Jim Hill and Drew Taylor return with a packed episode that jumps from a galaxy far, far away to the runways of a surprise box office hit. They break down the evolving strategy behind Disney’s theatrical releases, spotlight a full-circle Star Wars character comeback, and dig into the unexpected success of a long-awaited sequel. Along the way, they explore new animation experiments, streaming debuts, and what’s next for both studios and theaters as summer heats up.

HIGHLIGHTS
• “The Devil Wore Prada 2” stuns with a $236 million global opening weekend, far exceeding expectations
• Strong ongoing demand suggests the sequel has real staying power beyond its debut
• Disney’s $80 million marketing push helps turn the film into a true theatrical event
• “The Mandalorian & Grogu” positions itself as a lower-risk, high-upside Star Wars release
• Rotta the Hutt returns in a full-circle moment from Dave Filoni’s earliest Star Wars work
• “Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord” continues expanding the Disney+ storytelling universe
• Disney experiments with ASL storytelling via “Songs in Sign Language” featuring Encanto, Frozen 2, and Moana 2
• Pixar’s “Hoppers” crosses $375 million globally and shows strong post-theatrical life on digital
• Annecy 2026 lineup teases the next wave of global animation talent and projects

HOSTS
• Jim Hill (@JimHillMedia) – jimhillmedia.com
• Drew Taylor (@DrewTailored) – drewtaylor.work

FOLLOW
• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia
• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia

SUPPORT
Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Edited by Dave Grey
Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR
This episode is brought to you by UnlockedMagic.com – your go-to source for great deals on Disney and Universal theme park tickets. Whether you’re planning ahead or finally ready to book that 2026 trip, their team helps you save money and skip the stress so you can focus on the fun.

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