I could talk about one who really rocked my socks off, Adam Lambert, I’m going to instead devote this section to Demi Lovato’s guest role, Dani. 

While Lovato wasn’t in the show for super long, her character was essential to Santana’s (Naya Rivera) development after she'd just broken up with Brittany in Season 4 and needed to move on with her life and try and find new experiences  – and Dani was that new experience. Their cover of “Here Comes The Sun” always gives me chills. 

Season 5 wasn’t super great, but that cover most certainly was. 

Olivia Newton-John

It’s sad as I write this because Olivia Newton-John, who is primarily known for her role as Sandy in the Grease cast and her astounding music career, passed away in 2022. However, I can still look back on her best roles and think that her guest spot in Glee was truly iconic. 

She first showed up in the Season 1 episode, “Bad Reputation,” where I got to see her do the best cover of her song “Physical” ever, alongside the one and only Jane Lynch. But, she also shows up again as a judge in “Journey to Regionals” at the end of the season, still looking just as great as ever. It’s always fun to rewatch her role on the show.

Gwyneth Paltrow 

Gwyneth Paltrow first showed up in the Season 2 episode, “The Substitute” as Holly Holliday, and forever changed my life. While she was subbing for Will Schuster for the glee club when he was sick, her cover of “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)” had me screaming in joy as a kid and I loved watching her perform. 

Her character was so loved that she ended up making an appearance at the live Glee concerts they were doing at the time. She also won an Emmy for her role in the show  – one she very much deserved. 

Kate Hudson 

Like I said, I actually really enjoyed Season 4 of Glee. And I feel like a lot of people don’t give Kate Hudson’s time on the show enough credit, because this woman performed her butt off. Playing Rachel’s overbearing and condescending dance instructor at NYADA, Cassandra July, Hudson was able to bring just the right amount of sass and boldness to match Rachel’s energy, and I loved it. 

Seriously. Her cover of “All That Jazz” with Rachel is one of my personal favorites. She may not be everyone’s favorite guest star but I truly enjoyed her time on the show. She appeared in several episodes in Season 4, but I wanted to see her again. 

Whoopi Goldberg

The legend, Whoopi Goldberg, decided to grace Glee fans with her presence in both Season 3, Season 4, and Season 5 in sporadic guest roles throughout. She played Carmen Tibideaux, the Dean of Vocal Performance at NYADA and the person who gave Rachel a chance to come to the school after she bombed at her college audition in Season 3, and then got in thanks to their Nationals-winning performance. 

Carmen, while hard on people at first, is someone I could totally respect, because she truly cared about the art of music. She wasn’t about to let in anyone who didn’t deserve it, and she made sure everyone knew. The ones she did let in would work their butts off to try and impress her. I mean, it’s Whoopi Goldberg, how can you not try and impress her? I’ll always be upset they never brought her back, but once Rachel left NYADA, I suppose it's understandable that we never saw her again. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

In my personal opinion, Sarah Jessica Parker was always one of the guest cast members who felt underutilized on Glee, because I actually did enjoy her part on the show. Parker, who is known for plenty of roles, including her famous lead part in the Sex and the City cast, plays Isabelle Wright, an executive at Vogue who gives Kurt a job as an assistant.

While the idea of Kurt getting a job as a fashion assistant at Vogue with no prior experience is laughable, there’s no denying that Parker is amazing in her role here. She was amazing in the cover of “The Way You Look Tonight/You’re Never Fully Dressed,” and I loved her performance of “At The Ballet.” She was a great special guest star. 

Ricky Martin

Last but not least, we have a singing legend, Ricky Martin. This singer showed up in the Season 3 episode, “The Spanish Teacher,” who was acting as Will’s night-school teacher so he could learn better Spanish. But, Will took him to the glee club that week when he decides to give the songs a Spanish music theme. 

Let me tell you, you have not lived until you've heard Ricky Martin, of all people, sing LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It,” partially in Spanish. This was an awakening for me  – and an ick at the same time, because I did not need to see Finn try to do a body roll. Either way, it was an experience to remember and one that I’m sure I’m not going to forget for a long time. 

Glee aired its last episode seven years ago, which still feels crazy to think about, and the cast has now done many other things. But, I can still look back on this show and think of all the fun I had with these guest stars – and enjoy the heck out of their covers on my playlist. 

Adam Sandler has made it a habit of working with many of his co-stars on multiple projects. Whether that be David Spade, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, Jennifer Aniston or Drew Barrymore, given Sandler’s friendly track record with other Hollywood talent, he must be pretty fun to work with. This trend is about to continue with one of Sandlers’ Uncut Gems co-stars, proving even one of his more stressful projects left a good impression on his peers. 

Sandler will share the small screen this time around with Idina Menzel, who played Howard Ratner’s wife, Dinah Ratner, in the 2019 acclaimed thriller. According to a Netflix announcement, they will both star in a movie for the streaming service called You Are SO Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah! based on the young adult book with the same title. The movie is already in production too. 

You Are SO Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah! was written in 2005 by Fiona Rosenbloom and follows a girl named Stacy who is getting ready for the coming of age event, but it begins to comedically unravel and ruin things for her. Alongside Sandler and Menzel starring, SNL’s Sarah Sherman and Luis Guzman are part of the cast as well. Additionally, it appears Sandler’s wife Jackie and his two daughters Sadie and Sunny are also in the cast. 

Rounding out the cast is Ido Mosseri, Samantha Lorraine, Dylan Hoffman, Dean Scott Vazquez, Miya Cech, Ivory Baker, Dylan Dash, Millie Thorpe and Zaara Kuttemperoor. The movie is being produced by Adam Sandler’s production company Happy Madison along with Alloy Entertainment. You Are SO Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah! will be directed by Sammi Cohen, who recently helmed the LGBTQ+ rom-com Crush, and the script has been penned by Alison Peck, who wrote Work It for Netflix. 

Given the source material, we don’t imagine Adam Sandler will front this project, but it sounds like a sweet coming-of-age story for the SNL comedian and real-life father of two to be part of. The movie adds to an exciting lineup of movies Sandler has on the way. The actor is also set to star in the Murder Mystery sequel with Jennifer Aniston, which wrapped production back in April. He’ll also star in a movie called Spaceman for Netflix alongside Carey Mulligan, which has also reportedly completed filming. 

Adam Sandler just recently debuted his film Hustle on Netflix to positive reviews overall. Plus, one of his throwback movies Big Daddy has been trending on the streaming service this week. We’ll look forward to the next three movies from Sandler set to debut on Netflix, including You Are SO Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah!. Until then, check out the upcoming Netflix movie release dates you can get excited for here on CinemaBlend. 

It’s been almost three full years since the last time we saw sisters Elsa and Anna have another adventure together in a Frozen movie. Considering the weekend box office of Frozen II was considered the highest opening for an animated film the month it came out, as well as once being the tenth highest-grossing film of all time (it's now 11th), you would think a third Frozen movie would be inevitable. However, plans for such a project are still hanging in the air, and Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa, has weighed in on if a Frozen 3 movie will happen.

When we left off with Elsa in Frozen II, she became the protector of the Enchanted Forest. Regarding if we’ll continue to see more of Elsa in her newfound role, People posted a snippet of an interview Idina Menzel gave for Shop Today’s Jill Martin about her openness to reprising her iconic role.

She’s definitely right about that. After all, nearly all of the original cast of Toy Story was able to reprise their roles two decades later for Toy Story 4. The same can be said said for the original cast of Monsters Inc., as Billy Crystal, John Goodman and others from the first movie took part in the prequel Monsters University 12 years later. It's easy for a voice actor if they played these characters as adults, as there would not be too much of a developmental change. I’d just like to hope that Idina Menzel still sings the way she does now as when she turns 80!

When the question of Frozen 3 was originally brought to the attention of the Frozen filmmakers, they said they felt like the second movie completed the story, and to ask writer/director Chris Buck in a year. Well one year later, Frozen II’s Director of Story Marc Smith felt like Frozen 3 hadn’t been discussed because Frozen II was still too fresh in everyone’s minds to think about the future of the animated film franchise. But Kristoff’s Jonathan Groff offers hope for the potential threequel, and Sterling K. Brown hopes if there is a third movie that his song won’t get cut. 

Josh Gad, on the other hand, is a little less optimistic about the possibility of Frozen 3, as he felt there was no reason for another movie. With Disney films, it does tend to be a “never say never” deal. While Toy Story 3 was originally thought to be the end of the classic Disney franchise, we still got Toy Story 4 and a number of spinoffs. Still, I would have to agree with the Frozen filmmakers and Josh Gad in that it looks like the story of Frozen is completed with no reason to revisit it.

While Idina Menzel may be down for more Frozen sequels, there is another sequel that we can look forward to seeing her in. You can see the Rent star reprise her role as Nancy Tremaine in the Enchanted sequel, titled Disenchanted. Not only will she be reuniting with Amy Adams, but you’ll be pleased to know you can hear her carry a tune in the new movie. If Idina Menzel made “Let It Go” become a popular chart-topper, maybe the same will be said for any tunes she sings in Disenchanted.

You can hear Idina Menzel’s spectacular voice as Elsa in the Frozen movies with your Disney+ subscription.

One of the most memorable roles Idina Menzel played on the Broadway stage was as Elphaba in Wicked. She’s otherwise known as the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West who became unlikely friends with Glinda before the events of The Wizard of Oz. With Wicked getting the film-adaptation treatment, the movie musical has cast its two leads. But, one of those leads will not be the actress who brought the role to life. Idina Menzel shares her “honest truth” about how it feels to not relive the Tony-winning role of Elphaba for the Wicked movie.

When Idina Menzel was asked in a Broadway.com interview posted on Instagram if she was excited about the new Wicked movie, she responded that she’s proud of the two new leads, but a little down about her aging preventing her from playing the role again.

There was a time when Idina Menzel felt very strongly about reprising her iconic role as Elphaba and feeling she was “still relevant” to play the role. However, it looks like Ariana Grande will be in the movie adaptation, but not playing Elphaba as Menzel originally thought. The "Thank You, Next" singer will be Glinda the Good Witch while Widows Cynthia Erivo will be Elphaba. After the news was reported, Menzel gave her own touching reaction by congratulating the two leads and hoping the roles will change their lives for the better as they did her. 

Idina Menzel continued to emphasize in her interview what her memorable role as the Wicked Witch of the West meant to her. 

As heartbreaking as it may be to have to let go of the role that touched the hearts of many people, it is probably in the best interest of the movie for that to happen. After all, it’ll be 16 years since the last time Idina Menzel played college-aged Elphaba and she might not want to end up like Dear Evan Hansen's Ben Platt who received jabs for being a 27-year-old man playing a 17-year-old. All she can do is follow her Frozen character’s strong advice and “Let it Go.”

The Wicked movie musical has been going through a number of setbacks left and right. One major setback was that Billy Elliot’s Stephen Daldry will no longer be directing this two-part musical project as he was not comfortable with Universal’s development and pacing of it. Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu will be taking over as director. Another setback was that filming would begin this month instead of March with filming being in the United Kingdom instead of the United States. Despite all of the frustrating pitfalls the Wicked movie musical has gone through, you can still expect to see the upcoming new release of Wicked on Christmas 2024 and 2025.

Quicker than you can say Disney live-action remake, in 2007, Amy Adams’ Giselle went from 2D to 3D and in the flesh during Enchanted. The modern musical fairytale served as a fun love letter to the Mouse House's classic princesses and was a charming comedy for the whole family. After a 15-year break and numerous questions regarding the sequel’s future, Disenchanted has finally arrived, bringing with it those beloved characters as well as some new faces to the Disney+ exclusive.  

So, before or after you watch the Adam Shankman-directed musical comedy (with new music from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz), you will probably want to know where you’ve seen and heard the Disenchanted cast before. Well, worry no more, for we have put together a quick yet comprehensive rundown of the actors in the long-awaited sequel.  

Amy Adams (Giselle)

An Enchanted movie just couldn’t happen without Amy Adams, and the actress is indeed returning to the role of Giselle from Disenchanted. The movie will take place 15 years after Giselle’s happily-ever-after with Robert and follow the couple as they move to a new house in a town called Monroeville. When speaking about reprising the role last year, Adams said it was “humbling” to do even more singing and dancing “not in my 20s.”

Since last taking on the leading role in Enchanted, Adams has become one of the most prolific and decorated names in Hollywood, earning two Golden Globes (American Hustle and Big Eyes), multiple Oscar nominations for movies like The Fighter and Vice, and praise for roles in the likes of Arrival, Sharp Objects, and Nocturnal Animals.

Patrick Dempsey (Robert Philip)

Giselle’s true love Robert is also back, with Patrick Dempsey returning to complete Enchanted’s sweet romantic pairing. In the 2007 flick, Giselle and Robert were complete opposites and from completely different worlds, with her being from a literal fairytale and him being a widowed divorce lawyer. But as the events of the film take place, Robert and Giselle fall for one another and form a cute family with Robert’s young daughter, Morgan.

Dempsey, who was in the early days of his run on Grey’s Anatomy when Enchanted was released, has remained just as busy since then, despite leaving the medical drama in 2015 (he did briefly return for the show’s 17th season). Movies like Made of Honor, Bridget Jones’s Baby, and The Art of Racing in the Rain have all featured the versatile actor in the past decade-and-a-half.

James Marsden (Prince Edward)

The jolly singing Prince Edward of Andalasia also returns in Disenchanted. James Marsden plays the role once again after he provided some particularly memorable and hilarious moments in the original. While he and Giselle originally fell in love in the fairytale world, once Giselle met Robert, Edward also found a new partner in Robert’s girlfriend Nancy, and at the end of the film, they got married in Andalasia.

Already a massive star prior to his appearance in Enchanted thanks in part to the X-Men movies, Marsden has continued to be a major force in Hollywood. Roles in movies like Sonic the Hedgehog and its 2022 sequel, as well as appearances on the shows like 30 Rock, Westworld, Dead to Me, and The Stand have all kept Marsden in the spotlight the past decade-plus. 

Idina Menzel (Nancy Tremaine)

Nancy Tremaine is also back for Disenchanted, once again being played by the talented Idina Menzel, who has since become a Disney princess herself as the voice of Elsa in Frozen. Funny enough, in the first movie, Menzel did not get to sing a single song, despite her incredible voice. This time around, it looks like the actress will get a music number or two. Which makes sense, because as you can imagine, spending time in Andalasia inspires the song in people. 

In addition to portraying Elsa in the incredibly successful Frozen franchise, Menzel has also appeared in the 2021 Prime Video adaptation of Cinderella as well as the A24 movie Uncut Gems alongside Adam Sandler in 2019.

Gabriella Baldacchino (Morgan Philip)

Robert’s daughter Morgan has grown up since Enchanted, and in Disenchanted, she will return. However, the original actress has been replaced with newcomer Gabriella Baldacchino. Morgan was originally played by Rachel Covey, who is not currently working in acting (Covey has gone on to write and score her own musical called, Painting Faye Salvez though). 

Baldacchino is 21, has a musical theatre background and will make her feature film debut with Disenchanted. 

Maya Rudolph (Malvina Monroe)

Disenchanted's villain will be played by Maya Rudolph, as the actress herself shared in 2021. In the 2007 movie, Giselle was haunted by Susan Sarandon’s Queen Narissa, who was Prince Edward’s evil stepmother, a sorceress who felt threatened by Giselle becoming the new queen. Rudolph’s character, Malvina Monroe, oversees the new neighborhood Giselle and Robert move into, leading to some major conflicts.

Rudolph, who is probably best known for her time on Saturday Night Live and role in the 2011 raunchy comedy Bridesmaids, has done a little bit of everything throughout her career. Comedies and dramas, animated movies and live-action adventures, she’s done it all. She currently leads the Apple TV+ original series Loot.

Oscar Nuñez (Edgar)

Also among the new cast joining Disenchanted is Oscar Nuñez, who provides the face and voice of Malvina’s magical mirror, Edgar.

Nuñez is well known for playing Oscar Martinez on The Office alongside Steve Carell, John Krasinski and the rest of its hilarious cast throughout the show’s run The funny actor has also been seen in movies like 2009’s The Proposal and 2017’s Baywatch. He also showed up in the 2022 action romance film The Lost City earlier in 2022.

Yvette Nicole Brown (Rosaleen)

Disenchanted is packed full of great comedy actors. Yvette Nicole Brown is also part of the Disenchanted cast as Rosaleen, one of Malvina’s evil neighborhood minions. 

The actress is best known for playing Shirley in Community, Dani in CBS’ The Odd Couple and as Dina in ABC’s The Mayor. She has also held numerous movie roles in films, including Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Avengers: Endgame, and Repo Men, to name a few. 

Jayma Mays (Ruby)

Also in the cast of Disenchanted is Jayma Mays, who takes on the role of Ruby, another one of Malvina’s neighborhood cronies. 

Mays is most recognizable as Emma Pillsbury in FOX’s musical series Glee. The actress has also previously held roles in 2011’s The Smurfs movie, Paul Blart: Mall Cop and in a recurring role in The Millers. 

Kolton Stewart (Tyson Monroe)

Locke & Key’s Kolton Stewart, appears in Disenchanted as Tyson Monroe, the son of Maya Rudolph’s villain. 

Like much of the cast of the Disenchanted sequel, Stewart has a song and dance background. His previous work includes roles on shows like The Expanse, Timeline, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, to name only a few.

Ann Harada

Another Broadway talent joining the musical is Ann Harada, who shows up in Disenchanted as one of Robert’s fellow commuters 

Harada was notably part of the original cast of award-winning Broadway musical comedy Avenue Q as the character of Christmas Eve, along with taking the stage for Les Misérables, 9 to 5 and Cinderella. Harada recently appeared  in the Schmigadoon! cast on Apple TV+ and guest starred in Blue Bloods.

Michael McCorry Rose 

A newcomer to Hollywood, Michael McCorry Rose is part of the Disenchanted cast as one of the commuters on the train into New York City, as seen in the movie’s magical trailer.. 

The actor has been part of Broadway musicals, including the Tony Award winning musical A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder, along with being part of the casts of Wicked and the first National Tour of Anastasia. He has long collaborated with one of the Disenchanted songwriters, Stephen Schwartz, and has also performed with orchestras and symphonies.

James Monroe Iglehart

Broadway’s Genie James Monroe Iglehart appears in Disenchanted as another one of the commuters on Robert’s train into the city. 

The actor won a 2014 Tony for bringing Genie to life in the Aladdin stage musical, but he also took the mantle of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in Hamilton from 2017 to 2021. He also voiced the role of Lance Strongbow in Disney Channel’s Tangled series among many other TV credits.

That’s quite the exciting group of actors leading the Disenchanted cast, which can currently be watched with a Disney+ subscription. If you want to know what other movies are set to come out in the final weeks of the year, check out all the upcoming 2022 release dates here on CinemaBlend. 

Stream Disenchanted on Disney+.

After waiting over a decade, the Enchanted sequel titled Disenchanted is finally coming. Audiences can expect to see the magical cast from the previous film as well as some new characters to keep us excited. One returning cast member is Idina Menzel who played the potential stepmother role, but not in a wicked way. Now James Marsden, who played Prince Edward in the previous film, has a sequel update is sure to excite Menzel fans.   

When Screen Rant attended the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 premiere, he shared that Idina Menzel will actually sing in this sequel. This is an exciting change, as the Tony winning Broadway actress didn't sing a note throughout the first movie. What's more, he said that fans of the Frozen star will be pleased to know that composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz have written new musical numbers for the sequel. In the actor's words,

While this revelation may come off as confusing to this X-Men star, Idina Menzel told Movies Online that she actually wasn’t disappointed in not singing in Enchanted as she found it a compliment that her acting talents alone were enough to grab the role. The last time we saw her character Nancy in Enchanted, she chose to live in the Andalasian kingdom with Prince Edward while the main character, Giselle, chose to live in New York City with Patrick Dempsey’s Robert. After living like a Disney princess for 15 years and being reunited with Amy Adams for the Disney sequel, let’s hope for some songs about her life in Andalasia and a possible duet with Adams. 

Other thrilling new updates for Disenchanted follow Giselle, Robert, and his daughter Morgan moving to a new house in the suburbs overseen by Malvina Monroe, with the villainous role played by newcomer Maya Rudolph. After problems occur in their new home, Giselle works her magic to transform their new life into a fairytale only for the spell to backfire. No need to fret as we may have some classic Disney characters come along to help Giselle save the day. Since the last film was known for sneaking in plenty of Disney references, it should come as no surprise to see some more fun and nostalgic crossovers coming our way. 

Disenchanted is expected to arrive on your Disney+ subscription in late 2022. Make sure to look at our 2022 movie releases to find out when this long-awaited sequel will hit theaters. 

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While Disney has regularly been adapting animated blockbusters in live-action, the House of Mouse told a wholly original hybrid story with 2007’s Enchanted. Over a decade later a sequel is finally coming, titled Disenchanted. Amy Adams recently teased the movie’s ‘humbling’ musical numbers, hopefully including a duet with Idina Menzel.

The cast of Enchanted was stacked with Amy Adams starring alongside Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel. Despite her iconic singing voice, the latter actress didn’t get to sing in the original film. But Adams did, and it turns out that filming Disenchanted was an entirely different experience for the Arrival actress. As she explained,

While cartoon characters like Enchanted’s Giselle don’t age, the rest of us do. And for Amy Adams, that meant a somewhat more challenging experience with aspects like choreography. But despite this, something tells me the six-time Oscar nominee will end up nailing the musical numbers of Disenchanted.

Amy Adams’ comments about filming Enchanted 2 come from her recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While sharing excitement for the upcoming sequel and the addition of newcomers like Maya Rudolph, Adams got open about the difficulty that comes with playing Giselle the second time around. We'll Just have to wait and see exactly what musical surprises are coming in the upcoming project.

Disenchanted is expected to be released exclusively on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

As previously mentioned, Amy Adams isn’t the only musical talent involved in the Enchanted franchise. James Marsden sang a number of times in the original movie, starring in Hairspray that same year. But fans are perhaps most excited about Idina Menzel’s character Nancy finally getting a musical number.

The end of Enchanted saw Idina Menzel’s Nancy living in the cartoon kingdom of Andalasia with Edward, while Giselle stayed in the “real world” with Robert. Because she’s presumably been living her life as a Disney princess, the opportunities for the Frozen star to belt it out are endless. We’ll just have to wait and see if Amy Adams gets to duet with Menzel throughout the course of the movie’s runtime.

Disenchanted is currently expected to arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

We’ve seen a lot of Cinderella movies over the years, but never have we seen the rags-to-riches princess belt out J. Lo’s “Let’s Get Loud” in a fairytale finale. Amidst a world of many adaptations of the classic story, Amazon Prime’s take on the story sees Camila Cabello taking on the character alongside Idina Menzel’s evil stepmother and Pierce Brosnan as the king. Now that the movie has been streaming for a week, let’s get to what fans are talking about the movie.

As far as critics go, the reviews for Cinderella were mixed, including CinemaBlend’s review, which gave the movie a similarly mixed three out of five stars. Reviews might have been indifferent about Cinderella, but audiences overall really enjoyed this jukebox musical and had a number of reactions they shared online as to why they enjoyed tuning into the movie written and directed by Pitch Perfect’s Kay Cannon.

Camila Cabello As Cinderella Is Getting A Lot Of Love

First of all, there was a lot of love for Cinderella’s lead, Camila Cabello, who never starred in a movie before this one. Some fans felt like they had to defend their love for the movie online with big claps going her way for her performance:

Camila plays Ella, the stepdaughter of Idina Menzel’s Vivian, who spends her days in their basement doing housework, designing dresses and dreaming of a better life for herself. Another fan pointed out their love for Cabello as Cinderella, while also giving a shout out to the rest of the cast:

I mean, Cinderella has Billy Porter, Minnie Driver and James Corden too! That’s pretty fabulous. Camila Cabello also sings famous songs throughout the film, as well as one she wrote for the movie called “Million To One.” Cabello is also the first Latina Cinderella ever to be spotlighted in a major Cinderella film.

The singer was born in Havana, Cuba and grew up primarily in Miami, Florida before auditioning for The X Factor, becoming a member of Fifth Harmony and later stepping out with a solo career. Cabello was not the only highlight of Cinderella though, as Idina Menzel seriously stole the show too:

Idina Menzel’s stepmother really changes things up from the classic storyline as well and belts out some powerhouse moments, including a fun cover of “Material Girl.”

The Twist On The Cinderella Story Played Really Well

This Cinderella is completely different from your usual take on the story, because it has Ella as an aspiring fashion designer who wants to go to the ball to sell other royalty on her skills. The prince is someone who helps her follow these dreams and comes second to her personal goals. Fans, like the one below, loved this twist for Cinderella:

Lots of parents took to Twitter too to share how impressed they were with Kay Cannon having adapted the story to reflect a more modern and progressive stance on how a young girl might think. It’s true that previous generations have idolized stories like Cinderella and may take in those messages as happily ever after being about leaving one’s life for a man, rather than one’s own passions and desires.

The above dad was really happy to see Cinderella change up the story into something more empowering. And a mother approved the movie after watching many different Cinderella movies with her daughter prior. She loved that Camila Cabello’s character had “choice” in her decisions this time around:

Aside from the story element of Cinderella, the movie also of course had its musical element that mixed old-timey sets with modern music and appeal. One fan really summed it best:

A mix between Legally Blonde and Hamilton is a great way to describe this Cinderella.

Fans Can’t Get Over The Cinderella Ball Scene

The most iconic element of Cinderella will always be the ball Ella gets to go to thanks to her Fairy Godmother’s magic and this version was no exception. What’s cool about this version is how audiences are rooting for Ella to see her fashion design dreams come true just as much as falling in love with the prince. And audiences definitely fell for Camila Cabello’s prince:

While no, it’s not the singer’s IRL man Shawn Mendes, Nicholas Galitzine played the part well as a prince who does not really want to marry, but gets heart-eyes for Ella. During the movie, the pair sing a famous wedding song, Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” and audiences loved it:

The best kind of Cinderella movie will get you all in the feels over the magic of Ella’s big night out, and this one definitely did this with the time Ella and the Prince get together during the ball sequences before midnight.

Oh, and during the ball, Cinderella includes a cover of The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” Yes, exactly. It can be random, but fans really loved seeing all the diversity in the sequence along with the song itself.

Other songs that were part of Cinderella were Queen’s “Somebody To Love,” Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man.” It’s not everyday a classic story is told through these songs, but it has been done before with musicals such as Moulin Rouge.

It was a really fun way to see Cinderella play out. Overall, the Amazon Prime musical was a good time for a lot of people this past week. It’s a great time for musicals, and there’s more to come this year with Dear Evan Hansen, Everyone’s Talking About Jamie and West Side Story, among others. Check out what other movies are coming up next with CinemaBlend’s 2021 release schedule, and voice your thoughts on Cinderella in the poll below!

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There’s nothing quite like a good old Cinderella story. From the classic Disney animated feature to the 2015 live-action remake, Cinderella is a fairytale that has been redone several times in the media, whether that be through a classic retelling or a more modern version, like Another Cinderella Story. Which meant that it was only a matter of time before another was released, this time with an absolutely star-studded cast on Amazon Prime.

Whether or not this will be one of the best Amazon Prime movies is still unknown, but regardless, the Cinderella cast is filled with stars from all over, and I’m sure you have seen them somewhere before, especially the lead, Camila Cabello. If you’re scratching your head, wondering where they might have been seen (or heard) prior to their role, look no further than here.

Camila Cabello (Cinderella)

The title character of Cinderella has to have a beautiful voice that could sing you to sleep, and I couldn’t think of anyone besides Camila Cabello to take on that role. The pop singer hasn't done anything acting-wise prior to her role in Cinderella, but you’ve probably seen her in a couple of music-themed films as guest spots and friends of other stars.

For example, she appeared alongside close friend Taylor Swift in two of her concert films, Taylor Swift: The 1989 World Tour Live and Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour. She also appeared in the Shawn Mendes Apple TV+ documentary, Shawn Mendes: In Wonder. Cabello has also made appearances in several TV shows as herself, starting off her career as a contestant on The X Factor, and appearing in other projects, such as One World: Together at Home, Saturday Night Live and more.

Hopefully, her first acting role will be a hit, and we'll get to see her in more projects soon enough.

Idina Menzel (Vivian)

As the evil stepmother, Vivian, you have to have an actress who can truly embody what it means to be a horrid person. I can’t think of anyone better than Idina Menzel, who came to prominence when she played probably one of the best known witches in pop culture - the Wicked Witch of the West, otherwise known as Elphaba - in Wicked.

Besides her incredible singing talents on Broadway, which were shown throughout her stints in shows such as Wicked or Rent, Idina Menzel has done plenty in both film and TV. In film, you may recognize her as the voice of Elsa, one of the main characters of the Frozen film series. She’s also made live-action appearances in films as well, such as reprising her role from Rent in the film version, appearing in the film Enchanted (a role which she will reprise in the upcoming Disenchanted), and acting alongside Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems as his wife.

Idina Menzel also had a pretty big recurring role on Glee, where she played Rachel’s biological mother for several seasons.

Nicholas Galitzine (Prince Robert)

Every Cinderella needs her Prince Charming - or, in this version of Cinderella, Prince Robert. The prince is played by Nicholas Galitzine, who has been pretty active within the film and TV world.

Galitzine has appeared in a couple of films prior to his part in Cinderella, including the drama, High Strung, and the comedy-drama, Handsome Devil. He’s also made appearances in the New Zealand-filmed horror movie, The Changeover, and in the TV film, The Watcher in the Woods. As of recently, he appeared in the sequel film, The Craft: Legacy, where he played Timmy.

Nicholas Galitzine has also been active in TV. He guest starred on Legends, and had the leading role in the Netflix original series, Chambers. Now, after Cinderella, maybe we’ll get to see more of him in the coming months.

Minnie Driver (Queen Beatrice)

Minnie Driver portrays Queen Beatrice in Cinderella, and Driver has been a part of Hollywood for over 20 years now, with some major roles under her belt. Back in the late 1990s, Driver appeared in Circle of Friends, GoldenEye, Grosse Pointe Blank, and the Matt Damon-led film, Good Will Hunting.

She went on to voice Jane in the animated film, Tarzan, had a role in The Phantom of the Opera, Owning Mahowny, and voiced Lady Eboshi in Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke, along with several other roles.

Minnie Driver has also been very active in television. She had a recurring role on Will & Grace, a lead role on The Riches, as well as on the sitcoms About a Boy and Speechless, and a starring role in the miniseries, The Deep. She’s also recently starred in an episode of the Amazon original series, Modern Love.

Pierce Brosnan (King Rowan)

For a king, there’s truly no one better to play King Rowan in Cinderella than James Bond himself, the wonderful Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan portrayed the iconic 007 spy, James Bond, for four films (GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day). After that, he went on to star in several films, such as The Fourth Protocol, Mrs. Doubtfire, Dante’s Peak, The Thomas Crown Affair, Mamma Mia! (and its sequel), The Ghost Writer, The Matador, The November Man, and more.

Pierce Brosnan has also appeared in TV. Besides several guest starring and recurring roles, Brosnan had a main role on the crime dramedy Remington Steele for several seasons, starred in the horror miniseries Bag of Bones, and had a leading role on The Son, a western drama. There’s truly no stopping 007 with all of the amazing parts that he has played throughout his career.

Billy Porter (Fab G)

Fab G is fabulous, magical, and everything else that we need in Cinderella, and that fabulous godparent could only be played by the iconic Billy Porter. Porter has appeared in several films prior to his role in Cinderella, including Twisted, The Intern, Noel, Like a Boss and more. Billy Porter has also done plenty in theater, including winning a Tony Award for his portrayal of Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway, and even played Teen Angel in Grease on Broadway, as well.

While Porter had plenty of guest appearances on TV shows like Law & Order and The Get Down, one of his more prominent roles was playing Pray Tell in the FX original series, Pose, a role that would see him nominated him for several awards. Billy Porter teamed up with Ryan Murphy again for Season 8 of American Horror Story, when he starred in the Apocalypse installment. He’s also set to voice Randall Leibowitz-Jenkins in the upcoming The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, so I’m eager to see what this legend does next.

Maddie Baillio (Anastasia)

You can’t have Cinderella without some evil stepsisters, and Anastasia is one of the two. Played by Maddie Baillio, the young actress has just begun her journey in Hollywood, with Cinderella being her third major role.

Her first step into stardom was playing Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray Live! when it aired on NBC. Her second was portraying Millie Mitchellchuk in the Netflix original film, Dumplin'.

Hopefully, even more wonderful roles will come her way after Cinderella.

Charlotte Spencer (Drizella)

When there’s one evil stepsister, there’s always another backing her up, and that’s Drizella in Cinderella, played by Charlotte Spencer. Spencer has appeared in a few films prior to her part in the fantasy film, such as Misbehavior and The Duke, but she’s also guest starred in several television shows as well.

This includes guest roles in Hotel Babylon, Genie in the House, Glue, and many more. Charlotte Spencer also played Charlotte Appleby in the miniseries, The Living and the Dead, and had a recurring role as Esther Denham in Sanditon and another recurring role as Karen Petersen in Us.

James Acaster (John)

Cinderella can’t go anywhere without the help of the lovely mice aiding her along, and James Acaster is one of those mice, named John. While Cinderella is Acaster’s first major film role ever, he’s been extremely active in comedy, mainly in the United Kingdom.

Acaster has appeared on several panel shows (otherwise known as a game show) that are based in the U.K., such as Mock the Week, Taskmaster, 8 out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie To You? and so many others. He also currently hosts a panel show called Hypothetical, alongside Josh Widdicombe. James Acaster has also had a Netflix comedy special, titled Repertoire, so if you haven’t listened to some of this guy’s material, be sure to check him out now. He’s seriously funny.

James Corden (James)

Another of Cinderella’s mice, James, is played by James Corden, and I’m sure that there is something out there that you have watched with James Corden in it. The actor is mainly known for his talk show, The Late Late Show with James Corden, where many of his skits and YouTube videos (like Carpool Karaoke) have gone viral.

Besides that, Corden has had a very prominent acting career, both has a musical man and as a regular actor. In terms of television, James Corden has appeared in TV shows like Fat Friends, Teachers, and co-created and co-starred in Gavin & Stacey. He also recently hosted Friends: The Reunion on HBO Max.

In film, Corden has been active for years, appearing in several, such as the comedy Gulliver’s Travels, The Three Musketeers, the musicals Begin Again, Into the Woods, and The Prom, the Trolls film series, and the infamous Cats. He also voiced the titular Peter Rabbit in Peter Rabbit and it’s sequel.

All of these 2021 movies have so many stars, it’s almost overwhelming, and Cinderella only adds onto that list. Here's hoping you can see your favorite again soon after their part in Cinderella.

A dream is a wish your heart makes, and if you were wishing for a new musical to obsess over, you’re in luck. We’re about to see a modern take on the traditional fairy tale Cinderella, and this upcoming film is appropriately titled Cinderella. The romantic musical comedy stars Camila Cabello in her acting debut as the titular princess, and also features Idina Menzel, Minnie Driver, Nicholas Galitzine, Billy Porter, and Pierce Brosnan. This fairy tale marks the first live-action adaptation remake since Disney’s Cinderella in 2015.

In this fairy tale with a modern twist, we see a young Cinderella who lives with her abusive and overprotective stepmother and stepsisters after her father’s death. We’ll be able to see the musical soon, as Cinderella releases on Amazon Prime Video this Friday, September 3. Let’s check out what critics are saying.

We’ll start in-house, as usual. Our very own Sarah El-Mahmoud enjoyed the musical overall, rating it 3 out of 5 stars. She doesn’t necessarily consider this remake a total reinvention of the original story; it’s enjoyable enough, but there are too many Cinderella stories out there already. She also thought some of the movie’s attempts to add a modern-day twist were hit and miss, but overall she still enjoyed Cinderella, shouting out the dynamite cast (especially Cabello and Menzel). El-Mahmoud said:

Courtney Howard from Variety also enjoyed Cinderella overall, but had some criticisms. While she praised director Kay Cannon’s inspired creative approach to make this musical into a fantasy unlike any before it, Howard thought the execution was flawed. She was frustrated with the movie’s inconsistent pacing and character development, which somehow was both underdeveloped and overstuffed at the same time. While she pointed out one musical number as “empowering,” she thought the rest of the set pieces were uninspiring and exhausting and hindered by the cinematography. But Howard did praise Cabello’s performance, as well as Porter’s, whom she thought absolutely stole the show. She said:

Leigh Monson from WhatToWatch also praised Billy Porter’s standout performance, as well as some fascinating subplots, but also had some criticisms. She was frustrated by the movie’s futile attempt to insert feminism into the classic story, as well as the desire for progression for the current age while retaining the whimsy of the fairy tale. Overall, Monson said:

Lovia Gyarkye from The Hollywood Reporter was also pretty disappointed with Cinderella. She thought this “new but not so improved” story should have made more of an impact with its sets and costumes, especially considering that the titular Cinderella wants to be a fashion designer. She also thought the narrative was too thin and didn’t provide enough foundation for the limited amount of jokes to land. Gyarkye wrote:

Kristen Lopez from IndieWire had a more positive review of the musical comedy. She highly praised the musical numbers, giving recognition to the composer Jessica Weiss and the choreography from Ashley Wallen (The Greatest Showman). She also complemented Cabello’s performance, and said:

Well, critics mainly seem to be relatively disappointed with Cinderella. But you can decide for yourself soon as the musical starts streaming on Amazon Prime Video this Friday, September 3.

In the meantime, if you're looking for some more love stories to watch this year, check out our release guide here.

Sometimes when movie casts reunite for a sequel, it’s hard to recapture the winning chemistry they had the first time around. It sounds like that wasn’t the case for the cast members of the highly anticipated Enchanted 2, though -- at least according to Idina Menzel. She revealed what it was like to reunite with co-star Amy Adams, and it sounds like the actresses had yet another magical experience on set.

In Enchanted, Idina Menzel played Nancy Tremaine, a woman caught between two charming men -- Robert Phillip and Prince Edward. For Disenchanted, the Disney+ sequel, she will reprise her role, alongside Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden. Filming recently wrapped on the sequel, and the actress recently gave US Weekly an update on her experience-- and she had nothing but good things to say:

Idina Menzel also had plenty to say about her Oscar-nominated co-star and what it was like to work with her again after so much time in between Enchanted and Disenchanted. The Tony-winning actress continued:

Back in 2007 when Enchanted was released, Amy Adams was just beginning to make a name for herself in Hollywood. Her performance as Giselle is still regarded by many as one of her best to date. Still, in the years since Enchanted, she’s earned numerous accolades and become one of the most recognizable stars of this generation, thanks to a wide range of roles in films like Arrival and American Hustle.

So it’s cool to hear that Idina Menzel -- who has become a superstar in her own right thanks to her other Disney character, Frozen’s Elsa -- was so excited to reunite with her co-star. It’s also good to know that despite how much success she’s gained, Amy Adams remains down to earth -- even when she’s playing a princess, it sounds like she’s keeping it humble.

While Idina Menzel’s great experience on the Disenchanted set should be enough to get fans excited, there’s much more where that came from. From the time the sequel was announced to the recent celebration of production wrapping, we’ve heard tons of buzzworthy details -- including hints from director Adam Shankman that there will be some huge musical numbers. We also know that the film will bring a few classic Disney characters into the fold.

Disney+ hasn’t announced an official release date for Disenchanted yet, but it seems likely that the film will hit the streaming platform some time in 2022.

Julie Andrews, Lily James, Brandy and Drew Barrymore have been among the many on-screen Cinderellas we’ve seen lose her slipper on a stairway over the years. Now it's almost time for 24-year-old pop singer Camila Cabello to run home in a ball gown before midnight with Amazon Prime’s musical take on Cinderella and with a look at a new trailer, the cast alone is enough to be sold on another glass slipper fitting.

Aside from the 24-year-old “Havana” singer starring as Ella in a modern take that the to-be princess as a talented fashion designer, we also have a solid look at who will be starring alongside her and it includes Frozen’s Idina Menzel as her wicked stepmother, Mamma Mia’s Pierce Brosnan as the king and Billy Porter as Cinderella’s fairy godmother. Did I tell you, or did I tell you?

In the trailer above, we get an exciting introduction to what to expect from the Cinderella movie this September and it has some seriously great talent involved along with some especially incredible fashion moments from Camila Cabello’s Ella. Now this has got to be the first time we’ve seen the character don a pantsuit , but she did tell her fairy godmother she wants to be a ‘business woman’ this time around!

Other notable cast members joining Cinderella include Minnie Driver as the queen and James Corden as one of Ella’s mice friends, who turns human by the good-til-midnight wish she is granted. The movie was written and directed by Kay Cannon, who previously helmed 2018’s Blockers and wrote Pitch Perfect 2 and 3 along with episodes of New Girl and 30 Rock.

If you caught wind of the ensemble singing and dancing to Janet Jackson’s "Rhythm Nation," your ears did not deceive you. Cinderella is set to be a jukebox musical that will also feature new music by Camila Cabello as well. Some other songs reportedly in this Cinderella are Madonna’s “Material Girl” covered by Idina Menzel, Jennifer Lopez’s “Let’s Get Loud” by Camila and The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army” by the film’s Prince Charming, played by The Craft: Legacy’s Nicholas Galitzine.

The last iteration of Cinderella was in 2015 through Disney’s more emotional and reflective version starring Lily James without the music numbers. This one seems to be focusing on some especially fun elements of the fairytale, by taking the character’s love of fashion to another level. As the trailer teases, perhaps Ella is going to the ball to show off her latest fashion piece rather than looking to be swept away by a prince.

It looks like Cinderella is going to put a major twist on the classic story as Camila Cabello’s version seeks to follow her dreams to be a fashion designer amidst all the lively music numbers to come. Cinderella is coming to Amazon Prime on September 3. While we wait for Ella's ball, check out what other movies are coming up next with our 2021 movie release schedule.

As one of the most acclaimed and meme-ified movies of 2019, Uncut Gems was a great critical and commercial hit for Adam Sandler, writers-directors Benny & Josh Safdie, and the studio behind it, A24. While the movie didn't receive a lot of love at the Oscars, particularly with Sandler getting egregiously snubbed, the drama certainly found an audience, proving to viewers who typically associate the comedian with his outlandish larks that he had serious acting chops. Now that it's been nearly a year since the movie's notable release, what is the Uncut Gems cast, which also includes LaKeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Idina Menzel, Judd Hirsch, and Kevin Garnett, working on now?

Let's take a look and see!

Adam Sandler (Howard Ratner)

As Howard Ratner, a Diamond District jeweler with hefty gambling debts, Adam Sandler gave arguably the best performance of his career in Uncut Gems. Having established his star power on Saturday Night Live, he went on to make a series of profitable (if not always critically celebrated) comedies, including Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy, Mr. Deeds, and 50 First Dates, as well as Click, Grown Ups 1 & 2, and Just Go With It. He also lends his voice to the Hotel Transylvania movies. Additionally, Sandler garnered praise for his performances in Punch-Drunk Love, Funny People, and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected). Additionally, the actor/producer grew his fanbase through several Netflix originals, with Murder Mystery being the most heavily-streamed title of these collaborations.

Most recently, Adam Sandler co-wrote and starred in the 2020 Netflix horror-comedy, Hubie Halloween, the latest Happy Madison production. He also reunited with the Safdie brothers earlier this year for the short film, Goldman v Silverman. Currently, Sander is filming a role in Netflix's upcoming sports film, Hustle, from director Jeremiah Zagar (We the Animals). He's also set to reprise his role as Dracula in Hotel Transylvania 4. And the comedian might also make Murder Mystery 2, notably since he's signed on to keep working with Netflix for the foreseeable future.

Julia Fox (Julia De Fiore)

In the role of Julia De Fiore, Howard's girlfriend and employee, Julia Fox provided a stunning breakthrough performance in Uncut Gems. But as a clothing designer, model, painter, and photographer prior to this film debut, Fox was already an established artist. Following her work in this superb film, Fox was seen in Puppet and the TV series, Day by Day. She also stars in PVT Chat, which is currently in the film festival circuits. Additionally, Fox starred in the music video for "Nothing Good," by Goody Grace ft. G-Eazy and Juicy J. Recently, the burgeoning actress filmed a role in Steven Soderbergh's No Sudden Move, which will be her high-profile follow-up to this Safdie brothers' hit.

Outside of acting, Julia Fox wrote and directed the short film, Fantasy Girls.

LaKeith Stanfield (Demany)

As Demany, Howard's constantly pestered assistant, LaKeith Stanfield provides another standout supporting turn in Uncut Gems. First gaining recognition for his outstanding Independent Spirit Award-nominated performance in Short Term 12, Stanfield continued to find notice and praise for his other supporting turns in Selma, Straight Outta Compton, Get Out, Dope, and Knives Out, as well as his leading roles in Sorry to Bother You and Crown Heights. He also stars in FX's acclaimed Atlanta. Other notable credits include Death Note, Snowden, The Purge: Anarchy, and The Girl in the Spider's Web.

Earlier this year, LaKeith Stanfield starred in The Photograph and did voice work for the final season of BoJack Horseman. Additionally, Stanfield filled in as co-host for Adult Swim's The Eric Andre Show Season 5. Next, he'll play William O'Neal in Judas and the Black Messiah. Currently, the in-demand actor is filming a role in the dramatic western, The Harder They Fall, and he'll also voice the lead character in Netflix's upcoming anime series, Yasuke.

Kevin Garnett (Himself)

Playing a fictionalized version of himself, former professional basketball player Kevin Garnett made a good impression with Uncut Gems. Thanks to his versatility, defensive ability, and impressive work ethic, the athlete was considered one of the greatest power forwards in professional basketball history. Garnett played with the Minnesota Timberwolves for 12 seasons before he joined the Boston Celtics, resulting in the team winning the NBA Championship. Later, he joined the Brooklyn Nets before returning to Minnesota and then retiring from the sport in 2016.

While Kevin Garnett impressed many moviegoers and critics with his performance, it wasn't his first time acting. He previously had an uncredited role in Blue Chips and he played the late Wilt Chamberlain in the 1996 TV movie, Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault.

Despite Uncut Gems' critical success, Kevin Garnett doesn't have any additional acting projects currently lined up.

Idina Menzel (Dinah Ratner)

In the role of Dinah Ratner, Howard's exasperated wife, Idina Menzel showcased her exceptional dramatic talents once more in Uncut Gems. A Tony-winning actress and musician, Menzel is best known for her award-winning Broadway performance in Wicked, as well as her celebrated work in Rent, including the 2005 film adaptation, and If/Then. She's also well-known for voicing Queen Elsa in Frozen and Frozen II. Her other notable film and TV credits include Enchanted, Glee, Kissing Jessica Stein, Ask the Dust, Hercules, Private Practice, Rescue Me, and Lifetime's Beaches remake. The actress also reprised the role of Elsa in Ralph Breaks the Internet.

Next, Idina Menzel is expected to star in an upcoming modernized musical version of Cinderella, starring Camila Cabella, which is scheduled to come out early next year. There's also the long-promised film adaptation of Wicked, which may or may not find the actress returning to her star-making role.

Eric Bogosian (Arno Moradian)

As Arno Moradian, a menacing loan shark out to collect Howard's well-overdue tab, Eric Bogosian provided a very threatening role in Uncut Gems. An accomplished playwright and novelist in addition to being an accomplished actor, Bogosian is best known for writing plays like Talk Radio and subUrbia, both of which have received film adaptations. Oliver Stone directed the former in 1988, with Bogosian playing the lead role, while Richard Linklater brought the latter to the big screen in 1996, with Bogosian penning the screenplay.

As an actor, meanwhile, Eric Bogosian starred in Law & Order: Criminal Intent, and he also appeared in Billions, The Get Down, The Good Wife, The Larry Sanders Show, and Scrubs. His other famous film credits include Deconstructing Harry, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, Special Effects, Under Seige 2: Dark Territory, and Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, as well as Igby Goes Down, Blade: Trinity, and Cadillac Records. He also narrated Listen Up, Philip.

Most recently, Eric Bogosian appeared in HBO's Succession and an episode of Instinct.

Judd Hirsch (Gooey)

In the role of Gooey, Howard's father-in-law, Judd Hirsch played a small-but-noteworthy part in Uncut Gems. A two-time Emmy and Tony-winning actor, Hirsch is best known for his extensive TV work in Taxi, Numb3rs, and Dear John, as well as his noteworthy roles in Ordinary People, for which he was Oscar-nominated, Independence Day, Independence Day: Resurgence, Teachers, Running on Empty, Tower Heist, The Muppets, and A Beautiful Mind. He also previously collaborated with Adam Sandler on The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected). Recently, Hirsch starred in CBS' sitcom, Superior Donuts, which ran for two seasons. Prior to that, he was a series regular on ABC's Forever, which only lasted one season.

Earlier this year, Judd Hirsch was seen in the horror film, A Deadly Legend, as well as episodes of Hunters, God Friended Me, and The Return of Brian Willing.

Keith Williams Richard (Phil)

Playing the part of Phil, Arno's quick-tempered henchman, Keith Williams Richard fit the bill as a large and imposing supporting character in Uncut Gems. In addition to making a memorable appearance in this awards contender, he also made his acting debut. After this cinematic introduction, Richard starred in the short film, Three Deaths, earlier this year.

Jonathan Aranbayev (Eddie Ratner)

As Eddie Ratner, Howard's oldest son, Jonathan Aranbayev made his screen debut in Uncut Gems. And to date, this role remains his only professional film credit. His follow-up project hasn't been announced yet.

Noa Fisher (Marchel Ratner)

In the role of Marchel Ratner, Howard's disengaged daughter, Noa Fisher plays a prominent supporting character in Uncut Gems. This indie drama-thriller became the young actress's first screen credit, serving as a promising start to a hopefully burgeoning career. Earlier this year, Fisher starred in the short film, Let's Do Drugs, as well as episodes of Betty and Day by Day.

Jacob Igielski (Beni Ratner)

Playing the part of Beni Ratner, Howard's youngest son, Jacob Igielski received his biggest role to date in Uncut Gems, notably as he made his feature film debut. Prior to this performance, the child actor was seen in short films like 2013's Opening Night and 2016's Fidelio. Also, Igielski appeared in an episode of Netflix's Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. Next, he stars in the horror film, Mother, from writer-director Michael Morrissey.

The Weeknd (Himself)

In the role he was born to play, The Weeknd plays a fictionalized version of himself in Uncut Gems. The Canadian R&B artist started his career in 2010 when he uploaded songs to YouTube. Following a series of mixtapes, he released his debut studio album, Kiss Land, in 2013. He followed that up with 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness, which was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys. 2016's Starboy won Best Urban Contemporary Album and became the artist's biggest success to date. Earlier this year, The Weeknd released his fourth studio album, After Hours, to wide acclaim. In addition to these achievements, The Weeknd is also an Oscar-nominated musician for his single, "Earned It," which was featured in Fifty Shades of Grey.

Earlier this year, The Weeknd expand his acting resume to include voice work in episodes of Robot Chicken and American Dad!, the latter of which he also helped write.

Mike Francesa (Gary)

In a rare acting turn, sports radio personality Mike Francesa played a small-but-crucial role as Gary, Howard's befuddled bookie. Much like several other performers in the film, Francesa made his feature debut in Uncut Gems. His only other acting credit was in John Leguizamo's 2003 TV movie, Undefeated, wherein he made a cameo as himself. While Francesa hasn't established himself as an actor, his voice is certainly well-known. His WFAN show, Mike and the Mad Dog, which he hosted with Chris Russo, ran from 1989 to 2008 and it was considered one of the most successful talk radio programs in American history. After that, he hosted Mike's On: Francesa on the FAN through 2017. From there, Francesa would return on-and-off in short-form segments over the next couple years.

Mike Francesa doesn't have any future acting credits lined up presently. He retired from radio for the third time back in July to spend more time with his family.

Did you love Uncut Gems? Who gave your favorite performance in this heavily-praised Safdie brothers movie? Be sure to let us know in the comment section below!

We’re living in unprecedented times, and as we tread through them, unexpected developments just keep on happening. One of the more recent surprises has to be Snoop Dogg jamming out to Frozen’s earworm “Let It Go." I mean with so much going on, it's not a bad way to relax and reflect.

But hold on to your reindeer sleigh because in wake of Snoop Dogg’s amazing, and kind of surreal, Frozen video, Idina Menzel herself has responded. The actress shared a video on social media, in which she jammed out to Snoop Dogg’s own catchy song, “Drop It Like It’s Hot.” Check it out:

I’m not sure what’s better: Snoop Dogg and Idina Menzel rocking out to their songs or Idina Menzel originally thinking Snoop Dogg’s song was called “Drop It Like It’s Hard.” Still, I suppose crazier things have happened, like when Snoop Dogg remixed his song for a Hot Pockets ad.

“Let It Go” first released in 2013 to the delight of kids everywhere. The Frozen soundtrack was so popular that it became the first album of its kind to garner 1 million downloads. Fans loved it so much at the time they made plenty of songs inspired by Frozen's tracks, especially "Let It Go." Still, this eventually became an ever-present, inescapable annoyance for some parents. Idina Menzel admitted it might be annoying to parents, but she is grateful for the song and believes it’s been a gift to her career.

Indeed, after the popularity of Frozen, Idina Menzel has done several appearances as the character Elsa on Disney shorts and video games. And, of course, she returned to voice Elsa in the financially successful Frozen II, a movie which did considerably well at the box office, but it did include the Oscar-nominated hit, "Into the Unknown." That song, while popular, hasn't exactly had the same cultural impact that its predecessor has had.

Even today, "Let it Go" is still a go-to song for many Disney fanatics, and it's gradually found a place for itself among the ranks of the greatest Disney songs. Just recently, actress and singer Amber Riley performed her own rendition of the song as part of the Disney Family Singalong, which also included iconic tunes like "Be Our Guest" and "Friend Like Me."

Fans have also compared "Let it Go" and other Frozen tracks to songs from more contemporary Disney flicks, one of them being Moana. Both films have strong soundtracks, and it's honestly hard to compare "Let it Go" and "For the First Time in Forever" to "How Far I'll Go" and "You're Welcome."

With Snoop Dogg and Idina Menzel jamming out to their songs on social media, it seems high time the two collaborated. Perhaps a remix of “Let It Go” featuring Snoop Dogg is in order? I certainly think so.

Both Frozen and Frozen II are now available to stream on Disney+.

When most fans think of Idina Menzel, it’s in the context of her iconic Frozen character. So her role as Dinah (a.k.a. Adam Sandler’s wife) in Uncut Gems was a bit of departure for her, to say the least. But according to the actress, she’s not that far off of her own personality. And she had a funny way of describing how she got in Dinah’s mindset when it was time for cameras to roll.

In Uncut Gems, Howard (Adam Sandler) finds himself in the midst of a chaotic whirlwind after he pawns Kevin Garnett’s championship ring in an attempt to pay off some gambling debts. Throughout this endeavor, he takes time to sit through a Passover dinner with his estranged wife, Dinah, who he’s getting ready to divorce. When he asks her for another chance, she goes into full no-nonsense mode and swiftly shuts him down -- another blow to a man who’s already on his way down. Though Dinah is a supporting character, Idina Menzel’s crackling portrayal is very memorable. And in a behind the scenes featurette for Uncut Gems, she revealed that there was really only one key difference between her and Dinah (via Decider):

All jokes (and shots) aside, Idina Menzel really grew to respect her Uncut Gems character, because she saw a lot of familiar traits in her:

Despite the anxiety-inducing energy of Uncut Gems story and the persistent tension between Howard and Dinah, it sounds like Idina Menzel and Adam Sandler actually had a pretty easy time working together on set. And Adam Sandler said that was, in part, thanks to the fact that his real life wife, Jacqueline Titone, is a big fan of Idina Menzel:

It’s safe to say Jacqueline Titone is not the only person who thinks Idina Menzel is the best. In addition to her impressive performance in Uncut Gems, the Tony-winning actress has also reminded us why she’s truly Disney royalty, thanks to the incredible success of Frozen 2. Since Elsa and Dinah really couldn’t be more different, it will be interesting to see what kind of role Idina Menzel takes on next -- and whether she’ll need to channel her love of tequila to get into character.

Without a host to move the Academy Awards forward the past two years, the musical numbers during the Oscars have moved way up as highly-anticipated moments during the ceremony for audiences to look forward to. Along with the show celebrating those nominated for Best Original Song, the Oscars have become much more of a song-and-dance show. After the 2020 show kicked things off with a fun opening number by Janae Monae, there were various other performances to enjoy.

For the most part, the musical performances at tonight’s Oscar show played it safe. They were visually striking, but their concepts didn’t particularly dazzle. Hollywood’s biggest night will be best remembered for the historical win of Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite or heartfelt acceptance speeches such as Laura Dern’s win for Marriage Story. That said, there were still some that shined above the rest. Check out the best musical moments of the night:

Idina Menzel and Other Elsa’s Sing "Into the Unknown"

At the beginning of the night, although Disney’s Frozen II didn’t receive a nomination for Best Animated Feature, it did get representation for Best Original Song for “Into The Unknown.” Idina Menzel belted out the song on stage, but she had some company that really added to the performance.

Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora, who sings on the recording, accompanied Idina Menzel in the background. And toward the end of the song, nine Elsa’s from all over the world sang with her. It made for a powerful moment that also highlighted Frozen’s global success. The singers sang in German, Spanish, Thai, Russian and so forth! What a great way to remind audiences how universal the Disney hit is.

Eminem Surprises With “Lose Yourself”

Almost twenty years ago, Eminem won an Oscar for his iconic song “Lose Yourself” featured in 8 Mile. But the audience had no idea he’d show up on the Academy Awards stage for another performance of the song nearly two decades later. The surprise led to some awesome reactions from the celebrity audience. Zazie Beetz couldn’t quit banging her head back and forth, Kelly Marie Tran and Gal Gadot were singing along the words, the list goes on.

Back when the rapper won the Oscar way back when, he actually wasn't present, and thus didn't perform "Lose Yourself" because the Academy wouldn't let him belt out the uncensored version. So this one was a long time coming! It's the song we have stuck in our head long after the Best Picture was called. The moment was built up beautifully by a montage of various songs from movies that added to Eminem’s shocking entrance.

Cynthia Erivo Sings “Stand Up” From Harriet

The most memorable performance at the Oscars was Cynthia Erivo's "Stand Up.” It’s a tough job to anticipate potentially going on stage to give a speech for Best Actress and have a song to nail. But, wow did she nail it. The Best Original Song award ultimately went to Elton John and Bernie Taupin for his Rocketman’s “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” but it was her vocals that gave us all the goosebumps!

Her choir and dances going into the audience added energy and elevated the performance. Many viewers probably hadn’t heard this song before tonight. This is an incredible introduction for many to Erivo and Harriet – that’s what the Oscars are all about!

Aside from these showstoppers, This Is Us' Chrissy Metz sang "Stand With You" from Breakthrough, Elton John and Randy Newman performed at the piano for their Rocketman and Toy Story 4 songs, and Billie Eilish sang an emotional rendition of the Beatles' "Yesterday" during the "In Memoriam" segment honoring late stars such as Kirk Douglas. What do you think? What was the best performance at the 2020 Oscars? Vote in our poll and comment below!

Photo Credit: ABC

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Spoilers ahead for Frozen II.

As far as Disney's animated blockbusters go, there are few quite as prolific as Frozen. Elsa and Anna's story about sisterhood and grief became a phenomenon, inspiring countless pieces of merchandise and Halloween costumes. Disney broke new ground by making a full theatrical sequel, the aptly titled Frozen II. The new movie catches up with the beloved characters years after the original, especially with the big opening number "Some Things Never Change." There's one part of Elsa's vocal solo that has been bothering fans, although it turns out that it was all planned by songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

After a quick flashback, Frozen II truly begins with "Some Things Never Change." After hearing the siren call for the first time, Idina Menzel's Elsa reflects about what she has, and what she doesn't. The Queen of Arendelle decides to go out and seize the day with her loved ones, but music lovers notice that her final note was a B flat, and therefore never resolved musically. While some music fans found that particular note jarring, Kristen Anderson-Lopez recently explained the reasoning behind Elsa's vocal track. As she put it on social media,

Well, that clears things up. It looks like Elsa's last note in "Some Things Never Change" wasn't a misstep, but a purposefully minor tone that foreshadows the character's upcoming journey throughout Frozen II. She is already longing for something else, despite having so much love within the walls of Arendelle.

Kristen Anderson-Lopez's comments come from her personal Twitter page, which the songwriter regularly uses to directly communicate with the generations of Frozen fans. This includes those more familiar with music theory, who went on social media to discuss the B flat in question. It happens during the lyric "seize the day", when Elsa decides to stop pondering her issues and spend time with the likes of Anna, Olaf, Sven, and Kristoff.

Frozen fans can re-watch the original movie in Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.

As a reminder, you can check out the full "Some Things Never Change" sequence below, which was released in order to market the sing-a-long version of Frozen II which was arriving in theaters. Elsa comes in with Idina Menzel's first vocal solos, before she singer would belt out two different powerhouse numbers later in the movie.

As you can hear, the chord never resolves when Elsa vows to seize the day with her loved ones and the Kingdom of Arendelle. This was done purposefully, to tease the journey and longing she'd be feeling later in the movie. Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez approached the music of Frozen II with care and specificity, which seems to be an ongoing theme with the crew.

Frozen Co-director/writer Jennifer Lee took her time to properly develop a story for the characters, before returning to theaters with Frozen II. The movie wasn't simply a cash grab, but a new story that tackled themes of grief, masculinity, and indigenous people. The songwriters took this methodical approach to the music, allowing songs to further flesh out the movie's characters.

Frozen II is back in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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Spoilers ahead for Frozen II.

Since the original movie hit theaters in 2013, Frozen has remained a pop culture sensation. The movie's generations of fans were treated to another adventure in Arendelle, including new hit songs and a fair share of exciting plot twists. Frozen II broke new ground as a sequel that got a full theatrical release, but could there be more movies in the future? Elsa actress Idina Menzel seems down to return.

Idina Menzel has had an impressive career on the stage and screen, but her role in Frozen made her a bonafide household name. Frozen II was a big movie for Elsa, and seemingly wrapped up the story of the two sisters. But when asked if she'd return for another Frozen sequel, Menzel was quoted saying:

It looks like she's not ready to let it go. Sorry, I had to. But this is quite the update, as Idina Menzel would be happy to reprise her role as Elsa in yet another Frozen movie... or three.

Idina Menzel's recent comments to Parade are sure to excite the generations of Frozen fans out there. Frozen II made some drastic changes to its characters, and has made an insane amount of money at the box office. Clearly the interest in more sequels is there, it's just a matter of whether or not the filmmakers would be interest in a threequel and beyond.

Frozen fans can currently re-watch the original movie on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial of the streaming service.

Plot wise, there does seem like plenty of threads to pull from if filmmakers Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee decide to continue the Frozen franchise with another sequel. The movie ended with the two sisters in drastically different places. Elsa left the throne to live outside of Arendelle, protecting the enchanted forest. Meanwhile, Anna becomes the Queen of the kingdom, ruling the people. The latter character also got engaged to Kristoff in the sequel, so their dynamic should be quite different as well.

Related: Is Frozen II Better Than The First Movie? Idina Menzel Thinks So

But there's no guarantee of another Frozen, and we haven't gotten any indication of the filmmakers intending to move forward with the franchise. What's more, Frozen II's Alfred Molina maintains there are no plans to move forward. In her interview interview, Idina Menzel spoke about the creative process of the writer/director team, saying:

It looks like Elsa and company won't be returning to theaters unless the story really calls for it. But if Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee make that call, then Idina Menzel would be the first one signing up to reprise her role in another animated blockbuster. We'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes down. In the meantime, Frozen II is cleaning up at the box office.

Frozen II is still in theaters now, as well as Idina Menzel's live-action drama Uncut Gems. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

There’s no denying that Frozen II has been a global smash hit - at least, from a financial standpoint. Whether or not the film is as good as its predecessor (or even good at all), however, is a topic that has definitely been up for debate. And Idina Menzel has a controversial opinion on that matter -- she believes Frozen sequel is actually better than the original.

The actress and singer, who voices Queen Elsa in both films, recently spoke to Billboard’s Pop Shop Podcast about a range of topics. And naturally, the conversation turned to the music in Frozen II. And she shared that for her, the sequel is superior, at least as far as the songs are concerned:

Idina Menzel explained what drew her to the emotional power ballads in Frozen II, and credited the movie’s songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, with focusing on the right elements when it came time to creating the successor to “Let It Go.”

Though some may argue that “Let It Go” is irreplaceable, her arguments in favor of both “Show Yourself” and “Into The Unknown” are persuasive. And at least on this point, most seem to agree with her. Despite some tepid reviews, critics and fans have noted that the soundtrack is one of Frozen II’s standout accomplishments.

Which leads me to ask. Did you enjoy 2013's Frozen with its big, bombastic "Let it Go" ballad, or do you prefer the music in Frozen II?

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Since the original movie hit theaters in 2013, Frozen has remained at the top of pop culture. As such, fans of all ages were eager to see how the characters would change with the blockbuster sequel Frozen II. Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee took their time developing the second film, and working with songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez on the new musical numbers. Chief among them is Elsa's new song "Into The Unknown", and now we finally know where that ear worm call/chant comes from.

Throughout much of Frozen II, Elsa hears a mysterious siren call that no one else can. That's what encourages her to enter the enchanted forest, alongside the rest of the cast. That call is especially featured in "Into the Unknown", and Elsa's 11 o'clock number "Show Yourself." And now songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez explained why you might have heard the 4-note riff that's been stuck in everyone's heads. As Robert revealed,

Aha! It looks like that the chant that is used throughout Frozen II might have been present in other movies. Not just small indie projects, but movies are as popular as the Disney franchise. Ever heard of a little movie called Star Wars?

As explained by the composers' conversation with Deadline, the call that Elsa follows throughout the course of Frozen II actually has its roots in a Gregorian chant. Gregorian chants are a capella melodies sung by voices, many of which have long histories in music. That is the case with "Dies Irae," as the foreboding melody has been adapted into film more than once. The Disney animated blockbuster is simply the latest example.

As a reminder, you can watch the full "Into the Unknown" sequence below, including the iconic line we learned is inspired by Gregorian Chant.

There's that siren call, which is present in both of Elsa's big songs in Frozen II, as well as other scenes. The movie in many ways opens on this call, which distracts the ice queen when she's trying to play charades. The call is likely the main melody that sticks with audiences as they leave theater seeing the sequel.

Related: Wait, Could Frozen II Get Into A Trademarking Dispute Over Anna’s Boots?

Now that said melody is stuck in your head for the rest of the day (sorry), fans can check out the original chant which the movie's recurring melody was based off. Check it out below.

You can certainly hear how the Gregorian chant influenced the recurring melody that we heard throughout the course of Frozen II. It's an earworm that doesn't leave, especially since that siren call is used in both of Elsa's big songs.

Overall, the team behind the Frozen franchise seems to methodically approach their work. And these efforts have certainly paid off, as both Frozen movies have made a ton of money at the box office. Not to mention all the merchandise involved, including both soundtracks.

Frozen II is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Sure, Idina Menzel has found crazy success as Elsa in the Frozen movies over the past few years, but she wouldn’t be singing “Let It Go” or the sequel’s new big number “Into the Unknown” if it wasn’t for her earlier work in Broadway smash successes such as Rent and Wicked. And turns out, the theater talent is particularly protective over her famous role as Elphaba in the Wizard of Oz prequel musical.

A movie adaptation of Wicked is currently in development at Universal and one would expect a young new musical talent such as Ariana Grande taking over the role. But when Idina Menzel was asked about passing the torch, check out what she had to say:

Yes! It’s about time for the original Wicked Witch of the West to go off! Idina Menzel and no one else is the one to first sing “Defying Gravity” and help make it the incredible Broadway track it is. It’s tough to imagine anyone else stepping into the role on the big screen – yet, there is the issue of Menzel being 15 years older than she was when she first donned the green makeup and brim hat.

Idina Menzel makes a good case to Variety for returning to the role thanks to CGI technology that has been a part of movies such as The Irishman and Captain Marvel. If Robert De Niro is good for it, why not allow Idina to immoralize her character on the big screen? She’s well prepared for the role… to say the least.

The Frozen II actress offered herself up, joking there’s just a few smile lines to remove in post-production. She even mentioned her desire to bring back longtime co-star Kristen Chenoweth in the role of Glinda too! Chenoweth previously showed interest in taking on the supporting role of Madame Morrible for the movie adaptation of the Wicked movie. Who knows, though? She may just be as on board as Idina Menzel!

The Wicked movie has a set release date for December 22, 2021 but casting has not yet been announced for the project. The movie was originally supposed to come to theaters this year, but it was delayed and Cats nabbed the 2019 holiday release date instead.

A recent report had the musical’s composer Stephen Schwartz saying the production would be “fools” not to “seriously consider” pop star Ariana Grande for the movie adaptation. He also said the film’s not far enough along yet for casting to be decided upon.

Put Idina in! Either way, you can hear Idina Menzel show off her incredible vocals in Frozen II, now in theaters.

Movies take a very long time to get made at Walt Disney Animation Studios. Not only is there a protracted story building method, as ideas are repeatedly constructed and deconstructed through development, but it also takes thousands of man-hours to build an entire universe from the non-existent ground up. Given all of this labor, it makes sense that they would also try to splash a bit of fun into the process, and in the making of Frozen II, Kristen Bell got to witness a good amount of this goofiness first hand.

I had the wonderful pleasure of sitting down with the actress and her co-star Idina Menzel at the Los Angeles press day for the new movie, and it was in a discussion about how the actors were brought into the development process that she revealed some of the very strange footage she got to watch in the making of Frozen II.

It started with a conversational tangent about what the animation looks like before it’s finished – and by Kristen Bell’s description, it’s definitely kind of weird:

But that wasn’t the end of it – and is where the aforementioned goofiness comes in. Evidently the Frozen II animators enjoyed playing around with the in-development footage that they would show in the in-house screening rooms, and apparently a frequent gag was the insertion of a “giant hand.” Said Kristen Bell,

Perhaps a reference to Terry Gilliam's cartoons for Monty Python? Or maybe some kind of “Duck Amuck” thing? It’s hard to say without knowing more about the footage, but it definitely sounds weird.

But that wasn’t all. Apparently the folks behind Frozen II also enjoyed animating certain “alternate endings” for the film. For example, without being too spoilery, there is a scene in the finished cut where Kristen Bell’s character, Anna, takes a dangerous leap off of a cliff, but lands safe and sound. In some of the extra material the animators cooked up, though, this wasn’t the case:

At the end of the day, it’s cool that the folks at Walt Disney Animation Studios can have a bit of extra fun when presenting their work, and also that the actors take such an interest in the film even when it’s just in the earliest stages of development.

As described by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, they got involved in the making of Frozen II long before it looked anything like a movie, and were privy to all of the changes that were made along the way. As a result of all this, though, they also had to put a lot of trust in the fact that the filmmakers know what they are doing:

The good news is that the animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios are regarded worldwide as some of the best in their craft, so the trust of the actresses was well warranted.

It took many years for it to be finished, but now Frozen II has locked picture, and it will soon be on its way to a theater near you. The film is going to be out in cinemas everywhere this Friday, November 22, and be sure to be on the lookout for more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers behind the movie here on CinemaBlend!

Ever since Frozen first struck it big, and Frozen II was eventually announced as its successor, audiences have probably asked themselves one big question: will there ever be another “Let It Go” for their eager ears and hearts to wrap themselves around? As of today, the first rightful competitor for that title has now been named, as a clip from Frozen II’s new song for Elsa, “Into The Unknown” has just been teased in a short video.

You can listen to a portion of that song for yourself in the video below, which will require skipping to 00:22 if you want to get straight to the action.

Let’s just go ahead and answer that big question we asked at the top of the story by saying that yes, “Into The Unknown” does feel primed to be the big “Elsa Song” that Frozen II is looking for. Even in this small sample, you can feel Idina Menzel’s powerful vocals weaving their magic; and whether you’re a Frozen fan or not, that point can never be denied when it comes to the series’ musical output.

Make no mistake though, it feels like “Into The Unknown” will be the song that Frozen II hangs its general hat on. The series now has a formula of the “Elsa Song” being the big showstopper; which considering that it’s the big moment for Menzel to let loose in a film full of musical talent, is a no-brainer. And should this film be a superhero-esque experience, much like the actor herself has hyped the film to be, this is basically the equivalent to the theme from The Avengers for this film.

But even in the instrumentation and the melody of the tune itself, the music to Academy Award Winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez’s latest song is ramped up for the sort of experience that Frozen II is aiming to give audiences. We’re not in Arendell anymore, as a mystical forest in the north is opening Elsa, Anna, Sven, Christoph, and Olaf’s world into a greater scope of adventure.

How else can you tell that “Into The Unknown” is one of the three major songs from Frozen II? Well, besides the fact that it’s been released as a teaser for the film, it’s one of the three songs on the soundtrack that has the patented “Disney Pop Cover” treatment on the soundtrack. This particular song makes a second appearance, with Brandon Urie’s Panic! At The Disco performing the non-film version; and both “All Is Found” and “Lost In The Woods” are reprised, by Kacey Musgraves and Weezer, respectively.

Should this song, and the film it’s attached to, take off like its Frozen predecessor, you can expect children to sing this one to no end after watching the film. It’ll be the new running gag that the franchise will be able to trade on, and undoubtedly be nominated for the coveted Best Original Song Oscar that a film like this is almost assuredly going to win.

On the surface “Into The Unknown” feels like a big ad for Frozen II. But lurking underneath is the promise that much like “Let It Go”, this is going to be that earworm you won’t be able to escape by the end of the year. So prepare accordingly Frozen fans, because YouTube will probably be swamped with covers of this one in the first weekend of release.

Meaning that when Frozen II asks fans to answer its call on November 22nd, you’ll either be on board with tune, or you won’t.

After all the buzz and hype for 2013’s Frozen, there was a moment when the Anna and Elsa were seemingly everywhere. Look back at your 2014 Halloween pictures: armies of Elsa’s were likely swarming! And above all else, one song became iconic. You know the one. Who needs a karaoke machine when you’ve heard “Let It Go” as much as its been played? It was Disney’s first hit pop song in a while and transcended the success of the animated musical.

Among 2019’s final big releases is Frozen II and Idina Menzel’s Elsa is coming back to belt out more empowering songs to play in the background of our brains. Six years after “Let It Go”, the voice actress/singer remains grateful for the viral song. In her words:

Looks like the haters never bothered her anyway! (Sorry, had to – the song is already stuck in all our heads right?) It’s great to hear Idina Menzel’s massive hit hasn’t been tarnished all these years later and she has a grounded perspective on how important it has been in her career. Hardcore Menzel fans may still be floored by all the notes she hits in Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” but “Let It Go” is universal and has given her a chance to give a generation a lasting childhood memory.

Idina Menzel also celebrates that she was able to reach such fame at 42 years old – something not a load of women in Hollywood have accomplished. Not to mention how groundbreaking Elsa is to Disney canon! No love interest, no problem! Her character has even begun discussions about LGBT representation in animation, even if gay Elsa doesn’t seem to be Disney’s current plans.

Looking forward, Idina Menzel teased Elsa’s new songs in Frozen II to The Hollywood Reporter:

There are high expectations for fans following the massive success of Frozen. How does a sequel top the songs of the original? Menzel’s next big track is “Into the Unknown” which will have Elsa singing about a calling into her uncharted origins that Frozen II will take audiences on. The song was presented at D23 Expo, which CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg described as when he attended as “an amazing track” with “the full power of Idina Menzel's voice pushing you into the back of your chair”.

Josh Gad, who plays Olaf in the Frozen films, recently said the songs in the sequel are even better and “catchier” than the original! Fans can of course judge for themselves when Frozen II hits theaters on November 22.

We’re only months away from the release of Disney’s Frozen 2, and yet the details on how the new film will follow up its blockbuster predecessor are still pretty scarce. Even with a teaser trailer available to the public, there’s still a lot of questions about what this film will be about, and fans are still openly speculating in the absence of actual information.

But we now have a little more to go on in terms of how Frozen 2 will continue the story, as Queen Elsa herself, Idina Menzel, gave a little taste of what’s to come in a recent interview. Specifically, Menzel had this to say:

So those folks that took the Frozen 2 teaser trailer released a couple months ago and redubbed it to Alan Silvestri’s theme from The Avengers were kind of onto something there. In fact, this plays into a theory that some Disney aficionados were discussing recently, in which the plot of this new film would not only see Elsa and Anna searching for their parents, but also would see an expansion of powers for the Queen of Arendelle.

Then again, there’s the possibility that Anna might have some powers, metaphorical or physical, to be discovered in Frozen 2 herself. We have seen her show familiarity with a blade in our first look at the film, so she could be a skilled fighter. And then there’s always the possibility that much like her sister, she could have powers over the elements herself.

Other than the remaining remark that the music Academy Award winners and Frozen stalwarts Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez will be providing is going to be “beautiful,” there’s not much more that Idina Menzel has told The Hollywood Reporter about Frozen 2. Though fans are probably thankful for that, as they wouldn’t want anything spoiled before getting their next look at just what Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf are going to be up to this next time out.

It’s pretty much a given that Frozen 2 will be a box office juggernaut, much like its predecessor. Those who latched onto that first film just haven’t let it go, and their response to the ensuing shorts, Frozen Fever and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, is only further evidence that once the sled starts rolling on Frozen 2, it’s going to be hard to stop it. One even has to wonder, if Frozen 2 is a superhero movie experience, could it put up superhero numbers upon release?

We’ll find out soon enough, when Frozen 2 thaws the hearts of its audience on November 24. If you’re looking for more of the animated offerings 2019 will bring, our release date schedule for the rest of the year is up for grabs. Also, if you’re wondering what Disney Animation is going to be providing down the line, for 2019 and beyond, check out our Upcoming Disney Animated Movies schedule as well.

There are certain Christmas carols that have become ubiquitous with the winter holiday season. One such song is "Baby, It's Cold Outside." The duet's lyrics were originally written by Frank Loesser in 1944, but it grew in popularity in 1949 when it was featured in Neptune's Daughter, where it later won the Oscar for Best Original Song. There's no denying its ongoing connections to the Christmas season. And even though it's more about the winter season than it's about the Christmas holiday, it has since been adopted as one of Christmas' most consistently-heard and consistently-sung jingles.

This Christmas, however, it hasn't gotten quite as much love. In fact, it has gained a bit of controversy by people who are looking over the lyrics and finding the material objectable, believing that the lyrics don't suggest consent when it comes to what is implied inside the well-known tune. It is an argument that has only gotten more heated as the weather gets colder. But as the chilly holiday season draws nearer, the continued controversy hasn't completely damaged the song's sales, according to reports who claim that it is being purchased and streamed more since the cultural reassessment.

According to Fox News, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is gaining more commercial interest since it has been debated about relentlessly in recent months, particularly with the #MeToo movement. Many listeners today believe the song provokes uncomfortable thoughts and a troubling message, which is why several radio stations have axed the single from their regular rotation, not wanting to offend to turn away any potential listeners to their stations.

Perhaps it's in retaliation to such concerns? Or maybe people just want to relisten to the song to refresh themselves to the lyrics and gain a stance in this contentious ongoing seasonal debate? Whatever the reason might be for the uptick in investment to the often-played Christmas single, the famous (and now rather infamous) winter song has been bought more than usual this year, despite the lack of radio play. The sales and streams appear to be related to the controversy. While the conversation has turned people away from hearing the song, it has also encouraged some to seek it out and buy it.

To be more precise, it appears that three particular versions of the often-heard song have gotten more attention and spins this year. Those covers of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" include Dean Martin's 1959 version, Lion Redbone and Zooey Deschanel's 2003 rendition, and Idina Menzel and Michael Buble's variation from 2014. Brett Eldredge and Meghan Trainor's 2016 cover of the song, meanwhile, has also been seeing a rise of streams this year.

The arguments will continue when it comes to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" and whether or not it deserves to be heard on rotation this time of the year. But it's clear that the ongoing controversy about the song hasn't hurt this commercial success -- at least when it comes to the song's sales and streams.

While Disney's animated features have always made tons of money at the box office, the popularity of 2013's Frozen was on another level. The hype around Anna and Elsa's sisterhood and adventure hasn't died down in the past five years, with merchandise and Halloween costumes still full tilt Frozen. The blockbuster's highly anticipated sequel will arrive in little over a year, and only a few short details have been revealed. Frozen was praised for not really being a love story, especially with Elsa not given a romantic plot line throughout the movie. Some Disney fans and advocates have been hoping Frozen 2 might break new ground by giving Idina Menzel's character a same sex relationship, but is it really happening?

Since Frozen 2 information is so limited, there are plenty of rumors floating around about Anna and Elsa's next movie. A recent rumor indicates that Frozen 2 might just be giving Elsa a female love interest, making history as Disney's first LGBT princess. The call for for proper onscreen diversity and inclusion has been a major conversation in the business over the past few years, so the timing would certainly pack a punch.

Of course, this report from Revenge of the Fans is far from official, so cinephiles should adjust their expectations as such. Still, the concept Elsa having a same sex relationship in Frozen 2 will likely polarize fans. The original Frozen movie was groundbreaking in its own way, with a story focused on the complicated bond shared by sisters. The film poked fun at the trope of Disney love stories, and Anna's dream man even ended up being the main villain. If Frozen 2 were to include a major LGBT character, the franchise would continue its reputation for challenging what was possible for the House of Mouse.

On the flip side, there are plenty of moviegoers who prefer their family movies to be a bit more simple, and not bring up complicated, adult conversations about love and sexuality. It's a touchy subject, and some fans will be disappointed either way Disney decides to go with Elsa's characterization in Frozen 2.

When Frozen was released in 2013, there were some fans who believed the film actually subtly included a same sex couple. When Anna visited "Wandering Oaken's Trading Post and Sauna" in the film's second act, tertiary character Oaken waved to his family, panning to some kids and a man waving back. While they could obviously be brothers, advocates thought this might be Disney's way of being inclusive.

More information should be revealed as we get closer to the eventual release of Frozen 2 on November 27, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Disney has always produced fantastic animated features, which become instant classics passed down across generations. The most recent of these hits was 2013's Frozen, which adapted the tale of the The Snow Queen for a new generation. That queen was named Elsa, voiced by Tony Award winner Idina Menzel, who had vast cryokinetic abilities. When Frozen hit theaters, critics applauded how the sisters' relationship was the most important in the movie, rather than a love story. Since then theories have been going around that Elsa might have a same sex romantic partner in the sequel. Frozen writer/director Jennifer Lee recently spoke to this fan reaction, saying:

While Jennifer Lee hasn't confirmed or denied Elsa's gay theory, she certainly seems happy that the character is creating dialogue. While Elsa was originally set to be the villain of Frozen, she ended up being rewritten to be a sympathetic character-- one that the LGBT community seems especially close to.

Rumors and theories around Elsa possibly being queer happened shortly after Frozen debuted in theaters. It was unique for the character to not have any love interest-- something that is a mainstay of Disney animated features. Additionally, the lyrics to her showstopping song "Let It Go" were relatable for LBGT fans. The anthem is about being your authentic self, which fanned the flames of the gay Elsa theory.

It's interesting that Jennifer Lee's comment to Huffington Post didn't deny that Elsa was a LGBT character in the upcoming sequel. It would have been easy for her to put the rumors to rest, but she purposefully chose to remain ambiguous. This may simply be to help conversation continue around the sequel for the year and change until it finally arrives in theaters.

The call for inclusion has been a major conversation revolving around the entertainment world. Critics are crying out for more representation in the media in regards to race, gender, and sexual orientation. Director J.J. Abrams seems to think this important as well, ensuring fans that queer characters will pop up in the Star Wars franchise. And since he's directing Episode IX, maybe all the Poe/Finn shippers will finally get their wish.

Frozen 2 is set to arrive in theaters November 27, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

There's a ton of big budget live-action musicals headed down the pipeline in coming years, most of which are coming from Disney. The House of Mouse is remaking their classic animated blockbusters, but there are also some beloved Broadway musicals hitting the silver screen. Case in point: the upcoming Wicked movie, which will adapt the massively popular stage musical for film. The original Broadway cast included the great Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth as the two witches of Oz, but could they take on new roles in the film version? Kristin Chenoweth was recently asked if she'd consider playing supporting role Madame Morrible, and she responded, saying:

Well, it looks like the OG Glinda is willing to pass the wand to another actress, and explore a different role in the Wicked movie. Now we just have to get the studio and announced director Stephen Daldry to give Kristin Chenoweth the role.

Kristin Chenoweth's comments from Watch What Happens Live! are sure to delight her generations of fans that adore her take on Glinda the Good. Chenoweth got a Tony nomination for originating the role, which she actually lost to co-star Idina Menzel. Both actresses are household names by this point, so it would be a shame if they didn't have some role in the upcoming film. Chenoweth also suggested they might get a quick cameo in a crowd, but that's criminally underusing them in my opinion.

Wicked is a prequel to The Wizard Of Oz, and attempts to tell the "true story" about the witches of Oz before Dorothy dropped onto the scene. In addition to utilizing beloved characters we all grew up with, it also explainins the origins of said characters like The Scarecrow and The Tin Man. We follow Glinda and The Wicked Witch (named Elphaba) as they meet in school and grow with each other as friends and rivals.

Kristin Chenoweth seems like a great choice to play Madame Morrible, who is the witch's headmistress at Shiz University. She'll still get to play a fairly major role in movie, and even get a few lines of solo singing at the beginning of the Act 1 showstopper "The Wizard and I". But if Chenoweth is playing Morrible, what role might Idina Menzel get to take on? Smart money says she could end up playing Elphaba's mother, who gets to be featured in the opening number of the musical. And since she originated the role, Menzel already kind of is Elphaba's mother in a way.

Alas, we'll have to wait and see. Wicked isn't set to arrive in theaters until 2019, and there hasn't been any casting announcements made for the highly anticipated adaptation. In the meantime, check out of 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

It’s now been several years since Disney’s Frozen was released and fans still can’t let it go. Anna and Elsa are still incredibly powerful characters, with just as devoted fans. Much of this is due to the way that the two princesses broke the Disney mold when it came to how their characters were portrayed on screen. Elsa made it all the way through the film without romance even being discussed, and while some fans wouldn’t have a problem with seeing her start a relationship in Frozen 2, they’re not necessarily looking for a handsome prince. For what it’s worth, Elsa’s voice has no problem with that at all.

A few weeks ago a social media campaign was begun using the hashtag, #GiveElsaAGirlfriend. That one post has now been retweeted a couple thousand times, while several others have also picked up the hashtag. These fans think it’s time for Disney to have their first gay princess, and with Elsa being such an iconic character, whose interests in that regard are unknown, she appears to be a perfect candidate. Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa, was asked by ET Canada what she thinks of the fan push. While it doesn’t look like she’ll be actively campaigning to see it happen, she’s very supportive of the idea.

It’s hard to imagine a role in recent memory that would have changed somebody’s life as much as Elsa. While Idina Menzel is never seen, her powerful voice was responsible for belting out "Let it Go," a song which probably still sends parents into fits years later. The song, about accepting and embracing one's true self, was embraced by the LGBTQ community. If Elsa did come out as gay it would certainly be a life changing event yet again. The Disney Princess is a massive brand within the most massive brand in the history of the known universe.

Disney has not commented on the idea of a gay Disney Princess, and likely won’t until the day they announce that it's happening, be that Elsa, or some other character. The animated features aren’t the only place the studio is receiving pressure to be more inclusive on screen. There’s also been a push to bring gay characters into Star Wars, something that J.J. Abrams has implied will be happening at some point.

Do you think the day will come that the love song in a Disney musical will be between two women? Would you like to see Elsa be the first? Let us know what you think in the comments.