Excitement Level Over 9,000! Children's tales coming to the screen in 2016

I am a big fan of all things Disney. (Does it hurt my feminist credentials to admit that?!)

That's why I was so excited to find out that two Disney tales are returning to the silver screen this year; The Jungle Book, and Beauty and the Beast. Whilst browsing Youtube, I was side-tracked by two other movie announcements; The BFG, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I got really excited, thinking about these upcoming movies, then I realised; ALL THE MOVIES I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO WERE KID'S MOVIES.  

However, with actors such as Eddie Redmayne, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba and Emma Watson, studios are breaking out the big guns. These are the kinds of films that bring up nostalgia for generations of movie-goers, and looks set to make them the major blockbusters of the year. I am definitely excited for Bill Murray as the bumbling bear Baloo. And Christopher Walken as the giant 'orangutan' King Louie? Genius. What am I saying? Go ahead, indulge your inner child.

The Jungle Book, with stars including the aforementioned Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, Bill Murray and child actor Neel Sethi, will be the first to arrive on NZ's screens, premiering in April this year. The trailer promises a sweet hearted, but action-packed story. Prepare to be dazzled by the beautiful Indian wildlife, and to have your heart stolen by the plucky new Mowgli.

The second to open in New Zealand this year is The BFG, premiering in July, with a cast of actors including Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall and our very own Jermaine Clement. There is only a teaser trailer out at the moment, but as Roald Dahl and director Steven Spielberg fans know, there's only so far you can (hopefully) go wrong.

*hyperventilates* Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them. A Harry Potter prequel; what more can I say?! With an upcoming 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' play premiering in London this year, prepare for further Rowling mania. The announcement trailer doesn't give much away, but the plot basically is actor Eddie Redmayne playing 'Magizoologist' Newt Scamander, author of a future Hogwarts textbook on the subject, who chases down magical creatures in 1926 New York.

The second Disney story adapted for the screen, Beauty & the Beast, is technically not appearing to cinemas until 2017, but there is a lot of buzz around it already. Fans are freaking out about the casting of Miss Hermione Granger herself, Emma Watson, as book-loving Belle. With her large fan base and Brown University credentials, she is the perfect casting. Other actors in this astonishingly talented ensemble include Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, and Stanley Tucci.

What movies are you excited to see this year? Any other kids movies coming out this year that I've missed? Let me know in the comments below!

The Twelve Posts of Christmas: Entertaining The Kids... Small and Big

Kids movies are the best.

And Christmas kids movies are even better.

There's laughter and adventure and cute little animals that make you go oo and ah.  There's old favourites and new favourites and movies just to wile away the hours.

So let your little and not so little kids loose with just a few of these.

The Naughty List

When Snowflake's mis­chief-loving brother Winter goes too far with a prank, they both get stuck on the Naughty List, doing a seemingly never-ending list of chores for Santa. Along with a spunky young reindeer named Sparkle, they try to make up for Winter's misde­ed.,Winter's i­nability to follow the rules put the North Pole in a serious jam. Suddenly Christmas needs to be saved and there's nobody else who's up to the task. It's up to the trio of mischief makers to save the holiday and make Santa proud.


The Christmas Bunny

The Christmas Bunny tells the story of a lonely foster child who finds a lost, injured rabbit in the woods on Christmas Eve. The rabbit is nursed back to health by the Bunny Lady, who runs a rabbit rescue in an old barn behind her farmhouse. The girl begins to help the Bunny Lady around the farm, and through her love for the rabbits, slowly begins to grasp the feeling of being loved.

Arthur Christmas

How CAN Santa deliver billions of presents to the whole world in just one night? With an army of one million combat-style Field Elves and a vast, state-of-the-art control center under the ice of the North Pole! So how could this incredible operation have MISSED one child?! To Santa's young son, Arthur, it threatens to end the magic of Christmas. With retired Grandsanta, a rebellious young elf, an old sleigh and some untrained reindeer, Arthur sets out in a crazy mission to deliver the last present!

Mandie and the Forgotten Christmas
  
When Mandie is thrust into Miss Heathwood's School for Girls at Christmastime, she struggles to grasp the boarding school's new rules and the finer points of high society. As Mandie tries to stay out of hot water with Miss Heathwood, she stumbles upon a mystery in the school's forbidden attic. Will Mandie ignore the warning to flee or try to get to the bottom of the strange noises beyond the boarded-up doors? Uncovering the truth might unlock the memories of of a long-forgotten Christmas .

The Polar Express

Santa Claus does not exist. Or does he? For one doubting boy, an astonishing event occurs. Late on Christmas Eve night, he lies in bed hoping to hear the sound of reindeer bells from Santa's sleigh. When to his surprise, a steam engine's roar and whistle can be heard outside his window. The conductor (voice of Tom Hanks) invites him on board to take an extraordinary journey to the North Pole with many other pajama-clad children. There, he receives an extraordinary gift only those who still believe in Santa can experience.

And some not so Christmasy movies.  Just because.

The House of Magic

When housecat Thunder is abandoned by his owners he fights to stay safe on the strange and lonely streets. Just in time Thunder comes across a big, scary house occupied by an old magician. Making friends with the old man and most of his inventions, Thunder finally feels safe. When the magician is taken ill his nephew sees an opportunity to sell the house and cash in on the fortune. Hearing the news, Thunder and his new friends put their heads together to think of a way to save the old man and his magical house.

Frozen

When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

How To Train Your Dragon 2

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. 

Postman Pat: The Movie

Like always, Postman Pat is happily going about his duty delivering letters and parcels around the fictional town of Greendale. One day, auditions for the TV talent show, “You’re the One”, are held in Greendale, which Pat manages to pass. With Pat required to be away from Greendale whilst participating in the contest, various Patbot 3000 robots are deployed to take Pat’s postal duties. This soon turns out to be an evil plot to take over the world, which Pat must now stop.

 
Rio 2

It's a jungle out there for Blu, Jewel and their three kids after they're hurtled from Rio de Janeiro to the wilds of the Amazon. As Blu tries to fit in, he goes beak-to-beak with the vengeful Nigel, and meets his father-in-law.

Tinker Bell and The Pirate Fairy

Zarina, a smart and ambitious dust-keeper fairy, flees Pixie Hollow and joins forces with the scheming pirates of Skull Rock, who make her captain of their ship. Tinker Bell and her friends must embark on an epic adventure to find Zarina, and together they go sword-to-sword with the band of pirates led by a cabin boy named James who’ll soon be known as Captain Hook, himself.