Hypothetical Casting for Esmeralda; Oona Chaplin

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Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin

This suggestion is off a list from http://fuckyeahnotredamedeparis.tumblr.com as part of an ideal casting. Oona Chaplin is the granddaughter of Charlie Chaplin and  his 4th wife actress Oona O’Neill. Her mother is Geraldine Chaplin, another prolific actress and Patricio Castilla. Her family is full of actors and performers.

Oona Chaplin as Talia, Game of Thrones picture image

Oona Chaplin as Talia, Game of Thrones

Chaplin is most known for her role on HBO’s Game of Thrones as Talisa, a show only character. Talisa is a noble lady from Volantis turned wartime  medicine women turned Queen in the North who is killed at a wedding. Pre-season three, I thought she was a spy for the Lannisters as she did know a lot about Westeros and it would have merged the show with the book but no she was just  kick-ass strong women character.

 

Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary, Taboo picture image

Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary, Taboo

 Chaplin is a competent enough actress, not amazing but no means bad. She was decent as Talisa but she is better as Zilpha in Taboo. She is also going to appear in James Cameron’s Avatar universe so look forward to that.  

 

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin

However being of Spanish descent does offer an intriguing aspect to Esmeralda that Chaplin could weave into Esmeralda’s characterization. Though Esmeralda in the book wasn’t Spanish, she did travel to Spain as a small child. It would be interesting to see an Esmeralda that had her unique speech  patterns that are a amalgamation of youth traveling around Europe.  That would be a new facet to a film adaptation of Esmeralda.  

 

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin

I doubt Chaplin would be cast as a naive Esmeralda and probably would play the role closer to Hayek or the Disney characterization but it would interesting if they did make her that type of Esmeralda but kept her book backstory intact. It would be a decent merger of films and the book and would make the character still different.

 

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin

Not sure if I need to say this but Chaplin has the look of Book Esmeralda. She has the dark eyes and hair that Hugo passingly described. She also has olive skin which Esmeralda has but as the result of traveling around Europe.  She does have a more angular face that I personally wouldn’t have envision for Esmeralda but it’s not a count against her especially of they didn’t go with the the type of Esmeralda that is more confident with her sexuality.

 

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin could play a very interesting version of Esmeralda giving the direction of the movie but what do you think? Do you see Oona Chaplin playing Esmeralda?

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 15 & 16 Review

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Episode 15: A Wondrous Place

Colin O'Donoghue as Hook, Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin, Karen David as Princess Jasmine & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 15 A Wondrous Place picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Hook, Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin, Karen David as Princess Jasmine & Joanna Garcia Swisher as Ariel

Now this was a decent episode maybe because it dealt with the Aladdin plot and Ariel was in it but still it was fun. This episode also finalized the Aladdin plot which is a bit sad since from now on it will be the Gideon show.

Speaking of Gideon NOW he figures to ask Emma to help and uses Savior Tear magic which makes no portals happen so he has leverage. How does that work? Who knows? Even the Storybrooke scenes were nice. Drunk Snow is a woot. Though back when Robin left Regina Henry made her a care package but when Hook leaves Henry can’t be bothered to comfort Emma or even take the trash out. Teens.

This episode felt more like what show was trying to be in its concept, re-imagined Disney characters hanging out, having adventures and maybe getting drunk. I really enjoyed the show’s rework of Jasmine and Aladdin though Jafar was dispatched unceremoniously. Could they have done more with the Aladdin plot and less with Gideon and EQ and Robin and Jekyll and Hyde? Yes! But it could a less is more scenario. All in All it was a highly enjoyable episode. Though what was up with that oracle. After she was killed there is nothing about but in the past section is absent. I also miss that seer in season 2.

Also Aesop’s Table is a great name for a bar.

Episode 16: Mother’s Little Helper

Jaime Murray as The Black Fairy Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 16 Mother's Little Helper picture image

Jaime Murray as The Black Fairy

Funny, the basic rule is show don’t tell but for some reason the tell of Gideon’s story of when the Black Fairy tormented a child and let Gideon’s cell door open was more powerful in the tell than in the show. Could have been the acting, Gideon’s actor was stronger than the child asking for help.

Anyway this episode does answer a big question, why does Gideon act so dumb? Simple, his dear old Grandmama has his heart. Oddly enough Gideon did want the savior to save the children in the mines and wanted to simply act her. The idea here is that The Balck Fairy needs the savior to die so a portal freeing her opens. Now that her plan is done what else does she want to do? I mean she the being that created the dark curse and presumably all darkness. She could be older than Merlin and the dark one(s). Wonder what she saw in Peter Pan? Then again her plan to dispatch Emma was a Giant Spider and for some reason I just can take that seriously.

Also this episode has Hook and Black Beard on a double crossing misadventure the brings them to Neverland. There should have been more of their antics, that would have been fun but there are only six episode left so can’t be helped I guess. Moving on.

There also more with the author plot because people must have really missed Isaac (I don’t think they did). You see Henry’s author powers are taking over because of the final battle and Isaac wants to peace out which apparently now he can. Where did the barrier go? Must have missed that part. And he also wants Hamilton tickets because the show has no clue how much time has passed since season 1 and neither do the viewers.

This episode was f boring. It made up for itself by the Black Fairy chewing the scenery, she’s kind of delightful and also Hook and Black Beard anti-pirate-pal-time. It did answer some questions that made Gideon more tolerable but that Giant Spider fight, no words for that one.

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 13 & 14 Review

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Episode 13: Ill-Boding Patterns

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, ‎Giles Matthey as Gideon & Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 13 Ill Boding Patterns picture image

Robert Carlyle as Rumplestiltskin, ‎Giles Matthey as Gideon & Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy

No, just no on this episode. Let just start with Gideon’s dumb plan of killing Emma to be the savior, highlander-style. It’s dumb, really dumb, just ask for help. Gideon apparently has something to prove trying to be a hero and Rumple wants to help but doesn’t want to darken Gideon because Bae was darken once which retcons Bae/Neal’s personality. And apparently as we learned in season 5 if you forget you inner darkness you don’t have any temptations afterwards, ever.

Also Beowulf for some reason. Beowulf is the antagonist of the past section though it just seems more like name drops than anything story related. The past section was boring and all it does is give weak backstory to why Rumple didn’t want to darken his son’s soul. Also Beowulf before Hunchback. Grrrrrrr!

But it gets worse. EQ is no longer a snake because of some undoing magic spell that didn’t work on the town barrier but did work on EQ.

And yet it still gets worse since Hook is all emo about telling Emma about killing her grandfather but as he is about to tell her, she hijacks the conversation and kind of forces the proposal on him because she was in his sea-chest, found the ring and then took the ring with her. Who does that? I would be PISSED off I spent the last three or so year shipping these two to get this as the proposal. Though I started this show less than a year ago and it still irritates me that this is the proposal.

Hated this episode.

Episode: 14: Page 23

Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 14 Page 23 picture image

Lana Parrilla as Regina

That’s a wrap on EQ and wish-Robin, they are living it up in the wish realm. Basically the episode has Regina redeeming EQ by giving her love and taking her darkness. This brings Regina full circle, she has balanced her darkness and the light and loves herself. The past section dealt with Regina discovering she hates herself more than she hates Snow White.

Speaking of Snow, can you believe this is the first time Hook and Snow have had a one on one conversation? Crazy!

Which brings us to Hook, oh Hook. Emma discovers Hook’s secret because he wanted to erase the memory of killing her grandfather, not sure how he used the dreamcatcher to get the memory or why he was watching it in the living room but now the wedding is off for now. Emma gave the ring back not for the murder but for the lying and the memory wipe attempt. So Hook decides to go with Nemo to figure shit out but after learning from Snow that the EQ got a happy ending he thinks he can too. But when Hook tells Nemo he isn’t going with him, Gideon shows up and makes the submarine leave. Uh-Oh.

But really, how many times does Hook have to be redeemed? He went to hell and back and ONLY came back because he helped defeat Hades. What does he have to do? How many conversation about villains not getting happy ending but can be redeemed does there need to be?

This episode was still ok. It’s nice that the EQ and Robin’s story are hopefully ended. Also it was nice to see Tink but there didn’t need to be an homage to Frozen. And Gideon still sucks.

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 11 & 12 Review

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Episode 11: Tougher Than the Rest

Jennifer Morrison as Emma & Lana Parrilla as Regina Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 11 Tougher Than the Rest picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma & Lana Parrilla as Regina

Remember Graham, the huntsman? He remains dead and forgotten, hope 50 Shades of Grey was worth it. At least he got the one mention in season 4.

This episode is the conclusion to the whole wish world where Emma gets Pinocchio to remake the wardrobe and Regina takes Robin back with her. Apparently Robin and Marian never married so Roland was never born and yet Henry exist even though Neal is centuries old. Also it is a joke in OUAT that in alt-world Hooks is the opposite of himself? In the Villain wins world he was a coward and in the wish world he’s fat, maybe more of an alcoholic and incompetent.

Also the show is keeping with its lie that Emma was in Minneapolis when she was younger and not in Boston. Just in case you’re wondering, this episode gives us the backstory on how Emma got her surname. August met her and told her her his take on The Ugly duckling which is about how the duck fought destiny to be a swan. Fighting Destiny was the theme of this episode. We still don’t know the wolf apparition that appeared in season 1 and 4 but at least when know how little Emma got her name. Also how did the ugly ducking know about Swans and the perception that swans are prettier than ducks? By that logic wouldn’t the ugly duckling wish to be an super attractive duck? Oh well it’s August’s viewpoint, so whatever.

Rumple and Belle still go on and on about their son, who was raised by the Black fairy and she wasn’t super nice to him. But we did get his motivation for killing Emma, he wants to kill her because the he can take her power to save the children The Black Fairy kidnaps and torments. Can savior powers be transferred like the Highlander? Why can’t he just ask Emma for help? It it because it’s not dramatic enough!

It wasn’t a bad episode but it was average. It did feel like the show was going into the second half of the season.

I would like to point out the shots of Rumple and Belle at the well were very nice. The positioning of the rope to show their division was nice.

Episode 12: Murder Most Foul

Colin O'Donoghue as Hook & Josh Dallas as David Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 12 Murder Most Foul picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Hook & Josh Dallas as David

David’s personality is in a bit of reversal. Because of his feeling of inadequacy and feeling reasonable for Gideon coming to Storybrooke because of his wish on EQ, he being a dick to Hook. Basically David is in a revenge plot since learning that his father was really murdered and didn’t die in a drunk cart accident. Though oddly Henry a few episodes back was anti-Hook too, what’s up with Emma’s menfolk?

Via August, David learns that King George ordered the death of David’s father, Robert, as Robert was trying to save Prince James who didn’t like being a Prince and ran away to Pleasure Island. I’m still really confused on the deal between David’s parents and the King. Turns out Rumple arranged it for medicine. I thought there was something said in season 1 where they got money for the farm for the trade. Could be wrong but this show has weird continuity errors. I mean Emma’s childhood was in Boston but also in Minnesota but no REAL move is ever mentioned aside from 13 year old Emma saying she ran away buu why is little Emma there in Minneapolis in 1989?

Speaking of weird errors, as it turns out Hook murdered Robert. From a dramatic standpoint that is really good as Hook wants to marry Emma he has the ring and everything BUT from the timeline standpoint this can’t work. Hook was supposedly in Neverland from the time Milah died till right up to the time of the Dark Curse but this episode puts him in Enchanted Forest when David was six years. This mean either Hook didn’t age at all or he went back to Neverland. Maybe it’s a Time Paradox and that is really future Hook or an alt-world Hook or fromer wish-Hook. Sure it’s nice dramatic twist with emo-Hook potential but it comes at the cost of the story’s whole set-up. Then again the show does retcon things a lot for drama and the timeline has long since been throw out, so why do I keep mentioning these weird errors anyway?

Speaking of retconning personalities, Wish-Robin is a weird villain type and Regina isn’t really into him. This side-plot is weird even for this show.

This episode had interesting character dynamics at play but they are slightly waste by the mental leaps the episode forces on the viewers.

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 9 & 10 Review

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Episode 9: Changelings

Emilie de Ravin as Belle and Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 9 changlings picture image

Emilie de Ravin as Belle and Keegan Connor Tracy as The Blue Fairy

So the Black Fairy is really Rumple’s mother. This family tree gets more complicated all the time especially when you think that Regina is both Henry’s mother and step great-grandmother.  

Basically it seems that Rumple has had a dark origins this whole time and is the reason he hates fairies. Not sure how to feel about this twist especially with the better twist that Aladdin became a Genie! That’s a good twist. I hate how little the show is doing with  the Aladdin plot unless it goes into Emma’s death vison plot or Rumple and Belle. I’ll admit  Rumple and Belle’s dynamic this episode was interesting but they have been having variations of the same conversation since the start  now they just have a baby thrown into the vocabulary.

The scene with Belle giving her son to Blue was emotionally charged but the episode was just alright. Good in parts and dragged in others.  

 

Episode 10: Wish You Were Here

Jennifer Morrison as Emma Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 10 Wish You Were Here picture image

Jennifer Morrison as Emma

 

Are you kidding me with this episode? Another alt-timeline? Really show? I have to ask even though it’s a wish, how does Emma and Neal get together to even have Henry and why is he still called Henry? That name was because of Regina! It might be a fake wish reality BUT STILL SHOW! And somehow in this world Rumple could get a bean with ease when in reality he got Regina to cast the dark curse so he could get to his son. On a context level this episode hurts. Plus Robin is back now in the wish world.

In other plots, when Aladdin became the Genie, Jasmine didn’t make her wish to return to Agrabah. For some reason they waited and EQ got the lamp prompting the whole wish world. In other, other plots Belle and Rumple’s son got taken by the Black Fairy and turns out to be the hooded figure who is destined to kill Emma, so that’s how they worked Rumple and Belle’s plot to have more importance.  And EQ is now a Snake and at two masters later, Jasmine has the lamp and made her wish. Still wish Aladdin and Jasmine weren’t side-plot fodder.  

Did not care for this episode, sure it’s another twist that Baby Gideon is one who kills Emma but the wish-world shenanigans literally hurt my head with all the mental leaps it asks of the viewers.  

Also this show has a pattern of having a character telling other characters to meet they at place in one hour. Is that ever enough time?

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 7 & 8 Review

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Episode 7: Heartless

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 7 Heartless picture image

Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Josh Dallas as David

And we are back to having a sleeping curse in play. This time it’s a shift based curse on the Charmings. If Snow is awake then David is asleep and vice-versa. It’s rather clever. Too bad the rest of the episode hinged on being boring aside from the puppy. What happened to Charming’s dog?  

The past section rewrites Snow and David’s first meeting so instead of meeting when Snow robbed him, now they actually have their first encounter when Snow got captured by a bounty hunter. Why? Why retcon this? Is it so they have more True Love to their story because they literally drown in true love mythos.

So show of hands, who sick of Belle and Rumple’s toxicity? I hate that they take up  so much screen time. The show murdered their relationship because it needed Rumple to always be in the villain position but they can’t make Belle a doormat so it’s sucks to watch them. You can’t root for them.    

Emma and Hook are getting boring since more of their scenes are just pep talks. And that just leave the Charming who are too perfect but now they are curse. So I guess that makes them compelling? Not really.

Liked the twist on the curse and the puppy. Also the line about the Dying of the Light reference. Sure they were referring to the poem but my mind went to the George R.R Martin book.

 

Episode 8: I’ll be your Mirror

Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen and Jared S Gilmore as Henry Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 8 Ill be your Mirror picture image

Lana Parrilla as Evil Queen and Jared S. Gilmore as Henry

Well don’t the Charmings just adjust super well? No curse is going to get in the way of making pancakes. And hey and the curse allows to actually  care for their baby whom they haven’t talked much about this season but at least baby Neal is there, still a baby and  yet Henry keeps on aging.  

This episode has Regina and Emma getting trapped in the Mirror world with the Dragon. The Dragon seems like he has a compelling backstory which we will probably never see. EQ tries to pull a Darth Vader on Henry when she gives him a Sophie’s choice which is kill the Dragon, whose heart she holds or let the Dragon, who can turn into a dragon, kill Emma and Regina. Henry opts for that heroic third option which is the smash the mirror which works and not just taking  the heart from EQ and telling the Dragon  to stop. They never do things like that. Maybe heart stealing is that fourth option.  In anycase  since Regina has had a light and dark battle in her soul, is she Kylo Ren?

In other plots, Aladdin steals the portal wand so that Belle can go to the Enchanted Forest because Rumple is a mammoth  asshole who wants to use the Shears of Destiny on their son so the kid won’t hate him or something? Rumple forces Belle to stay and now he wants Zelena killed since she has leverage on him because he can’t hurt her. Just sick of  the Rumple plot. The show loves the actor but they can’t do much with character without constantly making him an ass-face.

Also Emma is going on and on about her death again. This season lacks focus

Also RIGHT before EQ throws Hooks I swear there some weird effect in the water. Maybe it’s a subliminal message?

subliminal message or weird effect in Once Upon a Time

subliminal message or weird effect or compassion error?

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 5 & 6 Review

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Episode 5: Street Rat

Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin & Karen David as Princess Jasmine Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 5, Street Rat picture image

Deniz Akdeniz as Aladdin & Karen David as Princess Jasmine

Sigh, this savior business has gotten out of hand. So being “The Savior” in the first season seemed like a cute nickname for Emma to bring back all the happy endings and her “light magic” was the result of being the product of true love which is what fuel her nickname as the Savior. Turns out “The Savior” is now a status with a tragic fate. All Saviors Must Die, All Saviors Must Serve. However, the savior status can be cut with  special scissors.

Didn’t dig the Storybrooke section with EQ and Zelena getting a spa day. Gotta wonder which story the spa workers are from.

The past section on the other hand, savior business aside, was pretty good. Jasmine and Aladdin are likable and the aesthetic of Agrabah was fun. Sure they mixed cultures and the leads have English accents but whatever. Rather would have the story focus on them than moody Emma.   Basically the Aladdin is also a savior and his story feed more into Emma’s story than his or Jasmine’s plot.

 

Episode 6: Dark Waters

Colin O'Donoghue as Hook & Faran Tahir as Nemo Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 6, Dark Waters picture image

Colin O’Donoghue as Hook & Faran Tahir as Nemo

A MAN IS NO ONE!?  OMG IT’S A FACELESS MAN! RUN HOOK RUN !!!!!!!!!!! Or Nemo (no one) HA! How droll.

Basically this episode is another episode about how  revenge isn’t all that great yadda yadda yadda.  You have heard it all before, agian and agian and then agian.

There are some issues with this episode. First off, apparently the past section takes place during the Dark Curse BUT BUT BUT didn’t the dark curse freeze the Enchanted Forest? Isn’t that what Cora said to Hook right before it fell in season 2 in another past section? And yet here is Hook now having an adventure with Captain Nemo and his  brother Liam, his other brother. under the sea.

Also when did Henry start hating Hook? His weirdness toward Hook was contrived. Plus if you had a drinking game going where you take a drink anytime someone says “Hope” and “Family” you would have extreme liver cirrhosis  by now. Suppose if you added “Dearie” to the mix you’d be dead.      

And finally and this isn’t so much an issue with this episode BUT more on the season as a whole. What are the stakes anymore? The characters have been told that splitting a heart with one’s true love cheats death so long as it’s done quickly before the soul can leave the body and back in season 5 hell Emma and Hook passed the true love test so what’s the problem with Emma’s fate?  Let fate play out and BOOM heart share.

Otherwise the episode was weak, less revenge and Emma’s visions and more Jasmine and Aladdin. They are the saving grace of this season so far.

This episode did remind me of Song by Sarah Brightman called Captain Nemo.

 

Naomi Scott as Princess Jasmine

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Naomi Scott picture image

Naomi Scott

Let’s just unpack this bit of casting news.  Recently Naomi Scott was cast as Princess Jasmine in the upcoming Live-Action Remake of Aladdin and some people are upset. Scott is half Indian and half British and Jasmine is Middle-Eastren which means for a lot of people that she isn’t White or Indian. The reason for her casting is that she can sing and dance. At least that is excuse given.

Karen David as Princess Jasmine in Once Upon A Time picture image

Karen David as Princess Jasmine in Once Upon A Time

It’s a hard one. Personally  I think Scott would have been better suited for Esmeralda, though I would rather see Gigi Radics in the role but this isn’t the first time Jasmine has played by a women of Indian Descent. In Once Upon a Time she was played by Karen David who can also sing and dance, watch Galavant, that show is awesome. One point people are making against Scott playing the role is that is was great chance by Disney to have a Middle Eastern woman in a prominent positive role. Another issue is that casting Scott looks like Disney doesn’t understand  that Middle Eastern culture  and Indian culture are different, even though some have defended Scott by saying there is overlap in the styling of Aladdin  like the palace look like the Taj Mahal and Raja’s name. Also at Disney World Aladdin character frequent the Moroccan pavilion at Epcot. Disney has aways mixed vaguely similar cultures.  I mean Agrabah  is a combination of Arga  and Baghdad, which is where Aladdin was originally supposed to be sets. Agra is an Indian city in Uttar Pradesh where the Taj Mahal is located.

Princess Jasmine, Aladdin picture Imade

Princess Jasmine

Oh, boy am I generalizing today but a lot people feel that everyone should play any role and some feel that if you whitewash you have  to cast everything like in voice acting in accordance with a character’s race and background and it just a can worms. First off Whitewashing is a BIG issue. If a character is a specific race and if it’s important to their character and setting than YES cast someone who fits the mold. I had no idea that years ago bitch about Chinese women playing Japanese women in Memoirs of a Geisha that should have been grateful they were at least East Asians. I did here people complaining about black people in the new Beauty and the Beast movie as historical inaccurate. Forget about the implications of a forgoten Prince hanging out after I guess the Revolution, it’s the race of few minor characters that irked some people.

Mena Massoud picture image

Mena Massoud

Disney is in a unique position with its remake movies, they don’t need bankable actors. Sure, they help but people are going to see these movies more for nostalgia than the actors.  So far with Aladdin, Aladdin is being played by Egyptian- Canadian actor Mena Massoud and Will Smith playing the Genie. If there reason for casting Scott was predicated on Singing and Dancing made they either rethink making these remake musicals or they could considering dubbing.

Naomi Scott picture image

Naomi Scott

I think if Disney had expanded their search or at least rethought the singing necessity there might have been a better Jasmine. Scott might do fine in the role but I can understand both side of the argument of her casting. It seemed like filmmakers gave up trying to cast the role and settled for some who nearly had the right ethnic background.

Or maybe the film will make Agrabah a reverse Mughal-equse regime where the ruling and noble class are of Indian descent and the lower class are Arabic to justify this casting choice. (This will more than likely not happen.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/07/17/disney-aladdin-jasmine-naomi-scott_a_23034316/

http://fortune.com/2017/07/21/disney-aladdin-cast-naomi-scott/

Disney Live-action Hunchback movie! Maybe

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Quaismodo Bells of Notre dame reprise Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quaismodo Bells of Notre dame reprise Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

I get a Google-Alert for Hunchback of Notre Dame. However it sucks. Mostly it just tells me about another regional production of Hunchback, which is great or something on Criaglist.  To be honest I mostly ignore the alerts. Last Saturday though I got it in my head to just look on Google News for Hunchback when I saw this;

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame/266641/the-hunchback-of-notre-dame-live-action-remake-considered-by-disney

OR a similar news outlet making this report.  Also I think my Google Alert alerted me to this on Monday.

So about the news. It’s  not yet happening so to speak but Alan Meken said

“I can’t say anything yet,” Menken said, “but I think Hunchback would make an amazing live action musical.”

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

So it MIGHT happen. After watching the Beauty and the Beast  remake, I think Hunchback is the way for Disney. It really did seemed with the new Beauty and beast movie they were trying to captizle on a movie that studios already thought was near flawless which is why they only changed minor things and did a fairly straight shot for shot remake. What was the point of remaking it other than making money? They could have just re-released the 1991 movie to theater if there weren’t going to adapt the story for the medium more. Say what you want about the 2015 Cinderella movie, at least it was different from the cartoon. Which bring us back to Hunchback.

Disney never liked Hunchback that much. It didn’t make much money ergo it wasn’t successful for Disney. Also the darker tone was turn off for a lot of people. A live-action version could fix a lot of issues and people might be more forgiving of a dark tone. It would be interesting to see what is done with the story. Do they make it more of blend of the musical and the cartoon. Or do they follow the book more? Do we get a more innocent Esmeralda and angry Quasimodo? Do we get a priest/alchemist Frollo?  Do we get a Gringoire?

If this movie does get made it brings the total number of Hunchback movie adaptions in production up. Very technically speaking there are three in the works. There is the Max Ryan version (could be in filming hell), there was the version from Esmeralda’s perspective (haven’t heard any new on that one in a long time) and the Universal Monster version (hope The Mummy didn’t kill this being made.) Pretty sure the jazzy Brolin version is dead.

Anyway well we’ll just have to wait and see but I’m up for a new Hunchback version good to bad.

 

 

Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episodes 3 & 4 Review

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Episode 3:  The Other Shoe

Jessy Schram as Cinderella & Tim Phillipps as Prince Thomas Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 3, The Other Shoe picture image

Jessy Schram as Cinderella & Tim Phillipps as Prince Thomas

I had forgotten that Rumple was also the Fairy Godmother.  He just has so many roles in this show. This episode revisits Cinderella a.k.a Ashley and her step-sister who was in love with a footman but got hauled off to land of untold stories with the wicked step-mother because she didn’t want her daughter marrying beneath her. Apparently working for royalty isn’t good enough for a woman who sold porcelain for some dresses and uses slave labor.  Or is Cinderella an indentured servant?

The other plot going on is Emma’s issues with the  future and finally asking Hook to move into the house that he picked out for them to live. Emma’s proposal was sweet but weird when she added the bit about getting hit by a bus and space for leather jackets. Also there is a plot with Regina trying to out-think EQ, Snow White wanting to teach, David learning about his father’s death and Rumple getting a mixtape to Belle.  These plots are all at the expensive of the other stories going on like the Dwarves saved Dopey from being a tree and Dopey got into a masters program. In what and where? Fuck you, that’s not important when we got a mixtape and a 40+ year old hot cold case. I still wanna know how Mulan and Aurora saved Philip from the wraith back in season 2. That could have been an epic adventure but instead we got Tamara and Owen, Peter Pan’s anti-magic zealots.  It’s just like Why on that one.     

The past section was good, nice to see Cinderella’s step-sister get more characterization than nothing. How  she met the foot-man could have been interesting but there is no time for a line like that when there are like five plots per-episode  and a weird pilgrim lady coming to town,  the  show has its priorities people. Got to wonder what story that Pilgrim lady is from and why didn’t she want her story played out?

It was a good enough epsiode, loved Emma’s white embroidery shirt  especially with the leather jacket and the step-sister’s gown. That gown was awesome.

Mekenna Melvin as Clorinda Tremaine Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 3 The Other Shoe picture image

Mekenna Melvin as Clorinda Tremaine

 

Episode 4: Strange Case

Hank Harris as Dr. Henry Jekyll & Sam Witwer as Mr. Hyde Once Upon a Time Season 6 Episode 4, Strange Case picture image

Hank Harris as Dr. Henry Jekyll & Sam Witwer as Mr. Hyde

Well that was super unceremonious way to end the Hyde and Jekyll storyline. So many questions left unanswered only to answer a question that made Hyde’s story play into Rumple and Belle’s toxic relationship and to get the EQ to be her own character. I did like how their backstory played out but right when you start liking the plotline POOF it’s gone because we have to make way for the Aladdin plot.

Speaking of Aladdin, the b-plot with Jasmine being a teacher’s aid to Snow was SUPER boring. What does Snow White teach? Don’t care, I want to know what Dopey is getting his M.A in, I’m super curious about that. Maybe it’s dendrology, the scientific study of trees? I mean he was a trea.  In my head canon that is what he’s studying. I mean if the show’s not going to answer it might as well make something up.

This season seems like a kitchen-sink of plotlines. It’s like they knew there wasn’t going to be a continuous story for season 7 so they had to jam back season 6 but they had already started the Hyde/Jekyll/EQ plot. So while the backstory and ultimately Hyde and Jekyll were interesting in the heart/mind and social politeness vs not giving a fuck about society was interesting, nothing came from it.   I mean WHAT WAS HYDE’s PLAN? WHAT DID HE WANT?

Also Rumple got his hair cut! That’s an important plot point OR the actor got sick of the wig.     

Not a great episode. Minor points for concluding a story instead of having characters fizzle into the background, Lily and Maleficent.  The past section was really good.  

Also where are my Avonlea fans at because Jekyll reminds me a lot of Jasper Dale, sans the murder part.