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• In just one week, the Con is on !

  Jim Hill reviews the programming for Comic-Con 2008 and then points out some panels & signings that Disneyana fans should probably seek out while they're down in San Diego Read More... Posted Thursday, July 17, 2008 12:00 AM | 2 Comments Filed under: Disney, TV, Pixar, ABC, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, television, Walt Disney Home Entertainment, "Bolt", film, movie, Eric Goldberg, 2008, 2009, Disney / Pixar, TV show, feature film , Chris Sanders, "The Little Mermaid -- Ariel's Beginning", comic book, comic books , ABC reality series, "Up", "Prince of Persia"

• Stage version of "Mary Poppins" draws a lot of its inspiration from ... Well, drawings

  Jim Hill looks back at the development of this Disney / Cameron Mackintosh production. Which is not just based on the 1964 film, but also draws its inspiration from P.L. Travers' stories and Mary Shepard's illustrations Read More... Posted Friday, June 20, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: Disney, Broadway, musical, Disney Theatrical, Chicago, New Amsterdam Theatre, "Mary Poppins", NYC, Academy Award, film, movie, road company, Broadway musical, stage version, 2009, Tony Award, Broadway production, Cameron Mackintosh , "Jolly Holiday", Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins, London, penguins, stage show , production team, March, stage, national tour, North American National Tour , Ashley Brown , title role, Gavin Lee , Drama Desk Award, New York, 1964, set designer , costume designer , set, motion picture, setting, "Practically Perfect" , Richard Eyre, creative team , Matthew Bourne , Julian Fellowes, P L Travers , Robertson Ay, footman, "A Spoonful of Sugar" , 1934, Mrs Corry , Annie, Fannie, gingerbread , gilt stars , Gingerbread Stars , "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", talking shop, bake shop, barley-sugar, "Bad Wednesday" , chapter, "Mary Poppins Comes Back" , Royal Doulton , George Stiles , Anthony Drewe , "Temper Temper" , Miss Andrew, governess, Ruth Gottschall, birdcage , Mary Shepard , "Let's Go Fly a Kite" , 1943, "Mary Poppins Opens the Door" , Neleus, statue , statues, illustrations, illustration, "The Marble Boy", Starlighter , costumes, constellations , "Anything Can Happen If You Let It", "Mary Poppins in the Park" , England, Theatre Royal Plymouth , Cadillac Palace Theatre, Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Matthew Garber, Karen Dotrice, Ed Wynn

• Remembering Charlton Heston (1924 - 2008)

  Jim Hill looks back on the career of this 83-year-old Academy Award winner and his rather unique ties to the Walt Disney Company Read More... Posted Monday, April 07, 2008 12:00 AM | 18 Comments Filed under: Disney, Walt Disney Pictures, Hollywood Pictures, Walt Disney Productions, The Walt Disney Company, "Hercules", Walt Disney Studios, film, Academy Award winner

• As Disney begins to get nervous about "Narnia," Pixar now sets its sights on "Mars"

  Jim Hill brings you the latest buzz from Burbank. Which suggests that -- unless "Prince Caspian" does huge business when it's released to theaters in May -- Disney may opt to pull the plug on the "Narnia" series. Replacing that film franchise with a trio of Pixar-produced "John Carter of Mars" movies Read More... Posted Monday, March 17, 2008 12:00 AM | 87 Comments Filed under: Disney, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, promotion, "Ratatouille", Brad Bird, "The Incredibles", Mark Andrews, Pixar Animation Studios, marketing, "WALL * E", "John Carter of Mars", Edgar Rice Burroughs, Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, "1906", Walden Media, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", film, movie, 2008, Disney / Pixar, film franchises, Andrew Stanton, nomination , nominee, Oscar, 2011, 2010, Jim Morris

• Monday Mouse Watch : Hannah Montana & High School Musical-themed makeovers soon to be offered at Disney's Hollywood Studios

  Jim Hill talks about this variation on "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique" that's about to be built at the Walt Disney World Resort. Only this time around, this pricey beauty parlor will help your child look like their favorite Disney Channel star Read More... Posted Monday, February 04, 2008 12:00 AM | 22 Comments Filed under: Disney, movies, theme park, "High School Musical", Disney Channel, Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Disney's Hollywood Studios, "High School Musical 2", The Magic Kingdom, "High School Musical 3", "High School Musical" franchise, "High School Musical 2: Extended Edition", "Hannah Montana", Dwayne Johnson, "The Rock", Miley Cyrus, Emily Osment, Disney Princess, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, WDW, Ariel, film, movie, World of Disney, Disney Channel Original, HSM, Disney World, The Walt Disney World Resort, film franchise, merch, tween, merchandise , merchandise location , TV movie, TV movies , tweens, "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both World Concert" , concert film, 3-D, Disney Digital 3D, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, beauty parlor, Cinderella Castle , Belle, Jasmine, Gabriella , Sharpay , Hannah Montana , Hannah Montana wig , Ashley Tisdale , Sharpay Evans , retail establishment , concert tour , "Camp Rock" , "The Cheetah Girls 3", mini-Miley

• "Dream Worlds" offers look at abandoned Disney animated features

  Jim Hill reviews Hans Bacher's new "Production Design for Animation" book. Which features visual development art from "My Peoples," "Fraidy Cat" and "Wild Life" Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 23, 2008 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, Broadway, Andreas Deja, Disney Theatrical, "Beauty & the Beast", "101 Dalmatians", "Aladdin", "Dinosaur", Walt Disney Animation Studios, France, WDAS, "The Lion King", the New World, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", LA, Germany, film, Broadway musical, stage version, animated feature, 2007, Disneyana fans, Walt Disney Feature Animation, "Mulan", Hans Bacher , logo, visual development, visual development artist , production designer, paintings, drawings , inspirational material , artists , animators , "Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation" , Focal Press, December , canvases , "China Doll", emperor, Shang, "My Peoples" , "Elgin's Peoples" , "Angel and Her No Good Sister", "Once in a Blue Moon" , "A Few Good Ghosts", "Fraidy Cat" , Alfred Hitchcock , crime story , London, development art , "Wild Life", The Secret Lab, urban, hipster, George Bernard Shaw, "Pygmalion", story points, BS-free , edited, massaged , Disney Publicity , production notes, European version, Loire , generic-looking , Mulan

• Oscar Watch '08: Miramax maxes out while the Mouse gets skunked

  Was today a good day or a bad day at Walt Disney Studios? Well, as Jim Hill points out, it all depends on whether you work at Miramax Films or on the Walt Disney Pictures side of the house Read More... Posted Tuesday, January 22, 2008 12:00 PM | 37 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, movies, Pixar, ABC, NBC, Brad Bird, "Enchanted", Pixar Animation Studios, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", Amy Adams, "How to Hook-Up Your Home Theater", Academy Award, film, movie, actress, 2008, Disney / Pixar, animated feature, 2007, feature film , Best Picture nominee, Disney Feature Animation, animated short, picket line, Jan Pinkava, animated features, Oscar-winning , Norman Jewison , "The Man I Love" , George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, "good news day" , Amy Ryan, nomination , Best Actress in a supporting role , "Gone Baby Gone" , Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ABC Inc, Best Actress , Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Achievement in Music – Original Song, Original Song , nominee, nominations , "Happy Working Song" , "So Close" , "That's How You Know" , Best Animated Feature Film of the Year, Jim Capobianco, Best Original Screenplay, Achievement in Sound Mixing , Achievement in Sound Editing, Achievement in Makeup , Achievement in Visual Effects , Oscar, Oscars, Best Animated Short Film, Academy Award nominee, Academy Award winner, Academy voters , February 24th , 80th annual Academy Awards , actors , picket lines, Academy Award nominations , Academy Award nominees, Academy Award winners, Miramax Films , "No Country for Old Men" , Paramount Vantage, Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role , Achievement in Directing , Achievement in Cinematography , Achievement in Film Editing , Adapted Screenplay, "There Will Be Blood", Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role , Achievement in Art Direction , "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" , Pathé Renn , co-production, Michael Giacchino , Achievement in Music – Original Score, Original Score, Oscar broadcast, Golden Globes, hand-drawn animation

• Remembering Suzanne Pleshette (1937 - 2008)

  Jim Hill looks back on the Disney-related portion of this Emmy nominated actress's career as well as commenting on the role that smoking may have played in her untimely demise Read More... Posted Monday, January 21, 2008 12:00 AM | 4 Comments Filed under: Disney, TV, Universal Studios, Walt Disney, ABC, Disneyland, Walt Disney Productions, television, Burbank, film, movie, TV show, Disneyana fans, condolences, Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette , Emily Hartley, Bob Hartley , "The Bob Newhart Show" , Dean Jones, 1966 , "The Ugly Dachshund" , 1968, "Blackbeard's Ghost" , 1975, "The Shaggy DA" , Roddy McDowell , 1967, "The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin" , "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride" , English language version, Hayao Miyazaki, "Spirited Away" , Tony Curtis , "40 Pounds of Trouble" , 1962 , Norman Jewison , Damon Runyon, "Little Miss Marker" , St. Joseph's Hospital , studio , Roy O Disney , Peter Ustinov , Disney lot, James Garner, Laura Hennessy , 2002 - 2005 , ABC sitcom, sitcom , "8 Simple Rules'', smoker, lung cancer, smoking-related illnesses , Emmy-nominated

• Animation fans prematurely shoot off their mouths about "Bolt"

  Jim Hill points out the parallels between what WDAS's next release is now going through and "Beauty & the Beast" & "The Lion King" 's troubled productions Read More... Posted Wednesday, January 02, 2008 12:00 AM | 18 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, movies, Pixar, DreamWorks, computer animation, John Lasseter, "Shrek", Walt Disney Pictures, "Beauty & the Beast", John Musker, "The Little Mermaid", "Ratatouille", Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, DreamWorks Animation, "Aladdin", Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, "Toy Story", WDAS, "The Lion King", "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", WDI, Ed Catmull, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Studios, "Bolt", Academy Award, film, movie, 2008, animated feature, Richard Purdum , "Cranium Command", Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale, award, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Feature Animation, "Mulan", "The Emperor's New Groove", "Kingdom of the Sun", "Kiskaloo", blind men and the elephant, Indian fable, pre-release image, teaser poster, November 2008, Bolt the dog, Mittens the cat, Rhino the hamster, Chris Williams, "American Dog", Chris Sanders, quirkiness, Jan Pinkava, George Scribner, Rob Minkoff, Roger Allers, S Gross, lemons into lemonade, November 28

• Will the writer's strike force production of "High School Musical 3" & "The Hannah Montana Movie" to be postponed ?

  Jim Hill shares the grim news coming out of Burbank. Which suggests that -- unless the WGA returns to work early in 2008 -- Walt Disney Pictures may have no choice but to push back production of the big screen versions of these two Disney Channel favorites Read More... Posted Thursday, December 20, 2007 12:00 AM | 17 Comments Filed under: Disney, Disney Channel, Walt Disney Pictures, "High School Musical 3", "High School Musical" franchise, television, "Hannah Montana", Miley Cyrus, "The Hannah Montana Movie", Burbank, Walt Disney Studios, writers' strike, film, movie, 2008, television program, tween, WGA

• Suffering from "Pirates" withdrawal? Then treat yourself to a peek at "The Secret Files of the East India Trading Company"

  Jim Hill reviews this entertaining new interactive volume from brecker&mayer! LLC. Which brings the world of Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" to life right in your hands Read More... Posted Wednesday, December 12, 2007 12:00 AM | 7 Comments Filed under: book, Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean, Walt Disney Pictures, Disney Press, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End", film, movie

• Toon Tuesday: The story behind "The Pixar Story"

  Jim Hill chats with acclaimed filmmaker Leslie Iwerks about her new documentary. Which will be screening this evening at Hollywood's Egyptian Theater and will be followed by a panel discussion with Roy E. Disney Read More... Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2007 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, Pixar, computer animation, CG, John Lasseter, Michael Eisner, Leslie Iwerks, Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Emeryville, The Walt Disney Company, "Toy Story", Animation Research Library, Hollywood, "The Pixar Story", Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, film, Pixar campus, Disney / Pixar, animated feature, holiday special, Walt Disney Feature Animation

• A special "Where's WALL-E" edition of Why For?

  Jim Hill's back with even more answers to your Disney-related questions. This time around, Jim tries to put together a definitive list of where the in-jokes & self references in Pixar's feature films & shorts are located Read More... Posted Sunday, December 09, 2007 12:00 AM | 26 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, Pixar, CG, John Lasseter, "Ratatouille", Brad Bird, "The Incredibles", "Finding Nemo", Pixar Animation Studios, Emeryville, "A Bug's Life", "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", "Monsters Inc.", "WALL * E", DVD, film, movie, Disney / Pixar, animated feature, "The Adventures of Andre & Wally B", animated short, short, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, "Your Friend the Rat", "Plan B", "Luxo Jr", "Red's Dream", "For the Birds", "Boundin' ", "Lifted", "Jack-Jack Attack", "Geri's Game"

• "To Infinity and Beyond!" is an entertaining look back at Pixar's first two decades

  Jim Hill reviews Karen Paik's inspired (more importantly, inspiring) new history of Pixar Animation Studios. Which offers a lot of insight about how John Lasseter became the Big Kahuna of the CG world Read More... Posted Thursday, November 29, 2007 12:00 AM | 4 Comments Filed under: animation, book, Disney, movies, Pixar, computer animation, CG, John Lasseter, John Musker, "The Little Mermaid", "Cars", "Ratatouille", Leslie Iwerks, Brad Bird, "Aladdin", Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Ron Miller, "Toy Story", "Toy Story 2", WDAS, featurette, "Monsters Inc.", "The Pixar Story", "To Infinity and Beyond: The Story of Pixar Animation Studios", Karen Paik, Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney Studios, film, movie, Mouse, Disney / Pixar, 2007, "Tis the season" , feature film , Chronicle Books, "The Art of Animation", Bob Thomas, cartoons, epiphany, coffee table book, hardcover, church, pew, gourd, sermon, pencil, pencil time, award, The Headless Horseman, "The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr Toad", station wagon, Casper the Friendly Ghost, California Institute of the Arts, CalArts, character animation, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Disney Feature Animation, calcified, middle management, "The Fox and the Hound", old guard, Tom Wilhite, Maurice Sendak, picture book, "Where the Wild Things Are", Thomas M Disch, "The Brave Little Toaster", Marin, Lucasfilm, "The Adventures of Andre & Wally B", SIGGRAPH, animated short, short, character comedy, cutting-edge technology, money pit, Jane Eisner, Roald Dahl, "James and the Giant Peach", human costs, keyboard, repetitive-stress injury, "The Art of Ratatouille", aspiring animator, holiday shopping list

• Tube Tuesday: Gary Trousdale tries to "Shrek the Halls" without first wrecking DreamWorks Animation's most important franchise

  Jim Hill chats with this WDAS vet about many of the ogre-sized challenges he faced while directing this new holiday special. Which airs tomorrow night on ABC Read More... Posted Tuesday, November 27, 2007 12:00 AM | 6 Comments Filed under: animation, Disney, DreamWorks, ABC, CG, Epcot, "Beauty & the Beast",