After a less-than-successful November release on the big screen, Disney has launched “The Nutcracker the Four Realms” on home video and on-demand earlier last January. You’re probably in for a good ride if you enjoy Disney movies. Helen’s Mother Ginger is little more than a cameo towards the end of the film. Screencaptures have been added to the photo gallery.

“The Nutracker and the Four Realms” will be released on Blu-Ray, DVD and on-demand in the United States on January 29, 2019. The home-video editions come with loads of special features, as listed below. All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world.

Bonus Features (Vary by Option):

– On Pointe: A Conversation with Misty Copeland: Copeland shares the thrill of portraying one of her favorite characters in a whole new way.
– Unwrapping “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”: Dive into the production design, sets, costumes and more that helped transform a beloved ballet into an adventurous movie.
– Unwrapped: The Visual Effects of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”: View a reel that explores the layers of effects in sequences of the film.

Deleted Scenes:

– The Stahlbaums Arrive: As the Stahlbaums enter the Christmas Eve ball, the butler attempts to announce them to the assembled guests.
– Follow Your Ribbon: Drosselmeyer encourages a reluctant Clara to go find her gift.
– Deleted Scene: Clara Asks About Her Mother: Sugar Plum gives Clara a tour of her mother’s bedroom.
– Left, Left, Left, Left, Left: Wandering lost in the forest, palace guards Cavalier and Harlequin quarrel about which way to go.
– Out with the Old: Sugar Plum makes sweeping changes to the palace decor.

Music Videos:

– “Fall on Me” Performed by Andrea Bocelli Featuring Matteo Bocelli: Experience superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli performing their first duet together in this uplifting song.
– “The Nutcracker Suite” Performed by Lang Lang: Get swept up in a series of images from the movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s music and featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.

“The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is released today in US theaters after a release yesterday in most European countries. An adaptation of the German fairy-tale and the Tchaikovsky ballet, the story signifies the studio’s further attempts to expand their live-action output beyond remakes of their classic cartoons and Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. Unfortunately, the reviews have been less than exciting, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 34% and a Metacritic number of 37. Most reviews criticize the lack of an altogether story. The Los Angeles Times writes: “The visual allure of this production is undeniable, but having the nerve to be simple and nice all the way through is, even for Disney, verging on being a lost art.” According to Rolling Stone, the “wretched attempt to turn the famous fairy tale/ballet into a blockbuster gives a bad name to family entertainment. There’s not much positive being written about the actors – Morgan Freeman in paycheck mode and Helen Mirren, reduced to mugging – oh well. Maybe it’s better received among its target audience – children, who do not yet participate in the Tomatometer 🙂

The November issue of Harper’s Bazaar (US) has a great interview with Helen Mirren as well as a new – very fitting – photoshoot picture for “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”. She talks about this, the recent filming of “Catherine the Great” in Russia, and the recently wrappred “The Good Liar”. Here’s an excerpt from her interview, scans can be found in the photo gallery.

Obviously I play her at the height of her power,” Mirren goes on, “but she was very straightforward, a very clever and ambitious person. And of course Russia at that time was amazingly complex, violent, and difficult country to govern. But she felt she could handle it”. She is also intrigued by Catherine’s sexuality. “In our slightly puritanical, Prostestant world, it’s shocking the way she behaved. It was extraordinary for that era. She had four children by four different men”.

Go behind the scenes of Disney’s “The Nutcracker And The Four Realms” in this brand new “Crafting The Realms” featurette. Watch as the cast and crew reveal more about the story and show just how much magic is done behind the scenes! All Clara (Mackenzie Foy) wants is a key – a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box that holds a priceless gift. A golden thread, presented to her at godfather Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual holiday party, leads her to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a strange and mysterious parallel world. It’s there that Clara encounters a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the regents who preside over three Realms: Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve Clara’s key and hopefully return harmony to the unstable world. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Disney’s new holiday feature film “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston, and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale. Disney’s “The Nutcracker And The Four Realms” opens November 2nd. The video can be found in the video archive while screencaptures have been added to the photo gallery.