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Disney’s Moana Gets Stunning Live-Action Remake

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Moana

There’s something undeniably special about watching a beloved story transform from animation to flesh and blood, and Disney’s upcoming live-action Moana looks set to deliver exactly that magic when it hits UK cinemas on 10 July 2026. The first trailer has dropped, and honestly? It looks stunning.

Catherine Lagaʻaia steps into the role of the ocean-called wayfinder Moana, while Dwayne Johnson returns as the shapeshifting trickster demigod Maui. Johnson’s already proven he can nail this character, and seeing him bring Maui to life in live-action feels like the natural next step. The trailer gives us that iconic ‘I Am Moana’ moment.

Moana in Disney’s live-action MOANA. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

John Tui brings gravitas as Chief Tui, Moana’s protective father, while Frankie Adams portrays her spirited mother Sina. Rena Owen rounds out the family as the wise Gramma Tala, the character who sets everything in motion. There’s real cultural authenticity here, with actors from Auckland, Samoa and the Bay of Islands bringing genuine Pacific representation to the screen.

Director Thomas Kail, who made waves with Hamilton, seems to understand what made the original work. The trailer showcases the majestic island of Motunui, its vibrant people, and yes, those adorable yet intimidating Kakamora warriors. It’s a stunningly beautiful film packed with singalong moments that honour the source material while forging its own path.

Scenes from Disney’s live-action MOANA. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2025 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Johnson produces alongside Dany Garcia, Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia and Lin-Manuel Miranda, who’s clearly invested in protecting the musical legacy of the original. Having Auliʻi Cravalho, the voice of Moana in both animated films, on board as executive producer adds another layer of authenticity.

When Moana first voyages beyond Motunui’s reef, she’s answering the Ocean’s call and she’s carrying the hopes of her entire people. That journey promises to be just as powerful in live-action, and we’re here for every moment of it.

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Wuthering Heights Movie Review: Emerald Fennell’s Raunchy Adaptation Has Us Questioning Everything

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Wuthering Heights

Right, let’s talk about Emerald Fennell’s new Wuthering Heights movie, because I need to process it!

If you remember what Fennell did with Saltburn (and that bathtub scene that lived rent free in everyone’s head for months), you already know this woman doesn’t do subtle. This film has moved away from the feral, emotionally violent spirit of Emily Brontë’s novel and instead embraced a sleek, showy, visually stunning but arguably more surface level aesthetic. Critics have noted the film feels “glossy” and “polite” compared to the novel, which is powered by spite, obsession, cruelty, and class rage. BUT even with that polished sheen, it still achieves exactly what it needs to. The emotion lands. The passion hits. The heartbreak sticks with you. Forget windswept moors and soggy period drama vibes.

If you’re going into this expecting tender longing glances across misty landscapes, think again. This adaptation goes hard. We’re talking unfiltered passion that makes you sit back and genuinely reassess your own love life. Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff is something else entirely. The man went from playing the Creature in Frankenstein to whatever this is, and let’s just say the intensity levels are through the roof. “Raunchy” doesn’t even begin to cover it. Opposite him, Margot Robbie as Catherine brings a ferocity, and these two together on screen? Absolute chaos in the best possible way. Hong Chau as Nelly is a standout, with Shazad Latif, Alison Oliver, and Martin Clunes rounding things out.

And visually? This film is a feast. The costume design alone deserves its own conversation. Margot Robbie reportedly had 50 costumes. The Christmas scenes in particular are stunning, all rich textures and layered elegance that make you want to pause and just stare at the screen. Then there’s the wallpaper at Thrushcross Grange, which almost seems to glow, lit up like fireflies are trapped behind the surface. And the fireplace seemingly made of hands?

Now, fair warning if you haven’t read the original novel: there are some serious twists coming your way. I won’t spoil them here, but buckle in because the story takes turns that’ll properly knock you sideways. From what we’ve heard, the books go into considerably more detail (as they always do), and the film has been adapted for screen in a way that trims and reshapes the source material.

As someone who hasn’t read the book, I can tell you this film stands completely on its own. It’s powerful. It’s the kind of movie that burrows into your head and stays there. You’ll feel things you weren’t expecting to feel. Anger, heartbreak, desire, confusion about why you’re suddenly crying into your popcorn.

The film dropped on February 13, 2026 (the day before Valentine’s Day), and it’s already pulled in $159 million in global ticket sales. It’s sparked a full blown wave of “Brontemania,” with tourism to the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth surging since release. If you’ve ever wanted to trudge across the real moors that inspired the original story, now’s the time.

If you want a film that actually makes you feel something real, properly feel it in your chest, go watch this. It’s not comfortable. It’s not neat. But it’s unforgettable. Fennell has taken a 177 year old story and made it feel modern.

Rating: A must watch for anyone who wants cinema that punches you in the heart.

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Masters of the Universe Movie 2026: Cast, Plot and Everything We Know

So here’s something that’s been nearly two decades in the making.

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Masters of the Universe

So here’s something that’s been nearly two decades in the making. The Masters of the Universe live action movie is finally happening, and the cast list alone is enough to make you do a double take.

Nicholas Galitzine is stepping into the role of Prince Adam, aka He-Man, and if you’ve seen him in Red, White & Royal Blue or The Idea of You, you’ll know he’s got the charisma for it. But can he pull off “most powerful man in the universe”? The trailer, which dropped on January 23rd, gives us our first proper look, and honestly? It’s intriguing. We find Adam living as a regular guy, working in a drab office on Earth, completely unaware of his true heritage. Think Clark Kent energy, but with a magical sword instead of a cape.

The story picks up with Adam having been separated from his home planet Eternia since he was ten years old, when a devastating civil war forced his mother to send him to Earth for his own protection. Almost two decades later, the Sword of Power draws him back to Eternia, where things have gone very, very wrong under Jared Leto’s Skeletor. And yes, you read that right. Jared Leto as Skeletor. Whatever you’re imagining right now, it’s probably not weird enough.

Jared Leto stars as ‘Skeletor’ in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE.

The supporting cast is where this gets really exciting. Idris Elba plays Duncan, aka Man-At-Arms, the orange armour wearing inventor and adoptive father of Teela. Camila Mendes takes on Teela herself, Captain of the Guards and Adam’s closest ally. Then there’s Alison Brie as Evil-Lyn, who in a clever twist poses as Adam’s former college professor on Earth before revealing her true allegiance to Skeletor. Morena Baccarin plays the Sorceress of Castle Grayskull, James Purefoy and Charlotte Riley are King Randor and Queen Marlena, and Kristen Wiig voices Roboto in a gender-flipped take on the character.

Oh, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, the Mountain himself from Game of Thrones, plays Goat Man. A giant warrior goat. We’re not making this up.

Director Travis Knight is the real reason to pay attention here. This is the man behind Kubo and the Two Strings and Bumblebee, both of which proved he knows how to balance heart with spectacle. He’s been pretty upfront about the film’s tone too, acknowledging the inherent silliness of the source material and saying the team is fully embracing it rather than trying to make everything gritty and serious.

The screenplay comes from Chris Butler (who wrote ParaNorman and Missing Link), alongside Aaron and Adam Nee (The Lost City) and David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). That’s a writing team that understands adventure, humour, and how to build a world without drowning you in exposition.

Mattel is clearly hoping this does for He-Man what Barbie did for, well, Barbie in 2023. If it lands, expect this to be the start of a much bigger franchise. The original toy line launched in 1982, and there’s a treasure trove of characters and lore to draw from. For now though, let’s see if they can nail this first outing.

The film was shot in London, with principal photography running from January to June 2025. Amazon MGM Studios handles the US and Canadian release, while Sony Pictures takes care of international distribution.

Masters of the Universe hits cinemas on June 5th, 2026. If you want to catch up before then, Prime Video has the original 1987 Dolph Lundgren film, plus the classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series from the ’80s and early 2000s.

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Toy Story 5 Trailer: Woody Returns to Fight Tech

Pixar has dropped the official trailer for Toy Story 5, and it confirms what we’ve all been wondering.

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TOY STORY 5

Pixar has dropped the official trailer for Toy Story 5, and it confirms what we’ve all been wondering. Yes, Woody is back with the gang, and yes, there’s a very good reason for it. The film hits cinemas exclusively on 19 June 2026.

What’s It About?

After Toy Story 4‘s emotional ending, where Woody said goodbye to Buzz and left with Bo Peep to help lost toys, a lot of us thought that was it. Done. Finished. But Pixar found an angle that works.

Bonnie (now eight, voiced by Scarlett Spears) gets a new tablet device called Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee. It’s a frog-shaped screen that immediately captivates her, and the toys are terrified. Not just of being replaced, but of what constant screen time is doing to their kid. Jessie’s apparently spent all summer trying to help Bonnie make friends with no luck, and now Lilypad’s doing it through devices instead of play. It’s a proper “toys vs tech” setup, and Woody’s line in the trailer nails it: “Toys are for play, but tech is for everything.”

Woody returns looking a bit worse for wear after his time helping lost toys, but he’s back because a kid needs him. That’s consistent with everything we know about the character, and it doesn’t undo his Toy Story 4 arc. Smart move, Pixar.

Cast & Crew

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return as Woody and Buzz, with Joan Cusack, Tony Hale, Annie Potts, and Keanu Reeves all reprising their roles. The notable additions include Conan O’Brien as Smarty Pants (a potty-training tech toy), Craig Robinson as a GPS hippo called Atlas, and Matty Matheson as tech-fearing toy Dr. Nutcase.

Worth noting: Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head have been recast following the passing of Don Rickles and Estelle Harris. Jeff Bergman (the voice of Bugs Bunny) takes over Mr. Potato Head, and Anna Vocino steps into Mrs. Potato Head. Ernie Hudson also replaces the late Carl Weathers as Combat Carl. Sensitive recasts, but they’re in good hands.

Behind the camera, Andrew Stanton (WALL•E, Finding Nemo) directs, with Randy Newman returning to score his fifth Toy Story. Given that WALL•E is literally about technology vs humanity, Stanton feels like the perfect fit for this story.

🔍 Easter Egg Watch: Check Lilypad’s packaging in the trailer. The manufacturer is “Eggman,” a callback to the “Eggman Movers” truck from the original 1995 film, itself a tribute to late Pixar artist Ralph Eggleston.

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