By Courtney Potter
The beloved musical is honored for its two decades on the Great White Way, and Disney•Pixar’s Coco releases a final trailer ahead of its debut … Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in news briefs!
Broadway’s The Lion King Celebrates 20 Years
Just this past weekend, Disney on Broadway celebrated a truly incredible milestone: the 20th anniversary of The Lion King! Hundreds of alumni from the show’s cast—plus creative team members like director Julie Taymor; Tony®-nominated composers Sir Elton John and Sir Tim Rice; musician Lebo M. (the man responsible for the amazing choral sound of both the 1994 animated film and the ’97 stage musical); choreographer Garth Fagan; and book writers Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi—joined current Lion King cast members for a very special performance…
As seen in the video above, the evening’s festivities culminated in a once-in-a-lifetime rendition of “Circle of Life” by none other than Sir Elton himself!
Broadway’s The Lion King has spent two decades on the Great White Way, but it’s also dazzled audiences around the world—with productions currently playing in such far-flung locales as the Netherlands, Japan, and Spain. And a brand-new international tour begins in Manila in 2018! For more information—especially if you “just can’t wait to be king” and might find yourself in NYC this holiday season—check out LionKing.com.
Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives November 17, 2017 Lunch with a Disney Legend: Russi Taylor November 18, 2017 D23’s Magical Screening Series: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh in Florida November 18, 2017 Mickey’s of Glendale—Orlando Shopping Event November 18, 2017 The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour—Presented by D23 November 21, 2017 Enjoy Complimentary Tickets to a Special 3-D Advance Screening of Disney•Pixar’s Coco November 26, 2017 Join D23 at the Saks Holiday Breakfast with Snow White December 6, 2017 D23’s Holidays in Hollywood Studios December 10, 2017 D23’s Light Up the Season December 10, 2017 D23’s Holiday Shopping Day at Mickey’s of Glendale February 2, 2018 D23 Member Night at Disney’s Aladdin at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre Parks August 31-November 13, 2017 Epcot Food & Wine Festival November 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 26 and 28. December 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 22 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World Resort November 10–January 7 Holidays at the Disneyland Resort December 16 Star Wars: Galactic Nights returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios 2019 April 13, 2018 Pixar Fest begins at the Disneyland Resort February 28–May 28, 2018 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Summer 2018 Star Wars: Pixar Pier opens at Disney California Adventure 2019 Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World |
Studios November 22, 2017 Coco opens in theaters December 15, 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theaters February 16, 2018 Marvel Studios’ Black Panther opens in U.S. theaters Television November 20, 2017 Big Hero 6 The Series launches with a one-hour movie on Disney XD and Disney Channel (8 p.m. ET) December 1–25, 2017 Disney|ABC’s 25 Days of Christmas |
A Final Coco Trailer Before the Film’s Debut
We’re a few short weeks away from the debut of Disney•Pixar’s Coco, and we just got our final trailer-rific look at the film… Check out the colorful clip, above!
The animated feature, directed by Toy Story 3’s Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Monsters University story artist Adrian Molina, celebrates the importance of family, honoring your ancestors, and following your dreams. Wanna bypass the lines and pre-purchase your tickets? You’re in luck: They’re now on sale at both Fandango and Atom. See you there, amigos!
Latest Star Wars: The Last Jedi Trailer
The recent World Series was notable not just because of the teams playing (congrats, Astros!) and the action on the diamond… There was also another disturbance in the Force, under the guise of a brand-new trailer for December’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi!
In Lucasfilm’s latest, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of The Force Awakens join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio Del Toro. If you’re anything like us (and we’re pretty sure you are), you’re canceling all other plans and heading to the theater when the clock strikes midnight on December 15… We cannot wait!
Clothing Line rag & bone Teams with Star Wars for New Collection
…And by the way, Star Wars fans, there will soon be a brand-new collection of related clothing items that you can sport at the local cineplex when you take in The Last Jedi: rag & bone, a British brand with stores across the U.S., just unveiled some truly special Star Wars fashions—and they’ll be available both in store and (for select items) at ShopDisney.com soon.
Launching in waves beginning December 1, this limited-edition range will offer a selection of the fashion label’s iconic styles mixed with classic Star Wars designs. (You can see a video featuring some of the collection’s coolest items at the rag & bone website.)
In addition to the capsule collection, rag & bone will support Lucasfilm and Disney’s Force 4 Fashion initiative—an amazing charitable program under Star Wars: Force for Change that was created to empower and improve the lives of children around the world—with a donation to Starlight Children’s Foundation. Fabulous clothing, helping kids in need… it’s a total win-win situation.
ABC’s American Idol to Premiere in March
Music fans, take heed: Ryan Seacrest made a big announcement this week on Live with Kelly and Ryan… namely, that ABC’s American Idol will make its huge return to the airwaves on Sunday, March 11, at 8 p.m. EDT!
The nationwide search for the next superstar kicked off this past August, as the Idol Bus traveled from Portland, Oregon, to Orlando, Florida, in its pursuit for mega-watt talent—covering more than 20 cities across the country. Auditioning was made easier than ever as hopefuls also had the opportunity to submit audition videos online, as well as via several social media platforms using an official tag, #TheNextIdol; also, for the first time in American Idol history, hopefuls had the opportunity to audition through a livestream platform.
Taking a seat at the judges’ table this time ‘round are three music industry superstars—Luke Bryan, Katy Perry, and Lionel Richie… and they’re ready to help to determine who America will ultimately vote for to become the next big singing sensation. Emmy® Award-winning host and producer Ryan Seacrest returns to helm the beloved series; we can only hope he’ll once again introduce each episode with a hearty “This… is American Idol!”