Although it’s been on display for about a month or so thus far, we hope those of you who have not yet seen or it will be unable to see it will enjoy our photo gallery of the artwork, maquettes and other items of interest on display at the Animation Building at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for The Princess and the Frog.
Disney has been kind enough to furnish us with this beauty of a poster for their upcoming release from the Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Princess and the Frog.
Click on the thumbnail to see the larger version
Production has begun on “Starstruck,” a music-filled Disney Channel Original Movie starring Sterling Knight (“Sonny With A Chance”) and introducing Danielle Campbell. Slated to premiere in 2010, the movie is filming in and around Los Angeles at landmark locations including Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood Sign, Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Venice Boardwalk.
The story follows Jessica Olson (played by Campbell), a down-to-earth girl from the Midwest who collides (literally) with Hollywood’s teen heartthrob, pop star Christopher Wilder (played by Knight). They wind up on a love-struck adventure in Southern California, but their bond is tested when she returns home and he publicly denies their relationship.
New this year to Halloween Time at Disneyland is Halloween Screams – A Villainous Surprise in the Skies. The new fireworks spectacular haunts the nighttime sky throughout the Halloween season. To start the show, Master of Scare-omonies Jack Skellington appears in a flash of fire above 
Sleeping Beauty Castle. Haunting melodies fill the air and a Halloween pyrotechnics extravaganza explodes into the night. Such classic Disney villains as Maleficent, Ursula the Sea Witch and Oogie Boogie join in the ‘spirit’ of the celebration, and even Zero, Jack’s faithful ghost dog, will make an appearance. Disneyland guests are encouraged to participate in a bone-chilling Halloween Scream-Along during the show. (Paul Hiffmeyer/Disneyland)
Now located inside the Main Street Bank, the Disney Gallery is set to re-open on October 2 at Disneyland. Read a bit more about the exciting new location here.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 — In a special ceremony today, Disney Theatrical Productions donated objects from the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical “The Lion King” to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. Costume elements from the show’s protagonist Simba and the tribal shaman Rafiki will join objects from the musicals “Cats,” “Rent” and the “King and I” in the museum’s permanent entertainment collections.
Designed by Julie Taymor, the costume components include Simba’s stylized lion mask and headdress — co-designed by Michael Curry — and the costume, custom shoes and hat designed for Rafiki. The donated items were conceived for the original Broadway production of “The Lion King,” which opened Nov. 13, 1997.
“Taymor’s designs bring the story of Simba the lion cub, fulfilling his destiny to become king in the African Pride Lands, to life,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “This donation is a significant addition to the museum’s entertainment collection and joins materials representative of Broadway hits.”
The Simba mask-headdress is made of carbon graphite, a lightweight but durable material cast from a silicone mold, paint and polyester fibers. The Rafiki costume is made of cotton fabric, decorated with metal amulets and a horsehair collar. The hat is made of textured kente cloth, and the custom shoes are made of rubber.
The sixth and final installment of the very popular video series from Disney Consumer Products has been released in which John Lasseter talks about the design of both the Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story Definitive collectibles line from Thinkway Toys as well as the character himself!
Check it out!
Here’s some of the features you’ll find with the Toy Story Definitive Collection Buzz Lightyear:
* The most movie-accurate Buzz Lightyear produced to date
* Fully poseable including fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, waist, ankles, knees and legs!
* Push red oval chest button for classic “Buzz Toy” phrases.
In support for the release of the sixth installment of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, author Eoin Colfer (most widely known for his Artemis Fowl series) will be embarking on a tour of appearances and book signings.
For the full list of appearances as well as information on how to pre-order your own personalized (and non-personalized) copy of And Another Thing…, see here.
Synopsis:
An Englishman’s continuing search through space and time for a decent cup of tea…
Arthur Dent’s accidental association with that wholly remarkable book, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, has not been entirely without incident.
Although it’s been making the rounds, we finally got our grubby paws on the new theatrical poster for A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, et al.
Click on the thumbnail to the left to see the larger version.
You can also click here to see all of our coverage (future and past) for this film.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Sept. 23, 2009 – The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) recently recognized Disney’s Animal Programs for conservation efforts to help protect the endangered Key Largo woodrat. During the AZA’s annual conference, the team received the Edward H. Bean Significant Achievement Award, which recognizes programs that contribute to the reproductive success of a species.
Since 2005, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been assisting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in developing and implementing a recovery plan for the Key Largo woodrat, which is threatened by habitat loss along with an invasion of non-native animal species, such as the Burmese python.
