Tag Archives: Dinsey Channel

Thorne Joins Voice Cast of The Weinstein Co.’s “The Guardian Brothers”

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Bella Thorne has a new guardian…

The 19-year-old half-Cuban American actress/singer has joined the voice cast of The Weinstein Co.’s The Guardian Brothers.

Bella Thorne

Thorne, best known for starring in the Disney Channel series Shake It Up, joins a cast that includes Edward Norton, Jim Gaffigan, Meryl Streep, Mel Brooks and Nicole Kidman in the U.S. version of the animated movie.

Initially distributed in China by Alibaba Pictures in early 2016 (under the original title The Little Door Gods), the film is being re-voiced in English by The Weinstein Co.

The Weinstein Co. acquired worldwide rights, with the exception of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, for the film.

The original movie follows the comedic adventures of two “door guardians” — figures from Chinese folklore who protect the entranceway of one’s home — who are out of work because contemporary Chinese people are so busy with modern consumer life that they have forgotten about the spirit world.

Gary Wang wrote and directed The Little Door Gods, which grossed $12 million during its China release in 2016.

Gomez Returning to Disney for New “Wizards of Waverly Place” Movie

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She may be starring in more grown-up projects like Spring Breakers… But that doesn’t mean Selena Gomez is forgetting her Disney Channel roots.

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer has signed on to executive-produce and star in a one-hour special based on Wizards of Waverly Place, which ended its run on the Disney Channel early this year.

Selena Gomez

Gomez will join Jake T. Austin, Jennifer Stone, Maria Canals-Barrera, David DeLuise and Gregg Sulkin, who will reprise their original roles.

The storyline for the special takes the Russo family and friends to Tuscany, Italy, to meet their long lost relatives.   But when Alex (Gomez) tries to prove that she’s more than a seemingly carefree young wizard, she inadvertently conjures up a spell that creates a Good Alex and an Evil Alex. When Evil Alex gets roped into a foreboding plan to take over the world, Good Alex must find a way to save her family and humankind, which leads to a monumental battle between the two versions of herself – all atop the Tower of Pisa.

The made-for-television special was written by Vince Cheung and Ben Montanio (Wizards Of Waverly Place) and Dan Berendsen (Baby Daddy).

Victor Gonzalez (Wizards Of Waverly Place) will direct. Wizards Of Waverly Place was created by Todd J. Greenwald (Hannah Montana) and is produced by It’s a Laugh Productions for Disney Channel.

The Wizards Of Waverly Place won its third Best Children’s Program Emmy at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards earlier this month. It has won twice for the series (2009, 2012) and once for the series’ first TV movie offshoot in 2010. It’s the only scripted series to win the award in the past two decades, since Disney Channel’s Avonlea did it in 1993.

The new Wizards of Waverly Place special is scheduled to premiere in early 2013.