Disneynature has released a new featurette that offer a first look at footage from the studio’s next film, Bears.  The first half of the featurette focuses on the studio’s previous nature-centric documentaries and how they’ve been committed to making a meaningful difference in the world, but the second half previews their 2014 release Bears.  Directed by Keith Scholey (African Cats) and Alastair Fothergill (Chimpanzee), the film “cozies up to the brown bears who call Alaska’s stunning coastal mountains and shores their home, revealing through tender moments and entertaining imagery how these animals are far from grizzly creatures.”  The pic promises to be a fascinating look into this gorgeous world, and I look forward to seeing what kind of footage the Disneynature crew has amassed over their extended period of time in Alaska.

Hit the jump to take a look at the featurette as well as a couple of new images from the film.  Bears opens on April 18, 2014.

Disney has just sent out a press release announcing release dates and changes for their upcoming slate of films.  The most notable announcement is that Edgar Wright‘s Ant-Man finally has a release date. The little-big-superhero is due to hit theaters on November 6, 2015.  Since this will be the first Marvel movie to follow The Avengers 2 (which opens May 1, 2015), I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Hank Pym pop up in Joss Whedon‘s film.

Here’s the rest of the list:

• Iron Man 3 will now be available in 3D – previously announced 5/3/13 wide playdate is unchanged (Marvel)

• Phineas and Ferb moves to “2014 Undated Wide” (from 7/28/13 wide)

• Thor: The Dark World is final title of previous “Thor 2” and will now be available in 3D – previously announced 11/8/13 wide playdate is unchanged (Marvel)

• Saving Mr. Banks is now dated on 12/20/13 wide (Disney)

• Captain America: The Winter Soldier is final title of previous “Captain America 2” – previously announced 4/4/14 wide playdate is unchanged (Marvel)

• Bears is now dated on 4/18/14 wide (Disneynature)

• Guardians of the Galaxy is final title of previous “Marvel Untitled” – previously announced 8/1/14 is unchanged (Marvel)

• DISNEY ANIMATION UNTITLED is now dated on 11/7/14 wide

• PIXAR ANIMATION UNTITLED is now dated on Wed 11/25/15 wide

Let’s take a look at some new and shuffled release dates:

• Shawn Levy’s The Internship, starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, moves up a few weeks from June 28th to June 7th, 2013.
• Paranoia, from director Robert Luketic and starring Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford, moves back from September 27th to October 4th, 2013.
• Dead Man Down, starring Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard and Dominic Cooper, moves up a month from April 5th to March 8th, 2013.
• Scott Charles Stewart’s thriller Dark Skies starring Keri Russell and Dakota Goyo gets a release date of February 22nd, 2013.
• Disneynature’s Bears, directed by Keith Scholey (African Cats) and Alastair Fothergill (Chimpanzee), gets the somewhat less generic release date of April 2014 (it was previously listed as Spring 2014).
• Admission, the comedy from director Paul Weitz that stars Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, gets a release date of March 8th, 2013.

Hit the jump for plot info on each film.

After looking at lions (African Cats) and apes (Chimpanzee) for their last two features, Disneynature is next set to tackle brown bears.  Directed by Keith Scholey (African Cats) and Alastair Fothergill (Chimpanzee), the documentary Bears “cozies up to the brown bears who call Alaska’s stunning coastal mountains and shores their home, revealing through tender moments and entertaining imagery how these animals are far from grizzly creatures.”  As anyone who’s seen Werner Herzog’s excellent doc Grizzly Man can attest, brown bears are also capable of mauling one’s face off.

Nevertheless, the Disneynature folks will likely be bringing some gorgeous imagery from Alaska to the big screen with Bears, and I look forward to seeing what stories they find in the wilderness.  Hit the jump to read the full press release and to check out an image from the film.  Bears will be released sometime in Spring 2014.