Some things are just awesome - pirates and LEGO are two such beasts. And when their powers combine, they make the awesomest news we've heard all week.
Traveller's Tales, the developers of the much-loved LEGO series of games, which combine relatively simple platforming, adorable LEGO characters and a good dose of slapstick humour for great measure, have yesterday announced that the next franchise to get the LEGO treatment (following in the footsteps of Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Harry Potter) would be Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, in a partnership we're sure no-one saw coming.
Washing up on the Wii, DS and Xbox 360 in May 2011, to coincide with the release of the new film, 'On Stranger Tides', the game won't just contain levels from the new film, with the three previous films 'Curse of the Black Pearl', 'Dead Man's Chest' and 'At World's End' all getting a digital plastic recreation in the 20+ levels in the game, along with more than 70 different playable characters (I want that angry little monkey). The LEGO standard 2 player co-op is still intact with this game too, which is good news. Read more here...
Friday, November 19, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The First "Prom" Trailer
"Prom" portrays the precarious passage from high school to independence as some relationships unravel and others ignite. For Nova Prescott, it's a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei and Tyler harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school's most seminal events.
The movie has cast ensemble consisting of young stars like "Friday Night Lights" actress Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Yin Chang, De'Vaughn Nixon and many others. Directed by Joe Nussbaum ("Sleepover", "Sydney White") and written by Katie Wech ("The Dead Zone"), the drama comedy is slated for April 29, 2011 release in the U.S.
The movie has cast ensemble consisting of young stars like "Friday Night Lights" actress Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, Yin Chang, De'Vaughn Nixon and many others. Directed by Joe Nussbaum ("Sleepover", "Sydney White") and written by Katie Wech ("The Dead Zone"), the drama comedy is slated for April 29, 2011 release in the U.S.
Will Disney take Gowalla to the Top?
Disney on Thursday announced a geolocation partnership with Gowalla and may take the whole sector mainstream.
The companies announced a deal where Disney will use Gowalla--a social network where you share places you visit with pass port stamps--in its resorts. In a nutshell, visitors to Disney World and Disneyland can connect with family and friends through custom Disney Gowalla pages. When guests visit a park or ride they can use Gowalla's Passport Stamps to allow others to track their experience.
Read more of "Can Disney take geolocation, Gowalla mainstream?" at ZDNet.
The companies announced a deal where Disney will use Gowalla--a social network where you share places you visit with pass port stamps--in its resorts. In a nutshell, visitors to Disney World and Disneyland can connect with family and friends through custom Disney Gowalla pages. When guests visit a park or ride they can use Gowalla's Passport Stamps to allow others to track their experience.
Read more of "Can Disney take geolocation, Gowalla mainstream?" at ZDNet.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Become Part of the Disney Christmas Parade
On Friday December 3rd and Saturday December 4th Disney World will be filming their annual Christmas Parade at the Magic Kingdom. Disney is currently looking for volunteers to become part of the magic. Participants in years past have received free admission to the park as well as free parking as thanks for their help. To be considered for a part follow this link: http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&EVENT_ID=1898480
Friday, November 5, 2010
Mickey Mouse and the rest of the Disney world are a big part of the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara
It’s Canada’s largest illuminated lights festival, with more than three million tree and ground lights twinkling in the Winter Wonderland. It features not only the world’s largest Canadian-American flag but also Canada’s largest illuminated menorah. This year, the more than 120 illuminated and animated light displays that make up Niagara Falls CAA Winter Festival of Lights are expected to draw as many as one million visitors.
Shouldn’t you be one of them?
More than just a display of glitter, the Winter Festival of Lights is live music performances, family events, celebrity appearances and fun for kids of all ages. Disney Canada, a partner of the festival since 1992, is always a big part of the show. Fans of Disney will love such displays as Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantasia. Be sure to look for the eight gorgeous Disney princesses: Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Snow White and Pocahontas.
From the lights at Niagara Falls, the popular displays that fill the Winter Wonderland along a five-kilometre stretch of the Niagara Parkway to the regular fireworks displays and the transformation of Lundy’s Lane into Candy Cane Lane, the Winter Festival of Lights has been a Niagara mainstay since 1983.
This year, you’ll be able to enjoy the spectacle from November 6 to January 31.
The switch will be flipped to begin this year’s celebration on November 6 at 5:45 p.m. and visitors will be treated to an extravaganza of sound and light featuring the music of the Festival of Lights Choir, the showmanship of Magician Greg Frewin and the sparkle of three million lights blazing into the night, illuminating Queen Victoria Park and the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland.
Admission is free (although roving Festival of Lights ambassadors will willingly accept any donations to help offset the cost of the event), and parking lots are nearby. If you want to be sure of a seat, BYOLC (bring your own lawn chair.)
Shouldn’t you be one of them?
More than just a display of glitter, the Winter Festival of Lights is live music performances, family events, celebrity appearances and fun for kids of all ages. Disney Canada, a partner of the festival since 1992, is always a big part of the show. Fans of Disney will love such displays as Little Mermaid, Toy Story, Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantasia. Be sure to look for the eight gorgeous Disney princesses: Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Snow White and Pocahontas.
From the lights at Niagara Falls, the popular displays that fill the Winter Wonderland along a five-kilometre stretch of the Niagara Parkway to the regular fireworks displays and the transformation of Lundy’s Lane into Candy Cane Lane, the Winter Festival of Lights has been a Niagara mainstay since 1983.
This year, you’ll be able to enjoy the spectacle from November 6 to January 31.
The switch will be flipped to begin this year’s celebration on November 6 at 5:45 p.m. and visitors will be treated to an extravaganza of sound and light featuring the music of the Festival of Lights Choir, the showmanship of Magician Greg Frewin and the sparkle of three million lights blazing into the night, illuminating Queen Victoria Park and the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland.
Admission is free (although roving Festival of Lights ambassadors will willingly accept any donations to help offset the cost of the event), and parking lots are nearby. If you want to be sure of a seat, BYOLC (bring your own lawn chair.)
'Tron: Uprising' Animated Series to Debut in 2012 With All-Star Voice Cast
Confirming television rumors that have persisted since the film was first put into production, Disney has announced Tron: Uprising, a new animated series based on the new movie, Tron: Legacy. The series will debut in 2012 on action adventure channel Disney XD courtesy of some of the minds behind Samurai Jack and Tron: Legacy itself, and feature the voices of Elijah Wood, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Mandy Moore, Paul Reubens and Lance Henriksen. Bruce Boxleitner will also reprise his role as Tron.
Executive Produced by Samurai Jack's Charlie Bean, Tron: Uprising will also staff Legacy writers Edward Kitis and Adam Horowitz as well as Legacy co-producer Justin Springer. Created under the auspices of Disney TV Animation, Disney Channels Worldwide entertainment prexy Gary Marsh told Variety that the new show is "a culmination of an extraordinary collaboration between Disney Television Animation and our feature film studio."
Executive Produced by Samurai Jack's Charlie Bean, Tron: Uprising will also staff Legacy writers Edward Kitis and Adam Horowitz as well as Legacy co-producer Justin Springer. Created under the auspices of Disney TV Animation, Disney Channels Worldwide entertainment prexy Gary Marsh told Variety that the new show is "a culmination of an extraordinary collaboration between Disney Television Animation and our feature film studio."
WALT DISNEY SIGNS $3.6 BILLION CHINA THEME PARK AGREEMENT
Nov 05, 2010 --Walt Disney signed an agreement with a company backed by the Shanghai government to build a $3.6 billion theme park in the Chinese financial hub.
The park will be Disney's fourth park built overseas, following those in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
The park will be Disney's fourth park built overseas, following those in Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Time Traveler Caught on Tape?
I know this isn't Disney News, but I had to share this...
Irish filmmaker George Clarke made a startling discovery while watching his DVD copy of Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 film “The Circus.”
As he screened DVD extra footage of the movie’s Hollywood premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Clarke caught the image of what appears to be a stocky old woman chatting on – a cell phone. The black-and-white scene is peculiar, to say the least, if only for the obvious reason that the mobile phone wasn’t invented until the early ‘70s.
In the footage, the woman appears in frame with her hand to her ear and her mouth moving; she crosses the screen and turns, happily chatting as the scene cross-fades. The eerie old lady clearly has something in her hand and – seeing as how the woman is alone – she appears to be talking into or at it.
Clarke half-jokingly muses that the footage has captured a “time traveler,” and even goes as far surmising that the old lady in the film is, in fact, a man in disguise. He is also pretty certain that the item in this person’s hand is, without a doubt, a cell phone.
The “stumped” filmmaker took to YouTube looking for help in explaining this unexplainable image and the video eventually fell into the hands of film critic Roger Ebert, who posted it on his blog. Check out the video below and feel free to skip Clarke’s explanation and go right to the eerie footage at the 2:40 mark:
Irish filmmaker George Clarke made a startling discovery while watching his DVD copy of Charlie Chaplin’s 1928 film “The Circus.”
As he screened DVD extra footage of the movie’s Hollywood premiere at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Clarke caught the image of what appears to be a stocky old woman chatting on – a cell phone. The black-and-white scene is peculiar, to say the least, if only for the obvious reason that the mobile phone wasn’t invented until the early ‘70s.
In the footage, the woman appears in frame with her hand to her ear and her mouth moving; she crosses the screen and turns, happily chatting as the scene cross-fades. The eerie old lady clearly has something in her hand and – seeing as how the woman is alone – she appears to be talking into or at it.
Clarke half-jokingly muses that the footage has captured a “time traveler,” and even goes as far surmising that the old lady in the film is, in fact, a man in disguise. He is also pretty certain that the item in this person’s hand is, without a doubt, a cell phone.
The “stumped” filmmaker took to YouTube looking for help in explaining this unexplainable image and the video eventually fell into the hands of film critic Roger Ebert, who posted it on his blog. Check out the video below and feel free to skip Clarke’s explanation and go right to the eerie footage at the 2:40 mark:
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Daft Punk's new music video features awesome music and lots of great "Tron Legacy" footage.
Daft Punk's new music video features awesome music and lots of great "Tron Legacy" footage. This is so sweet...
Friday, October 22, 2010
Keith Richards may be out of Pirates 4 due to new book
According to the Drudge report, Disney may be rethinking having Keith Richards continue his role in the Pirates franchise.
In his just released tell all book "Life", Richards reportedly speaks openly about his drug use and appears to still be a proponent of illegal substances.
Not shocking to anyone, this image doesn't mesh with the Disney image. Disney executives are reportedly deciding on if they should remove Richards from his role as Jack Sparrow's father and re-shoot or just cut all of his scenes.
In his just released tell all book "Life", Richards reportedly speaks openly about his drug use and appears to still be a proponent of illegal substances.
Not shocking to anyone, this image doesn't mesh with the Disney image. Disney executives are reportedly deciding on if they should remove Richards from his role as Jack Sparrow's father and re-shoot or just cut all of his scenes.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
15th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
We are quickly approching the half way point of the 15th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. For those of you who have not made it there you not only are missing out on some great food, but also some great music.
Food and wine aficionados – and music fans who like to “eat to the beat” – have two weeks at the beginning of November to get their fill of “delicious discoveries” before the 15th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival comes to a close on Nov. 14.
Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each of the 27 international marketplaces along the World Showcase promenade. The festival also includes live regional entertainment, daily wine and beer tastings, a series of special culinary programs, and the popular Eat to the Beat! concert series.
November’s six-act lineup for Eat to the Beat! music concerts includes three artists who will be playing the event for the first time – Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp), Hanson and Rick Springfield. Here’s the full November schedule (artists subject to change without notice):
Nov. 1-3: Boys II Men (“End of the Road”)
Nov. 4-5: Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp) (“Give a Little Bit”)
Nov. 6-7: Jon Secada (“Just Another Day”)
Nov. 8-9: Hanson (“MMMBop”)
Nov. 10-11: Rick Springfield (“Jessie’s Girl”)
Nov. 12-14: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (“Go Daddy-O”)
The concerts, which are included with Epcot admission, take place nightly at America Gardens Theatre at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. More info: disneyworld.com/foodandwine.
Food and wine aficionados – and music fans who like to “eat to the beat” – have two weeks at the beginning of November to get their fill of “delicious discoveries” before the 15th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival comes to a close on Nov. 14.
Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each of the 27 international marketplaces along the World Showcase promenade. The festival also includes live regional entertainment, daily wine and beer tastings, a series of special culinary programs, and the popular Eat to the Beat! concert series.
November’s six-act lineup for Eat to the Beat! music concerts includes three artists who will be playing the event for the first time – Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp), Hanson and Rick Springfield. Here’s the full November schedule (artists subject to change without notice):
Nov. 1-3: Boys II Men (“End of the Road”)
Nov. 4-5: Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp) (“Give a Little Bit”)
Nov. 6-7: Jon Secada (“Just Another Day”)
Nov. 8-9: Hanson (“MMMBop”)
Nov. 10-11: Rick Springfield (“Jessie’s Girl”)
Nov. 12-14: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (“Go Daddy-O”)
The concerts, which are included with Epcot admission, take place nightly at America Gardens Theatre at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. More info: disneyworld.com/foodandwine.
Thai Version of 'Beauty and the Beast' Rips Off the Disney Classic
It's a tale as old as time, or so the song says. The classic fable of "Beauty and the Beast" has been told and retold countless times. But there's a difference between reinterpreting a fairy tale and the outright theft of intellectual property.
Slashfilm uncovered the trailer for an animated version of "Beauty and the Beast" that looks to be a shot-for-shot remake of the 1991 Disney version that was the first animated film ever nominated for Best Picture. The Thai version is done in cheap, blocky computer animation, not the sumptuous hand-drawn art of the Disney original. But it looks like every character, setting and situation has been lifted whole cloth from Disney's take.
Slashfilm uncovered the trailer for an animated version of "Beauty and the Beast" that looks to be a shot-for-shot remake of the 1991 Disney version that was the first animated film ever nominated for Best Picture. The Thai version is done in cheap, blocky computer animation, not the sumptuous hand-drawn art of the Disney original. But it looks like every character, setting and situation has been lifted whole cloth from Disney's take.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Pleasure Island Construction
Two years after Walt Disney World turned out the lights at the nightclubs of Pleasure Island, there are signs of life for the near-forgotten entertainment district.
Disney this week filed a pair of permits signaling the start of new construction at Pleasure Island, a once-popular dining-and-dancing spot that has since become little more than a cut-through between the two retail ends of Downtown Disney. The permits suggest that at least two old Pleasure Island venues — BET Soundstage and Adventurers Club — will be razed completely.
Disney declined to discuss the Pleasure Island work in any detail Tuesday morning. Spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez described it as "general refurbishment."
Disney this week filed a pair of permits signaling the start of new construction at Pleasure Island, a once-popular dining-and-dancing spot that has since become little more than a cut-through between the two retail ends of Downtown Disney. The permits suggest that at least two old Pleasure Island venues — BET Soundstage and Adventurers Club — will be razed completely.
Disney declined to discuss the Pleasure Island work in any detail Tuesday morning. Spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez described it as "general refurbishment."
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Teaser Poster for Disney's Animated 'Mars Needs Moms!' Lands
Mom needs a little space. Disney has unveiled the first teaser poster via Yahoo for their upcoming animated movie Mars Needs Moms!, the very last production from Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital. The movie is an animated adventure comedy in 3D based on a 2007 children's book by Berkeley Breathed about a young boy named Milo, voiced by Seth Green. Milo finds out "just how much he needs his mom (Joan Cusack) when she's nabbed by Martians who plan to steal her mom-ness for their own young." So he goes on an adventure with a spaceship to the planet to find her. Keep checking http://www.mousellneous.org/ for the actual trailer.
Disney Interactive cuts Vancouver staff, kills Pirates of Caribbean game
Disney Interactive Studios has laid off staff and cancelled the much-anticipated game Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned at its Vancouver studio Propaganda Games.
A laid-off employee, who wished to be anonymous, said that close to 100 people lost their jobs Thursday. Calls and e-mails to Disney Interactive were not returned, but web magazine Kotaku quoted Angela Emery, Disney Interactive Studios vice-president of communications, as saying the studio’s big title for 2011 is off the books.
“Disney Interactive Studios confirms the cancellation of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned video game, which was scheduled to be released in 2011,” Emery said. “As a result of this decision, Disney Interactive Studios completed a restructuring of Propaganda Games, its Vancouver, B.C., internal studio, affecting one of the studio’s two development teams.”
“Restructuring” means lost jobs, and the laid-off employee said close to half the workforce is gone.
The company still plans a Dec. 7 release of Tron: Evolution, another Propaganda game tied to a Disney movie release, the shot-in-Vancouver Tron: Legacy.
Cancellation of the Pirates game comes as a surprise, because it was timed to coincide with the 2011 release by Walt Disney Pictures of the fourth film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. But the game had nothing to do with the 2011 film, and was more closely tied to the first Pirates movie.
A laid-off employee, who wished to be anonymous, said that close to 100 people lost their jobs Thursday. Calls and e-mails to Disney Interactive were not returned, but web magazine Kotaku quoted Angela Emery, Disney Interactive Studios vice-president of communications, as saying the studio’s big title for 2011 is off the books.
“Disney Interactive Studios confirms the cancellation of the Pirates of the Caribbean: Armada of the Damned video game, which was scheduled to be released in 2011,” Emery said. “As a result of this decision, Disney Interactive Studios completed a restructuring of Propaganda Games, its Vancouver, B.C., internal studio, affecting one of the studio’s two development teams.”
“Restructuring” means lost jobs, and the laid-off employee said close to half the workforce is gone.
The company still plans a Dec. 7 release of Tron: Evolution, another Propaganda game tied to a Disney movie release, the shot-in-Vancouver Tron: Legacy.
Cancellation of the Pirates game comes as a surprise, because it was timed to coincide with the 2011 release by Walt Disney Pictures of the fourth film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. But the game had nothing to do with the 2011 film, and was more closely tied to the first Pirates movie.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Unique New ‘Wild Africa Trek’ at Disney's Animal Kingdom Brings Thrills of Faraway Adventure to Walt Disney World Resort
Navigating a rickety footbridge over a river chasm can be dicey enough for explorers. In an all-new Disney adventure, what lurks below that bridge may quicken their step to get to the other side: Crocodiles!
A ravine of menacing-looking crocs, pools of hippos, bushwalks along untracked terrain and other thrills await guests on Wild Africa Trek, a unique wildlife experience scheduled to launch in early 2011 into the deepest, most-remote reaches of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Reservations can be booked beginning Oct. 15, 2010, for the three-hour, expert-led adventure that will immerse guests in the realms and wildlife thrills of far-off Africa – without leaving Walt Disney World Resort. In small groups, guests on the Wild Africa Trek will enjoy an “up-close-and-personal” experience with African wildlife species that make their home in Pangani Forest as well as other areas of the park’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve.As part of the adventure, guests will clip onto a lifeline as they step to the very edge of a cliff to get amazingly close to the hippos and crocs waiting just below. Talk about cliff-hangers!
Adventure-minded guests will have the experience of a lifetime as they get immersed in an authentic African safari experience that only Disney can deliver,” said Michael Colglazier, vice president of Disney's Animal Kingdom. “We are thrilled to be offering this unique outdoor adventure aimed at active vacationers, taking interactions with the incredible animals that inhabit the Harambe Reserve to the next level and literally blazing new trails in our park.”
Highlights of what’s in store for guests on this add-on adventure:
A ravine of menacing-looking crocs, pools of hippos, bushwalks along untracked terrain and other thrills await guests on Wild Africa Trek, a unique wildlife experience scheduled to launch in early 2011 into the deepest, most-remote reaches of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Reservations can be booked beginning Oct. 15, 2010, for the three-hour, expert-led adventure that will immerse guests in the realms and wildlife thrills of far-off Africa – without leaving Walt Disney World Resort. In small groups, guests on the Wild Africa Trek will enjoy an “up-close-and-personal” experience with African wildlife species that make their home in Pangani Forest as well as other areas of the park’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve.As part of the adventure, guests will clip onto a lifeline as they step to the very edge of a cliff to get amazingly close to the hippos and crocs waiting just below. Talk about cliff-hangers!
Adventure-minded guests will have the experience of a lifetime as they get immersed in an authentic African safari experience that only Disney can deliver,” said Michael Colglazier, vice president of Disney's Animal Kingdom. “We are thrilled to be offering this unique outdoor adventure aimed at active vacationers, taking interactions with the incredible animals that inhabit the Harambe Reserve to the next level and literally blazing new trails in our park.”
Highlights of what’s in store for guests on this add-on adventure:
- Trekking with experienced guides through areas of Harambe Wildlife Reserve that aren’t explored during regular Disney’s Animal Kingdom experiences.
- Navigating through fern and vine forests on a bushwalk that sets a course for adventure.
- Clipping into a harness attached to a safety line, crossing a seemingly precarious rope bridge over the Safi River and cliff-hanging at the edge of gullies that are home to hippos and crocodiles.
- Experiencing the thrill of “over-landing” in customized open-air vehicles following the edge of a magnificent, wide-open savanna.
- Unwinding from an unforgettable adventure at a private safari camp for wildlife viewing. At this station elevated above the savanna, guests savor sample tastes of Africa as their adventure draws to a relaxing and satisfying close.
Wild Africa Trek will be offered several times daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Groups will be kept small, consisting of no more than 12 trekkers per safari. More information will be available on http://www.mousellaneous.org/ as it becomes available.
Reservations for Wild Africa Trek can be arranged by calling 407-WDW-TOUR (939-8687). Pricing for this unique adventure will vary seasonally. Guests who reserve a booking from Jan. 16-Feb. 26, 2011, may take advantage of an introductory offer starting at $129. Park admission is required for participants.
Reservations for Wild Africa Trek can be arranged by calling 407-WDW-TOUR (939-8687). Pricing for this unique adventure will vary seasonally. Guests who reserve a booking from Jan. 16-Feb. 26, 2011, may take advantage of an introductory offer starting at $129. Park admission is required for participants.
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