Disney Consumer Products Launches Star Wars Rebels Product Assortment

Disney Consumer Products has unveiled an intergalactic assortment of products celebrating the release of Star Wars Rebels, the new Disney XD animated television series which debuts October 3 on Disney Channel and continues on Disney XD starting October 13. With exciting adventures and memorable new characters, Star Wars Rebels will introduce a new generation of fans to the Star Wars galaxy, inspiring new lines of figures, spaceships, lightsabers, apparel and accessories, home décor, books and more from best-in-class licensees, including Hasbro, LEGO, Mad Engine, Rubies and Jay Franco.

Disney Publishing Worldwide will also support Star Wars Rebels with a new book program and series of interactive mobile apps from Disney Lucasfilm Press, which expand upon the series. The first wave of Star Wars Rebels books includes Star Wars Rebels: A New Hero by Pablo Hidalgo, an action-packed picture book that uses dynamic concept art from the show, and Star Wars Rebels: Servants of the Empire, an original chapter book series written by Jason Fry. Star Wars Journeys, an episodic series of apps from Disney Publishing, will be updated this October to include the stories that lead up to the action-packed adventures in Star Wars Rebels. In early 2015, Star Wars Scene Maker: Rebels will launch to feature the locations and characters from the series, giving fans an unrivaled user-generated storytelling experience that allows them to re-imagine and re-create scenes from Star Wars Rebels.

In addition to the collection of Star Wars Rebels products available at Disney Store locations nationwide, DisneyStore.com will feature a “Create Your Own” tab that allows fans to personalize a variety of items, from tech accessories and school supplies to apparel and party invitations, that feature their favorite characters from Star Wars Rebels.

Selfie and Manhattan Love Story Debut Tonight on ABC

Selfie (8 p.m. ET)

Social media superstar Eliza Dooley (Karen Gillan) has 263,000 followers who hang on to her every post, tweet and selfie. But after a workplace mishap goes viral, she quickly realizes that being “instafamous” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and being friended is not the same as having actual friends. Eliza enlists her co-worker and marketing guru Henry (John Cho) to rebrand her self-obsessed reputation and teach her how to connect with people in the real world—whether she likes it or not.

Manhattan Love Story (8:30 p.m. ET)

The innovative new romantic comedy is based on a simple premise: The way to maintain relationships—with a lover, a spouse, a co-worker, a friend or a family—is by keeping a majority of thoughts to one’s self. Dana (Analeigh Tipton) and Peter (Jake McDorman), who navigate the complicated terrain of building and maintaining a relationship, are the heart of the story. Throughout the series, the audience will hear Dana and Peter’s inner thoughts, offering a fun and revealing look at the differences of men and women as this couple traverse the highs and lows of dating.

First International Production of Aladdin to Premiere in Tokyo

Disney Theatrical Productions and Shiki Theatre Company announce the first international production of Disney’s Aladdin, the smash Broadway musical comedy. Performances will begin in May 2015 at The Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi in Tokyo.

“The heart and wit of the timeless tale of Aladdin, the Genie and those three wishes are beloved by cultures across the globe,”

said Thomas Schumacher, president and producer, Disney Theatrical Productions. “We look forward to bringing Casey Nicholaw’s joyous, spectacular production to Japan in partnership with our valued friends at Shiki.”

Produced on Broadway by Disney Theatrical Productions, Aladdin opened to critical acclaim at the New Amsterdam Theatre on March 20, 2014. The show features music by Tony Award® and eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken, lyrics by two-time Oscar winner Howard Ashman, three-time Tony Award and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice and two-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin, with a book by Beguelin, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw. Lyrics will be translated into Japanese by Ms. Chikae Takahashi, who worked on the Japanese translation for Disney’s Frozen. The Tokyo production will be cast locally in Japan and will be performed in Japanese.

Aladdin will mark the fifth collaboration between Disney Theatrical Productions and Shiki Theatre Company following the successful and current runs of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, AIDA and The Little Mermaid. Sixteen million people have seen a Disney musical produced by Shiki, resulting in cumulative runs of nearly 5,000 performances for Beauty and the Beast and a staggering 9,000 performances for their two concurrent productions of The Lion King.

Damon Lindelof Helps Phineas and Ferb Get Lost

A mysterious locked capsule falls into Phineas and Ferb’s back yard and they struggle to open it, only to discover they have unleashed something they cannot control.

Meanwhile, Perry learns that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has been abducted and tracks him to Seattle where another evil scientist, Professor Mystery, has his own sinister plan.

You might not learn the secrets behind Lost‘s smoke monster or find out who in the heck built the island’s giant four-toed statue when you watch “Lost in Danville,” but this special episode of Phineas and Ferb features a story by Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof. And it does answer one very important question: Who is Peter the Panda’s nemesis?

Lindelof, a longtime fan of Phineas and Ferb, brought this mystery to the show’s creators and executive producers, Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, who thought it wasn’t just a provocative question but a story that Lindelof should help craft. Lindelof began watching Phineas and Ferb at the recommendation of his wife and son. “The show invites in newcomers, but it also rewards the people looking at the details. There are just so many Easter eggs packed into each one,” Damon points out, adding, “As a writer, I became totally enraptured in it to the point that I was watching episodes and my son would say, ‘I’ve already seen this one,’ and I was like, ‘I’ll watch it!'”

Writing an episode of Phineas and Ferb most assuredly upped Lindelof’s street cred with his son, but Povenmire and Marsh confess that they felt a bit of a boost from working with the man who introduced Hurley and the Dharma Initiative to the world. “Damon actually came to Comic-Con with us two years ago and moderated our panel, which we sort of kept as a secret because we felt it would be a really fun surprise,” Povenmire explains. “At Comic-Con, that’s quite a get, to have Damon show up for something like that and he was just there asking us questions and stuff. It was really fun.”

“It was just a fancy way to get my questions answered,” Lindelof jokes.

The team behind "Lost in Danville," Phineas, Dan Povenmire, Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, and Ferb, poses for a picture. — The team behind “Lost in Danville,” Phineas, Dan Povenmire, Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, and Ferb, poses for a picture.

Once Lindelof agreed to come on board, Povenmire and Marsh led him through their process. “He came in and brainstormed with us and we sent him off to do an outline,” Povenmire recalls.

“I think that one of the most exciting times in my career was being in a place where I felt slightly uncomfortable and had to please my bosses,” Lindelof remembers. “I think that when you’re running your own show you sort of lose the thrill of the pitch and you’re just being pitched to.” Lindelof unabashedly credits the Phineas and Ferb writers with doing all of the “heavy lifting” and making all of his jokes funnier, confessing, “I felt like it was going to be really important to be able to laugh at myself and understand that I have a great profound pride in Lost, but to sort of wink a little and have this guy [Peter the Panda’s mysterious nemesis] embody the idea of what are the effects of not revealing your master plan to people was something that we felt was a very rich vein for comedy.”

Lost fans will find much to laugh at in the 11-minute story. “Lost in Danville” includes time travel, a giant polar bear, and an unopenable hatch. Povenmire acknowledges, “We sort of assumed there would be people who watch the episode specifically because of Damon, thinking, ‘Oh, I’ll watch this because I liked Lost.’ And so we put the capsule in. There’s a lot that [Damon] threw in to let us have fun with that.” And in return, Povenmire and Marsh allowed Lindelof to help reveal a key piece of his favorite character’s backstory.

So, while the special episode may not feature the Oceanic 6, the Danville 2 will be front and center when “Lost in Danville” premieres Monday, September 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD.

(Approximately) 101 Reasons Why I Love One Hundred and One Dalmatians!

Follow my lead and you’ll sniff out the reasons I think this classic Disney film is spot-on.

A self-professed dog lover, Walt Disney naturally came up with a doggoned good film when making a movie all about his beloved mutts. On more than one occasion, Walt appeared on his TV show with a canine co-star, and on the February 12, 1961 installment of his Walt Disney Presents series, Walt charmingly related the story of the film to a Dalmatian puppy with whom he had a purebred dog lover’s rapport. Like Walt himself, I’m a “dog person” and in a film entitled One Hundred and One Dalmatians you can be sure there are plenty of pooches for pooch lovers to love. Beyond stalwart Pongo, sweet and sensible Perdita and their 99 pups, the film boasts a cavalcade of canines, especially in the sensational Twilight Bark sequence. In fact, don’t blink (or bark) or you might miss several stars from another Disney dog-and-puppy show, Lady and the Tramp (1955), making cameo appearances, including Lady herself. But One Hundred and One Dalmatians doesn’t disappoint even if you are a cat person, thanks to the stalwart Sergeant Tibbs, who happens to be at the center of my favorite sight gag in the whole film: one skinny tabby trying to hide 99 dogs behind his back!

Lady and the Tramp guest appearance in 101 Dalmatians — “In fact, don’t blink (or bark) or you might miss several stars from another Disney dog-and-puppy show, *Lady and the Tramp*.” (1955).

As fur-raising as so many elements of the film are — the suspense, the British spy thriller sensibility, and Marc Davis’s brilliant Cruella De Vil — I also love the film for its charm and that most elusive quality: “heart.” Best example (and certainly one of my best-loved scenes): the “Pongos” (as the Dalmatian clan is called by other critters) cozily watching TV, brilliantly observed by directing animator Eric Larson. “I just thought of what regular kids would do as they watched TV and took it from there,” Eric said. “One of the pups sits directly in front of the set blocking every else’s view. Another is constantly hungry. Their emotional attitudes were the attitudes of youngsters. With the parents, I tried to reflect back on how my parents treated me. It was a lot of fun doing that scene.”

One of the true joys of this sure-footed film is savoring the outstanding work of Eric and other members of that elite animation team known as the Nine Old Men. Milt Kahl was specifically assigned by Walt Disney to both redesign and animate Dalmatian devotee Anita, and the master animator based his design in part on Julie Andrews, then-famed as the star of Broadway’s My Fair Lady, little realizing that in just a few years Julie would be at the Disney Studios herself, starring in Mary Poppins (1964). Milt also used his fellow Nine Old Men team member, piano playing Frank Thomas, as a model for songwriter Roger Radcliff.

Piano playing Frank Thomas used as a model for songwriter Roger Radcliff — “Milt [Kahl] also used his fellow Nine Old Men team member, piano playing Frank Thomas (pictured above) as a model for songwriter Roger Radcliff,” Jim says.

There can be no denying that I am 101 percent in love with One Hundred and One Dalmatians. A large part of my admiration goes to the artisans who painstakingly positioned all those spots on all those Dalmatians. “Each dog’s spots were thought of like a constellation of stars,” explained art director and production designer Ken Anderson. “There was a pattern on each side of the dog and it had to be anchored by a key spot. It was like applying a moving decal that would fit the perspective changes as the animal moved. But by working out a constellation, something that looked good in every position, we’d pick out one that would be a focal point. We’d know that this one spot always goes here. Then this next one is only so far from it, and the next is only so far from it, and the next is only so far from that and so on. It was an enormous job!” According to Disney publicity, there is a total 6,469,952 spots on the Dalmatians in all 113,760 frames of the film. It all adds up to why this canine caper is so special to me (and so many others) — and one instance in which seeing spots never looked so good!

Meet the Founder and President of the OMD (Organization of Muppet Dogs)

By Jim Fanning

He was the very first Muppet television star

. . . but he’s not green and he’s not a frog. He’s brown, furry and a dog—Rowlf the Dog.

The pun-loving pooch, sometimes known as “Ol’ Brown Ears,” was the very first Muppet to break into big-time primetime TV. In 1962, he made his debut as the star in a series of dog food commercials, followed by a stint as the wisecracking canine sidekick to country singer Jimmy Dean on the ABC variety series, The Jimmy Dean Show. The floppy-eared Muppet was so popular that he received more fan mail than the show’s star.

Rowlf was designed by Jim Henson, who considered calling the character Barkley, Woofington and Beowolf before deciding on Rowlf. In early sketches, Rowlf even had a lower set of pointy canine teeth. But since his creation, Rowlf has not changed a bit; he’s still the same old hound we know and love today.

Following his successful run with Jimmy Dean, Rowlf went on to host his own summer variety show on CBS in 1967, stealing scenes from such stars as Woody Allen and Carol Burnett. As a regular on The Muppet Show, Rowlf first demonstrated his incredible piano playing prowess, performing with the likes of Liberace and Victor Borge. More recently, he jammed on the keyboards with The Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and has even tickled the off-key ivories of Ma Bear’s antique upright (“I love out of tune pianos!”).

Friendly, furry, and very much his own man uh, mutt, Rowlf can speak dog (“yeah, bark, bark”) as well as human, and is the founder and president of the OMD (Organization of Muppet Dogs). Back in 1973, when the lovable pooch guest-starred on ABC’s The Julie Andrews Hour, Jim Henson told Julie that Rowlf was one of his favorite Muppets. Ours too.

Painting of Spots Huge Job in Producing Disney’s Dalmatians

The spots belong only to the dog.

Those on the man, Roger Radcliff, are from the pen of a dognapper hurled at him in this scene from Walt Disney’s feature-length cartoon comedy, 101 Dalmatians. Adapted from the Dodie Smith novel, this is the hilarious story of an ultra villainous woman who steals Dalmatians for the wonderful fur coats they will make. The color by Technicolor film is re-released by Buena Vista.

In all, there are exactly 6,469,952 spots on the back of 101 heart-warming dogs and puppies as they appear in 113,760 frames of brilliant color by Technicolor.

Join us at The Walt Disney Studios for 101 Dalmatians: An Afternoon in the “Spot”-light on February 8

Pongo, the cartoon canine lead, wears 72 spots while his love, Perdita, has 68 on her coat. The spots and all other color effects required 800 gallons of very special paint weighing nearly five tons, enough to dress the exteriors of 135 average homes.

Using a secret process, the studio has always mixed its own color in its own laboratories for all Disney cartoons. For 101 Dalmatians, 1,000 different shades were produced, 100 of them especially for that picture to achieve the subtlety and variety needed to handle the dogs and humans as they move through interiors and exteriors in summer and winter.

Producing the “white” for the dogs alone— Dalmatians are white under the spots— required enough very light gray paint to make this category the predominant one in the picture’s broad spectrum. Pure white, of course, would have been too garish, too difficult to define, especially against snow.

From the 101 Dalmatians 1979 re-release press materials.

Watch a New Clip from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

In theaters October 10, Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day follows 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—and soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

This Weekend on ABC

Shark Tank (Friday, September 26, 8 p.m. ET/PT)

Shark Tank is back for a sixth season, with the Sharks continuing the search to invest in the best businesses and products that America has to offer. The two-hour season premiere airs Friday, September 26 (8–10:01 p.m. ET), and the show returns to its regular time on Friday, October 3 (9–10 p.m. ET). In “Episode 601,” a couple from Ft. Worth, Texas, turned tragedy into inspiration and devised a unique way to swaddle a baby, which could be a sanity saver for exhausted parents; a gentleman from Los Angeles, California, wants to put the “man” in manicure with his nail salon for guys only; two men from New York believe they have designed a better version of the athletic sock; and two college students from Harrisonburg, Virginia, invented a way to stay recharged with their free mobile phone charging station. In “Episode 602,” Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O’Leary renew their vows of “Shark Love” when two men from Las Vegas, Nevada, pitch an innovative way to tie the knot with their mobile wedding service. Two young women from Palo Alto, California, hope to empower the next generation of female engineers and innovators with their inspirational toys. A family man from Mooresville, North Carolina, believes that an investment by the Sharks in his elegant and functional porcelain coffee mug will mean a better future for his family. Two men from Oceanside, California, and Chandler, Arizona, pitch their design of a finer, more precise golf putter.

20/20 (Friday, September 26, 10 p.m. ET/PT)

What started out as a normal middle school sleepover took a horrifying turn when one 12-year-old girl was stabbed 19 times by her two best friends and left for dead in the Wisconsin woods. The girls’ motive and the miraculous recovery of the survivor made headlines around the world since the May attack. Now, for the first time, the parents reveal to David Muir the chilling details of the incredible sequence of events that, against all odds, led to their daughter’s survival. Where and how did she get the strength to fight off death? Plus, meet the 12-year-old girl who has transformed from victim to the ultimate survivor, recently returning to school just months after the brutal attack. Muir’s exclusive report also includes interviews with the first responders and doctors who helped save her life, as well as the bicyclist who found her—and who takes 20/20 back to the scene.

Once Upon a Time (Sunday, September 28, 8 p.m. ET/PT)

In the season premiere episode, “A Tale of Two Sisters,” a scared and confused Elsa finds herself in Storybrooke and, fearful of the intentions of its residents, creates a powerful snow monster for protection. With Robin Hood’s wife, Marian, back in the picture, Regina wonders if her “happily ever after” with the former thief has been completely quashed; while on their honeymoon, Mr. Gold finds an intriguing object that makes him question whether or not he should officially give Belle control over the dagger that makes him The Dark One, and Hook is dismayed to discover that Emma seems to be avoiding him while she tries to help comfort Regina after being the one responsible for bringing Marian back from the past and into Storybrooke. Meanwhile, in Arendelle of the past, as Elsa’s sister Anna’s wedding to Kristoff nears, Anna discovers that their parents—who died on-ship during a violent storm—were heading to a mysterious destination in a quest that may have held the secret to containing Elsa’s out-of-control Ice powers. And against Elsa’s wishes, Anna wants to finish their journey to find out what they were looking for.

Resurrection (Sunday, September 28, 9 p.m. ET/PT)
Bellamy awakens alone and abandoned at Arcadia’s outskirts, missing a week of his life. As his memory returns, he has a shocking revelation. Meanwhile, Arcadia welcomes one more returned, Margaret Langston (guest star Michelle Fairley), the powerful matriarch of the Langston family, dead for over three decades.

Revenge (Sunday, September 28, 10 p.m. ET/PT)
As Emily plans to host her most surprising party ever, Victoria finds a way to turn her greatest setback into a dangerous advantage. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to them both, David Clarke plans his next move.

It’s OK To Play With Your Food If It Looks This Cool When You’re Done

Like the Disney bento box above? Well, there is more where that came from. Follow OMGIRI on Instagram immediately.

D23 met up with this Disney fan and Instagram sensation on our Fanniversary trip to Philadelphia. His name is Mike and he is super-talented, even though he says he is “not an artist.” OMGIRI has created more than 200 Disney-inspired bento boxes and has set a goal to create one a week. Here he is showing off his latest creation at a Disney park—even Disney Villains like his work.

“My interest in food art started with our trip to Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland in May 2012,” Mike says. “I was amazed by the adorable and creative food both resorts served. It was springtime and Tokyo Disney had sandwiches shaped like Donald Duck’s feet, melon buns shaped like Mike Wazowski, and sweet mochi chicks in Donald egg cups.”

Michael was first inspired when he ate at the Crystal Lotus. “It’s home to the most amazing character-shaped dining experience,” he says. “They offer dim sum-shaped characters, including the Three Little Pigs, Chicken Little, Duffy the Bear, and the Little Green Men from Toy Story.”

While in Japan, Michael bought a couple of bento boxes to motivate him to take his lunch to work. “I had a bad habit of eating out of the vending machine, or worse, skipping lunch all together,” he says. “I wanted to see if I could start packing myself a healthy lunch. The first bento I ever tried to make was an Oswald. It was fun to make the bento, but what really got me hooked was how fun it was to have the character bento for lunch.”

In the beginning, Mike made whatever came to mind. “I’d make all sorts of characters,” he says. “I’d share them on Facebook. Eventually I found other bento makers on Instagram and really started becoming part of a community. Over time my interest in Disney took over and now I find myself doing all Disney characters. Bentos shaped like characters are referred to as kyaraben or charaben.”

“My bento style is to make an onigiri character,” he says. “Onigiri are normally a triangle or round ‘rice ball’ filled with fish or pickled ginger. They sell them in convenience stores like they sell sandwiches in the U.S. They are balled up rice with a filling. I’ve changed it up a bit, avoiding raw fish. Instead I fill them with cooked tuna or salmon mixed with a little mayo and spices. My favorite filling is a crab and cream cheese. I also use leftovers for filling. Leftover curries make perfect filling. The black lines are cut nori (roasted seaweed). I also accent with vegetables and cheeses, sometimes colored with food coloring.”

Mike decided that he needed a creative outlet in his life. “I work in an IT office, which just doesn’t fulfill my creative side, he says. “I spend my days being technical and very logical. Bentos are giving me a chance to explore my creative side before I go into the office each morning. Plus, it helps with my insatiable need for Disney in my life! I am horrible at planning, so most of my bentos start with me looking up a picture of the character online. I normally start from a photo or two of the character. Then I just sort of play around.”

Mike themes his bento creations on weeks celebrating the holidays, new movie releases, Star Wars May 4th celebrations, Disney park events, and more. “Sometimes the idea comes from a post I saw the previous day,” he says. “I also am really inspired by Disney artists like Jerrod Maruyama (Mickey Mouse Artist). I’ve made quite a few bentos inspired by his cute take on Disney characters. I love finding older Disney characters and forgotten friends, like Humphrey the Bear, too. I’m extra lucky that Disney now includes Marvel and Star Wars, which opened up so many more characters for me to make.”

His favorites are those bentos that show characters with a lot of expression. “I enjoy making fun facial expressions, like Olaf grabbing at his tiny carrot nose or a seriously, disgruntled Maximus,” Mike says. “The expression tends to be extremely challenging, but when it works out they are the most interesting to look at. Villains are also a joy to do, because they have such interesting designs.”

“One day, I hope bento gets popular in the U.S. and I could make bentos at a Disney Park for a living,” he says. “Until then, I’ll make them for my lunch.”