Premiering on October 25, 1997, Under Wraps was the inaugural Disney Channel Original Movie. The cornerstone of the network’s programming proved to be as close to appointment viewing as it got for ‘90s kids, along with the likes of ABC’s Tgif and Nickelodeon’s Snick. Moreover, Under Wraps served as a gateway to horror for many millennials. Before the age of streaming, catching a mummy movie on the same channel where you watched Disney cartoons and Boy Meets World reruns could have been your first exposure to the macabre.
Disney attempted to recapture the magic with last year’s Under Wraps remake. The original movie was successful — and continues to hold up 25 years later — for several reasons; relatable kid leads, a great Halloween atmosphere, and a sense of humor chief among them. Director/co-writer Alex Zamm and co-writer William Robertson (Inspector Gadget 2) smartly maintained those elements for the new iteration.
Disney attempted to recapture the magic with last year’s Under Wraps remake. The original movie was successful — and continues to hold up 25 years later — for several reasons; relatable kid leads, a great Halloween atmosphere, and a sense of humor chief among them. Director/co-writer Alex Zamm and co-writer William Robertson (Inspector Gadget 2) smartly maintained those elements for the new iteration.
- 9/21/2022
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Mummies may be par for the course on Halloween, but when the Disney Channel gets involved, the undead creatures take on a life of their own. Just on time for the holiday comes “Under Wraps,” a movie about a 4000-year-old mummy named Harold (Phil Wright) who is brought back to life by three friends.
Since Harold speaks only through a series of grunts, Wright’s expertise as a dancer and choreographer were key as he uses physicality to help define the character. Writer and director Alex Zamm provided Wright with a personal reference when describing how he envisioned the role, recounting when his son was “a constipated toddler who would walk in this way, lumbering forward, teetering always off balance.”
Beyond Zamm’s son, physical comedians like Harpo Marx and Lucille Ball became touchstones of Harold’s development.
Apart from the broad strokes of physical comedy inspiration, Harold’s look...
Since Harold speaks only through a series of grunts, Wright’s expertise as a dancer and choreographer were key as he uses physicality to help define the character. Writer and director Alex Zamm provided Wright with a personal reference when describing how he envisioned the role, recounting when his son was “a constipated toddler who would walk in this way, lumbering forward, teetering always off balance.”
Beyond Zamm’s son, physical comedians like Harpo Marx and Lucille Ball became touchstones of Harold’s development.
Apart from the broad strokes of physical comedy inspiration, Harold’s look...
- 9/30/2021
- by Zoe Hewitt
- Variety Film + TV
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