Caroll Spinney, the 78-year-old puppeteer who has played Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for 43 years, has signed an agreement with Copper Pot Pictures, giving the company exclusive rights to produce a feature-length documentary about his life. The company has also launched a Kickstarter campaign to support the production of I AM BIG BIRD.
I AM BIG BIRD is a feature-length documentary about Caroll Spinney, who has been Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969… and at 78 years old, he has no intention of stopping. Think you know everything there is to know aboutSesame Street ? You don’t. You might know that Frank Oz turned down an offer to play Big Bird, but you probably don’t know that until a last minute change of heart by NASA, Big Bird was supposed to go to space aboard the Challenger. Or you may know that Oscar the Grouch got his voice from a cantankerous cabbie, but you’d be surprised to learn that a fire in his trash can almost led to Caroll’s untimely demise. Caroll’s stories are the stuff of legend. He has been a constant presence in our lives for over 40 years, his path weaving through American history like that of Forrest Gump. His time inside the Bird has taught him about the world and about himself. I AM BIG BIRD will peel away the instances in Caroll’s life that inspired his creation of characters that influenced generations of children. And, as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.
Watch the trailer below. For those who grew up with Sesame Street, have some tissues at the ready. As the preview says, “Big Bird guided you through childhood.” So he did.
While Caroll has been with Sesame Street since it first aired in 1969, he still has no plans to retire. “People always ask Caroll why he’s still doing it after four decades,” said Dave LaMattina, who is co-directing the film with Chad Walker. “I AM BIG BIRD will answer that question by exploring his extraordinary life.” The film will include footage from Caroll’s extensive private video archive, which captures behind-the-scene moments with family, Jim Henson and others. I AM BIG BIRD has been in development since 2009 with the full cooperation of Sesame Workshop.
Copper Pot plans to raise over $100,000 during its 30-day Kickstarter campaign and has already reached a quarter of their goal since launching yesterday. Kickstarter helps artists raise money from individuals in exchange for products or experiences and has raised more than $45 million for film projects. Copper Pot will offer rewards for pledges of $1 to $10,000, including a copy of the film, a private dinner with Caroll, a video chat with the puppeteer, and a signed illustration from Caroll.
To kick off the campaign, Copper Pot and Muppet fan group “Tough Pigs” will screen exclusive clips from the film and the Spinney archive at Nitehawk Cinemas (136 Metropolitan Avenue, Brooklyn) at 12 PM on Saturday, July 21st. Copper Pot will also be releasing exclusive footage via Twitter (@Copper_Pot) through August 14th. For more about the film or Kickstarter campaign, visit www.IAmBigBird.com.
Check out the new character poster from GANGSTER SQUAD, starring Oscar® nominees Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “True Grit”) and Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Blue Valentine”), Emma Stone (“The Help”) and Academy Award® winner Sean Penn (“Milk,” “Mystic River”)
Having seen the film, I can say it is the perfect poster. Without giving anything away, it totally describes the tone and the vibe of Ruben Fleischer’s movie. It does not disappoint and I can’t wait to see it again! Without any words or tagline, you know exactly who these characters are and what you are in store for. Take note future marketing execs….less is more.
Shooting entirely in and around Los Angeles, including in many of the actual locations featured in the story, GANGSTER SQUAD is a colorful retelling of events surrounding the LAPD’s efforts to take back their nascent city from one of the most dangerous mafia bosses of all time. The screenplay is by Will Beall (TV’s “Castle”), based on Paul Lieberman’s series of articles entitled “Tales From the Gangster Squad.” The film is being produced by Dan Lin (“Sherlock Holmes”), Kevin McCormick (“The Lucky One”) and Michael Tadross (“Arthur”).
GANGSTER SQUAD stars Penn as real-life mobster Mickey Cohen; Brolin and Gosling as the LAPD’s Sgt. John O’Mara and Jerry Wooters; and Stone as Grace Faraday, Cohen’s moll and the object of Wooters’ attention.
The movie also stars Robert Patrick (“Flags of Our Fathers”) as Officer Max Kennard, a deadly cop who patrols the Olvera Street beat; Michael Peña (“Battle Los Angeles”) as Kennard’s over-eager sidekick, Navidad Ramirez; Giovanni Ribisi (“Avatar”) as the force’s Conway Keeler, an electronics expert who takes as much pleasure in fixing his son’s bike as he does tinkering with experimental, military-grade equipment; and Anthony Mackie (“The Adjustment Bureau”) as Coleman Harris, a switchblade-wielding cop who proudly patrols one of the most crime-ridden areas of the city.
Joining Fleischer behind the scenes are the director’s regular collaborators, production designer Maher Ahmad and editor Alan Baumgarten (“30 Minutes or Less,” “Zombieland”), as well as Academy Award®-winning director of photography Dion Beebe (“Memoirs of a Geisha”) and Oscar®-nominated costume designer Mary Zophres (“True Grit”).
Chloe Sutton, Scott Weltz, Jessica Hardy, Missy Franklin, Nick Thoman, Micah Lawrence
On Thursday, July 12th, Disney●Pixar held a private screening of FINDING NEMO 3D for the U.S Olympic Swim Team in Knoxville, TN. The Olympians and their families were one of the first audiences to “Sea” the film in breathtaking digital 3D before heading off to London.
Chloe Sutton, Scott Weltz, Jessica Hardy with Insider Kid Correspondent Lauren Kaplan
Additionally, Disney & USA Swimming have created video celebrating Swimmers everywhere.
Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” dives back into theaters and homes this year in breathtaking Digital 3D™. The must-“sea,” must-own Oscar®-winning underwater adventure—featuring the unforgettable Marlin, his forgetful friend Dory and the lovable young Nemo – returns to the big screen in a spectacular 3D theatrical release beginning September 14, 2012, and then swims into living rooms for the first time ever in high-definition Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and Digital platforms on December 4, 2012.
Universal Pictures International today announced that Tuesday’s overseas box office will push the studio’s international grosses past the $1 billion mark, one month earlier than ever before. This is the fastest that UPI has reached this milestone, besting a record set on August 16, 2008—through the performance of such global blockbusters as Mamma Mia!, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and Wanted. 2012 marks the sixth year in a row that Universal has grossed more than $1 billion at the overseas box office.
Films that have contributed to the 2012 success include Safe House, which has grossed $77.5 million to date overseas, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax ($99.7 million), American Reunion ($177.4 million),Battleship ($238 million) and Snow White and the Huntsman($220 million). All of these films are still in release and The Lorax has yet to open in nine territories including major areas like France, Germany, the U.K. and China. The phenomenally successful domestic hit Tedhas also just begun its international run and achieved record business in all four territories in which it has opened. And Savages, the ferocious new thriller from Oliver Stone, has just begun its international rollout as well.
Universal will release five more films in 2012. The Bourne Legacy, the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise, hits theaters worldwide in August. The new out-loud comedy Pitch Perfect lands in October, while the action-thriller The Man With the Iron Fists arrives in November. The studio wraps 2012 with two films in December: Les Miserables, the motion-picture adaptation of the global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe, and This Is 40, the latest comedy from writer/director Judd Apatow—one of the studio’s longtime collaborators.
Six first-time governors have been elected to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – Dante Spinotti, representing the Cinematographers branch; Lisa Cholodenko, Directors branch; Dick Cook, Executives; John Knoll, Visual Effects; Scott Millan, Sound and Bill Condon, Writers. In addition, seven incumbents were reelected and three other motion picture professionals will return to the Board after a time away.
Returning to the board after a hiatus are Michael Mann, Directors; Arthur Hamilton, Music; and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers. Mann previously served from 2000 to 2006. Hamilton most recently served from 2008 to 2011, he has served a total of 33 years. Kennedy was on the board from 1994 to 1997 and again from 2002 to 2011.
The reelected governors are Tom Hanks, Actors; Jim Bissell, Designers; Rob Epstein, Documentary; Mark Goldblatt, Film Editors; Leonard Engelman, Makeup and Hairstylists; Rob Friedman, Public Relations and Bill Kroyer; Short Films & Feature Animation.
Fourteen of the Academy’s 15 branches are represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. Terms are staggered so that each branch elects or reelects one governor each year. The Makeup Artists and Hairstylists Branch is represented by a single governor.
At the end of 2011, Directors Branch Governor Paul Mazursky stepped down from his seat on the Board. Lisa Cholodenko was elected to complete the 2 years remaining on Mr. Mazursky’s term and Michael Mann was elected to a new three-year term.
Governors who were not up for reelection and who continue on the Board are Ed Begley, Jr. and Annette Bening, Actors Branch; John Bailey and Richard Crudo, Cinematographers; Rosemary Brandenburg and Jeffrey Kurland, Designers; Kathryn Bigelow, Directors; Michael Apted and Michael Moore, Documentary; Jim Gianopulos and Robert Rehme, Executives; Anne V. Coates and Michael Tronick, Film Editors; Charles Fox and David L. Newman, Music; Gale Anne Hurd and Hawk Koch, Producers; Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Marvin Levy, Public Relations; Jon Bloom and John Lasseter, Short Films and Feature Animation; Curt Behlmer and Don Hall, Sound; Craig Barron and Richard Edlund, Visual Effects; and Frank Pierson and Phil Robinson, Writers.
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis hit the campaign trail today at The Grove in Los Angeles, joking with fans and fielding questions at a press conference that focused on their roles as out-of-control political rivals in the irreverent new comedy “The Campaign.” The event launches an 11-city whistle-stop tour of public appearances that will travel the two across North America from now until Tuesday, July 31.
On the first leg of their tour, Ferrell and Galifianakis will next touch down at Kiener Plaza in St. Louis today. On Wednesday, July 18, they appear in Dallas/Ft. Worth and Chicago; on Thursday, July 19, they will campaign in Chicago and Seattle; and on Friday, July 20, in San Francisco. The second leg will then take them to Boston and Toronto on Monday, July 30; and on Tuesday, July 31, appropriately enough, they will wrap with visits to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Among the trip’s highlights, Ferrell and Galifianakis will coach opposing teams in a ferocious tug-of-war contest at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Ft. Worth, Texas, which will later host an advance screening of the film. At Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field, the two will throw out dueling first pitches at the Chicago Cubs/Florida Marlins game and, in Toronto, they will visit Canada’s beloved Hockey Hall of Fame, where their arrival will coincide with the arrival of the also-touring Stanley Cup. In Philadelphia, they will don tricorn hats and attempt to recreate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and finally, in D.C., pose for photos at the U.S. Capitol. Other events will be announced locally.
“The Campaign” opens in theaters nationwide on Friday, August 10.
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis star as rival North Carolina congressional candidates out to bury each other in this mud-slinging, back-stabbing, home-wrecking comedy from “Meet the Fockers” director Jay Roach, that takes today’s political circus to the next level. Because even when you think campaign ethics have hit rock bottom, there’s always room to dig a whole lot deeper.
“The Campaign” also stars Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott and Katherine LaNasa, with John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Brian Cox. Directed by Jay Roach and written by Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell, from a story by Adam McKay & Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell, the film was produced by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Jay Roach and Zach Galifianakis. Amy Sayres, Jon Poll and Chris Henchy served as executive producers.
“The Campaign” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that actress Amanda Plummer has been cast in the role of Wiress in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire. The character’s eccentricity earns her the nickname “Nuts” from fellow tributes, and though she doesn’t communicate traditionally, her observations and contributions prove invaluable in the Quarter Quell.
Best known to film going audiences from her memorable and award nominated roles in THE FISHER KING and PULP FICTION, Plummer is also a beloved, Tony Award® winning stage actress on and off Broadway. She can next be seen as the title character in the forthcoming film ABIGAIL HARMS
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.
THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 36 million copies in print in the U.S. alone.
Lionsgate® will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.
Here’s the first official scene and image from SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D, based on the groundbreaking video game franchise and the sequel to the hit film SILENT HILL. If you are feeling brave – then check out this clip, where you will immediately recognize the terrifying faceless nurses as they attack! The film will be out right before Halloween – October 26th!
Heather Mason (Adelaide Clemens) and her father (Sean Bean) have been on the run, always one step ahead of dangerous forces that she doesn’t fully understand. Now on the eve of her 18th birthday, plagued by horrific nightmares and the disappearance of her father, Heather discovers she’s not who she thinks she is. The revelation leads her deeper into a demonic world that threatens to trap her forever.
Written and directed by Michael J. Bassett, and produced by Samuel Hadida, SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D is based on the survival horror video game Silent Hill 3 and a sequel to the horror film Silent Hill, which is an adaptation of the video game of the same name.
Starring Adelaide Clemens (X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE), Sean Bean (THE LORD OF THE RINGS, SILENT HILL, “Game of Thrones”), and Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”), and written and directed by Michael J. Bassett (SOLOMON KANE), SILENT HILL: REVELATION 3D hits theaters everywhere October 26, 2012.
WAMG recently visited the newly opened Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, and boy did we have a rip-roaring good time in Radiator Springs!
First of all, the look is amazing, You walk into the Radiator Springs right out of the Disney/Pixar movie CARS. No detail was left out. From the “herd” of tractor used hilariously by Mater for “tipping”, to the psychedelic hippie hangout of Fillmore, the VW bus from the 60’s, it’s all there.
The best attraction by far is the Radiator Springs Racers. The line was long, but well worth the wait. We pile 8 at a time into zippy little racecars and head off towards Radiator Springs. They have done a great job of making you feel like you are right in the movie while you are in the indoor portion. And once you are cleared to race, you speed off onto the track for an exciting rollercoaster of a race!
And last but not least, the attraction that all Disney parks seem to do best – characters interacting with the guests. Life-size moving and talking tow truck Mater and speedster Lightning McQueen make periodic scheduled appearances throughout Radiator Springs and the kids just light up. They look and sound so real, you almost forget they aren’t.
As a permanent addition to Disney California Adventure, Radiator Springs is going to get great mileage for years to come. The Happiest Place on Earth got even happier – you AUTO stop by.
In a colorful grand reopening ceremony hosted by Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, along with his pal Mickey Mouse, Disney California Adventure Park welcomed guests in mid-June to the premieres of two highly anticipated themed lands, Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, home to the Carthay Circle Theatre. The ceremony celebrated more than 20 new attractions and shows that have been added to the Disneyland Resort during a five-year expansion.
The ceremony was held in Disney California Adventure in front of the iconic Carthay Circle Theatre on the new Buena Vista Street, which transports guests to the California that attracted Walt Disney in his early days as an animation pioneer. Ceremony highlights included music, fireworks and a flood of Disney and Disney•Pixar characters, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck.
Cars Land and Buena Vista Street celebrate a five-year expansion that has brought more Disney and more experiences to guests of the Disneyland Resort, a world-class, family vacation destination with two theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping and dining district.
The largest piece of the five-year expansion at Disney California Adventure Park, Cars Land adds 12 acres of immersive excitement to the park and offers freewheeling fun for everyone as it brings the town of Radiator Springs to life, just as guests remember it from the blockbuster movie.
“The crown jewel of our Disney California Adventure expansion, Cars Land is the extraordinary result of a close collaboration between the gifted filmmakers at Pixar Animation Studios and our talented Imagineers and cast members,” Iger said. “It’s also a spectacular example of our ability to take our characters and stories and bring them to life in new and unexpected ways.”
“While I love all of the movies we’ve made at Pixar, the ‘Cars’ films are particularly close to my heart, so seeing Radiator Springs come to life at Disney California Adventure is a dream come true,” Lasseter said. “The artistry and attention to detail throughout Cars Land is absolutely incredible, and I couldn’t be more proud of the teams at Pixar and Walt Disney Imagineering who worked side-by-side to make this project a reality.”
The thrilling additions of Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge at Disney California Adventure add to the storytelling magic of the Disneyland Resort, a world-class, family vacation destination in Southern California with two theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping and dining district.
Cars Land invites guests to explore “the cutest little town in Carburetor County,” where they will enjoy three family attractions showcasing places and characters from the movie: Luigi’s Flying Tires, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Radiator Springs Racers, one of the largest and most elaborate attractions created for a Disney theme park.
Themed shops and restaurants also look familiar to fans of the movie, including Flo’s V8 Cafe, Cozy Cone Motel and Ramone’s House of Body Art. The Radiator Springs locals are at home, so Lightning McQueen and Mater make appearances and pose for photos near the Cozy Cone Motel.
“We want guests to think they are on this great road trip and, in a way, almost like they are going home,” said Kathy Mangum, executive producer of Cars Land. “Cars Land will feel very familiar in so many different ways. I can’t tell you how many people have seen it and said ‘I can’t believe I am in Anaheim.”
Each attraction and facility will have its own personality, allowing guests to get to know more about the characters who live in Radiator Springs.
“A lot of the places you will find only inside Cars Land, so we took the theming and storytelling all the way through, in a way that guests will feel as if the town is being operated by the characters,” Mangum said. “Everywhere you look there is a funny little car nod. After all, it is a land built by cars.”
Many of the automotive winks were inspired by a research trip Imagineers took along Route 66. Others were inspired by working with the animators from Pixar.
The “Cars” gang gathers to prepare visitors for the big race in Radiator Springs Racers, the high-octane, indoor/outdoor adventure that revs through the beautiful mountains of Ornament Valley. Guests board cars, each with their own personality, for a scenic road trip that takes them through Radiator Springs, with a stop at either Luigi’s Casa Della Tires or Ramone’s House of Body Art. After getting some final racing tips from Doc Hudson, the cars zoom over the roadways in a nose-to-nose, high-speed race, never knowing which car may win.
Elsewhere in Cars Land, Luigi invites guests to test-drive his new shipment of Fettuccini-brand “Cuscino D’Aria” tires – which are just like riding on air (or being on an enormous air hockey table). At this festival of flying tires, riders lean left and right aboard Luigi’s Flying Tires, floating and bumping along in a 21st century attraction reminiscent of the classic Disneyland Flying Saucers attraction. Music plays and giant inflatable balls glide along the floor, adding to the fun.
Mater provides his own unique siren song, courtesy of a Junkyard Jukebox that has lured baby tractors into Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. There, the tractors dance to Mater’s hoedown tune, swinging guests around in trailers they are pulling behind them. It’s a “tow-si-do” square dance to a playlist of seven songs sung by Mater.
The streets of Radiator Springs are humming with entertainment, too. DJ, the ultimate party car – a big road-trippin’ mobile boom box with giant speakers and built-in disc changer – invites his crew to “DJ’s Dance ‘n Drive,” a spontaneous, interactive dance party. And Red the Fire Truck recruits guests of all ages to join “Red to the Rescue!” – helping water the flowers and clean up Radiator Springs. (Prepare to get wet!)
The road leading into Cars Land is dotted with large animated neon signs reminiscent of the ’50s era of cross-country travel along Route 66. As with other aspects of the land, the neon signs are three-dimensional representations of recognizable landmarks from the movie “Cars,” and they come to life each night at sundown when it’s cruisin’ time along the boulevard.
“Cars” fans and other interested shoppers will find a great selection of Cars Land and other Disney and Disney●Pixar gifts and souvenirs at the “local” retail shops in Radiator Springs. Although the interiors of most of these locales weren’t seen in the movie, they were created for Cars Land by Walt Disney Imagineers with their characteristic attention to detail, drawing on inspiration from vintage stops along historic Route 66.
Sarge’s Surplus Hut offers a broad selection of merchandise – kids clothing, costumes, hats, toys and plush – featuring Lightning McQueen, Mater and other “Cars” characters. Radiator Springs Curios is a country-style mercantile with special appeal for collectors of pins themed to all things “Cars.” The shop also stocks magnets, antenna toppers and license plate frames. Ramone’s House of Body Art features the signature items of the Low & Slow Car Club and Champion Custom Speed Shop collections in t-shirts, work shirts, hats and accessories.
Dining options in Cars Land include Flo’s V8 Cafe, modeled on the quirky roadside eateries along old Route 66. The cafe serves full meals from a quick-service counter. A windowed “showroom” dining area and adjoining outdoor patio offer a breathtaking view of the Cadillac Mountain Range and the vehicles zooming by in Radiator Springs Racers. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at Flo’s, and specialties include chicken tamale with scrambled eggs, brioche French toast with salted caramel and bananas, home-style rotisserie classics such as pork loin or New York strip loin, plus the house-made Pie-O-Rama for dessert.
The distinctive, orange “cone” architecture of Sally’s Cozy Cone Motel offers quick service cone-themed snacks from five different cones, including ice cream cones, chile “cone” queso, pop “cone” and other “cone”-coctions. Fillmore’s Taste-in celebrates the Cars Land “new age” hippie-van-in-residence. His food and beverage kiosk offers the “high-octane” natural health benefits of fresh fruits, bottled water and juices.
Disney California Adventure offers guests a full day-to-night experience with four new attractions – Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land and the Red Car Trolley, which traverses the length of Buena Vista Street – along with nine new shops, eight new food locations including Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, and more than a dozen new entertainment experiences such as the “Red Car News Boys,” who performed in Friday’s grand reopening ceremony.
The 12-acre Cars Land is a fully detailed, three-dimensional re-creation of Radiator Springs, known to fans of the Disney*Pixar movie “Cars” as “the cutest little town in Carburetor County.” Radiator Springs Racers is one of the largest and most elaborate attractions created for a Disney theme park, taking guests on a tour of the scenic Cadillac Mountain Range before their big race begins. Guests are immersed in the story of the movie as they encounter all the familiar landmarks of Radiator Springs, including its shops, restaurants and neon signs.
Guests now enter Disney California Adventure through another lively and richly detailed land, Buena Vista Street. The newly themed and designed entrance brings the spirit of Walt Disney into the park as never before, immersing guests in a locale reminiscent of Los Angeles in the 1920s, a time and place full of hope and optimism. With its familiar shop names, period costumes and architecture, Buena Vista Street is inspired by the “city of dreams” Walt Disney found when he arrived by train in California.
The icon of Disney California Adventure, the Carthay Circle Theatre, is a majestic building at the end of Buena Vista Street that recalls, in name and architectural style, the great California movie palace where “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premiered in 1937. Carthay Circle Theatre, home to the Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge, anchors the newly designed plaza from which guests set out to experience all the thrills, excitement and wonder of Disney California Adventure. Upstairs, guests enjoy Southern California cuisine and the ambience of a post-gala party at Carthay Circle Restaurant, while the ground floor Carthay Circle Lounge offers appetizers and bar service, along with historic photographs and exhibits.
The Red Car Trolley, based on Los Angeles’ historic Pacific Electric Red Car Line, transports guests from Buena Vista Street down Hollywood Boulevard, to the footsteps of the famed Hollywood Tower Hotel, home to The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror. Street characters and entertainers such as “Five & Dime” add to the lively fun along Buena Vista Street, engaging guests as they step back in time.
The expansion of Disney California Adventure, announced in 2007, has produced a succession of new entertainment and attractions.
Toy Story Mania! opened in 2008, inviting guests into an interactive, ride-through, attraction where they enter a 4-D carnival midway hosted by characters from the Disney*Pixar movie “Toy Story.”
“World of Color,” the nighttime water spectacular, debuted in 2010 and the popular show has been seen by more than 5 million guests.
In 2011, the park reached its next milestone with the premiere of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, a ride-through attraction based on the Disney animated classic movie.
Additional highlights include new entertainment such as “Phineas & Ferb’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party,” new restaurants such as Paradise Garden Grill, and the enhancement and re-theming of such attractions as Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Games of the Boardwalk,Silly Symphony Swings and Goofy’s SkySchool.
The transformation of Disneyland Resort, a world-class, family vacation destination, began in 2001 with the opening of Disney California Adventure, the Downtown Disney district and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Since then, the Disneyland Resort has continued to grow with the addition of popular attractions and shows such as Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, now in 3-D; Finding Nemo SubmarineVoyage; Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters and The Twilight Zone™Tower of Terror. In 2009, the resort completed a major expansion of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which included the first West Coast destination for Disney Vacation Club. A magical renovation of the signature Disneyland Hotel was completed in early 2012, including re-imagined guest rooms, a new restaurant and bar, and a new pool with monorail-themed water slides.
IMAX and AMC Entertainment Inc. today announced an expansion of the companies’ existing joint revenue sharing arrangement to include the installation of eight confirmed and up to 18 IMAX® theatres in the United States. The deal also includes the conversion of two existing AMC IMAX theatres from a sale to a joint revenue sharing structure. Today’s agreement brings AMC’s total IMAX commitment to 138 theatres with the potential to expand to 148. The company currently has 125 IMAX theatres in operation.
The eight confirmed locations are expected to be in both existing and untapped IMAX markets, including Charlotte, N.C.; Monmouth, N.J.; Dearborn, Mich.; Niles and Crestwood, Ill.; and San Francisco, Redondo Beach and Anaheim, Calif. At least three are expected to open by the end of 2012.
“We’re in the business of making smiles happen and what we’ve found is our guests love seeing movies in an IMAX theatre,” said Gerry Lopez, CEO and president of AMC. “To build on our 12-year partnership with IMAX certainly helps us further our strategic initiative of premium sight and sound experiences but more importantly, it allows us to provide an amazing experience for guests at even more locations.”
“The IMAX footprint still has runway for growth in the U.S. and we are pleased to expand into these new markets with our biggest and long-time partner, AMC,” said Richard L. Gelfond, CEO, IMAX Corporation. “The expansion of such key strategic partnerships positions IMAX for long-term growth and brings The IMAX Experience® to more audiences across the U.S.”
