Tag: Disney

Fun family favourites leap into action on the big screen this Easter at Vue

A host of brand-new animated adventures and all-time family favourites are landing at Vue this Easter, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to spend quality family time at the big screen during the school holidays.  

For the first time in almost a decade, the world’s most unlikely kung fu master Po bounces back onto this big screen with a hilarious new chapter, in Kung Fu Panda 4 on 28 March.  

Facing his most fearsome foe yet in the many forms of the powerful sorceress The Chameleon, Po (voiced by the iconic Jack Black) must use his courageous Dragon Warrior martial arts skills to defend the Valley of Peace. However, he’s not alone, as he must team up with the crafty fox thief Zhen (voiced by Awkwafina) in this butt-kicking mission to ensure the world remains peaceful and at balance.  

This Easter break will also see some familiar heroes take up the call when Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire brings paranormal pranks and ghostly grins to Vue from 22 March. Returning to New York City, the Spengler Family from Ghostbusters: Afterlife must unite with the original Ghostbusters to take on an evil force that threatens the world with a second Ice Age.  

With a cast that includes newer names such as Paul Rudd and Finn Wolfhard and original ‘busters Bill Murray and Dan Akyroyd, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire looks to provide eerie thrills for the entire family this half term.  

Sweeter than a spoonful of sugar, both Mary Poppins and its recent sequel Mary Poppins Returns are heading back to the big screen at Vue this Easter, marking 60 years since the release of the iconic first film.     

Making its debut on the big screen after exclusively releasing on streaming platforms, Disney’s recent adventure Luca will be playing at Vue from the 5 April. Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, this animated adventure tells a coming-of-age story about one young boy’s unforgettable summer filled with gelato, scooters and his new best friend – who turns out to be a sea monster from a secret world below the ocean.  

Vue will also be bringing back some of the biggest family films from the past year, perfect for Easter viewing including the chocolatey charm of Wonka from 29 March and Disney’s Wish from 5 April as part of the Vue Mini Mornings series, shown every day across Half Term at 10am.  

Robert Lea, Head of Screen Content at Vue Entertainment, said ‘We’ve got a great selection of new films and big screen entertainment on show this Easter providing the perfect way to enjoy quality time with the family over the school break.  

‘With film screenings from just £4.99 online at selected venues the big screen experience at Vue is the perfect treat during the Easter holidays. 

‘Even better, our Vue Mini Mornings at 10am, will continue to show the latest kids’ films at just £2.49 a ticket if purchased online and £3.49 in venue. Parents and children can come along, switch off and immerse themselves in great stories.” 
 

Tickets are available now at www.myvue.com. 

Facebook dominates App Market during lockdown

  • With 850 million downloads last year, TikTok is the world’s most popular app
  • However, four Facebook-owned social platforms appear among the top six, with a combined figure of more than two billion downloads
  • This accounts for almost half of the Top 10’s global download figures

A new study shows that while TikTok has been revealed as the world’s most popular and downloaded mobile app, social media giant Facebook dominates the market with four of its platforms.

Research conducted by app development company Bacancy Technology outlines that social video-sharing platform TikTok was downloaded a total of 850 million times last year, receiving 250 million more downloads than the second most popular app on the list, WhatsApp.

However, having acquired Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, Facebook takes up four spots in the Top 10 most popular apps of 2020, with a combined total of more than two billion downloads. This figure accounts for 46% of the total download figures within the top 10 list.

Following last year’s increase in remote working, conference call platform Zoom – which ranks fifth on the global list – received 477 million downloads last year, coupled with an increase in revenue of 317% over figures from 2019.

Top 10 Global Apps of 2020

AppDownloads 2020
TikTok850 million
WhatsApp600 million
Facebook540 million
Instagram503 million
Zoom477 million
Messenger404 million
Snapchat281 million
Telegram256 million
Google Meet254 million
Netflix223 million

Assessing a number of the most popular social platforms, the United States – which has the third largest population count in the world – ranks as the country with the highest active user counts for Tiktok, Instagram and Snapchat.

India, with the second highest population in the world, has the largest amount of users of both WhatsApp and Facebook.

Country with highest users counts for Apps (raw user figures)

AppCountry with highest user count# of users, in millions% of population
TikTokUnited States65.919%
WhatsappIndia39027%
FacebookIndia32022%
InstagramUnited States14042%
SnapchatUnited States10832%

However, analysing an app’s number of users as a percentage of each country’s population reveals that TikTok has the highest penetration in the Netherlands with 22% of its population using TikTok. This is followed by the US (19%) and Norway (18%).

Seven in 10 Spanish citizens are actively using Whatsapp, while three quarters of the population of the Philippines have active profiles on Facebook – a figure that trumps both America (57%) and the UK (55%).

Half of the Turkish population are active on their Instagram accounts – representing the country with the highest usage, and the same can be said of Snapchat’s popularity in Saudi Arabia, with 50% of the population holding active user accounts.

Naturally, these figures do not factor in fake accounts or users that may have more than one social media account, though they show an interesting indication of each app’s global popularity.

Country with highest users counts for Apps (as a percentage of population)

AppCountry with highest user count# of users, in millionsPopulation% of population
TikTokNetherlands3.817,178,41922%
US65.9333,230,77019%
Norway15,469,88718.20%
WhatsappSpain3346,775,58470%
Italy3560,359,65758.00%
Germany4884,091,60457%
FacebookPhilippines83111,249,11674%
Thailand5170,000,66272%
Mexico93130,486,51271%
InstagramTurkey4485,379,96151%
Brazil95214,289,41744%
US140333,230,77042%
SnapchatSaudi Arabia19.635,433,66255%
France24.565,439,40737%
United States108333,230,77032%

TikTok triumphs once again as the world’s highest-grossing app, with reported revenue of 540 million USD last year. Despite lockdown restrictions limiting face-to-face contact, online dating platform Tinder lands in second place with 513 million USD, and streaming video giant YouTube rounds off the top three, snatching up 478 million USD.

Highest grossing app of 2020 (Global)

AppRevenue, millions USD
TikTok540
Tinder513
YouTube478
Disney314
Tencent Video300
Piccoma289
Line Manga249
iQIYI240
Netflix209

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson for Bacancy Technology said: “Lockdown restrictions and the ‘stay at home’ mantra of 2020 caused many of us to turn to the internet and various apps for entertainment and to indulge in some level of human interaction.

“TikTok’s seemingly endless library of entertainment has clearly captured the attention of millions of people, while the staple social media apps continue to be an integral part of our daily lives.”

This research was conducted by app development company Bacancy Technology, an exclusive hub of top software developers, UI/UX designers, QA experts and more, offering development services aimed at the creation of high-end, enviable applications.

World Princess Week: Moments that Matter

  • Singer Anne Marie and Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson support Disney Princess pledge to deliver 45,000 ‘Moments that Matter’ to children in hospitals and hospices around the world –
  • Nine in ten British parents believe small acts of kindness have the power to change the world –
  • Two thirds of children say treating others with kindness is the most important way to behave –

Famous faces including singer Anne Marie and Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson are coming together to launch World Princess Week next week to inspire small acts of kindness around the world.

The stars are supporting a Disney Princess pledge to deliver 45,000 ‘Moments that Matter’ for isolated and seriously ill children in hospital and hospices in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa. 

Pop star and The Voice coach Anne-Marie is hosting an intimate acoustic performance of her chart hits ‘2002’ and ‘Beautiful’ as part of Disney’s ‘Ultimate Princess Celebration’, which champions the qualities of courage and kindness.

The performance is being screened to children in hospital, via Disney’s charity partner MediCinema, which build and run cinemas in NHS hospitals. The content will also be available to view on Disney Junior’s UK YouTube channel. 

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be doing a virtual reading of Moana’s story from Tales of Courage and Kindness, an online story collection featuring 14 brand new Disney Princess stories that launched in April this year and is available for children to download for free during World Princess Week at Disneyprincessstories.co.uk.

Katarina’s reading will be available for fans to enjoy later this year.

As part of ‘World Princess Week’ (23-29 August), Disney has created brand new video tutorials featuring simple ideas on how families and children can have a big impact on others, which will be available on Disney’s social channels.

Disney fans will be able to follow along with ‘kindness activity’ tutorials, including how to make Cinderella-inspired kindness cards for friends, or how to bake Tiana’s beignets for loved ones. Families are encouraged to share their own acts of kindness by using the hashtag #UltimatePrincessCelebration.

Disney will also share brand new Princess stories, experiences and fun ways to spread kindness following research that reveals nine in ten UK adults believe small acts of kindness have the power to change the world for the better.

45,000 Princess-themed adventure packs will be delivered to seriously ill children in hospitals and places of care across the UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa, as part of Disney’s wider commitment to bring comfort and provide inspiration, with support from long standing charity partners.

These specially designed packs, created with charity partner MediCinema, aim to reduce isolation, stress and anxiety amongst children and families in places of care, providing ‘Moments that Matter’. The packs will contain new stories focusing on Disney Princess characters Rapunzel, Moana and Ariel, as well as arts and crafts activities that help to increase confidence and encourage acts of kindness.

New research conducted by Disney as part of the Ultimate Princess Celebration revealed that 70 per cent of children say it’s important to always show kindness and almost half (46 per cent) would stand up for people who are being bullied or are being treated in an unfair way.

The survey highlights some of the top ways children like to show kindness, including:

  1. Kind acts to make their family or friends happy e.g. baking a cake (49 per cent)
  2. Asking parents to read a book with them (49 per cent)
  3. Comforting family members and friends when they are upset (47 per cent)
  4. Asking parents to spend time with them e.g. watching a movie or making dinner together (47 per cent)
  5. Making time to play and catch up with friends (46 per cent)
  6. Sharing stories with friends and family (44 per cent)
  7. Helping friends with problems they are facing (37 per cent)
  8. Listening when parents or friends are telling them a story that they know is important to them (36 per cent)
  9. Offering to do chores around the house for parents (33 per cent)
  10. Speaking to friends and family regularly (30 per cent)

The study suggests that the majority of British parents – 91 per cent – agree that everyone can play a role in making the world a kinder place, with the research also revealing some of the kind acts kids have shown over the past year:

  1. Been caring towards friends (56 per cent)
  2. Wanting to spend more time with parents / family members (53 per cent)
  3. Drawn and made signs for the health service to say ‘thank you’ (50 per cent)
  4. Video calling friends to check in (47 per cent)
  5. Offering to help around the house (45 per cent)
  6. Been caring towards the planet (42 per cent)
  7. Sharing stories or reading books together (40 per cent)
  8. Being kinder to their brother or sister (39 per cent)
  9. Donating some of their toys to other kids (37 per cent)
  10. Been looking after their pet / been kind to animals (37 per cent)

Tasia Filippatos, Senior VP, Consumer Products EMEA at Disney said, “Courage and kindness are universally important qualities that are just as relevant for adults as they are for young children. We hope that families will help celebrate ‘World Princess Week’ by sharing their own small acts of kindness to help make the world a kinder place.”

Disney fans will also be able to shop brand new Disney Princess product ranges, including toys, dress up apparel, accessories and homeware, available from shopDisney.co.uk and other major retailers.