Inside Universal's big bet on How to Train Your Dragon
In an era of scepticism around live-action remakes, Universal believes audiences will take flight with Hiccup and Toothless again.
In 2020, Dean DeBlois publicly blasted live-action remakes of animated films as 'lazy' studio endeavours.
The director who, with Chris Sanders, had made the 2002 Disney animated Lilo & Stitch and
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NZ Herald
17 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Inside Universal's big bet on How to Train Your Dragon
In an era of scepticism around live-action remakes, Universal believes audiences will take flight with Hiccup and Toothless again. In 2020, Dean DeBlois publicly blasted live-action remakes of animated films as 'lazy' studio endeavours. The director who, with Chris Sanders, had made the 2002 Disney animated Lilo & Stitch and
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
Star Wars actor Temuera Morrison questions Boba Fett's absence from franchise
Morrison recalled speaking with two key creative leaders in the franchise, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, at the Star Wars Celebration fan convention in Tokyo in April. While their reunion was described as heartwarming, Morrison said the pair were tight-lipped about whether he or Boba Fett would reappear in any future instalments, which he likened to being preserved like a jar of fruit in the pantry at grandma's home. Temuera Morrison in the Disney+ Star Wars spin-off The Book of Boba Fett. 'It made me feel like ... I'm one of those peaches, and I've been put up on the shelf. I've been preserved for a later date, and I'm going to be tastier.' In a separate interview with Nerd Reactor, Morrison revealed he wasn't approached for The Mandalorian and Grogu, an upcoming film slated for release in May 2026 that serves as a continuation of The Mandalorian. 'I'd be more excited if I was in the movie,' Morrison said. 'Oh, I shouldn't have ruined it for you ... No one called me. I'm still sort of waiting for the phone call.' However, he praised LucasFilm for allowing him to return to Star Wars in the first place. 'Look, I'm just blessed that I had the opportunity there to come back. 'How many people in their career play Jango Fett, and then 20-30 years later get called to play the clone son, Boba Fett?' Daniel Logan (left) as young Boba Fett and Temuera Morrison (right) as father Jango in Star Wars Episode II. Photo / LucasFilm Morrison has spent more than 20 years working in Star Wars - the fourth-highest-grossing franchise globally which includes films, TV shows, video games and books. In his most expansive Star Wars role yet, Morrison played the titular character in the Disney+ spin-off series The Book of Boba Fett. With seven episodes released between December 2021 and February 2022, negative reactions to the show's storyline and character development from both fans and critics alike appeared to have prompted LucasFilm to pause work on it. The production company, owned by Walt Disney Studios since 2012, has since turned its attention to projects that have resonated better with its devoted audience. Morrison first starred as Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones (2002), and has subsequently appeared as Boba Fett in various Star Wars films, television series and video games. He often provides the voice for the clone troopers across various media too. Morrison has continued to make small contributions to the franchise since 2022 with minor voice roles across successive shows, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, in 2023. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
12-06-2025
- NZ Herald
Hollywood titans, Disney and Universal, are taking on an AI firm in a copyright lawsuit
The battle over the future of AI-generated content has escalated after two Hollywood titans sued a fast-growing AI start-up for copyright infringement. Disney and Universal, whose entertainment empires include Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel and Despicable Me, sued Midjourney, claiming it wrongfully trained its image-generating AI models on the studios'
