Just in case Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast didn’t already have enough star power attached to it for you, we’ve got word in today’s Movie Morsels on two music superstars who will record a new version of the animated classic’s title tune for the adaptation’s soundtrack. Plus, a new clip from Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, an update on the voice cast of My Little Pony: The Movie, and much more!
Beauty and the Beast
It’s fitting that Ariana Grande will sing the title track for Beauty and the Beast. After all, Grande made her professional debut in the Broadway musical 13 and went on to star in Hairspray Live! So having her do a song from what is perhaps Disney’s best-loved musical score (by the great Alan Menken and Howard Ashman), well, that’s just perfect. And pairing her with Grammy- and Oscar-winner John Legend? Why, that’s getting two great tastes that are sure to taste great together!
Producer Ron Faire remarks, “Stepping into the shoes of an Oscar- and Grammy Award-winning classic is not small potatoes. But with today’s two greatest singers – John Legend and Ariana Grande – we are bringing the song back with a new school/old school fresh treatment that shows the soulfulness and power of what a great melody and lyric can inspire.”
[Deadline]
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
Milla Jovovich’s Alice just can’t resist tussling with that nasty old Umbrella Corporation, can she? In the latest clip from what we’re told is the last Resident Evil movie (at least until the inevitable reboot), the action heroine leads her team of rebels into the heart of The Hive in Raccoon City. Will the series end with a bang? Will it at least be better than Underworld: Blood Wars?! We’ll know when it opens on January 27th.
[Sony]
My Little Pony: The Movie
Zoe Saldana (pictured above in last summer’s Star Trek Beyond) has so far been blue and green in movies (in addition to wearing lots of red). Now she’ll have the opportunity to get pink (or perhaps purple) — the actress has joined the voice cast of the My Little Pony animated feature, the franchise’s first theatrical film since its hugely popular reboot earlier this millennium. Saldana will join Sia, Liev Schreiber, Taye Diggs, Emily Blunt, Kristin Chenoweth, Uzo Aduba, and Michael Peña in the film, which also features the voice cast of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic TV series.
[Variety]
CHiPs
And hey, speaking of Michael Peña… The versatile actor is partnered with Dax Shepherd in the CHiPs adaptation, a new poster for which has just arrived online. It indicates that the film is definitely going for an irreverent approach to the ’70s and ’80s TV series about California Highway Patrol officers Francis Llewellyn “Ponch” Poncherello (a.k.a. the hot-tempered one) and Jonathan “Jon” Andrew Baker (a.k.a. the chill one). Now they just need a techno version of that catchy theme tune…
First poster for CHiPs featuring Dax Shepard and Michael Pena https://t.co/tLgpjiodjI pic.twitter.com/AfEmYgFuAf
— Flickering Myth (@flickeringmyth) January 11, 2017
[Twitter]
Dying Laughing
Comedy is a tough business, as the stand-up icons featured in the new documentary Dying Laughing make abundantly clear. The doc will feature everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Jerry Lewis when it arrives in theaters and on demand on February 24th. Check out this first trailer with just a handful of the talent it offers…
Avengers: Infinity War
Finally today… In case you missed it, Peter Dinklage is in talks to co-star in Avengers: Infinity War. No word yet on who the Game of Thrones favorite will play, but since Dinklage is always the very best part of every single project he’s involved with, you should probably start getting excited.
What do you think of today’s top stories? Let us know below!
Featured image: Disney
Image: Disney, Paramount, HBO
