Inspired by the world of “Cars” and directed by Disneytoon Studios veteran and aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (“King of the Hill,” “The Simpsons”), “Disney’s Planes” is an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure about Dusty’s dream of competing as a high-flying air racer—and his decidedly unfortunate fear of heights. The film takes off in theaters in 3D on Aug. 9, 2013.

The Voice Cast

• Stacy Keach (“The Bourne Legacy,” Alexander Payne’s upcoming “Nebraska,” Robert Rodriguez’s and Frank Miller’s “Sin City: A Dame To Kill For”) provides the voice of Skipper, a reclusive old Navy Corsair who takes Dusty’s training to new heights.
• Brad Garrett (“Everybody Loves Raymond,” “How to Live with Your Parents for the Rest of Your Life”) lends his voice to fuel truck Chug, Dusty’s buddy, coach and biggest fan.
• Teri Hatcher (“Coraline,” ABC’s “Desperate Housewives”) brings life and charm to the say-it-like-it-is mechanic Dottie.
• Cedric the Entertainer (“Barbershop,” “Larry Crowne, “Madagascar”) as Leadbottom, a puttering old biplane who has no time for Dusty’s far-fetched flights of fancy.
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Seinfeld”) lends her voice to Rochelle, a tough and confident racer who is the pride of the Great White North.
•  John Cleese (TV’s “Whitney,” “A Fish Called Wanda”) is the voice of Bulldog, the oldest and arguably wisest racer on the circuit.
• Carlos Alazraqui (James Garcia on Comedy Central’s “Reno 911”) brings to life the intensely charming El Chupacabra, a racer with more dramatic flair than is recommended at high altitudes.
• Priyanka Chopra (“Barfi!”) voices the exotic, mysterious and ruthless Ishani, the reigning Pan-Asian champion from India.
• Roger Craig Smith (Captain America in Disney XD’s “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble,” voice of Sonic The Hedgehog in “Wreck-It Ralph”) voices world champion racer Ripslinger—wings down, the biggest name in air racing—and he knows it.
• Gabriel Iglesias (Comedy Central’s “Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand-up Revolution”) provides the voices of both Ned and Zed, two not-so-sharp saboteurs who work for Ripslinger.
•  Val Kilmer (“Batman Forever,” “Top Gun”) provides the voice of Bravo, a member of the Jolly Wrenches and a fan of air racing.
• Anthony Edwards (TV’s “Zero Hour,” “Top Gun”) is the voice of Echo, a member of the Jolly Wrenches and a fan of air racing.
• Colin Cowherd (ESPN) gives play-by-play coverage as Colin Cowling, an affable blimp and an eye-in-the-sky reporter for the Racing Sports Network.
•  Sinbad (Comedy Central’s “Where U Been?”) brings to life Roper, an irascible race official pitty full of sly remarks and colorful commentary.
•  Oliver Kalkofe (“Neues vom Wixxer”) provides the voice of meek German minicar Franz and his brazen airborne alter ego Fliegenhosen.
• Brent Musburger (ESPN, ABC Sports) brings Brent Mustangburger, the excitable 1964½ Ford Mustang sports broadcasting icon, back to the big screen.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

From above the world of “Cars” comes “Disney’s Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar. “Disney’s Planes” takes off in theaters on Aug. 9, 2013. For more information, check out Disney.com/Planes, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyPlanes and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/DisneyPictures.

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Look up!  You just might see a giant yellow Minion floating high above you, because Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me 2 Despicablimp has begun its journey across the U.S.!

Cruising at an average height of 1,000 feet, the Despicablimp will travel approximately 20,000 miles over the next few months going from coast-to-coast and points in between.

Follow the Despicablimp’s Journey

Visit the Despicablimp Command Center at www.despicablimp.com to track the airship via GPS and see the tour stops it is making along the way.  Fans can tweet sightings of the blimp or post photos to Instagram or Flickr using #despicablimp to be featured on the site, and for a chance to win weekly prize giveaways. There is even a Despicablimp sweepstakes, where one lucky Despicable Me fan will win a trip for four to the Hollywood world premiere of the film and get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride in the blimp! Follow @despicablimp on Twitter for real-time updates on where the blimp will be next.

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we all know the story of Finding Nemo but I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love that cute little clown fish!

“‘Finding Nemo’ was originally shot in 3D,” said John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios and the film’s executive producer. “At last, with today’s technological advances, this spectacular underwater world can be seen as it was intended—showcasing its eye-popping detail and breathtaking colors to both theatrical and in-home audiences and creating a truly immersive experience.”

Will you be swimming to a theater near you this weekend? Why do we love Finding Nemo so much? Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts.

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Like WINNIE THE POOH on Facebook.

WINNIE THE POOH opens in theatres everywhere on July 15th.

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He’s a bear of very little brain. She’s half of the acclaimed band She & Him. This year, they come together on the big screen in “Winnie the Pooh,” which hits theatres on July 15, 2011.

Actress, Musician, Singer, Songwriter Zooey Deschanel (“Almost Famous,” “(500) Days of Summer”) joins Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, performing three songs for the film, including her own take on the classic “Winnie the Pooh” theme song, “A Very Important Thing to Do” and the original end-credit song “So Long,” which was written by Deschanel and performed with She & Him bandmate M. Ward.

“This has been one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had,” says Deschanel. “And I’ve just been thanking my lucky stars that I was able to work on this movie, because it’s delightful.”

Filmmakers were drawn to Deschanel’s signature style. “She was the perfect choice to do the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ song—a classic theme from the Sherman Brothers,” says director Don Hall. “Her music actually embodies the underlying spirit of the movie. We’re taking something that has vintage roots in the sixties, but spinning it in our own way and updating it. If you listen to Zooey’s music with She & Him—that’s their sound to a tee.”

Adds director Stephen Anderson, “It’s a perfect way to start the movie, letting the audience know right off the bat that this is Winnie the Pooh like you know him, but it’s something for today. We wanted to keep the same charm as the original, but give it a fresh spin, a contemporary feel, and she opens the movie with so much freshness, so much energy.”

“It’s always fun to have a contemporary artist rediscover a classic and that’s exactly what Zooey did,” says producer Peter Del Vecho. “She brought her own personality to the song—when she sings about introducing the individual characters, it’s as though she’s known them her whole life—and she has.”

“I’m a big fan of Winnie the Pooh and all his friends,” says Deschanel, who also plays the ukulele in the song. “It’s really hard to pick a favorite: Winnie the Pooh is so special, he loves honey and he’s just cool. Eeyore is amazing, I love Eeyore. And Piglet is so small. It’s really a four-way tie between Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.”

Among the songs Deschanel performed for the film is “A Very Important Thing to Do”—a song that helps illustrate the contest the friends from the Hundred Acre Wood take on to find Eeyore a new tail. She also lent her voice to “Everything is Honey” and “Pooh’s Finale,” joining Jim Cummings (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger), Tony Award®-winning songwriter Robert Lopez (“Avenue Q”) and other cast members.

For the end-credit song, Deschanel teamed up with Ward to perform “So Long,” a song Deschanel wrote.  “When I was writing ‘So Long,’ I just held the images for the end credits in my mind,” she says. “I spent a number of days tinkering with ideas, melodies and chord progressions that I thought would fit the images, the new music being written and the original Sherman Brothers stuff– but still be my own thing. The song definitely has its own feel, but also pays respect to the original.”

Deschanel plays piano for “So Long” and turned to the instrument when it came time to write the song. “I usually write on piano because that’s the first instrument that I learned when I was a little kid,” she says. “All of my musical theory knowledge is in linear piano form.”

Her heart, however, is in the vocals. “I’m always thinking in terms of vocals, and arranging a fabric of vocals is the most exciting part. I love to sing backup parts—I always try to squeeze in as many as possible,” she says. “It’s fun; it’s my style.”

Deschanel’s songs, plus the Sherman Brothers classic and a host of original songs by Robert Lopez and wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“The Wonder Pets”), as well as original score from composer Henry Jackman (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”), will be included on the “Winnie the Pooh” soundtrack (available Spring 2011 in select international markets, and in the U.S. on July 12, 2011) from Walt Disney Records.

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Here’s some info about the movie:

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail.  “Ever have one of those days where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh.  Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art style, “Winnie the Pooh” hits theaters in Europe and Latin America in Spring 2011; the U.S. release date is July 15, 2011.

As you are planning your summer activities, make sure you pencil in Pooh for mid-July, I already have. Here is a sneak peek of the 1st trailer for the new movie.

To stay up-to-date on the latest Winnie the Pooh news make sure you Like the movie on Facebook.

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• Berkeley Breathed, a Pulitzer-Prize winner for his comic strip “Bloom County,” is the author and illustrator of the book “Mars Needs Moms.” The story was inspired by a particular moment of disagreement that took place between his son Milo and his wife. 
• Producer Robert Zemeckis, who wrote, directed and produced “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” and “The Polar Express,” is a pioneer in performance-capture filmmaking.  The process digitally captures the performances of the actors with computerized cameras in a full 360 degrees, allowing actors like Jim Carrey and Tom Hanks to play several roles of varying ages in one film, and for 36-year-old Seth Green to portray a 9-year-old. 

Mars Needs Moms hits theatres March 11, 2011, will you be there?

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