EW's Special Coverage

Family Entertainment

May 22 2013 06:02 PM ET

The Muppets Take Queens: Jim Henson props, puppets, and more are coming to New York

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Image Credit: Scott Garfield

The Museum of the Moving Image in New York will have to build an entire new gallery to house the almost 400 Jim Henson puppets, costumes, and other items it is receiving as a donation from the Jim Henson family. The Jim Henson gallery of the museum is set to open in Queens the winter of 2014-2015 and Mayor Bloomberg has such high hopes that it will be a tourist draw that the City of New York is paying $2.75 million to the museum’s fundraising goal of $5 million.

The museum will be getting about 200 puppets, including Bert & Ernie, the Swedish Chef, Gobo Fraggle, Kermit the Frog, of course Miss Piggy, and many more. The items also span Henson’s entire film and television career, including props from The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, and Labyrinth. Since news of a museum housing so many of our childhood dreams took us to a warm happy place, we asked our staff about some of their favorite Henson-fueled memories. I personally still know all the words to “Love Led Us Here” from  Muppet Treasure Island. Here are some more memories:

READ FULL STORY »

May 21 2013 06:30 PM ET

'Epic': Josh Hutcherson previews the 'fantastical' world of the Leaf Men

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Image Credit: Blue Sky Studios

Just because Epic — Blue Sky’s newest animated film, out May 24 — follows tiny forest creatures who fight corruption doesn’t mean that it’s not relatable. Many viewers will find one of the main characters, voiced by Josh Hutcherson’s, recognizable as the kind of lovable rebel with whom we’ve all become familiar. “[Nod] goes to the beat of his own drum. He’s not one for listening to authority, not one for doing what others want him to do,” Hutcherson says. “But it doesn’t come from a negative place. It comes from a very free-spirited  kind of place.”

READ FULL STORY »

May 21 2013 04:54 PM ET

Disney Channel pulls 'Jessie' ep that makes fun of a kid who eats gluten-free -- VIDEO

Celiac disease is no laughing matter — something Disney Channel learned the hard way last week, when parental outrage over a few gluten-based jokes led the network to pull an episode of Jessie from its schedule. The ep was supposed to air May 17.

The jokes in question were aimed at a character named Stuart, a bespectacled 9-year-old with five pages worth of dietary requirements. Among them: He either can’t or won’t eat gluten. When he gives 8-year-old Zuri a gift basket, she rejects the gift and tells him that if he calls her “sweetie” again, he’ll “be eating some gluten-free knuckles.” Zuri also tosses a pancake at Stuart, causing him to shriek “gluten!” and cower, wiping his face furiously. (“He makes me look macho,” quips Zuri’s brother Ravi.)

READ FULL STORY »

May 17 2013 04:30 PM ET

Don't bring your small child to the action movie. Please. I beg you.

Tags: , Movies
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Image Credit: Image Source/Getty Images

We’ve all been there. Opening weekend of that giant blockbuster you’ve been dying to see so much that you’ve actually braved a movie theater on its opening weekend. You even got there early, stood in line for a ticket, and wiggled your body into a prime viewing position, snacks in hand as you wait for the main attraction to begin. And then, just after you silenced your phone, in walks someone with a stroller or a tiny human who in almost any other circumstance you would have found just ah-dorable. But in this moment you simply feel a chill as fear creeps up the back of your neck. What do you fear? The strong likelihood that your night out is about to get jacked by a crying, talking, or otherwise noisy or disruptive child. READ FULL STORY »

May 17 2013 01:32 PM ET

'Despicable Me 2' clip shows how to avoid unwanted guests -- VIDEO

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Steve Carell’s Gru and crew are back!

In a new clip from Despicable Me 2, Carell’s Gru seems to be softening up from his evil ways — but that doesn’t mean he wants to socialize. Enlisting his youngest daughter Agnes, he attempts to keep unwanted house guests away, but fans know things rarely work in his favor right away. While obviously geared at kids, the movie attracted adult A-list talent. In addition to Carell, the film will feature the voices of Kristen Wiig, Russell Brand, and Miranda Cosgrove.

Check out the clip below — which obviously features at least one minion sighting: READ FULL STORY »

May 16 2013 05:16 PM ET

Disney's 'Planes': A relaxing ride in the sky -- VIDEO

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Image Credit: Disney

Composer Mark Mancina’s work is on full display in this new Planes video. The mellow, breezy video feels like a long summer car ride with the wind flowing through your hair.  Of course, in this movie you’re flying over intricate landscapes, not driving. Although the film is described as an “action-packed” 3D experience, this dialogue-free video lets the drama build with the music. So grab a glass of iced tea and get swept away: READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2013 06:53 PM ET

'Brave': Merida remains the girl you know and love -- EXCLUSIVE

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Image Credit: Disney/Pixar

Put down your bows and arrows, Brave fans. After more than a week of concern over the changed appearance of our favorite animated redhead, a Disney rep tells EW that there’s no cause for alarm: Merida’s seemingly sexier image was only created for the heroine’s official induction into the Disney Princess Collection and was always planned to be phased out within a few months of the coronation. READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2013 04:36 PM ET

'Rio 2' teaser trailer: Join the dance party!

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Jewel (Anne Hathaway) and Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) are coming back to the big screen for Rio 2 and they’re shaking it with their three kids in this trailer. The teaser doesn’t reveal a lot of plot, but the movie synopsis has the whole family leaving domestic life in the city for a journey through the Amazon, meeting animals who were born in the wild on the way. The movie has a brand new crop of voice actors, as well as old favorites, including Rita Moreno, Bruno Mars, and Kristin Chenoweth.

The movie is set to be released April 11, 2014. Check out the trailer below.: READ FULL STORY »

May 15 2013 02:57 PM ET

'Angry Birds' 3D movie to be released July 2016

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Sony Pictures Entertainment has purchased the worldwide distribution rights to the Angry Birds animated 3D film. Rovio Entertainment, the creators of the game, will develop, finance, and produce the movie.

“Every studio in town would love to add Angry Birds to their slate,” said two chairmen of Sony Pictures Entertainment in a joint statement. “There are few titles out there that bring this kind of excitement, brand awareness and built-in audience to the table.”

So there you have it. We really hope the movie delves into the deep and painful backstory of the pigs. Right now the film has a July 1, 2016 release date.

Read more:
‘Angry Birds Toons’ set for global small-screen domination
‘Angry Birds’ take over the Kennedy Space Center. Next stop, the world?
Lara Croft’s next adventure

 

May 14 2013 09:55 AM ET

'Scandal' actor joins Jennifer Lopez-produced drama 'The Fosters' -- EXCLUSIVE

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Image Credit: Ron Tom/ABC

The Fosters — a one-hour daytime drama that follows a pair of lesbian mothers (Teri Polo and Sherri Saum) and their multi-ethnic family — is about to get a whiff of Scandal.

ABC Family tells EW that actor Sam McMurray has landed the recurring role of Frank Foster, the “gruff but loveable divorced father” of Polo’s character, Stef. Fans of Shonda Rhimes’s addictive ABC series may recognize McMurray as Pat Wexler, the U.S. Attorney who fired fellow lawyer David Rosen (Josh Malina) earlier this season.

ABC Family says that while Frank seems to get along with his daughter, he also “makes it painfully clear that he still harbors reservations about her lifestyle.” In that, the character isn’t alone — the anti-gay group One Million Moms announced that it was preemptively boycotting The Fosters (and executive producer Jennifer Lopez) last October, long before the pilot had been shot or even cast.

The Fosters will premiere Monday, June 3.

Read more:
ABC Family picks up drama pilots from Jennifer Lopez, ‘Gilmore Girls’ producer
Anti-gay group preemptively protests Jennifer Lopez’s new TV show
Meet Maia Mitchell: the next big Disney star?- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO

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