Alice, Through The Looking Glass...

Well, we now have our first pictures of Alice from Tim Burton's adaption of the classic novel/Disney film.

The guys over at INF Daily have gotten a scoop with some shots of Mia Wasikowska in the title role...

Go over and take a peek.

Telling Bedtime Stories...

The trailer for Adam Sandler's first role in a family film is out...

"Bedtime Stories" is a tale of a crazy, child-like uncle who tells stories to his niece and nephews before they go to sleep, only to realize that they come true. I know some people say that Sandler already makes movies for children(No comment from the peanut gallery here), but this is different...

This is a Disney children's film.

And it's pretty cute, too...

Traveling The Mother Road One Last Time...

It is with sad news and deep regret that I mention the passing of one our greatest actors...

Paul Newman passed away in Westport, Connecticut at the age of Eighty-Three years old. I don't know how old that is in car age, but my thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. My first memories of film come from seeing "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" with my mom and dad in a theater way back when... He had a long and successful career in films such as "The Sting", "The Hustler", "Cool Hand Luke", "Slap-Shot", "The Hudsucker Proxy" and "Road to Perdition". He was a true humanitarian with his Newman's Own food products which gave all profits to charity and an avid race car driver, which led him to play in one of Pixar's films: "Cars".

We'll miss you, Doc...

Free Fun, Sixty One...

Walt Disney Productions releases its ninth animated feature on this date, sixty-one years ago today. The movie, "Fun and Fancy Free" features two classic animated shorts, "Mickey and the Beanstalk" and "Bongo The Bear". Also of importance is this being the debut of Jim MacDonald as the voice of Mickey Mouse.

Pocahontas Says Goodbye To Her Forest Friends...

After ten years, this is the last day that the "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" live-show will be playing at "Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

One door closes, another opens...

Patience.

Disney Open House...

Sorry I didn't put up all of the info that the Mouse released the other day at the Walt Disney Studios Showcase...

I've been feeling a little under the weather and just haven't had the energy or time to do it justice. That said...

Wow. What a display Walt Disney Studios had, huh?

First off, this is one of the reasons I really like Dick Cook. As much as I have a distaste for Jay Rasulo, I have the opposite for Cook. He's warm, friendly, smart and highly intelligent. He's got a very good relationship with many in Hollywood and is well liked by most if not all. He's put out some smart special events over the last few years that really put a spotlight on what the studio has coming out. And this time out, it sounds like an extravaganza many of us Disney Geeks/Fans would have loved to attend. If you want to see more coverage, check out our friends over at Ain't It Cool News here, here and here.

From all the press and a few friends that have sent me e-mails, you can tell the Mouse is really excited about its upcoming slate and it was prepared to put out the moola to show that pride. There were a few glaring omissions not mentioned(), but all in all it was a fantastic presentation. Heck, the free screening of "Bolt" alone would be enough for me since they got to see almost an hour of footage more than me. Grrrrr. But enough...

Disney went through what would almost be their entire line-up for the next couple year, minus a film or two that's in development. Let's go over the highlights that are of interest to Blue Sky:

"Bedtime Stories" - I've been curious to see more information about Adam Sandler's new film and they played the trailer for the guest attending the event. It sounds very much like a Sandler film, while also being very much a Disney film. Now that Adam has kids and a family he wants to do films that his kid(s) can see. This could be a very good thing(It worked for Johnny Depp pretty well, didn't it?). Suffice it to say, the trailer played well with the audience.

"Race to Witch Mountain" - The Rock on Witch Mountain as it might be called is something I'm perplexed about. While I loved the original and don't consider it a classic that can't be touched, I really don't know what to think till I see a new trailer. The one shown here was the one from Comic-Con. While it looks interesting and better than most sci-fi fair, I feel that there needs to be more shown, hopefully in the new trailer that's supposed to be coming out later this year. There has to be a better reason to remake/re-imagine this film than what we've been shown. I'm kind of rooting for this film, yet I don't know why.

"Up" - Pixar. Yeah, the Lamp was here to promote its upcoming slate starting with Pete Docter's "UP". This was basically a rehash of what was said at Comic-Con, but it looks interesting and shows Lasseter and Co. are not afraid to venture into unknown territory in search of a good story. I'm looking forward to the trailer for this one as we get closer to Thanksgiving.

"The Princess and the Frog" - Now, it's my feeling that this one is when Disney animation kicks back into high gear(after the good restart with "Bolt"). They announce the casting of Oprah as we talked about earlier. Then they played one of the six new songs that Randy Newman wrote for the film. Everyone who e-mailed me seemed to like it.

"Cars 2" - A big surprise is that they've moved up the release date for this by a whole year. Directed by Brad Lewis, this sequel will travel the literal world of Cars. And in between now and then you can expect to see several new cartoon shorts known as "CARS Toons". They premiered the first one and naturally it was with Mater. We can expect to see these on Disney Channel and even possibly in the theaters over the next couple years. Along with a ton of merchandise for those little kids to buy.

"Toy Story 3" - They finally revealed a bit more about the plot of this film and described it beginning with Andy going off to college. Everyone should return for the voices along with a few new voices(Memo to Mr. Beaks, Michael Keaton will be the voice of Ken). It's going to be interesting to see this film... especially when it premieres over in DCA's Paradise Pier. There was a lot of emotion at this one, for obvious reasons it's the film that started it all for the Lamp.

"Bolt" - The lucky guests actually got to see the final and unfinished film. While the last act is still in the story board phase, the reaction from the audience and those friend that contacted me is good. Very good. It's a much needed step up from the past decade and it's only going to get better.

"A Christmas Carol" - I don't know if I'm looking forward to this for the story or the morbid fascination that Robert Zemeckis can actually make me interested in a story that's been done and done again, and again... but the designs are very unlike what we've seen before so maybe he'll create a film that I haven't seen before.

"Alice In Wonderland" - Any film by Tim Burton is something I'm always interested in and if you throw in Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter that makes it doubly so. The film will be a combination of live action and motion-cap CG that will blend the real world of Tim Burton with the bizarre world of Lewis Carroll... I'm there.

"Surrogates" - Strangely, I've gotten quite a few e-mails from people that really enjoyed the new trailer for this new Bruce Willis film. The story sounds much like "Blade Runner" meshed with "Minority Report", but I'll wait to see the trailer... and film.

"Earth" - Disney's first foray back into the world of nature, coming from its "Disney Nature" brand is the earth and apparently looks as good as you would imagine. I really hope this line of films does well as I've always been a big fan of the "True-Life Adventure" series.

"National Treasure 3" - Nicholas Cage is back and this time he's out to find even more money. While these films are "Raiders-lite", I actually enjoyed them for the escapist fluff that they were, while actually building in real, historic events into the story. Not a bad way to get kids that don't like history to get to know it, hmmm? I have a feeling the third one won't be the last...

"Confessions of a Shopaholic" - I don't really know why this film intrigues me other than I feel that this one is going to be this years "The Devil Wears Prada"... Girls, start lining up now.

"Prince of Persia" - This Jake Gyllenhaal film will attempt to do for Arabian action films what Pirates did for... uhm, Pirate action? If things go well, this could be a very cool film that turns into a new franchise... notice the subtitle below Prince of Persia: "Sands of Time". Just like "Curse of the Black Pearl, this could be the start of a new cash cow for the Mouse... Maybe.

"Tron 2" - The sequel to the classic Tron(TR2N), is a film everyone I know will be lining up to see. I only hope the script is much better than the original. The news that Lasseter is secretly guiding this project is very good news and if there is any trailer that I want to see it's an official one for this film.

"Pirates of the Caribbean 4:The Search for more Booty" - Captain Jack Sparrow will return... Let's hope that the original writers and director will also. I don't want it being made without Terry, Ted and Gore since they played such an integral part of the trilogy. As for Keira and Orlando, I think we've seen the last of them and any further Pirate adventures will focus on Jack. I do hope that Geoffrey Rush returns as Barbossa because he is the perfect foil to Depp's Sparrow... plus it'll be fun seeing him show up halfway in the movie after chasing after Jack and that the map he store. Wouldn't it be funny to watch Sparrow and Barbossa after having drank from the Fountain of Youth? Two kids playing pirates? What a motif that would be! I don't think we'll be seeing this for at least a few years... like 2011/2012. There goes that year(s) again.

"The Lone Ranger" - Hey, they got the USC Marching Band to play the theme for this, how cool. I was shocked to hear that Johnny Depp was playing Tonto... as much as I love him, he's not as Indian as I was expecting for the Lone Rangers pal/best friend(Although he is part Cherokee). The other news not officially announced, but being thrown around is that George Clooney is being sought for the role of the Masked Man himself. Now a film starring Clooney and Depp produced by Bruckheimer and written by the fellas who wrote "Pirates of the Caribbean" is enough to make theater owners drool... Bring it on.

All in all, a very comprehensive list that the folks who set through this six hour publicity event got to see. While it wasn't everything, it was a great example that Disney Pictures/Studios is not the budget minded, strictly controlled studio it was a mere three years ago.

Let's hope for a bright, bright future.

Enter The Fairies...

The Fairies that will populate Pixie Hollow at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom were introduced the other day...

Come this fall, little girls across America can be shrunk down to enter the Hollow and have a "Meet and Greet" with the newly popular Fairies.

Get your autograph books ready, girls...

The Big "O" Joins Princess...

All sorts of tidbits(Mouse droppings) yesterday...

Seems Oprah Winfrey is playing the mother of the Princess in the "Princess and the Frog" film. The talk show queen will play Eudora to Tiana, Disney's first African-American Princess.

Vedy, vedy Interesting. More to follow about all the announcements made...

Cars Bumped...

It appears that "Cars 2" has been pushed up to 2011 instead of 2012...

No word yet from Pixar on what will happen to the schedule of "The Bear and the Bow" and "Newt".

Developing...

He's Mad All Right...

It's official...

Johnny Depp will play the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" live adaption of the Lewis Carroll classic.

I can't wait to see him in make-up. Actually, I'm looking forward to the trailer for this one...

The End Is Nigh...

One month from today "High School Musical 3" goes out into theaters...

It's the last one to star Zach and the gang so it's the end I guess, but it's not the end of the HSM franchise. Disney is already planning a part fourth... and fifth... and so on. As long as tweens keep going into theaters and filling in the seats there will always be another class to graduate.

Lucky you, lucky me...

The Race Is On...

All the studios are vying for the privilege to get into business with Steven Spielberg and his soon to be freed Dreamworks SKG...


The two main studios that are the odds on favorites are Universal and Walt Disney Studios with Fox a distant second. While the chances of Disney getting the distribution agreement aren't as good as Spielberg going with Universal,(he's had a long history with the studio) don't count Iger and Dick Cook out. They're a new face and don't carry the baggage that Eisner had when dealing with some of the talent in town...

Seems like the situation we described earlier this year is finally playing out.

Developing...

Disney Magic Via Miyazaki...

There's a really interesting review/article about "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" over at Time online. The film will be distributed by Disney next year and appears to be another example of the influence that animation master, Hayao Miyazaki had over John Lasseter.

Give it a glance, perhaps even a looksie...

Beloved, Not Loved...

I want to take this moment to talk about movies from Walt Disney's "Dark Period"...

You remember that time, don't you? It was the period between Walt Disney passing away and Michael Eisner being hired to save the company. From the late sixties to the early eighties was a period where the company went through an identity crisis. Without Walt at the helm it didn't know what it should become. Everything that was done in this period suffered from being under the long and mighty shadow of The Maestro himself. Every idea, every decision, every single movement was second guessed with the little thought in their heads:

"What would Walt think?"

With the passage of time it's become a little easier to judge the films that the Mouse made during this time period. While many of these were modest hits and others out and out bombs, none were what was made during Walt's reign... as time has passed, many of these films have developed cult-like fan bases. TRON could qualify as one of these(although I didn't include it here). It's a film which had a great deal of hype when it came out, but wound up being a major disappointment for Walt Disney Productions, which was trying to deal with a culture that many felt had passed Disney by... trying to live up to films like "Star Wars", "Close Encounters" and many others, the Suits tried some interesting concepts and some embarrassing ideas. Some succeeded, many failed...

What I include here is only a partial list of films from this time period that Disney made. A few are great, some were good and a few were guilty pleasures only a Fan/Geek like myself could enjoy.

But from me to you... enjoy:


Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)



The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969)


The Barefoot Executive (1971)


The Strongest Man in the World (1975)


The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975)


No Deposit, No Return (1976)


The Cat from Outer Space (1978)


The Black Hole (1979)


The Devil and Max Devlin (1981)


Dragonslayer (1981)


Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Muppets Alive!

The New York Times has an article by Brooks Barnes about the Mouse's attempts, both past and present, at revitalizing the Muppets franchise. Under the new regime they've been trying to raise the brand so that it matches other Disney franchises like Winnie the Pooh. It's been more difficult than they expected, but there appears to be a rainbow connection just over the horizon...

I know, I know... bad pun, but hey, I couldn't resist.

Nuts & Bolts And Clips & Links...

Over at Yahoo Movies, they've posted an extended clip from "Bolt" so go take a look...

Also, the guys over at Latino Review have posted a couple more articles(here and here) from their visit to the Hat Building...

Slowly, Disney's marketing campaign seems to be getting underway. Late October should be really interesting for the film.

The test for the Lamp is rapidly approaching...

The Last Spark...

On this day, forty-two years ago, Walt Disney gave his last public event...

A press conference featuring a noticeably aged and tired Disney met with reporters in Sequoia National Park where Walt talked about his plans for the Mineral King Ski Resort that Walt Disney Productions was working on.

It was the last idea he was working on since announcing his intention to build a Disney World in Florida featuring his EPCOT dream.

The Mineral King project would be developed into the early seventies until the dream of Disney's last resort, his last spark of American ingenuity was put away to develop cobwebs in the dustbin of history...

Not all of it failed to come about. Remember that in the world of Disney, nothing actually ever is buried and done. The Wilderness Lodge at WDW, the Grand Californian, Blizzard Beach and other designs reflect the inspiration Walt had for the Mineral King plans and the Country Bears, a show that was planned for the Resort was actually built in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.

Ideas never die. They just find new avenues to continue to exist...

The Alphabet Flashes Forward...

The Mouse's ABC Network is about to buy/greenlight "Flash Forward" as a television series. The show, which will be based on a sci-fi nover by Robert J. Sawyer, is to be written and produced by David S. Goyer (“Blade: The Series”) and Brannon Braga (“Star Trek: Enterprise”) with Goyer directing the pilot...

For those of you that are pop-culturally illiterate, Goyer is also the man responsible for "Batman Begins", "Blade 1-3" and the upcoming "Flash" film. I don't want to just bind his credits to the Blade television show, which was crap since he has done a good deal of really, really cool stuff. As for Braga, while I wasn't a big fan of Enterprise, he did produce "24" so that gets major kudos with me.

The story involves physicists who are conducting a secret, high-energy experiment that goes awry and causes people all across the planet to experience two-minutes and seventeen seconds of their own future decades in the future. This causes societal problems with people getting a glimpse of their future without really understanding the context of what they saw...

Developing.

Art House Sale...

The famous "El Capitan Theatre" has gone up for sale...

Disney restored it to its former glory in the nineties and has hosted the premieres or debuts of many of it's films there over the past decade or more. It's really become an institution, a Disney tradition, actually. I've seen many a live show there and if you're ever in Southern California, a Disney Geek/Fan and a lover of film history you really should go and see this amazingly beautiful picture palace.

The price of a ticket is a lot less than those that will want to buy the theater($11-$22)...

$31 million dollars. That's a pretty penny from what it cost back in the late eighties to renovate it, but it does include the entire six-story building, and includes a host of tenants like "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and the premiere soda fountain in the country. Not to mention, it has a swanky little Disney Store too. Those buying the building will do so knowing that the Mouse will remain the long time occupant of the theater so Disney is not going anywhere in the future...

Just a small piece of Hollywood history passing hands. Whose hands? We're not so sure of that yet....

Son Of Dreams...

Finally the "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration is over two years after it was unveiled...

Now we have its successor, "Celebrations". To be truthful, IMHO anything would be an improvement over the bland Dreams campaign, but this new one actually has a few things that I think are really smart marketing(if they'd only not call it "Disney Parks", but that's always been one of my beef's with Jay's running of the Parks and Resorts).

First off, if it's your birthday throughout 2009 you get into Disneyland free... that's right, free. Of course, we know almost no one goes to DL alone so they're banking on increased attendance to make up for you getting inside for free. There's going to be a new parade called "Celebrate Today", special decorations(again, anything would be better than those horridly ugly "clouds" in front of the entrance) and various other prices.

Jay Rasulo was interviewed by the Orange County Register talking about his retirement... errr, wait, wait. No, I'm sorry. That was a slip-up on my keyboard... that was what I hoped it would be about, but it's really about the new advertising campaign which I guess is appropriate. I guess.

Hey, it's Disneyland... You can wish, can't you?

How Will The Future Look?

Don't know what to think of this one...

Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures have hired scribes Jon Lucas and Scott Moore("The Ghost of Girlfriends Past") to develop a futuristic adventure for Dwayne Johnson to star in...

Variety is saying the project is "Tomorrowland" themed but the Mouse is denying this, saying that it is an original project.

This is the third Disney project the man formerly know as "The Rock" has been attached to, it appears he's getting along well with Dick Cook and Oren Aviv enough that they see a continued future together.

The question is, is this future in Tomorrowland?

It Had To Happen...

Trying to continually capitalize on the phenomenon that is Miley Cyrus, Walt Disney Studios is currently working on a project to star the former, yes, former star of "Hannah Montana"...

Nicholas Sparks(The Notebook," "A Walk to Remember") is writing the screenplay to feature a non-singing Miley in a role that is intended to broaden her image away from the tween superstar.

Whatayaknow?

Hannah Montana grows up after all...

State Of Play...

The change will be palpable. The difference between what has come before and what has now arrived will be clearly evident when you adjust yourself in the seat waiting for the lights to go down. Waiting for what comes up on that silver screen...

Over the next few years, starting this Thanksgiving we're going to notice something from Disney that we haven't really cared about over the last few years. Maybe the last decade...

Animation.


First is Realization...

When you see "Bolt" you'll realize that this is actually a good film. A really good film. Far better than since... well, the late 90's possibly.

Next year will come Actualization...

Once you sit down and watch "The Princess and the Frog" you're going to know that the last film wasn't a fluke. It wasn't just a shot in the dark. And you're going to realize that Disney's back. Animation-wise, at least... we might be in for a great new age, you'll probably catch yourself thinking...

Then you're going to sit down with your bag of popcorn and soda as the lights go down and your mouth will be agape with Amazement...

You see, because no matter how much you liked "Bolt", or loved "The Princess and the Frog", you can't really describe the feeling that comes over you watching "Rapunzel"... its classic story, its hauntingly beautiful images or the stirring soundtrack. And when it's over you'll sit there watching the credits having that similar feeling from watching "Beauty and the Beast" way back in the early nineties when you were thinking about the next Disney film to come out. One called "Aladdin"... wondering to yourself if it would be as good as Beast was.

And what's the next one after "Rapunzel"?

"King of the Elves" you say to yourself...

You can't wait for it to come. Neither can I...

Weeks Of Bliss...

On October 24, High School Musical 3 opens nationwide...

On that same day, the High School Musical 3 parade also starts playing at DCA.

Adults, enjoy the silence, enjoy the bliss...

Kids, be patient, be calm.

It's only a few weeks before those bubbly songs will be playing along the parade route...

Bolt Behind Scenes...

The guys over at Coming Soon and Latino Review have posted a couple nice behind the scenes article/acticles that you might enjoy...

If you'll notice both author's enthusiasm, it's clear to them as also, quite a few I've talked to that "Bolt" shows the shift over at WDAS and why they feel we're in for a rebirth from those in power at the Hat Building.

*UPDATE*

More reports have come out from the various fansites visit to Burbank...

Check out what the Animation World Network has to say in its article and IGN just posted their own piece on the visit.

Happy reading...

St. Basil Of Baker's Street?

It really is a small world after all...

Seems the Mouse is busy in Russia right now shooting its first Russian film.

Based on local fairy tales, "Book of Masters" is an adventure film aimed squarely at the family audience. Written and directed by Vadim Sokolovsky, this new venture for Disney is scheduled for release next fall...

Expect many more productions like this over the next few years as Iger's global marketing strategy unfolds.

Developing...

Iger Defies Gravity...

I was aiming to put this story up the other day but as usual, life gets in the way...

Bob Iger spoke with USA Today about running the Walt Disney Company and he discussed how the Mouse's tourism business is flying high.

Give it a read...

Disney's First Foray Into Saturday...

Twenty-three years ago today, Michael Eisner put Disney animation where it hadn't gone before...

Saturday morning.

Kids today are used to cartoons/animation all the time, everywhere... but if you take the wayback machine into the past a little more than a decade you'll find that the primary time for kids to see animation was Saturday morning.

The Wuzzles and the Gummi Bears were a statement to television that Disney under Eisner was going to be a far different Disney than what came before. These shows would build the road to the "The Disney Afternoon" that fans around the world love to this day...

Walt's Honor...

Forty-four years ago today, Walt Disney was awarded the nations greatest civil honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Lydon B. Johnson...

The highest civilian achievement for a great American. Walt had won/earned many Oscars, Emmys, Degrees over his lifetime, but this one seems to have been the embodiment of the entirety of his life's work.

Disney's experiences, dreams and goals are an example of the culmination of the ideal of an American life...

The Revolt...

Twenty-nine years ago today, Disney animator Don Bluth leaves Walt Disney Productions and takes with him many frustrated and disgruntled animators as well...

A third of the animators walk out the door with him because of what Bluth sees as a decline in standards, quality and care when dealing with the heart of the Disney company: its animated films. He goes on to start his own studio and begins work on his first feature, "The Secret of NIMH".

The departure of Bluth was a warning shot to the Suits at WDP that all was not right in it's famed animation department... sadly, it wouldn't be till a decade later when the talented animators work would shine again with "The Little Mermaid".

Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that right now as the animation department is about to experience a new, Third Golden Age. Not kidding about that...

Trust me.

Hong Kong Three Years Out...

Today, Disney's first park in China celebrates its third anniversary.

Hong Kong Disneyland was opened on this day on Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. While the smallest "Magic Kingdom" style park, HKDL is richly layered in great detail(unlike DCA), Disney paid close attention to Chinese culture, customs, and traditions when building Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and followed the rules of Feng Shui in much of the park's construction so as to give the park good luck.

It didn't work, unfortunately. More so because of the lack of many E-Ticket rides than anything to do with Feng Shui. Three rides every traditional Disney theme parks has were left for future expansion... Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and the recently opened It's A Small World were not there on opening day. The park is slowly making progress, but an impatient world doesn't want to wait for it to happen...

Expect major announcement between late this year and early 2009.

Anyway, happy birthday Hong Kong Disneyland! Here's to a great, positive future. Never fear, the future is optimistic, slower than expected... but still very optimistic!

The Competitors...

I know we've talked before about the competition the Mouse has and how it will intensify over the next few years, so I thought we'd look at what we can count on giving Mickey a run for his money. Not surprisingly, many of these projects are in the East...

Remembering What Should Never Be Forgotten...

Today is the seventh anniversary of the attacks on 911...

2,974 people died in the attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the plane which crashed near the small town of Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was the largest loss of life in an attack on our homeland in American history...

God bless the souls of those that were murdered that day and the families they left behind. I can't say the same for the terrorist that carried it out.

Needless to say, Disneyland and Walt Disney World were closed as a result of the attack. Most people at the parks were in a panic... no one knew what was happening or if they would be next.

No one still does, but memories fade. Perhaps that's how humanity deals with the pain and sorrow of loss... but it also leaves one with a false sense that everything is back to normal.

Since that day, America views the world from a prism of fear and doubt. Nothing is normal anymore... hopefully with places like Disneyland and great Disney animated films we can escape a little of the sadness and heartache, but we should never forget what happen.

George Wants To Be Like Walt...

It appears that George Lucas wants to turn that little FX shop of his, Industrial Light and Magic from a... errr FX company to an animation company?

Paramount Pictures has gotten Gore Verbinski(the Pirates films) to direct an animated film called "Rango" with Johnny Depp as the main character and a script by John Logan("The Aviator", "Sweeny Todd" and "Gladiator")...

Animation to be provided by ILM. Hmmm...

If "The Clone Wars" is any indication of the quality of animation, I don't think Walt Disney Animation Studios has anything to worry about.

Developing...

Colorful Introductions...

Well, Steve made his announcements...

The new iTunes 8 came out(as most expected). A new generation of iPod Nanos(as most expected) in a whole lot of flavors(which not many expected). Updates to others and games...

Lots of games. I wonder how Disney Interactive is doing lately? Bob Iger and the board have been tipped off to Jobs' strategy for a while now. I'd say Disney's largest shareholder has been telling the company about the path to the future, technologically speaking of course...

Later this year, we're gonna find out if they've been listening.

Get Ready For Disney's Newest Theme Park...

Come the latter part of this month, expect the quiet debut of Disney's latest theme park...

Wall Land.

Its wall attractions will appear slowly at first, but by January it should really kick into high gear...

Fortunately, it's not a permanent one. It's only going to be around for about four years... of course if the park that is presented to the public in 2012 is a success then expect a sequel to Wall Land...

Wall Land 2.

You know how success breeds sequels...

One Of The Nine Passed Away Four...

Four years ago today one of Disney's "Nine Old Men", Frank Thomas passed from this earth to better place. One where dreams never die and growing old never happens...

He was 92 years young.

Walt now has another companion to sit around and talk about the old days with... I wonder if it's possible to start an animation studio in Heaven?

The End Of A Dream...

Today is the last day that "Golden Dreams", one of the opening attractions at Disney's California Adventure will be available for guest to experience. The public will no longer be able to enjoy it once the park closes.

Come the beginning of the new year work will begin on "The Little Mermaid" attraction and soon Dreams will be nothing but a memory.

If you haven't seen it in a while, or you just haven't seen it at all, this is your last chance...

Too Much Pooh?

The Walt Disney Company makes close to two billion dollars a year in merchandise from the cuddly little bear.

This gives them a great incentive to keep coming out with new films, television shows and toys among other things. So after it was announced about the cancellation of "My Friends Tigger and Pooh", I got to thinking about the animated offerings the Mouse has come out with since Walt made that first short many, many years ago. It made me wonder, is this enough? Have they mined the Hundred Acre Woods until there's nothing left to use?

Film:

* 1966: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
* 1968: Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
* 1974: Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!
* 1983: Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore
* 1977: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (the trilogy of the Honey Tree, Blustery Day, and Tigger Too!)
* 1985: Winnie the Pooh and Friends (re-release of Day for Eeyore with additional shorts)
* 1997: Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin
* 1999: Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving
* 2000: The Tigger Movie
* 2002: Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year* Winnie the Pooh's Camping Trip Adventure
* 2003: Piglet's Big Movie
* 2004: Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo
* 2005: Pooh's Heffalump Movie
* 2005: Pooh's Heffalump Halloween Movie


Television:

* Welcome to Pooh Corner (Disney Channel, 1983-1995)
* The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (American Broadcasting Company, 1988-1991)
* The Book of Pooh (Disney Channel, 2001-2002)
* My Friends Tigger & Pooh (Disney Channel, 2007-2008)


Holiday TV specials

* 1994: Winnie the Pooh & Christmas Too!
* 1996: Boo! To You Too! Winnie the Pooh
* 1998: A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving
* 1998: Winnie the Pooh, A Valentine For You


I never realized that for a bear that just wants to spend his days lazily frolicking with his friends... he's a very busy bear!

So what do you think? Have we had enough of him? Or is it just the stories that have been told weren't worthy of being told?

Happenstance (Part Two)...

"Tokyo DisneySEA is a place of staggering beauty and amazing wonder that shows you what Walt Disney Imagineering is capable of if you give it the freedom to dream and the funding to build it." - A Bothan from deep inside the bowels of WDI

First of all, thanks for all the positive comments regarding part one of this posting. Even those that have pestered me asking when the second part would come out. I appreciate your interest in Blue Sky Disney...

The East, particularly the Far East are of great importance to the Walt Disney Company. Actually it's not just the Mouse... for most companies, American and otherwise, the East is where the opportunity is. That's where the growth is. It is the emerging market in the world today. Bob Iger and Disney understand this and are taking the company and its many brands into those markets which are ripe for exploration.

So where do we go from here?

Asia



There are many things being planned for the only Disney resort not owned by Disney. But not all, or even most of what is planned is in the original park, or Tokyo for that matter.

Tokyo Disneyland has preliminary plans for at least one new E-Ticket to open after the elaborate "Monsters Inc." attraction opens up next year to the delight of TDL fans and the chagrin of the rest of us. This attraction will make DCA's Monster's Inc. attraction comparable to the Disneyland's Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction versus Tokyo Disneyland's Pooh's Hunny Hunt argument. And that will be a valid comparison in terms of quality of attraction, but not so in terms of comparison to the Suits in charge of approving what the parks get. Let's be clear here, the Suits at Team Disney Burbank/Anaheim right now are a world apart from the motley crew in charge of creating new Disney delights under Pressler. Clear? Ok, now back to Japan...

The plans for TDL are still being worked out, but many projects are in an embryonic state that my Bothans believe make predictions very dicey right now. But a little note for those of you that don't like character based attractions... you will be sorely disappointed in many(but not all) proposals. Sorry.

As for the other park in the resort... Tokyo DisneySEA, my favorite park outside of Disneyland will definitely be getting an E-Ticket. And it will get get it before TDL gets theirs. But the sad news is that it won't be the "Soarin'" attraction that everyone was hearing rumors about going into the Mediterranean Harbor Port. It will be an attraction based on the technology and development of "Toy Story Midway Mania." The executives from the Oriental Land Company were presented with the plans for the project a while back and have been given a demonstration of the technology and alterations that would be needed should they approve it. There is talk of possibly one or two C-Tickets getting approval as well, but nothing has moved forward on these plans for quite a while as the OLC actually has a great deal on its plate.



The other exciting news from the Oriental Land Company is the project it's working on that won't be in Tokyo. We probably will have to wait till late this year, but more likely earlier next year when the OLC's new Disney resort burst onto the spotlight in an official news ceremony. The Urban Entertainment Center(UEC) which will occupy another city to broaden OLC's branding will not be a giant sprawling resort like what TDR or WDW is of course... The UEC will be closer to a large and elaborate, Disneyfied mall type experience. If plans go forward with what a Bothan told me, the UEC will be like a mail with somewhat of Victorian themed exterior and between 10 and 12 attractions(more could follow) upon opening. There would be elaborately themed food areas and typical Disney entertainment(think of something similar to the shows put on at the TDR now, but in more a confined space). There is the possibility of a theater like experience that has a Broadway style show similar to TDS's Little Mermaid show or DCA's Aladdin show. Expect OLC to take advantage of the limited the space it will have available in Japan's heavily populated area. Come late 2011 most Disney Fans/Geeks will have another destination in Japan to make us envy them...



Disney's smallest "Magic Kingdom" styled park is scheduled to receive a good deal of TLC over the next few years as well.

Much has been made about a new hotel, but truthfully there have always been plans for more hotels once attendance picks up. There is a preliminary plan for a new hotel to be built but the final decision has yet to be made. If rooms start being filled more regularly in the next year and the parks streets and walkways become more crowded then a green light could be given in time to see a third hotel by late 2011/12.

By then, people could be wandering up and down the Esplanade shopping and eating in the restaurants and stores that would be lined along this resorts version of a more understated Downtown Disney(again, if plans continue).

Now as for the park, well the expansion of that large plot of land will continue and if the wrangling between the Hong Kong Government and Disney settles down then a great deal of growth will have transformed the park to where it would be twenty percent bigger by then. Wanting to go ride that new Pirates right? Sorry, but because of the squabble between the Mouse and City that won't be the next one built and doubtful will it be built or done by 2011... or 2012 for that matter. Instead, the next E-Ticket will be a intricately designed, incredibly detailed version of the Haunted Mansion designed specifically for this area of the park. Oh, and fans of a certain white capped mountain will be very happy to see it jutting into the sky under the current direction. By this time at least a couple of C-Tickets or another D-Ticket should grace Fantasyland as well should plans keep moving forward and the economy not turn everything around.

Should all this happen and the crowds start to come and they open their wallets and purses then the preliminary designs for a second park will move into overdrive... the Mouse has until 2013 for that second park or the land will be sold to someone else and it would be very awkward for a Disney park to have a Universal Studios Hong Kong or the like right next door. Plus, Hong Kong residents will want to have something that their competing Disney park to the north doesn't...



As I just mentioned, there will be another park in China by 2012 and it should be deep in the process of being built by then. Only an unforeseen circumstance would stop this park from going forward and unlike the park down in Penny's Bay on Lantau Island, this one will not be a miniaturized version. It appears Iger and his Suits have learned from the mistakes of his predecessor... or at least for the present it appears so.

The deal with the Shanghai government appears to be different than the one with Hong Kong. My Bothans say it's more of an arrangement with the Walt Disney Company where it has much more control, possibly similar to the deal with the Oriental Land Company, but not exactly like it. The exact details aren't available, but it won't be long before we know what and when Disney plans on building this park. By this time next year at the latest you can probably expect some form of public announcement. The grand ceremony should come sooner rather than later unless China does something politically(think: Taiwan) to spoil the business environment for this and other projects. Disney has been working hard at getting its brands and products into China and working on these details to familiarize the Chinese people that don't know much if any about Disney was a large part of coming to an agreement for Team Burbank. It appears that those negotiations are dotting their final signatures and coming to a very happy Disney ending.

There are plans right now for three hotels of which one will be a Disneyland Hotel and the other two themed to appropriate Disney styled designs. As for the proposed shopping district that corresponds to a Downtown Disney I'm not sure, but hopeful it will be done by the opening unless design changes are made.

So what about the park that will built? All of the details aren't available but the basics will include a much larger "Magic Kingdom" style park with no large chunk of land set back to be built into a regular sized park later. Not that there won't be plenty of room for expansion as the entire resort should be quite larger than the one in Hong Kong. The lands will be more elaborately detailed versions of the lands we have all seen at other parks, but unlike HKDL, we should see Frontierland on opening day unless the Mouse gets cold feet. Now that Pixar is part of the Disney family and not just a leased property expect no idea of separation in lands throughout this kingdom. Buzz and Wall-E will feel right at home in Tomorrowland just as Woody feels right at home in Frontierland. We may even see a few attractions that are at other non-MK parks put into these lands should work continue. There are plans for at least one new original E-Ticket, but the Bothans were tight lipped so as not to jinx its approval. They would only say that Disney Geeks/Fans would squeal if Iger gives it the green light. The plans should not limit this park to having to wait for rides the way Hong Kong did and with any luck Jack Sparrow's attraction will be there on opening day. Sorry HKDL... but you still should get it, but probably not till after it opens at your sister park. Don't blame the messenger, blame the Eisner...

The park itself should reflect differences in design that reflect a difference of management... and this is only the beginning. Let's cross our fingers because the plans the mouse has for the East, particularly Asia are bold and we should see a couple more surprises should the good times keep rolling. As the announcements get closer, expect more details to follow...

I hope you enjoyed this glance into the future. By 2011/12 it may truly be a Disney World...

Rabbit Season...

Eighty-one years ago today, Walt Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit makes his first cartoon...

Walt would eventually lose the rights to this character, forcing him to create another character from scratch that turned out to be a mouse...

A very, very famous mouse.

But let's honor Oswald today. Now that he's back at home with the Mouse, perhaps we'll see him take a more active role in the company?

Happy Birthday, Gorgeous...

Seven years ago today, Tokyo DisneySEA opened up in Japan completing a transformation of the Tokyo Disneyland Park into the Tokyo Disney Resort. The new park along with two new hotels(Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta, Disney Ambassador Hotel) and an Downtown Disney-like entertainment center(Ikspiari) make the Resort a much more attractive tourist destination. Of course when Disney fans walked down the themed ports of TDS they were a little startled at the level of detail that the park had. Ok, maybe more than a little startled... this was arguably the most beautiful park created by Imagineers.

After this day, the Walt Disney Company would continually hear fans gripping about what we got in America(DCA) versus what the Japanese got(TDS). Of course, most Disney fans don't realize that Tokyo DisneySEA is not owned by Disney, but by the Oriental Land Company.

If you EVER go to Tokyo and are a Disney fan then do not miss the opportunity to see this park. Take a look at what WDI can do when given the chance to shine...

Surprise Jobs Report...

It appears that Steve Jobs, Apple Inc. CEO and largest shareholder in the Walt Disney Company has scheduled another one of those Special Events by invitation only scheduled for next Tuesday...

I wonder what Mr. Reality Distortion Field has up his sleeve?

An American Tale...

I neglected to mention the other day that Morris F. Sullivan passed away in Los Angeles(Toluca Lake, actually) on August 24 at the sprightly age of 91...

Don't know who he is? He's the man that financed and help found Don Bluth's Sullivan Bluth Studios which produced "The Secret of NIMH", one of the first truly independent films to challenge the Mouse. This showed the world that Disney wasn't the only game in town. The competition only made Disney have to work harder and give us a better product.

He stepped in at a time when Don Bluth was in financial hardship and became his guardian angel. In so doing he actually helped not just Bluth and his band of rebelous animators... he helped keep the art of animation from dying in those bleak days right after the 70's.

For that alone he owes our thanks. Our thoughts and prayer go out to his family and friends...

Disney Chases Nazis After All...

Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Bastards" may have escaped the Mouse's fingers, but that's not going to stop Mickey from killing a few Nazis...

Walt Disney Studios and Jerry Bruckheimer have acquired screen rights to the novel "Killing Rommel," by Steven Pressfield("The Legend of Bagger Vance", "Gates of Fire"). The story is of a British battalion’s attempt to thwart German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel’s desert campaign.

Randall Wallace("Braveheart", "We Were Soldiers Once") will co-write the script with Pressfield, while Bruckheimer will produce. No one is attached to direct as of yet.

This should be interesting since Wallace is a very good screenwriter and Pressfield is an excellent novelist(His "Gates of Fire" novel is about the story which insprired the comic book/film adaption of Frank Miller's "300").

Developing...

Backpedaling...

I know I've not been happy with very much of the programing on the Disney Channel lately...

If you've read this blog for a while, I'm sure you know that. But I'm actually going to take this opportunity to say I was wrong... a bit. To say that I've actually found something on that channel that I've discovered isn't so bad. Something that I was surprised to find was entertaining. It's still not my cup of tea, but I have actually seen a few of the "Phineas and Ferb" episodes in the last few weeks and enjoyed them. I thought they were quite clever. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's that all the shows that surround it seem so horribly bad that it seems so much better than the rest, but I found myself not hitting the remote button to change the channel.

I'm sure you know how I've talked about how I wish the channel actually showed animation and things that are what I call "Disney". I know, I know, they're not aiming for me and my demographic, but I always felt the channel should've been like Disney films, parks and other things. You know? Something that we can all watch together... that was something that set Walt Disney apart from so many others. I mean, I wasn't a fan of "My Friends Tigger and Pooh" because it messed with the original mythology... and I say that with deep respect for the artist that animated it, but it was an experiment in trying to take the characters into markets that the Mouse hadn't already mined. That said, it was a plan devised by Suits that was unfortunately(or fortunately depending on your perspective) destined to fail. Now if we can just get some shows on the Disney Channel that have good compelling stories to go along with the animation I might watch more of it.

More shows like Phineas and Ferb...

No More Pooh...

It appears that the Disney Channel show: "My Friends Tigger and Pooh" will not be getting another season and will end its run after season two. Good luck to all those animators in finding new gigs. Hopefully things will start to look up for Disney Animation(TV and Film) later this year as we are really in a transitional period right now at the Mouse...


Hat Tip to the Animation Guild Blog.

A Battle Between A Wizard, A Mouse And The World (Part One)...

There was an article in the Orlando Sentinel the other day about Universal that was interesting...

It was something I'm sure WDI and some people inside the Team Disney Building took note of. It was about something they could have had and let get away... deliberately. When Universal got the rights to J.K. Rowling's famous character and Disney's competition announced "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" many people who follow the Mouse were stunned. How could they let a project like this get away? Is Disney loosing it when it comes to creativity?

Competition is a wonderful thing. It's been one of the great motivations that has propelled America since it's birth to the most prosperous, powerful country in the world. I welcome the attractions that Universal and others build all throughout the world, because it will make WDI have to work harder to create better attractions. We all benefit from that.

There are a great deal of people designing for Universal right now that used to work for the Mouse and that alone is one of the reasons their rides are becoming close to the quality of an attraction you find in a Disney theme park. They aren't the only ones doing this.

Disney will have a great deal of competition over the next decade and the Potter attraction is only the tip of the iceberg. The East is where most of Disney's future growth lies and it also is where it's greatest creative challenges will be(expect a few articles on this in the near future). The biggest threat to the Walt Disney Company's dominance of entertainment will come from a small country in the Middle East... the United Arab Emirates. And the main focus of entertainment there is in Dubai. This area within a decade will be the greatest challenge for Disney's expansion in Asia and the eastern part of the world. And I welcome it. I encourage it. It will only make for a better Mouse.

So let the Wizard begin his battle for the world...

Celebrating Thunder...

Twenty-nine years ago today, The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction opened in Frontierland at Disneyland. This wild ride that took guests thundering through dark caverns and abandoned mine shafts of a haunted town where treasured gold was supposed to still be waiting to be found. The theming and design of thwas inspired by the scenery in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

BTMRR has become a fixture at many "Magic Kingdom" style parks across the world... thrilling riders at the original Disneyland in Anaheim, the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, and Disneyland Paris in France... could we seee a variation of it headed elsewhere in the future? Possibly Asia?

The next decade holds many wonders to be built. Let's hope they ALL get built...

Another Opening For Disney...

Sad Blessings can happen...

It appears Matt Ouimet, former head of the Disneyland Resort, is leaving the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. immediately. If you're a frequent reader of Blue Sky Disney, you know of my opinions of both Ouimet and Rasulo. I have championed for some time now for Matt to take the position that Jay now occupies... The way Matt handled Disneyland shows what one can do even with limited capabilities. I imagine what he would do were he in charge of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts with help of Lasseter and others now in place inside TeamDisney Burbank.

I wish Matt Ouimet well where ever he lands. I only hope that it turns out to be a place where he looks comfortable wearing Mouse Ears...

Eight Years In The Hundred Acre Woods...

Eight years ago today, Tokyo Disneyland opened up "Pooh's Honey Hut" and became the most popular ride in the park.

It still is, I might add...

Many of you have heard me talk about this ride and yes, it is as amazing as I say it is. While Disneyland got "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" a few years later... the 30 million they spent on ours really does become painfully evident when you get a look at the Japanese version. Even worse when you ride it, considering the concepts for this were from the original blue sky phase for the ride we were supposed to get state-side.

Anyways, enough crying over spilt milk. The ride in Tokyo is a much more layered ride of what we have here where you ride his large trackless honey pots that are guided by GPS as you go through the story of Pooh and become immersed in the world A.A. Milne created. If you ever go to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, this is the attraction to see.

Don't miss it...

Once you leave the ride, you'll dislike Michael Eisner even more knowing what we were robbed of.

The Lord Of the Jungle's Father Is Welcomed Into The World Today...

Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan the Ape Man, John Carter, Warlord of Mars and many others was born today in Chicago, a hundred and thirty three years ago. He lived for three quarters of a century and contributed volumes to American literature about what twentieth century adventure would be perceived as...

Along with Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, Burroughs has been used by Disney in the parks and films(both past and future) enough to have carved out quite a bit of Disney history...

Happy Birthday, Mr. Burroughs.

Happy Labor Day...

For all those who work for a living and work to make our country the great place that it is...

Happy Labor Day.