Steve Sansweet talks Celebration V with the Orlando Sentinel, where he reveals that Lucasfilm is in talks with Disney to “do some other cool things for the fans.”
Flash back to Star Tour posters (and D23)
StarWars.com has a retrospective of the various poster offerings from Disney’s Star Tours (James has some fond memories) and linking a video of the D23 presentation announcing the new one.
New Star Tours to feature 3-D and podracing in 2011
So I guess the only question I have is… Why didn’t they do this back in 2001?!? (Waiting on better 3-D? Possible competition from Universal’s upcoming Harry Potter project?)
The DisneylandNews Twitter says: “Disney Parks is going to do things with “Star Tours” that have never been done before in theme park attractions.” I’m also hearing on Twitter that it won’t JUST be pod racing, but not from any of the official sources yet. The OC Register blog is now reporting:
In a press conference after the presentation, Rasulo said new destinations, like the one shown, would be part of the new Star Tours. Rasulo said the ride would undergo physical changes, but the simulator carriages would remain. Riders will don 3D glasses for the new experience.
ETA: More on StarWars.com and video of the presentation.
Movie news: Tolkien heirs settle with New Line
Tolkien lawsuit settled. The trustees of J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate have settled their lawsuit with New Line over the profits from Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings adaptations. Terms were not disclosed, but that’s certainly one less roadblock to The Hobbit adaption.
- Industry. Warner Bros. is reorganizing DC Comics, relaunching it as DC Entertainment. Diane Nelson, who has overseen the Harry Potter movies, will run it.
- Disney. There’s a new full-length trailer for The Princess and the Frog, awakening more than a bit of controversy. Meanwhile, the documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty, about Disney’s last return to traditional animation, sounds very interesting.
- More, uh, Disney. Pixar folks deny that the Marvel project they’re “excited about” is not, as Entertainment Weekly reported, Ant-Man. I say Pixar is the only studio who could make me consider seeing an Ant-Man movie, and that barely.
- He-Man. At least one property of my childhood is safe (for now:) Warner Brothers is dropping their option on Masters of the Universe. My embarrassment squick thanks them.
- The Road. This years’ Viggo Mortensen genre fix has been pushed back to Thanksgiving.
The fandom minute: Star Wars religious icons, Disney & LFL, CV, McVader, spaceships
When the stormies come marching in. io9 goes for the cheap and easy with a roundup of Star Wars fan art inspired by religious art. Half of it is photoshoppery and such that we’ve seen before, but the icons by Patrick King are pretty cool.
Theories. Some day George will want to buy a tropical island and sit around drinking mai tais all day, and then I’ll consider Disney buying Lucasfilm an actual possibility. For one thing, I don’t think the FCC would be too thrilled about it…
Facebook. There’s an unofficial Celebration V fan page you can join, if so inclined. Meanwhile, the latest tidbit on the con? You can win a free trip to it. Does that mean we’ll get a date before Halloween? We can but dream…
McAdvertising. Vader is shilling for McDonalds in Europe.
Lists. The Falcon and a couple of other Star Wars ships on Den of Geek’s top 75 spaceships.
The inevitable Disney/Marvel photoshoppery contest
You didn’t have to look very hard to find the multitudes of Disney/Marvel mashups this week, but in case you haven’t bothered, Worth1000 provides more.
TV news: HBO’s A Game of Thrones gets their queen(s)
HBO’s A Game of Thrones adaption has announced casting for many of the major roles since we last checked in. But the one making the most waves online since Sean Bean is the news that Lena Headey will play Cersai Lannister, the ambitious wife of King Robert Baratheon (Mark Addy) and a main foil of the series. Headey is plenty familiar to genre fans from her turn as the title character in The Sarah Conner Chronicles and as Queen Gorgo in 300. (Or maybe even 2005’s The Brothers Grimm, as seen at right.) Here’s hoping she can pull it off.
Other familiar faces include Jennifer Ehle (Pride and Prejudice ’95) as Catelyn Stark, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (New Amsterdam, Virtuality) as Cersei’s brother Jaime Lannister, Iain Glen (Kingdom of Heaven) as Ser Jorah Mormont, and Tamzin Merchant (The Tudors) as Daenerys Targaryen. Check out George R. R. Martin’s blog for more on the younger actors.
- SyFy. Warehouse 13 is setting records for the recently remonikered network; the show’s sixth episode was the most-watched series telecast in the channel’s history. It beat out… Episode five of the same series! Huh. In less hopeful rumors, they’re reportedly considering a cooking show. ‘Imagine greater’ indeed.
- MTV. Their Rocky Horror remake is “on hold,” (phew) but they are looking to reinvent Teen Wolf. Okay…
- Disney/Marvel. Has the New Mouse Order claimed its first victim?
- Supernatural. Creator Eric Kripke hedges around ending the series. Err, story. Err… Buffy lives?
- The Vampire Diaries. The CW is promoting their upcoming vampire drama with blood drives around the country.
- Just for fun. io9 has captured many of 30 Rock’s salutes to the genre.
Disney to buy Marvel for $4B
Well, if they are announcing Star Tours at the D23 Expo on Sept. 13th, it’s going to be in the shadow of fallout from today’s huge news: What the mouse plans to do with Marvel Entertainment. And what this means for Universal Studios Orlando, which is currently operating several rides based on Marvel properties? (ETA: Nothing.) Will we be seeing Marvel weekends? All this and more as things develop…
ETA: Lots of laughs on Twitter with #badmarveldisney.
A Star Tours 2.0 announcement in September?
That’s what TFN is speculating, based on word that costumed Star Wars fans and “Imperial dignitaries” will be in attendance at Disney’s D23 Expo next month. (Disney World Star Tours photo by Michael Sauers.)
And while I’m not sure I want to face the possibility, we have heard Orlando (aka ground zero for Disney World) brought up in the list of sites that were being considered for C5. Not that I’m encouraging anyone to get their hopes up (again,) but you never know… (SERIOUSLY: Do not count on it. I’m just grasping at straws here.)
ETA: Evidence!
Mickey Rocks! Congrats to Club Jade SDCC Masquerade winners
They had a little help from some friends, but we are thrilled for the Club Jaders who helped create and present ‘Bring it On: Rock the Mouse;’ winner of Best Presentation at Comic-Con Masquerade 2009.
Congratulations to Caitlin Shindler (choreographer and costumer extraordinaire). Other Club Jade participants included Rogue Shindler, Mike Chiesi and Stephanie Chiesi. Um. You rock?
Io9 has a nice gallery up featuring the cast.