Category: Disney

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Shoes By Christian Louboutin are Out of this Galaxy

With the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi only one week away, the merch is coming out faster than a pod racer on Tatooine. The force is strong with these shoes and they are stunning to look at.

Famed shoe designer Christian Louboutin has partnered with Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Studios to create custom shoes inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The four designs are inspired by the film’s heroines and each include a bespoke glimmering jewel, reminiscent of a Tie Fighter.

REY

The Rey shoe has an ankle-strap leather sandal inspired by her outfit, with translucent PVC elements that reflect her Force abilities. We love that the heel shines just as bright as her blue lightsaber.

CAPTAIN PHASMA

Everyone’s favorite First Order Stormtrooper gets a glam heel inspired by her armor, with silver specchio leather yokes, reflecting her authoritative character.

ROSE TICO

Since Rose works in maintenance for the Resistance, Christian Louboutin designed a utilitarian sandal that depicts her technical side.

VICE ADMIRAL AMILYN HOLDO

Taking direct inspiration from her costume, the Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo shoe features similar draping elements and the colors of her cape.

While the shoes won’t be available in stores, the commemorative styles—each signed by the designer, as well as the actress who portrays each character the style was created for—will be auctioned on charitybuzz.com/StarWars from December 7-December 20, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting Starlight Children’s Foundation on behalf of Star Wars: Force for Change.

But that’s not all! Christian Louboutin also designed a custom showpiece shoe with the team at Industrial Light and Magic that will be unveiled at the film’s premiere. The shoe takes inspiration from the Star Wars world and Christian Louboutin’s signature style elements to create a unique, galaxy-ready shoe. After the premiere, the showpiece shoe will be added to the auction as well.

December 7, 2017
VIDEO: Galaxy’s Edge Construction Milestone Celebrated at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Recently, thousands of Disney cast members excited to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge coming to life at Disney’s Hollywood Studios celebrated a major construction milestone with the signing of a support beam that’ll top out the new land.

Look closely and you’ll see that cast members and Imagineers put their mark on theme park history by drawing artistic pictures and writing messages on the beam that’ll eventually be part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – a 14-acre remote outpost that will transport guests to a galaxy far, far away.

As regular readers know, beam signings are part of a longtime construction tradition at Disney Parks. We’ve shared updates on beam signings for expansions like Pandora – The World of Avatar, plus the Disneyland park site of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland park in 2019. The new land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is just one element of the multi-year transformation of the park, which also includes Toy Story Land, set to open in the summer of 2018.

December 7, 2017
Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Expands to Six Weeks in 2018

It’s day four for Disney’s 12 Days of Disney Parks Christmas and it’s time for another exciting new announcement.

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will return March 2 through April 12, 2018, bringing delicious cuisine, specialty beverages and exciting entertainment to Disneyland Resort guests for its third season. The culinary festival will expand to six weeks, with more days for guests to enjoy the flavors of the Golden State.

More than a dozen Festival Marketplaces will feature California-inspired tastes and sips. Guests will experience presentations and demonstrations with celebrity chefs such as Robert Irvine and Alex Guarnaschelli; food and beverage tastings; winemaker dinners; beer, wine and spirit seminars – all in addition to live music, entertainment and special activities throughout the festival.

The festival’s signature events will include new experiences such as the Disney Family of Wines Dinner, as well as returning favorites like Sweet Sundays and the Winemaker or Brewmaster Dinners. Another guest-favorite returning to the festival is the Junior Chef experience, with hands-on fun led by Chef Goofy, for children ages 3 to 11.

Keep an eye on Disney Parks Blog and Disneyland.com for more information about the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, returning March 2 through April 12, 2018!

December 7, 2017
Transformation Details Revealed for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

It’s day three for Disney’s 12 Days of Disney Parks Christmas and it’s time for another exciting new announcement. Earlier this year we found out that Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort at Walt Disney World would undergo some transformations. Today we have new colorful details about those enhancements debuting late this summer.

Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort will be reimagined as the port of entry where guests will check in before embarking on their island vacation. This centralized location will offer resort guests more convenient access to services, amenities and dining, including an all-new Centertown Market for casual eats, an all-new Shutters restaurant offering waterfront dining adjacent to the new Banana Cabana outdoor bar and lounge, and Calypso Trading Post for shopping.

Centertown Market will be expanded and enclosed, creating a quick-service restaurant with an indoor street market vibe. Guests will enter the space under a large palapa-like structure, accented with glowing colored light pendants made from glass bottles. The market will feature open shutters, wooden light posts, awnings, ornamentation and unique seating areas. Guests will also have access to the Grab n’ Go market for a specialty coffee and quick bites.

Shutters, a Caribbean-inspired table-service restaurant, will be located on the waterfront of Old Port Royale, transporting guests to a beachfront home in the tropical islands. Large open shutters will allow the sun to cast a warm light into the space adorned with handmade items that appear as they’ve been found on the islands. Leaves and floral design motifs will fill the space, celebrating the natural beauty of the Caribbean.

A festive poolside bar, Banana Cabana will be a great place to gather for food and drinks, immersing guests into the fun and relaxation of island life. Cabana-style drapes will flank seating areas and re-purposed steel drums will illuminate a central communal table made from a wooden boat.

Forget something? No worries! With its history of being the port’s import and export facility, Calypso Trading Post will offer shoppers Disney merchandise and other vacation essentials.

December 6, 2017
Bob Iger Could Remain CEO in Disney and Fox Deal

The Disney-Fox deal is heating up once again with new details and this may put investors and the public more at ease. Bob Iger may extend his contract and remain CEO beyond 2019 if the deal goes through.

It was reported Tuesday that Fox-head James Murdoch could wind up succeeding Iger if the deal went through, but according to multiple sources it’s likely that if it does goes through, Disney CEO Bob Iger will likely remain with the company. He would stay at Disney to oversee any potential merging of Disney and Twenty-First Century Fox assets.

Iger is no stranger to bringing in new assets and integrating them into the Disney family. After taking over in 2005 he led the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilms giving him experience like no one else. He has the most experience and makes the most sense if the deal is to succeed. The deal is valued at more than $60 billion and a smooth transition is exactly what investors want.

It will take time to get the necessary federal approvals for the acquisition and even time to integrate the assets after that, which could leave Iger at the helm through 2020, maybe even later. It is still possible the deal would see James Murdoch as a replacement after the integration is complete and Iger steps down.

December 6, 2017
New Story Elements for the Pixar Play Parade When it Returns to Disneyland

Disney kicked off it’s 12 Days of Disney Parks Christmas today and as promised here is the daily update on exciting new offerings coming to Walt Disney Parks & Resorts in 2018 and beyond. Disney has announce some exciting details on some new story elements for Pixar Play Parade, which is returning to Disneyland Resort this spring.

Pixar Play Parade returns April 13 to the Disneyland Resort – this time, at Disneyland park! Part of the limited-time Pixar Fest celebration, this delightful parade will bring even more of your favorite Pixar stories to life with the addition of three new story elements.

The parade will begin as all Pixar films have, with an appearance by the iconic and adorable Pixar Lamp. Rolling ahead of the famous lamp will be the familiar yellow Pixar Ball, making a cameo in Pixar Play Parade, as it has in many Pixar films.

Also joining the parade are characters from the beloved film, “Up.” Wilderness Explorer Russell will appear astride the colorful flightless bird, Kevin, with Carl Fredricksen and Dug following behind amid green foliage and snipe chicks, with Carl’s tethered house floating above.

Another popular Pixar story coming to Pixar Play Parade is “Inside Out.” Perched atop colorful memory orbs, Joy and Sadness take flight aboard Bing Bong’s rocket wagon, with Bing Bong himself cheering them on!

Don’t miss these new story elements and the return of Pixar Play Parade, beginning April 13 at Disneyland park. And check out the rest of the fun to come during Pixar Fest here!

December 5, 2017
Fox Boss James Murdoch Could Be Next Disney CEO If Disney Fox Deal Goes Through

It’s no secret that Disney is actively seeking Bob Iger’s replacement in preparation of his pending 2019 departure. Now in the midst of Disney and Fox negotiations, 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch has been “suggested” as a candidate to succeed the Disney CEO, when the storied executive eventually retires, according to The Financial Times, which cited “people briefed on the talks” in a report published Tuesday.

This after recent reports have stated that Disney Parks Chief, Bob Chapek, Might Be next in line as Bob Iger’s Successor, but this deal is bigger than that as a deal of this nature would reshape the media landscape and if Disney pulls it off and it could land Murdoch at the helm of The Mouse House.

This news came the same day that a CNBC report said Disney was close to a deal to acquire parts of Fox’s studio and television production business, valued at more than $60 billion.

According to the report, Rupert Murdoch and his younger son, James, could take senior roles at a combined company if a deal is struck. Iger, 66, is due to retire in 2019 and James Murdoch, 44, currently chief executive of 21st Century Fox and chairman of the satellite broadcaster Sky, is a possible successor… (Read More)

December 5, 2017
Marvel Takes a Stab At Their First Scripted Podcast: ‘Wolverine: The Long Night’

Marvel has explored plenty of territory in it’s 78-year history, from comics to computer games and from movies to TV, they’ve done it all. Well almost all… Starting in the spring of 2018, they will be headed into a whole new territory.

Wolverine, the beloved X-Men character, will headline Marvel’s first-ever scripted podcast, Wolverine: The Long Night, a 10-episode serialized story that will debut exclusively on podcast network Stitcher Premium in Spring 2018 as part of a partnership between Marvel and Stitcher, before rolling out across all other podcast platforms in the fall.

The show’s cast includes notable actors Richard Armitage (“The Hobbit”), Scott Adsit (“30 Rock”), Bob Balaban (“Moonrise Kingdom”) and Brian Stokes Mitchell (“Mr. Robot”).

The “Wolverine: The Long Night” story is a captivating hybrid of mystery and the larger-scale fantasy of the Marvel Universe. It follows agents Sally Pierce (Celia Keenan-Bolger) and Tad Marshall (Ato Essandoh) as they arrive in the fictional town of Burns, Alaska, to investigate a series of murders and quickly discover the town lives in fear of a serial killer. The agents team up with deputy Bobby Reid (Andrew Keenan-Bolger) to investigate their main suspect, Logan (Richard Armitage). Their search leads them on a fox hunt through the mysterious and corrupt town.

The process behind the making of “Wolverine: The Long Night” brings Marvel’s storytelling expertise into the podcasting world, breaking new ground for the medium. To provide listeners a sense of immersion into the story, outdoor scenes will be recorded in realistic-sounding locations including forests and a cabin. In the studio, actors will be recorded in an ambisonic — or fully surround-sound — environment, allowing them to move, interact with one another and fully inhabit their characters.

“‘Wolverine: The Long Night’ brings our fans a whole new way to experience our iconic characters and the Marvel Universe,” said Dan Silver, vice president, head of platforms and content for Marvel New Media. “This tremendous cast will bring a thrilling level of intrigue and drama to our listeners. The character of Logan and this landscape make it the ideal premiere vehicle for us, and we’re excited to continue to explore the dynamic possibilities of the podcast medium.”

Also cast in the series are actors Zoe Chao, Chaske Spencer, Jordan Bridges, David Call, Michael J. Burg and Lannon Killia. Chris Gethard, host of the popular “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People” podcast, also will make a cameo appearance.

“Podcasting is an incredible, intimate medium that’s perfect for telling stories, and I can’t think of a better partner with whom to push the boundaries of scripted podcasts than Marvel,” said Erik Diehn, CEO of Midroll Media, a podcast industry leader and the parent company of Stitcher. “They make every translation of their rich universe of characters into new media fresh and interesting while still retaining the feel and spirit of the original comics, and, as a Marvel fan, I’m proud that we’ve helped them do it again in podcasting. The arrival of Wolverine and his many fans to podcasts and Stitcher is truly a signal that this medium is a major part of the American media landscape.”

Stitcher and Marvel have assembled a writing and production team of veterans from both the comic book world and the podcasting industry. “Wolverine: The Long Night” is written by award-winning comic book author Ben Percy (“The Wilding,” “Red Moon”) and will be directed by Brendan Baker (formerly a producer for Radiotopia’s “Love & Radio”). Chloe Prasinos (formerly a producer for Gimlet’s “Reply All”) will oversee sound design. The series is produced by Daniel Fink of Marvel and Jenny Radelet of Stitcher.

December 5, 2017
Disney and Fox Deal Could Come As Soon As Next Week

Disney and Twenty-First Century Fox are closing in on a deal, and it could come as soon as next week, according to sources familiar with the matter. While this doesn’t confirm that the deal will go through and the Federal Trade Commission could try to block it, but it is very apparent the companies are interested in the acquisition.

While certain Fox properties may not be sold to Disney, including Fox Sports, there are a number of smaller properties where Disney could acquire stakes. Disney would get Fox’s 30 percent stake in Hulu. Disney already has a 30 percent stake in Hulu, so that arrangement would give it majority ownership of the streaming platform. Could this be the foundation for which to build the Disney streaming service?

It would appear that the two studios are nearing a deal that might have some in Hollywood a little nervous but it would be super exciting for fans that have long waited to see both the Fantastic Four and X-Men within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

It’s the film rights have kept the X-Men from joining the MCU as of yet, but one X-Men producer would love to see the crossover happen. A recent Vanity Fair article explained how X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner threw in her support to have the mutant icons team up with the Avengers in theaters. “Well, I wish. I would love it, I would love it. But it’s not for me to say,” she said. Too bad it’s not up to her.

If the deal goes through, the Murdoch family will continue to maintain ownership over the sports and news divisions while Disney would get the studio rights to everything on the film side according to the report.

There is so much more at stake here for Disney than the obvious rights to the X-Men and Fantastic Four brands. They also want distribution rights for the original Star Wars trilogy and prequel trilogy. Most of those rights revert back to Disney in 2020, but the original 1977 film’s rights will remain at Fox.

Another bonus is the Avatar franchise. Earlier this week director James Cameron commented on how any sale of Fox’s TV and film operations would impact the Avatar sequels. He noted it probably wouldn’t affect the Avatar series and explained that “at this point in time Disney has a bigger investment” in the franchise than Fox, referring in part to Disney World’s Pandora: The World of Avatar attraction.

Disney would love to get its hands on the FX channel. And of course they want the vast, impressive, lucrative library of Fox movies and TV series from past and present, to add to their upcoming streaming service and, probably, to deny those movies and series to Netflix, along with the Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm properties.

While in the midst of negotiations Disney is really hoping that Sony doesn’t out fox them on the deal. It was recently noted that Sony Entertainment had shown interest in purchasing 21st Century Fox along with a few other companies, including Comcast and Verizon. However, if rumors are true those talks have since reverted to Disney.

Much of this is speculative, but the talk of Disney purchasing Fox is much more than a big rumor. Deadline’s new report makes a good point that, if this deal does happen, we’ll probably find out about it in a pretty out of the blue way. We may not know when that announcement could come, but don’t be too surprised to hear that Disney has officially purchased Fox in the near future.

December 5, 2017
Disney Receives 35 Nominations for 45th Annie Awards

Nominations for the 2018 Annie Awards were announced Monday and Disney has recieved 35 Nominations for 45th Annie Awards.

Coco has topped the 45th annual list of nominees with 13, including Best Animated Feature, followed closely by The Breadwinner with 10, including Best Animated Feature – Independent.

The Annie Awards will be held Feb. 3, 2018, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Tickets are on sale now.

Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney Television Animation, Walt Disney Imagineering, Lucasfilm, and Marvel Studios were all nominated for awards. The complete list of Disney nominations are below

Best Animated Feature

CARS 3
COCO

Best Animated Special Production

OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE
TANGLED BEFORE EVER AFTER

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Preschool Children

MICKEY AND THE ROADSTER RACERS
Episode: Goofy Gas!

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production for Children

TANGLED THE SERIRES
Episode: Queen for a Day

Outstanding Achievement for Animated Effects in an Animated Production

AVATAR FLIGHT OF PASSAGE
Production Company: Walt Disney Imagineering, Weta Digital, Lightstorm Entertainment
Sr. VFX Supervisor: Richard Baneham
VFX Supervisor: Thrain Shadbolt
Compositing Supervisor: Sam Cole
CG Supervisor: Pavani Rao Boddapati
CG Supervisor: Daniele Tosti

CARS 3
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Development & Effects Artist: Amit Baadkar
Effects Lead: Greg Gladstone
Effects Lead: Stephen Marshall
Effects Supervisor: Jon Reisch
Effects Lead: Tim Speltz

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Effects Artist: Shaun Galinak
Effects Lead: Dave Hale
Effects Artist: Jason Johnston
Effects Artist: Carl Kaphan
Effects Lead: Keith Daniel Klohn

OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE
Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Head of Effects: Christopher Hendryx
Effects Animator: Dan Lund
Effects Animator: Mike Navarro
Effects Animator: Hiroaki Narita
Effects Animator: Steven Chitwood

Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Animator: John Chun Chiu Lee
Character:All characters

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Animator: Allison Rutland
Character: All characters

Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Live Action Production

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
Production Company: Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures.
Animation Supervisor: Arslan Elver
Lead Animator: Liam Russell
Lead Animator: Alvise Avati
Lead Animator: Alessandro Cuicci

Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

TANGLED: THE SERIES
Episode: Tangled Before Ever After
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Co-Executive Producer: Shane Prigmore
Character: Rapunzel, Eugene, Maximus, Cassandra
Character Designer: Bobby Pontillas
Character: King Frederick, Queen Arianna, Landy Caine, Fidella
Character Designer: Taylor Krahenbuhl
Character: Pub Thugs
Character Designer: Mayumi Nose
Character: Pascal

Outstanding Achievement for Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Character Art Director: Daniel Arriaga
Character: All characters
Additional Character Art Direction: Daniela Strijleva
Character: All characters
Character Design/ Sculptor Greg Dykstra
Character:All characters
Character Modeller: Alonso Martinez
Character: All characters
Character Designer: Zaruhi Galstyan
Character: All characters

Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
Episode: The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular!
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Director: Dave Wasson
Director: Eddie Trigueros
Director: Alonso Ramirez-Ramo

TANGLED: THE SERIES
Episode: Tangled Before Ever After
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Director: Tom Caulfield
Director: Stephen Sandoval

Outstanding Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Director: Lee Unkrich
Co-Director: Adrian Molina

Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
Episode: The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular!
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Composer: Christopher Willis

LEGO STAR WARS: THE FREEMAKER ADVENTURES
Episode: Trouble on Tibalt
Production Company: The LEGO Group, Lucasfilm, Wil Film
Composer: Michael Kramer

Outstanding Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Composer: Michael Giacchino
Composer/Lyricist: Kristin Anderson-Lopez
Composer/Lyricist: Robert Lopez
Composer: Germaine Franco
Lyricist: Adrian Molina

OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE
Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios
Composer/Lyricist: Elyssa Samsel
Composer/Lyricist: Kate Anderson
Composer: Christophe Beck

Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

BIG HERO 6 THE SERIES
Episode: Baymax Returns
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Production Design: Mark Taihei
Production Design: Ben Plouffe
Production Design: Chris Whittier
Production Design: Sylvia Filcak
Production Design: Amy Chen

DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
Episode: The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular!
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Production Design: Jenny Gase-Baker
Production Design: Justin Martin

Outstanding Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Production Design: Harley Jessup
Production Design: Danielle Feinberg
Production Design: Bryn Imagire
Production Design: Nathaniel McLaughlin
Production Design: Ernesto Nemesio

Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
Episode: Bee Inspired
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Storyboard Artist: Eddie Trigueros

Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Storyboard Artist: Dean Kelly

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Storyboard Artist: Madeline Sharafian

Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
Episode: The Scariest Story Ever: A Mickey Mouse Halloween Spooktacular!
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Voice Actor: Chris Diamantopoulos
Character: Mickey Mouse

Outstanding Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Cast: Anthony Gonzalez
Character: Miguel

Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE
Episode: Locked in Love
Production Company: Walt Disney Television Animation
Writer: Darrick Bachman

MILO MURPHY’S LAW
Episode: The Island of the Lost Dakotas
Production Company: Disney Television Animation
Writer: Joshua Pruett

Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Writer: Adrian Molina
Writer: Matthew Aldrich

Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production

PICKLE AND PEANUT
Episode: Bear-I-cade
Production Company: Disney Television Animation
Nominee: John Roye

Outstanding Achievement for Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

COCO
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios
Nominee: Steve Bloom
Nominee: Lee Unkrich
Nominee: Greg Snyder
Nominee: Tim Fox

December 5, 2017