And the Oscar® Goes To…
Can it be Sunday already? Because—in case you’ve forgotten to mark this on your calendar—next week isn’t just any Sunday, it’s Oscar® Sunday! We’re, of course, rooting for Disney films to win in the seven categories they’re nominated in, but there are so many other reasons why we can’t wait for the telecast to start:
Neil Patrick Harris is hosting. (We guess it’s too much to hope for him to count down the final seconds to the Oscars the way he counts down to blastoff on California Screamin’ at Disney California Adventure park.)
Not only is Neil Patrick Harris hosting, but he’ll be performing an original musical number written by songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, whom you might remember from last year’s Oscar telecast, when they won for Best Original Song (for a little number called “Let it Go” from Frozen).
This year’s presenters include stars from a variety of current and upcoming Disney films, such as Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Zoe Saldana, Meryl Streep, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cate Blanchett.
There will, per usual, be music!
There will, per usual, be music! Six-time Grammy® winner Lady Gaga has signed on to perform a special tribute performance, Common and John Legend will perform their Oscar-nominated song “Glory,” Tim McGraw will perform Glen Campbell’s Oscar-nominated song “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” and Adam Levine will perform the Oscar-nominated song “Lost Stars” from Begin Again.
Into the Woods‘ Anna Kendrick will be performing something special that the show’s producers, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, say “is sure to be an ‘Only on the Oscars’ moment.”
The fun begins before the show even starts. Good Morning America‘s Robin Roberts and Lara Spencer, and LIVE with Kelly and Michael‘s Michael Strahan will host the Oscars pre-show, airing at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC.
And once the last Oscar is handed out, the party moves over to the 10th annual Jimmy Kimmel Live: After the Oscars, which will air following the local news in the Eastern and Central time zones and at 10 p.m. PT, on ABC. John Travolta will be in the studio with Jimmy Kimmel, and the show will also feature appearances by Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris, Emily Blunt, Lupita Nyong’o, Kristen Bell, and many more!
. . . tune in for all of the Oscar Sunday festivities . . . !
So tune in for all of the Oscar Sunday festivities, beginning at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ABC!
For more, check out our Oscar study guide on Pinterest►
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives Fall 2014-2015 D23 Member Nights and Upcoming Events March 12 Cinderella Lights Up the Palace of Fine Arts March 13 A Taste of Disney at Silverado Vineyards March 15 The Hunchback of Notre Dame VIP Experience August 14-16, 2015 D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California Television March 3 Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. returns at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT |
Parks March 4–May 17 22nd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. May 15–June 14 Star Wars Weekends Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Studios February 20 McFarland, USA opens in theaters. March 13 Cinderella opens in theaters. April 17 Disneynature’s Monkey Kingdom opens in theaters. May 1 Avengers: Age of Ultron opens in theaters. May 22 Tomorrowland opens in theaters. June 19 Inside Out opens in theaters (along with the short Lava). July 17 Ant Man opens in theaters. |
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Begins Production
It’s always exciting when filming commences on a Disney film, but we’re thrilled to know that production on the fifth entry in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is officially underway in Queensland, Australia. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is directed by Espen Sandberg and Joachim Ronning (the team behind Kon-Tiki), and the cast includes Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), rising young stars Kaya Scodelario (The Maze Runner) and Brenton Thwaites (Maleficent), and Golshifteh Farahani (The Patience Stone). Geoffrey Rush reprises his role as Barbossa, along with Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs and Stephen Graham as Scrum. And, saving the best for last, Johnny Depp is returning to the iconic, Academy-Award-nominated role of Captain Jack Sparrow! Here’s the official synopsis: “Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea… including him. Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.
Sail to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
Well, Disney Cruise Line (DCL) may not actually be able to take you to Tatooine or Hoth by sea—but our friends at DCL are going to bringing the Star Wars universe to the Disney Fantasy. Eight special sailings of the ship in 2016 will feature Star Wars Day at Sea, a day-long event that includes a deck party, meet-and-greets with favorite characters, Star Wars-themed youth activities, unique food and beverage offerings, and special merchandise. Whether you consider yourself a mere Padawan or a wise Jedi Master, you can enjoy at-sea screenings, compete in trivia games, and spend an evening at the nightclub, feeling like you’re in the Mos Eisley cantina scene in Star Wars. Star Wars Day at Sea will take place on Disney Fantasy cruises sailing on January 9 and 23, February 6 and 20, March 5 and 19, and April 2 and 16, 2016. Cruises depart from Port Canaveral. To see the entire seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary and learn more, visit Disney Cruise Line‘s official website.
Get the T Party Started
When the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration kicks off on May 22, the fun doesn’t end when the sun goes down—quite the opposite. Guests at Disneyland park can already look forward to the Paint the Night parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks; while Disney California Adventure park-goers are no doubt already thrilled to check out World of Color—Celebrate! when it debuts. But the Disney Parks Blog reported this week that a fan favorite, the Mad T Party, will be making a return to Disney California Adventure for the Diamond Celebration and will be a “new, dazzling experience.” We can’t wait!
Watch a McFarland, USA Featurette Today, See the Movie This Weekend!
The film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. In this featurette, Costner, Grammy-winning Latin music star Juanes, and director Niki Caro talk about how the true story of the town and its high school inspired the film—and the featurette is inspiring us to run to our nearest movie theater this Friday and see McFarland, USA when it opens.
Star Will Fight The Forces of Evil for a Second Season
Star vs. The Forces of Evil has already been renewed for a second season, it was announced last week. The series’ opening title was previewed at last year’s Comic-Con and the series immediately found a devoted fan following—hundreds of fan art pieces have already been generated. Star vs. The Forces of Evil is created and executive-produced by CalArts graduate Daron Nefcy, and follows “fiercely awesome teen princess Star Butterfly,” whose Royal Parents send her to Earth—where she brings her “own unique inter-dimensional style.” Eden Sher (The Middle) voices the role of Star Butterfly, alongside Adam McArthur (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as the voice of Star’s best friend, Marco Diaz. A preview episode will be available on WATCH Disney XD beginning February 23 in advance of the show’s Monday, March 30 debut on Disney XD at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Nominees for the 2015 RDMA Will Be Announced February 27 on Disney Channel
This year, for the first time ever, the broadcast nominees for the 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards (RDMA) will be announced in a special that will air on Disney Channel February 27 (7–7:30 p.m. ET/PT)—a television special that promises to be almost as entertaining and exciting as the RDMA itself. The special will include appearances by Nick Jonas, Jessie J, Meghan Trainor, Olly Murs, Becky G, Sabrina Carpenter, Fifth Harmony, and more; and online voting for all categories will open immediately following the special at Disney.com/RDMA. Who will the “ARDY” go to this year? The 2015 Radio Disney Music Awards will take place Saturday, April 25 at Nokia Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles, and a 90-minute televised special, Disney Channel Presents the Radio Disney Music Awards, and a 30-minute pre-show will be presented Sunday, April 26 on Disney Channel.
Get Ready to Go Back to the Beach
If it’s cold and snowy where you are, the official trailer for Teen Beach 2 will put you in a summery mood. Ross Lynch and Maia Mitchell are back as Brady and Mack; but this time, they’re staying put while Lela And Tanner end up in their modern-day world, bring their ’60s sensibilities—and dance moves—with them.
Take a Closer Look at Cinderella’s Beautiful Wedding Gown
We’ve been dazzled by Cinderella’s stunning blue ball gown since we saw it in the first frame of the first trailer! The butterflies . . . the Swarovski crystals . . . . Now our friends at the Disney Style blog have shared images of costume designer Sandy Powell’s stunning design for Cinderella’s wedding gown (which first appeared in Vanity Fair) and we have new details to fixate upon, like the beautiful floral detailing on the skirt. Sigh. We would say “yes” to this dress long before the clock strikes midnight.
Mickey’s Magical Arts World Lets Kids Bring Their Own Characters to Life
Disney’s new learning initiative, Disney Imagicademy, provides an opportunity for young learners to build, create, design, and invent; and the newest app, Mickey’s Magical Arts World, puts a whole new world of creativity right at kids’ fingertips. Within the app, kids can experiment with color, shape, line, and visual texture in “Mickey’s Sketch Artist”; explore improvisation, storytelling, costume design, dialogue, and character development tools in “Donald’s Costume Play”; create and play music in “Mickey’s Music Maker”; create and design unique digital toys in “Pluto’s Crafty Creator”; and design buildings and practice key design principles using “Minnie’s Art-chitect.” Mickey’s Magical Arts World and Disney Imagicademy Parents (a companion app) are available on iPad and iPhone on the Apple App Store.
Limited-Edition Frozen Dolls Are a Cool New Arrival at Disney Store in March
For the first time in forever, beginning Tuesday, March 3 (and at approximately midnight on Wednesday, March 4), limited-edition Frozen dolls will be available at Disney Store. Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff will all be available—but in limited quantities; so if you wait to buy them “In Summer” you might be too late. Anna and Elsa are 17 inches tall, while Kristoff stands at 18 inches. All feature exquisite detailing, from Elsa’s dark purple gown and the detailing on Anna’s dress to Kristoff’s mandolin. You might just have to “Let It Go” and buy one of each!
