By Karina Schink
Whatever it takes.
Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame is just one month away. To mark the last leg of the long wait, Marvel Studios has released a set of 32 brand-new character featuring all of our favorite Avengers characters.
Avenge the fallen by checking them out below, and get ready to assemble because Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26.
By Nicole Nalty
Our favorite flying elephant is soaring onto the big screen on March 29 in a live action reimagining of the 1941 animated classic. Before Dumbo makes his triumphant flight into theaters, we’re celebrating something almost as iconic as the film itself—the Disney theme park attraction, Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
Making its debut in Disneyland park just a month after the park’s opening, Dumbo the Flying Elephant is quite possibly the most recognizable attraction throughout the world of Disney Parks. Some of us may remember soaring above King Arthur Carrousel in Disneyland park, or behind Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom park; newer generations might have first memories of flying with Dumbo in the Gardens of Imagination at Shanghai Disneyland. While you can find Dumbo in the sky at every Disney Resort around the world, each view is unique to its location. Here’s where you can see an elephant fly:
Want even more adventures with Dumbo? Check out a special sneak peek of the film at Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House or at Disney Hollywood Studios’ Walt Disney Presents attraction.
By Karina Schink
A new immersive, interactive experience is coming to Disney California Adventure park at Disneyland Resort and to Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, Disney Parks Blog shared today.
While grounded in classic characters like Peter Parker, The Worldwide Engineering Brigade, or WEB, is inviting guests of all ages to join the heroes in action like never before. This expansion will blend seamlessly as a part of the story Imagineers are creating for the new land coming to the Parks.
The new experience will also debut a brand-new, cutting-edge interface with never-before-seen technology and practical effects that guests will get to see first-hand as they join the ranks of Super Heroes.
While we’re so excited to join the heroic adventures, we can get a little sneak peak as Spider-Man is already swinging in a new suit at Walt Disney Studios Park, which he’ll later debut at Disney California Adventure, and at other Parks.
Recruitment begins soon, so get ready to assemble and find your power! Stay tuned to D23 for more details as they are announced.
By Max Lark and Beth Deitchman
Today The Walt Disney Company completed its acquisition of 21st Century Fox. In honor of this historic day for our company, D23 wanted to take a look at the storied history of this legendary entertainment giant, which was rooted in the 20th Century Fox film studio, one that has specialized in creating cinema—and, later, television—that enters the collective imagination and is built on great stories and indelible characters.
The story of 20th Century Fox extends all the way back to 1904 and a tiny theater on New York’s Lower East Side, where 25-year-old William S. Fox, fresh from Hungary, amazed audiences with his magical, hand-cranked short films. By 1915, his single screen grew into a chain of 25 theaters around New York City.
In 1916, Fox left New York City for Los Angeles and launched the Fox Film Corporation, eventually purchasing 100 acres between Santa Monica and Pico Boulevards, west of Beverly Hills. In 1926, Fox purchased Movietone, a company that combined sound with moving pictures, creating newsreels shown around the world. Among the milestone movies made in the 1920s were the Western Just Pals in 1920, the first Fox film from legendary director John Ford, and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927), directed by German maestro F.W. Murnau. A marvel of technical prowess and inventive storytelling, the film was shot in multiple locations and on the Fox lot, where an elevated set was built using forced perspective. The film is ranked No. 5 on Sight and Sound’s “The 50 Greatest Films of All Time” list, last updated July 30, 2018.
After merging with Twentieth Century Pictures in 1935, which had produced many popular films in the 1930s including Moulin Rouge, Folies Bergère de Paris, and Les Misérables, the renamed 20th Century Fox began an unprecedented run of unforgettable films and movie-making firsts that continues to this day.
From Fox’s first Cinemascope production, The Robe, in 1953, which electrified audiences and changed the way movies were shot and shown, to Avatar, the highest-grossing picture of all time, which used motion capture and reimagined 3D as modern breakthroughs in cinematic technology, Fox has never stopped exploring what movies could be.
At a time when the world seemed to be less interested in movie musicals, Fox gave them the Academy Award®-winning The Sound of Music, considered by many to be the best musical of all time. Fox showed the world a new vision of science fiction with Star Wars and ushered in the modern action hero with the Die Hard series. Comedies like Home Alone and Mrs. Doubtfire became instant classics and brought families to the theater to enjoy watching movies together.
20th Century Fox reimagined the bio-pic with films like Patton and Braveheart and captured the epic romance and tragedy of Titanic. From the gritty streets of 1970s New York in The French Connection to the candy-colored roads of Mumbai in Fox Searchlight’s Slumdog Millionaire, 20th Century Fox never shied away from exploring the human condition—or the mutant condition, as the X-Men series, based on the Marvel Comics characters, continues to show. When the studio’s not drawing inspiration from real life, it is artfully bringing beloved works of literature like Life of Pi and The Fault In Our Stars faithfully to life.
The 1930s–1950s
In the 1930s, Shirley Temple became one of the biggest stars in the world, starring in a successful string of films for 20th Century Fox, and legendary director John Ford would shoot three of his best films in three years (Young Mr. Lincoln, 1939; The Grapes of Wrath, 1940; and How Green Was My Valley, 1941). Ford would win the Oscar® for Best Director for The Grapes of Wrath and for Best Picture for How Green Was My Valley.
Throughout the 1940s and ’50s, Fox found box-office gold with some of the most beloved films ever made, including Laura, starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews; Jane Eyre; My Darling Clementine with Henry Fonda; Miracle on 34th Street; The Ghost and Mrs. Muir; and All About Eve, featuring Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, and Anne Baxter—in part remembered for Davis’ iconic delivery of the famous line, “Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night!”—and many more.
For 1953’s The Robe, 20th Century Fox introduced Cinemascope, which used special lenses to compress an image shot during filming and project it in wide format—a significant size shift from the standard 1:33, or Academy, aspect ratio. Other significant releases in the 1950s included Bus Stop, The King and I, Love Me Tender and The Diary of Anne Frank.
20th Century Fox Television was launched in 1949 and by the mid-1950s was enjoying success with My Friend Flicka (1956-58).
1960s–1980s
The 1960s saw 20th Century Fox create some of its most-celebrated movie spectacles, including Cleopatra (1963), starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. The original four-hour-and-three-minute extravaganza featured dazzling sets—including a 35-foot-tall Sphinx—and ran for a year in Hollywood. The Sound of the Music (1965) remains a perennial favorite and was the first Fox musical to have songs dubbed into different languages, 31 in all. Since 1978, it has never been out of print in all of the various home video formats. It won five Oscars, including Best Picture. In Fantastic Voyage (1966), audiences went on an unforgettable journey inside the human body. In the charming Dr. Doolittle (1967), another Best Picture nominee for the studio, legendary actor Rex Harrison “talked to the animals” including a chimp, Pomeranian puppy, a duck, a parrot, a goat and more. Director George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)—one of the most iconic buddy movies ever made—featured Robert Redford and Paul Newman in a pairing for the ages.
It was a banner time for 20th Century Fox Television, which produced some of the most innovative shows of the era, including Adam West as Batman (1966-68), Peyton Place (1964-69), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964-68)—which won four Emmys® over the course of its run—the beloved Lost in Space (1964-68), which endeavored to show what life would be like in 1997, and the groundbreaking Mod Squad (1968-1973), a counter-culture police series featuring what one critic called “the hippest and first young undercover cops on TV.” The series would go on to win six Emmy Awards.
The studio released more critical and box-office successes during the 1970s, including Patton (1970), starring George C. Scott in arguably his greatest role. The film won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Director, and more. M*A*S*H (1970) would win the Oscar for best screenplay—and also spawned the iconic TV series for 20th Century Fox Television a couple years later. The William Friedkin-directed The French Connection (1971) would win five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Irwin Allen, nicknamed “The Master of Disaster,” produced two wildly popular disaster genre films: The Poseidon Adventure (1972), which earned a Special Achievement Award from the Academy for visual effects, and The Towering Inferno (1974), starring Paul Newman.
The staggering success of Star Wars (1977) launched a pop culture phenomenon and in some ways changed filmmaking forever. Legendary choreographer/director Bob Fosse’s All That Jazz (1979)—closed out the decade in style for 20th Century Fox, netting four Oscars and five nominations (including Best Picture).
20th Century Fox Television delivered two of the most iconic television series of all time in the 1970s beginning with M*A*S*H (1972-83), which won a whopping 14 Emmys and can still be seen in syndication. The show’s series finale set records, with 106 million people tuning in to watch the two-and-a-half-hour final episode. For years The Love Boat (1977-86), which aired on ABC, was a ratings behemoth.
In the 1980s, 20th Century Fox expanded its streak of box-office and critical releases, including
Star Wars: Episode V ‑ The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Nine to Five (1980)—featuring the film debut of Dolly Parton—and the Oscar-nominated The Verdict (1982), directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Paul Newman, with a script from David Mamet. Star Wars: Episode VI ‑ Return of the Jedi (1983) took audiences further into the Star Wars saga, and Romancing the Stone (1984) was a charming throwback starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner and directed by up-and-coming director Robert Zemeckis.
In 1985, Rupert Murdoch purchased 20th Century Fox as the Studio extended its historical run. Cocoon (1985), directed by Ron Howard, starred such screen stalwarts as Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, and Jessica Tandy. Other 20th Century Fox films from this decade include The Princess Bride (1987); Wall Street (1987), directed by Oliver Stone and starring Michael Douglas, who received the Best Actor Oscar for his iconic star turn as Gordon Gekko; Broadcast News (1987), directed by James L. Brooks; Predator (1987), starring Arnold Schwarzenegger; Big (1988), produced by Brooks, directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks; and Die Hard (1988), which made the Fox Plaza Tower a popular site on Hollywood tours. The decade concluded with the dazzling effects James Cameron brought to life in The Abyss (1989).
In the 1980s, 20th Century Fox Television debuted a host of series that have secured their places in television history, including the multiple-Emmy-winning L.A. Law (1986-94); Doogie Howser, M.D. (1989-93), starring Neil Patrick Harris; Married… with Children (1987-97); and The Simpsons (1989 and still going strong 30 years—and 33 Emmys—later).
1990s
In 1994, 20th Century Fox launched four new film production companies—Fox Searchlight, Fox Family, Fox 2000, and 20th Century Fox Animation—and enjoyed another decade of producing popular and critically successful films.
Edward Scissorhands (1990), from the inimitable Tim Burton, kicked off the decade stylishly along with Home Alone (1990), which secured Chris Columbus’ status as the go-to director for family films. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993) starred Disney Legend Robin Williams in one of his most memorable roles. Speed (1994), with its signature line—“Stay on or get off?”—became Sandra Bullock’s career-making vehicle.
The Brothers McMullen (1995), starring, written, and directed by Edward Burns, became the first Fox Searchlight release, and The Full Monty (1997) was Searchlight’s first huge box office hit. Anastasia (1997) was the first movie from Fox Family Films and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
Director James Cameron’s classic Titanic (1997) became a pop culture sensation and won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Director, Cinematography, and Original Song. Director David Fincher’s Fight Club brought the decade to an astonishing close.
The 1990s were just as impressive for 20th Century Fox Television as the studio launched iconic television series including In Living Color (1990-2000), featuring new comedy talent, including Jim Carrey, David Alan Grier, Damon Wayans, and Jamie Foxx; Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000); Melrose Place (1992-1999); The X-Files (1993–2002), which won 15 Emmys® ; NYPD Blue (1993-2005), a 20-Emmy winner that aired on ABC and was created by Steven Bochco and Dave Milch; Chicago Hope (1994-2000), a seven-Emmy winner created by David E. Kelley; Ally McBeal (1997-2000), a seven-Emmy winner also created by David E. Kelley; Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), created by Joss Whedon based on his feature film; and Family Guy (1999-2002, 2004-present), created by Seth MacFarlane.
FX Networks, a business unit of 21st Century Fox, launched in June 1994 with the debut of FX, the flagship general entertainment basic cable channel, followed by the debut of FXM—the FX Movie Channel—in October of that year. A third network, FXX, launched in September 2013. FX and FX Productions became known for critically acclaimed and provocative dramas, including The Shield (2002-2008), Emmy and Golden Globe-winning Nip/Tuck (2003-2010) and Damages (2007-2009), which won four Emmys and a Golden Globe during the course of its run.
2000s–Present
Starting in 2000, 20th Century Fox launched several highly successful film franchises, including X-Men (2000) and Ice Age (2002). The company has continued to give audiences Oscar-caliber performances and films, including The Devil Wears Prada (2006), which earned Meryl Streep her 14th Oscar nomination for Best Actress; Juno (2006), which featured an Oscar-winning screenplay by Diablo Cody; Little Miss Sunshine (2007), which won the Oscar for Original Screenplay; Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which won eight Oscars including Best Picture; and Avatar (2009), a tour-de-force film from James Cameron that won three Oscars and became (and remains to this day) the highest-grossing movie worldwide in history—in addition to inspiring a new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.
For Life of Pi (2012), Ang Li won the Oscar for Best Director; 12 Years A Slave (2013), directed by Steve McQueen, won Oscars for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Supporting Actress (Lupita Nyong’o). Birdman (2014) won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor, and Cinematography.
After launching the highly successful Deadpool franchise (2016), 20th Century Fox has continued to rack up Oscar gold, with films such as Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017), which won Oscars for Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell; The Shape of Water (2017), which won for Best Picture along with Best Director for Guillermo del Toro, as well as Best Production Design and Best Original Score; Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), for which Rami Malek won the Oscar for Best Actor; and The Favourite (2018), which garnered 10 Oscar nominations and the Oscar for Best Actress for Olivia Colman.
20th Century Fox Television continued its winning streak beginning with the iconic Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006), which won seven Emmys; the massive fan-favorite 24 (2001-10), known for its innovative “real-time” storytelling; How I Met Your Mother (2005-14); Modern Family (2009-present); and Glee (2009-15)—which won six Emmys over the course of its run. Current critically acclaimed and top-rated series from Fox Television include Empire, which premiered in 2015 and has received eight Emmy nominations, and This is Us, which premiered in 2016, and has won three Emmys and received 18 nominations.
The National Geographic Channels include National Geographic Channel (NGC), Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo People and Nat Geo MUNDO and contribute to the National Geographic Society’s commitment to exploration, conservation and education with entertaining, innovative programming from A-level talent around the world and profits that help support the society’s mission. Nat Geo’s COSMOS: A National Geographic Deeper Dive received an Emmy nomination in 2014, and He Named Me Malala (2016) was nominated for six Emmys and received one.
Believe it or not, this is just a part of the 21st Century Fox story and but some of the incredible library of content that Fox has built over the past eight decades. We are excited to think of the future that lies ahead as Disney embarks on a new era of unparalleled storytelling.
By Tim Lammers
Seventy-eight years after the Walt Disney animated film classic Dumbo debuted in theaters, director Tim Burton and his troupe of performers are bringing a new big top spectacle to the big screen with their live-action reimagining of the flying elephant tale. Here are five things D23 learned about Dumbo from Burton, stars Danny DeVito and Colin Farrell, screenwriter/producer Ehren Kruger, and producer Derek Frey.
1. Dumbo hinged on Tim Burton directing it.
Given Burton’s affinity throughout his career for stories about outsiders, Kruger says there was no one else in his mind other than the acclaimed filmmaker directing the film: “Tim was the first and ultimately only director to receive the screenplay, so it was our dream for him to say yes to it. We could surmise that perhaps he had fond affection toward the animated classic knowing of his early animation background, but we didn’t know for sure, and it turned out it was a movie that was near and dear to his heart, and he saw the potential of adding a new dimension to it. I have no doubt that if he had read the screenplay and didn’t like it, he would have attached himself to the movie anyway and commissioned an entirely different screenplay.”
2. Dumbo marks a role-reversal for Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton.
Dumbo is the first Burton film that Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton have worked on together since 1992’s Batman Returns, which pitted Keaton’s Caped Crusader against DeVito’s waddling nemesis, the Penguin. Their role-reversal in Dumbo wasn’t lost on DeVito, who plays struggling circus owner Max Medici opposite Keaton’s V.A. Vandevere—a shifty entrepreneur looking to exploit Medici’s large-eared baby pachyderm’s magical ability to fly.
“It’s great to be playing the good guy and Michael’s playing the bad guy, since I was the bad guy as the Penguin in Batman Returns. I love working with Michael, and I think one of the first things I said to him was, ‘How does it feel to be playing the bad guy in the movie?’” DeVito says, punctuating the memory with an almost villainous chuckle. “We have a good relationship, Michael and I, and we have always been very good friends, and it is a joy to work with him and Tim.”
3. Max Medici was originally written as a younger character.
Kruger says in his original script for Dumbo, the pivotal role of Medici was “a younger character who was trying to keep a small-time circus afloat in the age of the declining influence of the entertainment world of the circus.” However, Kruger says, he’s glad Burton envisioned an older and wiser version of the character and found exactly who he was looking for with his longtime collaborator DeVito.
“Sometimes Tim’s instincts on casting will reveal things that I didn’t even see in my own screenplay… By casting Danny, an older actor in the role, Tim got this sense of wistfulness and emotion of the glory days that have been lost; that this character is trying to hang on to and trying to rekindle in a way that the original character on the page might not have had,” Kruger says. “Tim is constantly thinking about what is not in the text and what can be there between the lines by casting this person as opposed to that person, and Danny’s just brilliant in the movie.”
4. Dumbo rounds out Danny DeVito’s ‘Circus Trilogy’
DeVito says he found familiarity playing a circus owner for Burton. It began 27 years ago when the actor’s Penguin character was a de facto ringleader who commandeered a band of ex-circus performers to take over Gotham City in Batman Returns; and in 2003, DeVito stepped right up to play the ringmaster who recruits Edward Bloom’s (played by Albert Finney) misunderstood giant friend in Big Fish. Burton says the long wait to work with DeVito again was worth it.
“I told Danny, ‘After Big Fish and Batman Returns, this finishes your Circus Trilogy,’” Burton says, laughing. “It was great seeing him after such a long time. I’ve learned so much from him. He’s got such amazing energy, and he’s so good with people. I need to take ‘Learning How to Deal with People’ courses from Danny. He’s really a great spirit to be around and a great collaborator.”
5. Colin Farrell did his own horse-riding stunts for the film.
Farrell stars as Holt Farrier in Dumbo, a widowed and wounded war veteran who returns from battle to work for the Medici Circus, where he once entertained crowds as a stallion performer. Holt’s new job with the circus is to care for Dumbo, but other circumstances find him getting back in the saddle. “Colin saved our butts because he’s incredible at riding a horse,” says Frey. “We didn’t even have to use a stuntman. That’s aside from his acting skills, that he can ride a horse, amazingly, and had to do it with one hand.”
While Farrell previously rode horses in Alexander and A Winter’s Tale, he says his equestrian work on Dumbo was hardly a trot in the park: “There were a few things that were harder on Dumbo, because we were dealing with fire. There’s a scene in the film where a lot of flames were present in the frame, and horses—like humans—find the flames scary. But I had a great horseman and a great stunt crew to work with and we choreographed everything very, very carefully, and it was fun to do.”
Read more interviews with the cast and crew of Dumbo in the Spring 2019 issue of Disney twenty-three.
By Courtney Potter
Catch Woody, Buzz, and a gaggle of new toys in action, and read up on some fun changes coming to Walt Disney World Resort… See more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!
It’s a good thing we’re kicking off this week’s News Briefs with the latest Toy Story 4 trailer from our pals at Disney•Pixar—because honestly, if you haven’t seen it (or even if you have), you positively must watch it right this very minute! That way, you can discuss every awesome nuance with your friends and family, and draw an even larger red circle around June 21 on your movie calendar… or is that just us?
It’s pretty much everything we needed in a trailer—not only reacquainting us with Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz (voice of Tim Allen), and Bonnie’s beloved new toy Forky (voice of Tony Hale), but also introducing us to several brand-new characters, including a chatty 1950s pull-string doll named Gabby Gabby (voice of Christina Hendricks); a seemingly tough 1970s action hero doll named Duke Kaboom (voice of Keanu Reeves); and a cute new sidekick for the returning Bo Beep (voice of Annie Potts) named Giggle McDimples (voice of Ally Maki). Check it out, above.
Directed by Josh Cooley (Riley’s First Date?), and produced by Jonas Rivera (Inside Out, Up) and Mark Nielsen (associate producer, Inside Out), Toy Story 4 blasts into theaters across the country on June 21.
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives March 25, 2019 Be Among the First to see Disney’s Dumbo! April 5, 2019 Lunch with a Disney Legend–Linda Larkin April 6, 2019 D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: The Lion King on Broadway April 6, 2019 The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour – GOLD FAMILY EXCLUSIVE April 15, 2019 The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour – Presented by D23 May 4, 2019 D23’s Magical Screening Series: The Lion King at Walt Disney World May 6, 2019 The Official Walt Disney Studios Tour – Presented by D23 May 11, 2019 D23’s Magical Screening Series: The Lion King on the Lot May 16, 2019 D23 Celebrates Mickey Mouse: From Walt to the World June 1, 2019 D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: Return to Walt’s Chicago June 8, 2019 Lunch with a Disney Legend – Paige O’Hara August 23-25, 2019 D23 Expo 2019 Parks March 1-April 23, 2019 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival March 6-June 3, 2019 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Summer 2019 Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening at Disneyland Resort Fall 2019 Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opening at and Walt Disney World Resort |
Studios March 8, 2019 Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel opens in U.S. theaters March 29, 2019 Dumbo opens in U.S. theaters April 17, 2019 Penguins opens in U.S. theaters April 26, 2019 Avengers: Endgame opens in U.S. theaters May 24, 2019 Aladdin opens in U.S. theaters June 21, 2019 Toy Story 4 opens in U.S. theaters July 19, 2019 The Lion King opens in U.S. theaters August 9, 2019 Artemis Fowl opens in U.S. theaters Television March 3, 2019 American Idol kicks off second season on ABC (8–10:01 p.m. EST) |
There’s a beloved attraction coming back to Walt Disney World Resort, just in time for the busy (and fabulously fun) summer season. Yes, Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom—which has recently undergone a refurbishment—will once again include all the animal encounters guests have come to know and love, drawing from Disney’s rich heritage of wildlife animation and now featuring a celebration of The Lion King and its 25th anniversary.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch, as well as the Affection Section and Wildlife Express (which will also fully reopen this summer), exemplifies the magic of nature—and allows guests to see the importance Disney places on animal care and conservation in their parks and around the world.
Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.
Speaking of Walt Disney World Resort: The Land pavilion at Epcot is getting a dynamic new film, and it’s sure to dazzle both young and young at heart. Awesome Planet, an on-screen exploration of the great big beautiful globe we call home, will showcase the spectacular beauty and diversity of Earth with all the grandeur Walt Disney World Resort guests have come to expect…
The new film—together with the new Circle-Vision film previously announced for the China pavilion; updates to the film at the Canada pavilion; and the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along coming to the France pavilion (which will rotate with Impressions de France, a Guinness World Record holder for “longest-running daily screened film in the world”)—is just one part of a truly thrilling transformation coming to Epcot.
With spectacular nature photography, immersive in-theater effects, and space sequences created by Industrial Light & Magic (known for their mind-bending work on the Star Wars franchise), Awesome Planet will stir Epcot guests with a moving environmental message. Keep your eyes peeled for more info on the film (and all the Epcot updates!) in the coming months.
We’ve already started celebrating the madness that is March with D23’s own March Hair Mania: Baby Bracket, but there’s still more bracket fun on the horizon… and it might even mean cash prizes or a trip to Hawaii!
The ESPN Tournament Challenge, the No. 1 bracket app, is back—and better than ever—for the 2019 NCAA Men’s College Basketball Tournament! Compete against friends and family, ESPN personalities, and even celebrities to see who finishes with the best bracket and hoops-bragging glory. ESPN Tournament Challenge is free and gives you a chance to win over $20,000 in prizes and a trip to Hawaii for the 2019 Maui Jim Maui Invitational basketball tournament. Check out the clip above for tips and tricks on how it all works—and don’t forget: the more brackets you fill out, the greater your chances of winning.
Brackets must be filled out by this Thursday, March 21—so head over to ESPN.com/bracket or download the ESPN Tournament Challenge app now and get started. Good luck!
Disney Channel fans, rejoice: You’ll once again be able to see all your fave Disney Channel stars in person, in just a few weeks, at the second annual Disney Channel Fan Fest! It all goes down on Saturday, April 27, at Disney California Adventure park, and you can read all about it right here at D23.com.
To paraphrase host Ryan Seacrest, “This … is American Idol news!” Our friends over at ABC recently announced when the first all-live performance show will air; mark your calendar for Monday, April 15, beginning at 8 p.m EDT—and the schedule will continue with live shows on Sundays only for five consecutive weeks. That’s a full six episodes’ worth of sure-to-be-amazing music; witty banter from judges Katy Perry, Luke Bryan, and Lionel Richie; and (as the season progresses) having a say in who wins the whole shebang!
Yes, it’s true—once again, American Idol will allow viewers to watch and vote from both coasts simultaneously across all time zones over a three-week span. Beginning Sunday, April 21, viewers at home will help determine the fate of this season’s Idol hopefuls via a coast-to-coast simul-vote… which will also be extended to the show’s huge finale event on Sunday, May 19, marking yet another historic first.
So make sure to cheer on (and vote for) your favorites… we can’t wait to see who wins!
It’s hard to believe, because it feels like we just feted its big opening night—but this Friday, March 22, Frozen on Broadway celebrates its gigantic first year on the Great White Way. And with their anniversary comes some news worth melting for: Disney Theatrical Productions is takin’ the show on the road, around the globe! Find out more by clicking here.
Frozen’s Disney on Broadway cohorts, Aladdin, have their own news to report this week: The tuneful musical theatre hit will celebrate its fifth “Genie-us” year on Broadway on Wednesday, March 20, at the New Amsterdam Theatre! Aladdin is the fourth Disney Theatrical Productions show (following Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mary Poppins) to play five or more years on Broadway.
With six productions on four different continents, this show itself is a worldwide phenomenon—having already grossed over $1 billion and welcomed over 10 million guests total. In fact, with New York City attendance of over 3 million theatergoers in this last half-decade, the show has been seen by more people in that period than any other Broadway production except Wicked. And get this… As of the fifth anniversary of Aladdin on Broadway, the Genie has granted Aladdin 6,294 wishes; there have been 83,920 fireworks set off inside the New Amsterdam Theatre (yes, really!); and the magic carpet has flown an incredible 63 miles!
Do make sure to visit the New Amsterdam if you find yourself in the Big Apple in the near future—we can promise you a “whole new world” of fun!
By Beth Deitchman
On Friday, March 22, Frozen celebrates its first anniversary on the Great White Way and Disney Theatrical Productions is capping this incredible year on Broadway with news that’s worth melting for. They’re taking the snow around the globe, with three international productions planned for Australia, London, and Germany, joining the upcoming North American tour that officially launches this fall in Los Angeles, California.
Audiences in Sydney, Australia, will finally find out what Frozen things do in summer when the show premieres at the Capitol Theatre in July 2020; while the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane will open up its gates with the musical in fall of that year. The following year, Frozen comes to Germany, for the first time in forever, when a new production is mounted in Hamburg in 2021.
“Jennifer Lee, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Bobby Lopez have crafted a gorgeous stage musical and we’re so grateful that Broadway has taken it to its heart,” said Thomas Schumacher, President & Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions. “That’s why every production will be handmade, with our brilliant director Michael Grandage and original creators working alongside the local teams to create the very best Frozen for each particular audience. We cannot wait to begin.”
Based on the Oscar®-winning 2013 animated film, Frozen has a book by Jennifer Lee—the film’s screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck)—and music and lyrics from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, who won the Oscar for the unforgettable number “Let It Go.” The musical features more than twice as many songs as the film, and expands upon and deepens the film’s indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material. Tony® Award winner Michael Grandage directs, and Tony Award winner Rob Ashford is choreographer.
Fans have let it go for Frozen since the show opened on Broadway in 2018. It has been one of the top 10 best-selling Broadway shows every week and has set four house records at the St. James Theatre in under a year. Nearly one million people have seen Frozen since its Denver pre-Broadway engagement, and its North American tour opens on December 4 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California (following a preview engagement in Schenectady, New York), with stops already announced for Portland Oregon; San Diego, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Cleveland, Ohio; and Chicago, Illinois.
Are you ready for that chill in the air? Visit FrozenTheMusical.com for the latest updates and ticketing information for Broadway… and beyond.
By Karina Schink
On this day in 1967, Pirates of the Caribbean opened at Disneyland. Whether for its uplifting music, its ragtag band of characters, or the enthralling story witnessed from aboard your bateaux, this seafaring attraction has become a favorite in the hearts of Disney fans around the world.
In celebration of its anniversary, we decided to take a walk off the plank into the vast knowledge of the Walt Disney Archives and see what kind of treasured facts hid under the “X” of this beloved attraction.
It was originally meant to be a wax museum.
Before the “Imagineers” of WED Enterprises created an attraction that would drop guests down waterfalls into the swashbuckling world of pirates, Walt Disney brought a simple idea forward: “pirates of the Caribbean.” It was up to a team of Imagineers to decide what those four words meant. One of Walt’s original ideas was for a walk-through wax museum attraction. Then, Disney Legend Marc Davis evolved the idea into a more interactive walk-through, where guests would experience about six different vignettes, each depicting a short story. Of course, both of these ideas were revised to become the sea-faring adventure we know today after an innovative new ride system was developed for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair.
It was Imagineer X. Atencio who penned “Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life For Me”
Animator and (later) Disney Legend Xavier “X.” Atencio made the transition over to Imagineering in 1965, leaving his fingerprints on iconic attractions such as Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. Some of his most recognizable “handiwork,” however, is not something you see, but something you hear. The Disney Legend penned two of the most iconic Parks songs: “Grim Grinning Ghosts” and “Yo Ho, A Pirates Life For Me.” X. had never penned a song or tune before approaching Walt with ideas for lyrics to accompany their latest, pirate-themed attraction. He also provided the voice of the attraction’s ominous Jolly Roger skull and crossbones!
Atencio turned to Disney’s Treasure Island for inspiration.
Early in the development for the attraction, Walt asked X. to join the Imagineering team in developing their newest attraction. X. knew he had to fully immerse himself into pirate culture, so he turned to where most of us do when looking for inspiration: movies. Specifically, he found that spark from Disney’s 1950 live-action hit, Treasure Island.
At 15 minutes, it is the longest attraction at Disneyland.
During the 15-minute boat ride, guests travel 1,838 feet through two huge structures. At its opening, the show featured 119 life-size, three-dimensional figures—64 humans and 55 animals.
Sculptor Blaine Gibson had to revise his designs when they were recognized as employees.
Sculptor Blaine Gibson (pictured above right, with Walt Disney and Marc Davis) had a habit of people-watching in search of inspiration for the physical appearance of the characters he created for a host of Disney attractions. While this was a great source for material, his wife scolded him to stop staring at people in public, and the habit eventually caught up to him. He had to change a nose on one of the pirates’ faces when a fellow employee mentioned that it looked like a man from another Disney department.
Paul Frees, or as you may know him, your Ghost Host, voiced several characters.
Fans will recognize the work of famed voice actor and Disney Legend Paul Frees as the voice of Ludwig Von Drake and for belting the dreadful Haunted Mansion greeting, “Welcome, foolish mortals…” But, he also lends his voice to another of the most iconic phrases in the Park: “Dead men tell no tales…” (You probably read that in his voice, didn’t you?)
On Saturday, April 27, two of our favorite worlds come together at Disney Channel Fan Fest, which brings the casts of our best-loved Disney Channel series and movies to Disneyland Resort for a day of on-stage events, meet-and-greets, sneak peeks, and more—including a spectacular, star-studded cavalcade. A host of stars from Descendants 3, Zombies, Kim Possible, Andi Mack, Raven’s Home, Sydney to the Max, Coop & Cami Ask the World, BUNK’D, Bizaardvark, and the upcoming Just Roll With It—such as Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Meg Donnelly, and Raven-Symoné—will participate in the uniquely Disney experience taking place throughout Disney California Adventure park.
This is sure to be a day you won’t want to miss, and fans can join the fun whether they’ve traveled to DCA or not. Fan Fest main stage events and the cavalcade will be live-streamed on DisneyNOW and on Disney Channel’s Facebook. Fans can also follow Disney Channel’s Instagram throughout the day for exclusive highlights from all the day’s events.
One special event we’re especially excited to see—and hear—is a live musical performance from select Disney Channel stars. This can’t-miss concert kicks off Disney Channel Voices, a new initiative to showcase diverse music and give multitalented young stars a platform to express themselves and make a deeper connection with their fans.
Here is the complete schedule of events for the day, subject to change*:
11 a.m. PDT Disney Channel Fan Fest Cavalcade
FAN FEST MAIN STAGE EVENTS:
12 p.m. PDT Just Roll With It Interactive Session
1 p.m. PDT Coop & Cami Ask the World, BUNK’d, and Sydney to the Max Session
2 p.m. PDT Andi Mack and Raven’s Home Session
3 p.m. PDT Disney Channel Animation Celebration featuring DuckTales, BigCity Greens, and Amphibia
5 p.m. PDT Disney Channel Voices Showcase
6 p.m. PDT Descendants 3 Session
And for some extra fun, between the sessions, fans can test their Disney knowledge through live hosted QUIZney games.
Celebrity meet-and-greet experiences will be available for fans with wristband distribution at park opening hour on a first come, first served basis and while supplies last.
To keep up with the latest updates, visit DisneyNOW.go.com/fanfest (and, of course, stay tuned to D23). We’re so excited to return to Disneyland Resort for this truly fan-tastic event, but we’re not the only ones. Hear from Disney Channel stars in the video below, and save April 27 for #DisneyChannelFanFest!
*Schedule, events, and appearances subject to change or cancellation without notice including but not limited to dates, times, and sessions. Theme Park admission for Disney California Adventure Park is required.
By Zach Johnson
Welcome to Beacon Heights University, “where excellence is not an option—it’s a requirement.” That ominous description comes courtesy of Ava Jalali (Sofia Carson) in the pilot episode of Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, premiering March 20 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Freeform. Executive producer I. Marlene King is expanding the Pretty Little Liars universe with the 10-episode series, featuring two returning players: Alison DiLaurentis (Sasha Pieterse) and Mona Vanderwaal (Janel Parrish).
Anchored by the two frenemies, the new series follows three hard-working college students, Ava, Dylan Walker (Eli Brown), and Caitlin Park-Lewis (Sydney Park), whose lives are, regrettably, tethered to the same wealthy, manipulative jerk: Nolan Hotchkiss (Chris Mason). Alison, who found love with with Emily Fields (Shay Mitchell) on Pretty Little Liars, accepts a job as a teaching assistant at the university, where she soon learns life on campus isn’t as picture-perfect as it appears.
“We wanted something that felt really new but honored the tone and themes of the original Pretty Little Liars,” explains King. “And once Sasha and Janel said they were interested in keeping their characters alive, that was sort of the way in. I knew we could use those two to take us to a new place, a new setting and a new world to explore.” Both actresses were eager to reprise their roles, which they played for seven seasons on the breakout hit Pretty Little Liars. “Marlene was like, ‘I’m not ready to say goodbye to Mona,’ and I said, ‘Me neither!’” Parrish recalls. “She then asked, ‘Well, what if we didn’t have to…?’ And I was like, ‘[Gasp] Tell me more!’”
Like its predecessor, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists is based on novelist Sara Shepard’s popular book series. Carson, who had previously worked with King on Freeform’s Famous in Love, had long been a fan of the stories Shepard and King created. “I was sold from the very beginning,” she admits. “It is such an honor to be part of this show and to continue [its] legacy.”
King describes the highly anticipated series as a “little looser” adaptation of Sara’s books than its predecessor. The reason for that, she says, is simple: “The books had a couple twists you couldn’t do for TV.” Luckily, Shepard “loved” the changes and “has a little cameo in the pilot.” Those who are unfamiliar with the characters needn’t fret. “Obviously if you’re a fan, you’re going to love this so much, because there are so many Easter eggs you’ll notice,” Carson says. “But if not, it’s a whole new world—with a whole new set of lies and mysteries and suspense.”
Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, which also stars Graeme Thomas King as Jeremy Beckett, Kelly Rutherford as Claire Hotchkiss, and Hayley Erin in an undisclosed role, is more mature than the original series, according to its returning actresses. “These characters, they’re really deep,” says Pieterse. “There’s a lot to them. It’s really fun to dive into that and see all these people who are putting on fake personas and trying to be perfect. [Because] that’s impossible!”
Parrish describes the show as “mysterious and steamy.” Pieterse agrees it’s “racier,” teasing, “We’ve got a lot of surprises and things up our sleeve that I think fans are going to enjoy…”
Adds Parrish, “[There are] lots of twists and turns—very PLL-style!”