A Star-Studded, Stellar Opening for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

May 26, 2017May 30, 2017

(from left to right) Joe Quesada, Bob Chapek, Zoe Saldana, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, James Gunn, Kevin Feige

By Nicole Nalty

Before Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! opens to the public this Saturday, May 27, the cast and crew of the film and the creative team behind the attraction gathered for a truly out-of-this-galaxy opening ceremony.

Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, first took the stage to share his excitement for the new attraction and the future for Super Heroes at the Disneyland Resort. “Now this is a momentous occasion, but it’s just the beginning of what will become an even bigger Super Hero presence at Disney California Adventure,” Chapek said, “And with the strong partnership between Marvel and Walt Disney Imagineering, we’re very excited with what’s to come. And it is sure to please Marvel fans hungry for more magic at Disney Parks.”

Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is definitely one of those fans. “A lot of kids dream of being writers and directors and they dream of winning Oscars®. For me, I dreamed of this, of having a ride at a Disney theme park based on movies that I helped to create.” The opening of this new attraction is a “full circle” moment for Gunn. “When I was a little kid, my earliest memories are when I was four years old, coming to Disneyland and riding the Haunted Mansion, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Dumbo, and these are the greatest memories I have. It makes me so excited that families and friends are going to be able to come here to the park and experience with their families and friends what I was able to experience here through Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Some of the Guardians cast then took the stage, including Zoe Saldana (who made it back from Pandora just in time to celebrate!), Pom Klementieff, Michael Rooker, and the Collector himself, Benicio del Toro, to help kick off the official opening of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!

Find out more about the new attraction here and experience it all for yourself when Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! opens on May 27.

45 Reasons to Celebrate 45 Years of Star Wars

May 25, 2017May 25, 2022

By Jocelyn Buhlman

Star Wars: A New Hope premiered today in 1977, and 45 years later we are all still obsessed with the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, and that scoundrel Han Solo. To help celebrate the impact of this amazing movie and the other films of the Star Wars saga, we’ve rounded up 45 reasons for 45 years of why we love Star Wars.

1. The Opening Crawl
No other movie opens quite like the Star Wars movies do, and those scrolling yellow words have become cultural icons almost as famous as the movie that follows them.

2. The Music
John William’s brilliant score evokes an emotion like no other, whether you are sitting on the edge of your seat as the “Main Title” announces the start of the movie, dancing with your friends to that irresistibly catchy “Cantina” song, or if you’re making a menacing entrance to the “Imperial March.”

3. The Skywalker Saga
We wouldn’t have Star Wars without the Skywalker family, and every moment of the family’s journey has captivated our hearts, from Anakin’s redemption to Luke and Leia’s discovery of their legacy.

4. Amazing Aliens
From Chewbacca’s fuzzy face to the pointy ears of Yoda, there’s an alien out there for everyone to love, and the unique, kooky, and just plain weird designs of Star Wars aliens have affected our cultural consciousness.

5. Wipe Transitions
Part of the charm of Star Wars is how we get from one scene to another with the use of wipe transitions, which was George Lucas’ tribute to the classic movies he grew up enjoying.

6. Cool Costumes
Whether it’s something as simple as Han’s cool vest and blaster or as elaborate as Padme’s dramatic gowns and headpieces, we wish we could wear the fashions of the Star Wars universe every day!

7. Star Tours
What’s a better way to experience the adventure of Star Wars for yourself than on an attraction at your favorite Disney park? The adventure is different each time you ride, which means you’re always in for a thrilling Star Wars story where you are the star!

8. Impressive… Most Impressive Villains
Star Wars has provided us with plenty of villains who follow the rule of cool in their own way, whether it’s through Krennic’s white cape, Phasma’s chrome armor, or cyborg Jedi hunter General Grevious’ collection of lightsabers. And, of course, there’s the classic black of Darth Vader.

9. Dazzling Disney+ Series
From The Mandalorian to Obi-Wan Kenobi, Disney+ has allowed us to explore more reaches of the Star Wars galaxy in all-new ways! Plus, we got to watch a new season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and meet The Bad Batch, continuing the legacy of the animated series we love.

10. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
The fan-favorite TV show detailing the events between Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith was beloved for introducing us to Anakin’s plucky apprentice, Ahsoka Tano, the villainous bounty hunter Asajj Ventress, and a whole army of Clones who won our hearts with their surprisingly unique personalities.

11. Star Wars Rebels
Disney XD’s animated series chronicling the adventures of a crew of rebels fighting the Empire helps bridge the gap between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy and give us an inside look at the Rebel Alliance.

12. Star Wars Resistance
Adding to the impressive repertoire of Star Wars animated series, Star Wars Resistance follows in the footsteps of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels by exploring part of the story we don’t see in the live-action films. Set after Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the series follows Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot recruited by the Resistance and caught up in missions spying on the fearsome First Order.

13. Meeting Your Heroes… and Villains!
Whether you visit the Star Wars Launch Bay to meet Chewbacca or if you enroll in the Jedi Training Temple to fight against Darth Vader, the Seventh Sister, Kylo Ren and more of the worst of the Sith, there’s always a chance to meet your hero (or villain!) at Disney Parks.

14. Lightsabers
Green. Blue. Purple. White… Red? What color would you pick? These elegant weapons for a more civilized age have fueled our imaginations ever since Obi-Wan first gave Luke his fathers’ lightsaber.

15. Spectacular Spaceships
Star Wars is practically an A to Z of cool spaceships, from the Rebel Fleets’ collection of ships to the Empire’s deadly TIE fighters, to the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon.

16. Star Wars-Themed Lands
We’ve been creating our own Star Wars stories since 2019, when a galaxy far, far away arrived at Disneyland and Walt Disney World and let guests live out fully immersive Star Wars theme park adventures!

17. A New Way to Cruise Through Space
Have you ever wanted to travel on a starship, get caught up in intergalactic espionage, and befriend mysterious aliens? Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which just opened this year, is a two-night immersive adventure that expands how we can be part of the Star Wars story.

18. Out-of-This-World Languages
While Galactic Basic is famously represented by the Aurebesh script throughout the Star Wars films, the movies also provide a wide variety of interesting alien languages, such as the growling Shyriirwook spoken by Wookiees or the beeping binary of astromech droids.

19. A Galaxy of Planets
The glittering ice caves of Hoth. The rising twin suns of Tatooine. The sprawling metropolis of Coruscant. No matter where in the Star Wars universe you travel, every planet has an amazing sight to behold, like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

20. The Force
It surrounds us and penetrates us and binds the galaxy together—the Force may not be a person, but it’s almost a character in its own right in the films. Whether the light side or the dark side, the Force guides every moment of the Star Wars saga.

21. The Jedi
Qui-Gon. Obi Wan. Luke. They are the protectors of the galaxy who use the light side of the Force to keep the peace. The Jedi Order is made up of a variety of interesting humans and aliens that we can’t help but admire.

22. The Sith
Being a good guy is fun, but sometimes you need to put on a dark cloak and light up your red lightsaber. The Sith use the dark side of the force and their red-bladed lightsabers to spread chaos and war throughout the galaxy.

23. Adorable Droids
They may simply beep and boop or they may be fluent in millions of forms of complaining, but no matter whether they are humanoid-shaped or an adorable orb, we love the droids of the Star Wars universe.

24. Life lessons
Even though Star Wars is set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there are still plenty of ways we can learn from the Star Wars saga. We’ve rounded up the best lessons we’ve learned throughout the saga here.

25. The Classic Trio
The farmboy, the princess, and the scoundrel: The original trio from Episodes IV-VI have a special place in our hearts for all the snark, love, and quick-thinking that enchanted audiences all over the world again and again.

26. The Prequels Trio
The prequels introduced us to some familiar faces, some new faces, and one face we’d only seen covered by a mask: Obi-Wan, Padme, and Anakin lead us in the prequel trilogy, providing us with a lot of fun and a lot of heartbreak as the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker unfolded in Episodes I-III.

27. The new trio
The heroes of the sequel trilogy stole our hearts from the beginning of Star Wars: The Force Awakens: Rey, the scavenger with a Force-powered secret has millions of little girls rocking the three-bun style; Finn, the Stormtrooper with a heart of gold, convinced us we can control our destiny; and the ever charming and handsome pilot Poe Dameron reminded us why it’s so important to be a rebel.

28. Perfect Puppets
The immersive nature of the Star Wars universe is aided by some amazing special effects, like the detailed puppets utilized throughout the trilogy. From the giant Jabba to the little, monkey-like Salacious Crumb, the amazing puppets of the Star Wars saga are a tradition that continues into the new trilogy of films.

29. Industrial Light and Magic
George Lucas created Industrial Light and Magic to make special effects like we’ve never seen before for Star Wars, and since then the company has become the leader in special effects in film, even helping found Pixar!

30. Books We Can’t Stop Reading
When you’d marathoned every Star Wars movie and memorized the TV shows, it’s time to crack open a book and start exploring even more of the Star Wars universe.

31. Comics with Action on Every Page
If you’re more of a visual person, there’s also a world of Star Wars comics full of the kind of action, adventure, and excitement you expect from any good Star Wars story. You can check out Marvel’s line of Star Wars comic, out now.

32. Star Wars Experiences Like No Other
There are special entertainment options available at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, including fantastic fireworks shows and a march of the First Order. If you’re looking for a vacation away from the mainland, have you tried the Star Wars Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line?

33. Star Wars Celebration
Every year, Star Wars fans gather together to celebrate everything they love about a galaxy far, far away. Star Wars Celebration is the official convention covering all things Star Wars for a weekend of panels, announcements, exhibits, screenings, and more!

34. LEGO Star Wars
Brick by brick, the world of LEGO Star Wars has built a silly galaxy of hijinks, from their hilarious holiday special to video games we can’t stop playing.

35. Iconic Hairstyles
Though they are from a long time ago, everyone in Star Wars is rocking fashion-forward hair. Who hasn’t tried their hand at some Leia hair buns on the sides of their head or mastering Rey’s three-bun stack?

36. The Humor
Whether Leia is snarking about her rescue attempt or BB-8 is throwing you a thumb’s up, there’s always something to keep us laughing. “Can someone get this big walking carpet out of my way?”

37. “I have a bad feeling about this”
One of the most iconic lines in the Star Wars franchise, at least one character per movie has bad feelings at a key moment. The line also appears in many Star Wars books, comics, TV show episodes, and video games! The line is so iconic it has even snuck its way into certain Star Tours sequences and even an Indiana Jones movie!

38. Easter Eggs
Are you headed to cell block 1138? Have you been paging Mr. Eroeg Sacul? Do you know why Finn’s Stormtrooper designation is FN-2187? The Star Wars universe is full of fun Easter eggs we love to discover (and use as an excuse to watch the movies again… and again… and again…)

39. Unforgettable Sound Effects
If we asked you to imagine the sound of a wookiee roaring or a lightsaber buzzing, can you hear them? The talented special effects team behind the Star Wars saga created iconic sound effects that are beloved by fans today.

40. Video Games
The Star Wars storytelling doesn’t stop when the movie ends—there’s a whole catalogue of amazing video games where you can be the star of an amazing Star Wars epic of your very own.

41. Miles and Miles of Merchandise
What’s in your collection? Everyone has a favorite Star Wars toy, or shirt, or even Mouse Ear Hat that lets the world know they are a fan.

42. It’s A Story the Whole Family Can Enjoy
Whether you sat on the edge of your seat in a theater in 1977 or in front of the TV as your Blu-Ray™ brought you magic, watching Star Wars is an experience everyone can enjoy, young or old, as it is a timeless classic that will continue to be beloved for generations.

43. It’s A Story about Underdogs
Luke is a farm boy, Rey is a scavenger, and we’re just a bunch of kids trying to get through life! What makes Star Wars so magical is that we can relate so much to the experiences of a simple underdog becoming a greater hero—that could be us one day!

44. It’s A Story We Can All Enjoy
Star Wars brings us together in an unique way, uniting us at D23 Expo or Star Wars Celebration or anywhere in the world! Our love for the galaxy far, far away is something that unites us and ties us together.

45. It’s an Adventure That Keeps Continuing
We may be celebrating 45 years of Star Wars: A New Hope today, but even though the end credits roll, the story isn’t over. Star Wars grows and evolves with us, and we will keep adventuring and learning and believing as long as there is a galaxy far, far away for us to enjoy.

8 Tantalizing Tales from the Team Behind the Latest Pirates of the Caribbean Adventure

May 25, 2017

By Beth Deitchman

“Dead Men Tell No Tales…” The words are part of a sinister warning to all who come “seeking adventure and salty old pirates” on the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, but they’ve never been as thrilling as they are when spoken by Javier Bardem, as Captain Salazar in the latest installment of the iconic Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. And lucky for us, actors and filmmakers love a good yarn, especially when they’re the stars of a highly anticipated new movie.

We recently caught up with some of the talented people who are bringing Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales to a screen near you this Friday, May 26. Keep a weather eye open for secrets and behind-the-scenes stories from the directing duo who are steering the cinematic ship this time around, familiar pirate mates, and a few of the new faces who are setting sail in the fifth Pirates film from Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

1. Rønning and Sandberg made sure that each character had a fully realized emotional journey over the course of the film—except for one.
“[Jack Sparrow] doesn’t have an arc. He’s sort of the spice of the story,” Sandberg explains. Rønning concurs, joking, “He learns nothing.” But the filmmakers wanted the audience to learn something about Jack—while still allowing the iconic pirate to remain blissfully un-self-aware. “We created this backstory about how Jack becomes Jack Sparrow, and we also tied Salazar into that, to make sure that we had the villain and a conflict that was personal,” Sandberg says.

2. For Javier Bardem, joining the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise was a family affair.
According to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Penelope Cruz played an instrumental role in her husband’s decision to play Captain Salazar. Bruckheimer says that Cruz was the first person Bardem consulted after he was offered the role. “We’re so fortunate that she liked her experience in making Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” Bruckheimer says. Bardem took note of the creative team’s passion, work ethic, and attention to detail when he visited Cruz on the set of that film: “I saw the quality of the production, of the detail.” Walking around the boat during his visit to the set, Bardem lifted a plate and noticed hand carvings on the wood beneath it. “The art department did that,” he says. “Nobody will ever see it—but it was there. [As an actor] you have to respect that. You are the one who is going to bring that level of detail into the performance. I saw that then, and I knew that it was an important value in the production. It helped me to say yes.”

3. The Academy Award®-winning actor was a fan of the Pirates franchise, and especially Captain Jack Sparrow.
Bardem enjoyed the franchise as a moviegoer—and especially admired the “extraordinary” character Johnny Depp brought to life on the screen. “I wanted to play with that,” he says, and he remains impressed by Depp’s generosity as an actor. “When the scene comes, he knows that there’s nothing better than sharing, and he makes you feel comfortable, relaxed, and taken care of.”

4. Johnny Depp did double duty as casting director, bringing music icon Paul McCartney into the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise for a memorable cameo role.
“Keith Richards used to play Jack Sparrow’s dad,” Rønning points out, noting that the Rolling Stone was unavailable to return for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. “We wanted a cameo,” he continues. “We’re fans of the franchise, and we want those little treats that we love about it, too. Sir Paul McCartney was at the very top of our list.” There was some uncertainty over how the filmmakers might approach Sir Paul, Rønning recalls, until “Johnny realized that he had his number on his phone—so he texted him. [Paul] texted back, and over the next couple days, they went more and more into the pirate lingo, and we knew that we got him. It was fun to transform him into a pirate.”

5. Pirate movies were all but forgotten in 2003, and Geoffrey Rush credits the film’s untraditional characters for its unparalleled popularity.
“[Johnny] has a tangential, warped, kind of absurd creative mind,” Rush says warmly, remembering how Depp determined the pirates drank rum because the water was “off,” and how the actor also theorized the sun had taken its toll on them, as well. “And then he came up with this idea which I though was really, really clever,” Rush recalls. “He said, ‘In the script, sometimes I’m on boats, and sometimes I’m on land. I just want to play around with never getting my sea legs or my land legs. I thought that gave him so much scope.” Rush also muses, “And I’d like to think [part of the film’s appeal] was Barbossa not having a parrot, but having a monkey.”

6. As newcomers to the franchise, Kaya Scodelario (Carina Smyth) and Brenton Thwaites (Henry Turner) relied on each other a great deal.
“I think it’s great when you have an initial chemistry—you understand each other as a professional and how you work,” Scodelario says. “With Brenton, I knew that if I was making a choice with the character, he could roll with it and he could understand the scene in the same way that I did. I felt like we could experiment with each other. There was no pressure. Knowing that we were both the newbies, and on the same level, we had that trust in each other. That, for me, was really cool—that we could just learn as we went along.” The admiration is mutual. “What I loved about Kaya was she wasn’t afraid to share ideas, and had the confidence to say something,” Thwaites emphasizes. “The conviction and fearlessness save a lot of time, so we’d get to the meat of the scene and what was happening. It was nice to work like that.”

7. Running around on a boat in high heels proved to be quite a challenge—but not for the actor you might suspect!
Kaya Scodelario’s period costume involved a corset and 17 layers of fabric. “My first day on set I remember wondering, ‘How am I going to do anything in this dress?’ I’m very much a jeans-and-T-shirt gal, so I was quite nervous about all that,” she says, admitting that she eventually adapted—and realized that she could ask her husband to loosen her corset at lunchtime, just enough to allow her to enjoy a hearty meal. Thwaites, however, grouses (good naturedly) about the heels he and the other pirates had to wear. Scodelario is quick to take umbrage. “There was a day when all of the men were complaining about the little heel that they had to wear on their boots. All of them! [I thought] ‘Are you kidding me?!’” she laughs.

8. One of the set pieces Rønning and Sandberg are most proud of was never in the script.
In one comically suspenseful sequence that’s sure to have viewers watching with their hands at the ready, to cover their eyes, Jack Sparrow faces certain death by guillotine. “There was an action sequence in Jeff Nathanson’s brilliant script, but there were never the kind of gags like the kind that inspired Johnny Depp’s character of Jack Sparrow—the old Buster Keaton movies and Charlie Chaplin and that kind of physical humor,” Rønning explains. They wanted to find their way back to this classic slapstick comedy, and, Rønning laughs, “You dream up something, and then six months later they’ve built this thing! And then you get Johnny Depp and you strap him in there, and you get it—it’s fun!”

9 Magical Disney Memories from 1977

May 25, 2017

By Jocelyn Buhlman

With the 40th anniversary of Star Wars almost here, we decided to use some Disney magic to go back in time and take a look at what else was happening in the world of Disney in 1977. It was an exciting year, not only introducing us to the Skywalker Saga but also bringing the premieres of several animated classics, a brand-new Mickey Mouse Club, and some updated pixie-dust at Disney theme parks. So strap into your time machines, Disney fans, and hold on tight, because we are bringing you nine magical Disney memories from 40 years ago!

1. Star Wars
This groundbreaking sci-fi franchise all started with one movie back in 1977 about a boy and a girl and a galaxy. The film originally opened to limited release, but proved so popular that it had a second “opening day” where it returned to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and Darth Vader, C-3PO and R2-D2 all famously put their prints in the concrete in front of the theater. 40 years later, we are just as captivated by Star Wars as audiences were back in 1977. (Disney acquired Lucasfilm and the legendary Star Wars franchise in 2012.)

2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
This animated classic featured a series of previously released featurettes chronicling the adventure of everyone’s favorite silly old bear. With a cast of huggable characters, memorable melodies by the Sherman brothers, and some of the last animation that Walt Disney oversaw personally, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh remains a classic in the Disney canon to this day.

3. The “new” Mickey Mouse Club
This groovy revamp of the classic Mickey Mouse Club (1955-1959) was notable for its themed days (Tuesday Let’s Go Day! Thursday Discovery Day! Friday Showtime Day—filmed at Disneyland!) highlighting different special guests or talents of the main Mouseketeers. Gold Members got a look back with the stars of the show in the Spring 2017 issue of Disney twenty-three. In 1977 they also filmed a special at Walt Disney World, where a snooping reporter tried to get dirt on the squeaky-clean Mouseketeers. This revival helped pave the way for an all-new Mickey Mouse Club (also known as MMC), which delighted the children of the 1990s.

4. The Rescuers
A charming tale of two agents from the Rescue Aid Society, The Rescuers enchanted audiences everywhere and even inspired an animated sequel. Besides being a beloved classic, The Rescuers is also notable as being the last film on which three of the Nine Old Men—Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, and Frank Thomas—served as key animators.

5. Pete’s Dragon
Elliott and Pete captured the imaginations of children everywhere in this blend of live action and animation. The lovable dragon, Elliott, was designed by Disney artist Ken Anderson and instantly became an iconic figure in Disney animation, even inspiring a live-action remake of the film that was released in 2016.

6. Superspeed Tunnel added to PeopleMover
Guests could race through images of cars and boats in this fast-paced addition to the beloved Disneyland classic the PeopleMover. While the ride vehicles still moved at a leisurely pace, video projection and the strategic use of fans created the illusion of speeding along with images around you. This new segment of PeopleMover was eventually enhanced with The World of Tron, which projected exciting footage of lightcycles to race alongside you. When the PeopleMover reopened with the Superspeed Tunnel, the attraction also featured a new detour providing guests with a peek inside Disneyland’s newest thrill ride…

7. Space Mountain at Disneyland
Space Station 77 landed in Tomorrowland! While its Florida counterpart opened at Magic Kingdom in 1975, this wildly popular out-of-this-world roller coaster made its West Coast debut in 1977, joining the Matterhorn as only the second roller coaster at Disneyland Resort. Space Mountain remains a hugely popular attraction at Disneyland and is still enchanting guests with its intergalactic thrills in different iterations, such as the spooky Space Mountain: Ghost Galaxy during Halloween celebrations and the Star Wars-themed Hyperspace Mountain.

8. The Main Street Electrical Parade Reopens at Disneyland and Premieres at Walt Disney World
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls… While this parade originally premiered at Disneyland in 1972, the fan-favorite nighttime spectacular briefly went dark only to return in 1977 bringing even more sparkling lights and electro-synth-magnetic musical sounds to Disneyland. At the same time, a version of the parade also began lighting up the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, U.S.A. in Florida. The original 1972 version of the Main Street Electrical Parade featured two-dimensional floats, while the version that lit up in 1977 premiered many of the three-dimensional floats that are still glowing down Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland today. Including one very famous float…

9. Pete and Elliott Join the Main Street Electrical Parade
One of the most iconic floats in the Main Street Electrical Parade did not start lighting up Main Street, U.S.A. until 1977. The magnificent Elliott float, accompanied by his beloved Pete, made its debut with the reopening of the parade at Disneyland and its premiere at Walt Disney World. Elliott added a very magical moment to the parade when Pete encourages the crowd to shout “Brazzle Dazzle!” and Elliott disappeared before the audience’s eyes!

Awesome! We Rode Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout!

May 25, 2017March 26, 2018

By Jim Frye

Rocket Raccoon rides to the rescue—again!—this time in Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, the brand-new attraction opening this weekend at Disney California Adventure, kicking off the park’s Summer of Heroes celebration. D23 previewed the attraction, and we have to tell you that it’s awesome—so awesome that we came off our first ride and went right back on again… and again… and again!

With all the heart-pounding thrills of Disney’s most adrenaline-packed attractions, and all the adventure, fun, and laugh-out-loud humor of Marvel Studios’ super-popular Guardians of the Galaxy films, Mission: BREAKOUT! is gearing up to be the can’t-miss stop on your next visit to Disney California Adventure.

None other than Imagineer Joe Rohde himself, dressed in his best Star-Lord-style jacket, welcomed us to The Collector’s Fortress. Rohde and his team of Imagineering magic-makers have been busy of late, opening Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! in California the same exact weekend they open brand-new land Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando. Both are based on popular film franchises with easily recognizable characters.

For Mission: BREAKOUT!, guests are treated to a special tour of The Collector’s Fortress. The Collector, who goes by the name Taneleer Tivan, is played by Benicio Del Toro in the films. He’s an eccentric man who takes great pride in having the largest collection of interstellar fauna, relics, and species in the galaxy. Heck, he even has an elaborate collection of sounds that guests will experience as they wait in the queue. But in Mission: BREAKOUT!, Taneleer shows off his latest—and most prized—display yet: the captured Guardians of the Galaxy. Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Baby Groot—they’re all there. But rest assured, they don’t intend to stay captured for long, especially Rocket, who—as fans of the films know—prides himself in breaking out of every jail cell he’s ever been put into. And this one is no different—except this time, he needs our help.

“It’s a very familiar story,” says Rohde as we prepare to enter the Collector’s Fortress. “It’s an inside job where a guy on the inside, Rocket, is going to use our security clearance to open the doors to free his friends, who are imprisoned within the Collector’s vast, extremely power-consumptive facility where he holds all of these precious objects that he’s collected from around the various galaxies for his VIP guests. We are his VIP guests.”

Rohde explains that all the elaborate metalwork on the outside of the building represents a couple things: First, it represents the arrogance of its owner, Taneleer (there’s even a life-sized golden statue of him at the entrance). It also displays all the energy that the Fortress eats up. To free his friends, Rocket needs to shut down that power grid.

Inside the Lobby

Once inside, guests are going to have a heyday as they take in the extensive displays. “These items are from all around the universe,” says Rohde. “Some of them are alive; some are precious, precious objects that have been collected and held here.” The display cases are everywhere—hanging from the ceiling, lining the walls, up on shelves. Everywhere. Guests will be hard-pressed to see everything on their first few visits, especially since the displays will be ever-changing and ever-rotating, just like an actual museum. On the big screen at the end of the hall is a video made personally by The Collector, where he introduces his prized Guardians of the Galaxy. After the video, guests are taken to Taneleer’s private office, where it’s discovered that Rocket has escaped and is poised to cause mayhem as he tries to free his friends.

And without spoiling any of the surprises, you’ll love how Rocket jumps aboard your Gantry Lift, plugs in some of Star-Lord’s favorite tunes, and off you go! And when I say, “Off you go,” I mean fast. You’re immediately launched straight up into the adventure to free the Guardians.

You Don’t Need to Know About the Films

And here’s what’s cool: If you’re a fan of the Guardians films (and who’s not?), you’ll absolutely love this new attraction. However, if you haven’t seen the films, no worries—you don’t need to know anything about the Guardians to enjoy Mission: BREAKOUT!, because it’s a completely self-contained story. And boy, what a story it is!

“It is distinctly meant to be its own universe,” says Rohde. “The dimensional universe will grow and expand. We really tried to not simply reflect on an existing narrative, but to extend the narrative and expand it.”

While filming Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, writer/director James Gunn pulled together the cast and directed multiple all-new scenes for the attraction. We don’t want to ruin the scenes, but let’s just say it’s hard not to fall in love with Baby Groot all over again. In addition, Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana’s Gamora, Dave Bautista’s Drax, and Bradley Cooper’s Rocket join the fun multiple times throughout the attraction and—based on which profile you get—the scene changes each time you ride.

In true Guardians fashion, there’s a cameo or two thrown in for good measure (one of our favorite parts of the entire attraction). Oh, and lest you think that all the fun is left to the Marvel afficionados, Disney fans will find plenty to keep them coming back, too. Hint: Make sure to look closely inside those display cases and especially up in the rafters as you enter the Gantry Lift area of the Collector’s Fortress—you just might see a large, fur-covered “beast” who has been known to roam the Matterhorn.

There are six different vignettes, or ride profiles, that will mix and match scenes, accompanied each time by one of six different songs, ranging from Elvis Presley’s “Burnin Love,” to “Give Up the Funk” by Parliament, to “I Want You Back” by the Jackson 5.

Dave Bushmore, vice president, Franchise Creative & Marketing at Marvel Studios, really enjoyed the collaboration with Imagineering. “Joe and all the Imagineers were great to work with,” he says. “For us, we’re always excited to see any iteration of our characters, whether it’s in the comics, or animation, or film. It’s a thrill to have them translated into the theme parks and it’s been an awesome experience—and Joe’s been great. When we first started working together, he actually secluded himself to just take in what this universe was all about and came back to us and shared what he believed it to be, and we totally bought in.”

Why Guardians of the Galaxy? Why were these the first Marvel characters to be featured in a Disney attraction in the United States? According to Rohde, “There’s something about the Guardians—there’s an energy to it, there’s an irreverence to it,” he says. “This is something that can come out of nowhere. It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s not so serious. It’s super-energetic, super-accessible.”

Of course, when Rohde says, “nowhere,” he could also be referencing, “Knowhere,” the actual location in the first Guardians film where we first meet The Collector.

Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! opens just in time for summer 2017 at Disneyland Resort, and the Summer of Heroes inaugurates an ever-expanding universe of Super Hero stories at Disney California Adventure. In addition, guests in the park’s Hollywood Land will join some favorite Super Heroes for epic, new experiences for a limited time.

But, of course, the main attraction is Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! We loved it—and we’re already planning our next escape. We’ll see you there!

Experience Pandora for Real! What Was It Like for the Cast of Avatar to Go From Screen to Reality?

May 25, 2017

By Jocelyn Buhlman

They were the first to explore Pandora—but never quite like this.

“It’s bizarre because you’re walking around in James Cameron’s imagination,” says Sam Worthington of the new land opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Saturday. Worthington originally explored Pandora on screen, as Jake Sully in director James Cameron’s film Avatar in 2009.

Sigourney Weaver (Dr. Grace Augustine in the film) expresses similar sentiments: “It’s just impeccable. The movie is so seamless as an experience. I didn’t think it was possible as a theme park.”

As we continue to prepare for the May 27 opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar, we’ve been keeping up with the celebrations and we had the chance to talk with some of the stars of the original film about what it is like to see the world of Pandora made real.

(from left to right): Jon Landau, Wes Studi, Joel David Moore, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, Bob Iger, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso

The reigning theme is amazement. A world that was previously created through state-of-the-art digital effects is now tangible. Weaver explains, “I didn’t realize it would place you in the world that we spent such a long time imagining. They went to incredible detail—between the sounds and the colors and the drumming —I had to touch the moss to realize it wasn’t real!”

Though Weaver was well acquainted with Pandora through making the movie, experiencing it at a Disney park was a unique—and emotional—experience. “This is going to change the game for all theme parks, I think, because it’s so immersive,” she explains. “The ride [Avatar Flight of Passage]—which I went on twice because I couldn’t believe it the first time—was so moving. After screaming and laughing and whooping… by the end I was crying because it was so beautiful.”

She wasn’t the only cast member who was moved by the attraction. “Zoe Saldana cried openly getting off the ride,” James Cameron told us. Avatar Flight of Passage connects with guests in an unexpected, emotional way. The attraction pulls you right into the world of Pandora. In fact, Cameron told us that Laz Alonso (Tsu’tey) expressed his excitement in the Na’vi language while he enjoyed the attraction.

Cameron has been involved with the attraction from the start. He explains, “I’ve had certain steps along the way where I’ve ridden the ride in development. The jump between the last time I saw it and when I saw it completed was profound. I really just completely surrendered to the experience. Right from the get-go, I was impressed by how they created that sense of transition from that link connection to an Avatar and literally opening my eyes and awakening as an Avatar.”

Avatar Flight of Passage provides an emotional, in-depth experience for fans and park guests alike, but fantastic attraction experiences aren’t the only Disney magic in Pandora. The land not only connects with the guests, but with the overarching message of Animal Kingdom itself.

Worthington was touched by the Pandora’s themes. He explained, “If the message of Pandora is ‘be careful what you do to this beautiful place,’ hopefully that can reflect back to our own beautiful planet. That’s what I get out of the park.” While Disney’s Animal Kingdom has, until now, taken inspiration from locales here on earth, focusing on the beauty of our home planet, the out-of-this-world land of Pandora continues that message with a twist. Worthington tells us, “Good science fiction reflects on now. This park is education about what we are doing to the ecosystem, animals, and deforestation. I love that it actually reflects our time, and I hope that people stop and notice, and reflect more on our own planet.”

And our home planet helped inspired these unique ride experiences, after all. One of Cameron’s favorite Disney attractions is Soarin’, which guests can enjoy at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, and Shanghai Disneyland. The attraction highlights the beauty of our world in a way that Cameron wanted to highlight in Pandora. “When they told me they wanted to do a banshee ride, I said I wanted it to be Soarin’ over Pandora.” Of course, Avatar Flight of Passage takes smooth sailing and stunning scenery to an out-of-this-galaxy level. Describing his experience on Avatar Flight of Passage, Cameron shares, “I was saying, ‘Wow this is really beautiful, I’d love to hang here for another—aggh!’ and then the Ikran [Banshee] plunges about 300 feet straight down the face of a cliff and you realize it’s a no-kidding, flying ride. I’m flying. It’s just one beautiful vista after another, one death-defying exhilarating plunge after another.”

For both Weaver and Worthington, the Disney connection goes deep, so they were honored to be part of the latest chapter of Disney theme park experiences.

“I love Epcot, and actually my father worked on Epcot,” Weaver recalled, “He [her father, Pat Weaver] was involved in the very early plans for it. He was always going down to Florida in the early days. He was really always living in the future, so it was kind of a natural thing to ask what he thought should be in this world.”

As a father of a boisterous 2-year old, Worthington views Disney parks through a new lens. “You change when you have children. You become less selfish. You enjoy the rides they like. It could be something simple as them seeing Mickey for the first time..”

Overall, both Worthington and Weaver agree that Pandora is nothing like they have ever seen before. “I can imagine moving to Orlando to come here every day,” she says.

James Cameron holding Disney twenty-three — James Cameron holding the Summer 2017 issue of *Disney twenty-three*

Cameron credits Disney with making his dreams come true. He says, “[Pandora] sets the bar so high. I’ve been involved in rides and shows in the past, I’ve gone on them all. There is nothing remotely close to this. And I get to brag because I didn’t make it—I’m looking at the work of the Imagineering team.”

If you want to see more of the amazing, out-of-this-world land, be sure to check out our coverage on Pandora.

Lin-Manuel Gets Quackin’ and black-ish Gets a Spin-off—Plus More in News Briefs

May 25, 2017

By Courtney Potter

DuckTales gets a new cast member, and we follow black-ish’s Zoe to college … Read more, along with other news from around Disney, in this week’s news briefs!

Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins the Cast of New DuckTales

As if the cast of Disney XD’s new DuckTales wasn’t fabulous enough—it features former Doctor Who star David Tennant, Saturday Night Live’s Bobby Moynihan and Beck Bennett, and comedian/actress/ukulele player extraordinaire Kate Micucci—they’ve just gone and upped the coolness factor with their latest addition. Are you ready for everyone’s favorite multi-hyphenate Lin-Manuel Miranda as Gizmoduck? Boy howdy, we sure are! Read up on the huge announcement here.

Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:

D23 and Walt Disney Archives
June 3, 2017
D23’s Behind-the-Scenes Experience: A Return to Walt’s Birthplace in Florida
July 14-16, 2017
D23 Expo 2017
October 1, 2017
D23’s Fanniversary Celebrates 35 Years of Epcot
October 1, 2017
A Progressive Dinner Celebrating 35 Years of Epcot
October 3, 2017
D23’s Sip and Stroll
Parks
March 1–May 29, 2017
Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival
May 27, 2017
Pandora—The World of Avatar opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
May 27, 2017
Guardians of the Galaxy–Mission: BREAKOUT! opening at Disney California Adventure
August 31-November 13, 2017
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
2019
Star Wars-Themed Lands Opening at Disneyland and Walt Disney World

Studios
May 26, 2017
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens in theaters
June 16, 2017
Cars 3 opens in theaters
November 3, 2017
Thor: Ragnarok opens in theaters
November 22, 2017
Coco opens in theaters
December 15, 2017
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens in theaters
Television
July 21, 2017
Disney’s Descendants 2 debuts on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Freeform, Lifetime and ABC (8 p.m. ET)
July 21, 2017
Raven’s Home debuts on Disney Channel (10 p.m. ET)

Speaking (Quacking?) of DuckTales… Check Out This Awesome Mashup!

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Disney XD asked the very talented South Asian a capella group Penn Masala (originally formed, as you might’ve guessed, at the University of Pennsylvania—and now a world-renowned troupe) to take on the fan-favorite DuckTales theme song… and take it on they did. Not only in English, but also in Hindi!

Take a look (and a listen) to the guys in action in the clip, above. And make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the big premiere of Disney XD’s DuckTales later this summer.

Meet the Collector of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!

We first encountered the very weird (but very intriguing) Collector—also known as Taneleer Tivan—in the first Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, he’s back—and he’s captured his biggest “get” yet, the Guardians themselves! It’s up to you, with a little help from Rocket Raccoon, to break ‘em out of the Collector’s Fortress.

Are you ready? Then head over to Disney California Adventure (DCA) starting this Saturday, May 27, to encounter the brand-new attraction Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT! Benicio Del Toro, who portrayed The Collector in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy, recently visited DCA and spoke with our pals over at the Disney Parks Blog about his involvement in the ride. See what he had to say in the clip above.

Follow black-ish’s Zoe to College in New Freeform Spin-Off

One member of the Johnson clan on ABC’s hit show black-ish is about to leave the nest… but that doesn’t mean we won’t get to follow her future exploits. Freeform and black-ish creator Kenya Barris recently announced a spin-off—working title: college-ish—coming to Freeform in early 2018!

college-ish would center on eldest daughter Zoe Johnson, played by Yara Shahidi, as she navigates her first year away at college… where she realizes that not everything goes her way. Yara will be joined by black-ish’s Deon Cole; his character, Charlie Telphy, happens to moonlight as an adjunct marketing professor at Zoe’s school. New characters, both in the administration and the student body, will reflect the complex and hilarious points of views that often populate university campuses.

Executive produced by Barris, Helen Sugland, Brian Dobbins, and black-ish stars Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne, college-ish will be a half-hour, single-camera comedy… Keep your eyes peeled for a firm premiere date soon!

Get Enchanted with Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match for Mobile

Disney Games’ latest mobile game allows you to experience the beloved “tale as old as time” in a whole new way! Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match asks players to solve “match-3” puzzles alongside Belle and the Beast, all while exploring the Beast’s castle and uncovering enchantment in magical places like the Grand Staircase, Belle’s bedroom, and the Dining Room. Players can add their own decorative touch to the castle with more than 150 elegant items, including chairs, paintings, chandeliers, and so much more. They can also interact with favorite characters such as Lumière, Cogsworth, and Garderobe!

Be our guest and take a look at some gameplay in the trailer, above. Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match is available now for free download (with in-app purchases) on the Apple App Store and at Google Play.

In Case You Missed It: 8 Disney Myths Every Disney Fan Needs to Know

If you’re looking to be a big hit at the next trivia night you attend, look no further than D23’s recent rundown of eight intriguing Disney myths that every fan should know. We cover everything from the busts inside Haunted Mansion to what Walt himself may (or may not) have written just before he passed. It’s a smorgasbord of fascinating Disney info and it’s all available to you, dear reader, right here on this very website. Have at it!

Who is Captain Salazar? Javier Bardem Introduces Us to the New Pirates of the Caribbean Villain

May 24, 2017

By Jim Frye

What’s a hero without a villain?

Scar. Maleficent. Jafar. Darth Vader. And, of course, Cruella De Vil. The greatest movies always have the greatest villains who do the most dastardly deeds imaginable. Whether it’s ensnaring a young mermaid’s poor, unfortunate soul; killing a brother lion and chasing away his young cub; or destroying their daughter’s entire home planet, these baddies usually steal the show.?

And nobody does villains like Disney, as you’ll see on Memorial Day weekend, when the newest villain sails into theaters in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, the latest voyage in the Studios’ mega-blockbuster film franchise. What do we know about this villain, and how does he fit into the story?

For starters, he rises from the depths of the mythic Devil’s Triangle, terrorizing the high seas and giving Captain Jack Sparrow a run for his rum…er, money. He is Captain Salazar, played by Academy Award®-winning actor Javier Bardem, leader of a ghostly crew on a grudge voyage in pursuit of—who else?—Captain Jack Sparrow, again played by the incomparable Johnny Depp. Captain Jack’s only hope of escaping Salazar is to find the fabled Trident of Poseidon, a magical object that gives the possessor control over the oceans.

Of course, Captain Salazar’s grudge against Sparrow is not without provocation. He blames Jack for his current “dead” situation. That’s because when Salazar was younger and in command of a huge Spanish Navy on a mission to rid the seas of piracy, he crossed paths with a young Captain Jack Sparrow, which resulted in Salazar being trapped in a curse for all his “death”—not all his life, but death. Since then, Salazar has been consumed with finding Sparrow and exacting revenge.

To find out more about this brand-new bad guy, we went straight to the source and asked Bardem if he could give some insight into his character. “I think the character of Salazar will be a lot of fun to watch,” he says, “because he’s dead, but he’s still alive. And he’s got this flavor from Spain. The Spanish flavor had to be there. And by that I mean a very specific energy that he brings, and the way he talks and the way he moves. At the same time, I played him as a wounded bull. He’s a warrior, and he’s a soldier, but we find him in a moment when he is enraged but wounded—like the wounded bull you see in an arena. We worked around that concept.”

When it comes to portraying villains, Bardem is a master, having chilled us to the core with his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brother’s Academy Award-winning film No Country for Old Men, and one of the most memorable Bond villains to date, Silva, in the film Skyfall. Reflecting on the various bad guys he’s played, he says, “I like to think that they don’t have anything in common. All of them are different, just like people are all different. In No Country for Old Men, I think Anton was a symbolic figure of death. And in Skyfall, Silva was the other side of the coin from Mr. Bond. But [in Pirates], Salazar is more like an animal, something more organic, more impulsive than any of the roles I’ve played before. He’s more driven by instinct.

“Salazar is very strict,” adds Bardem. “He wants to clean the seas of pirates, so he’s very strict with his own men, even if they are dead—which is kind of funny. I don’t know if Salazar has a heart. He used to have it, but I’m not sure he has it anymore.”

Perhaps this is because Captain Salazar built his entire life on the fact that he was a powerful, feared man of fierce moral rectitude happy to be ridding the world of the menace of pirates. But what happens when someone who is feared and respected suddenly has that power taken from him? “When you take the power away from a person like that, how painful would that be for him?” asks Bardem. “He had it all, then he had nothing. I wanted to bring that pain and rage to that character—that’s why the imagery of the wounded bull makes sense. I took this idea to the directors and they liked it, so they went with it.”

When it comes to experiencing the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, especially this latest, Bardem compares it to the experience that the early sailors had out on the sea—they had only stars to guide them and they often journeyed into “the unknown.” Similarly, the Pirates films—with their tales of treasure maps, sea battles, and swashbuckling pirates—take audiences to places they’ve not been before.

“That’s a beautiful thing for a moviegoer,” says Bardem. “It’s sitting down in the theater and going to the unknown.”

What we do know, however, is that Captain Jack Sparrow is up against his toughest foe yet.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales opens everywhere May 26.

D23 Fab Five: Julianne Hough’s Favorite Disney Movies

May 24, 2017

By Ingrid Meilan

It’s no surprise that Julianne Hough is a huge fan of Disney movies. The bubbly dancer, singer, and actress says that the music in Disney films has been something she’s loved for as long as she can remember. “Honestly, I just love every song that’s in all of these movies,” the Dancing with the Stars judge tells D23, “and I know every word!”

Hough, who helped decide the Mirrorball trophy winner last night on Dancing with the Stars’ season 24 finale before heading back on the road with brother Derek on their MOVE: Beyond tour, took a break from her busy schedule to share her “Fab Five” favorite Disney movies with D23.

1. The Little Mermaid
“I’ve loved this movie since I was a little girl. I used to dance around the house singing ‘Part of Your World’ constantly!”

2. Beauty and the Beast
“I played a ‘silly girl’ and a napkin in my high school’s production of Beauty and the Beast! I recently saw the new live-action version while I was on tour and I absolutely loved it!”

3. Aladdin
“Aladdin was my first crush! I also loved that Jasmine had a pet tiger and Aladdin had Abu! I definitely wanted a pet tiger and a monkey as kid.”

4. The Lion King
“This powerful story of figuring out who you are and who you want to become is timeless. And I love the element of unpredictable friendships that help shape you through your journey of life!”

5. Peter Pan
“When I was growing up, my friends used to call me ‘Tink’! I still love Tinker Bell so much that I even dressed up like her for Dancing with the Stars’ Disney Week this season!”

Celebrate the Dedication of Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World

May 24, 2017May 24, 2017

(from left to right): Jon Landau, Wes Studi, Joel David Moore, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, Bob Iger, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso

By Nicole Nalty

Just this morning, the newest land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened following a special dedication ceremony, which began with a stunning performance by a band of Pandoran drummers and dancers. Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger then took the stage to honor this historic moment in the Walt Disney World Resort’s history. “Walt Disney famously said that it’s kind of fun to do the impossible,” Iger remarked, after pausing for a moment to take in the vast wonder of the floating mountains of the valley of Mo’ara, “and it’s a sentiment that captures the soul of our company, reflecting the optimistic spirit that really drives everything that we do.” He then acknowledged the incredible work of Walt Disney Imagineering, singling out Portfolio Creative Executive Joe Rohde, who served as both a “creative and spiritual leader” during the development of the new land.

Disney Chairman and CEO, Bob Iger and Avatar director, James Cameron take the stage during the Pandora – The World of Avatar dedication ceremony.

As Disney fans know, the new land has come to life thanks to an incredible collaboration between Disney and Avatar director James Cameron. As Iger shared, “Working with Jim Cameron and his team, notably Jon Landau, was a dream come true for all of us, as we pushed the limits of creativity and innovation to bring the digital world of Pandora to the real world of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” The opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar is quite literally a dream come true for James, who first envisioned the intergalactic world in a dream at age 19. “It’s a spectacular, very surreal day for me, and thank you so much to everyone at Disney who made today a reality,” Cameron said during the dedication ceremony. “Pandora and Disney’s Animal Kingdom both inspire us to understand and respect the natural world and our place in it.”

Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Bob Chapek and Disney Chairman and CEO, Bob Iger in front of the floating mountains in Pandora – The World of Avatar.

Explore more of this amazing new land here.

(from left to right) Joe Quesada, Bob Chapek, Zoe Saldana, Benicio Del Toro, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, James Gunn, Kevin Feige

Lin-Manuel Miranda Joins the Cast of New DuckTales

Save the Date! Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar:

Speaking (Quacking?) of DuckTales… Check Out This Awesome Mashup!

Meet the Collector of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission BREAKOUT!

Follow black-ish’s Zoe to College in New Freeform Spin-Off

Get Enchanted with Beauty and the Beast: Perfect Match for Mobile

In Case You Missed It: 8 Disney Myths Every Disney Fan Needs to Know

(from left to right): Jon Landau, Wes Studi, Joel David Moore, Sam Worthington, Stephen Lang, James Cameron, Zoe Saldana, CCH Pounder, Bob Iger, Sigourney Weaver, Laz Alonso

Save the Date!
Be sure to mark these upcoming Disney events on your calendar: