If you haven’t already decided that you really, really,
REALLY need to attend this year’s Comic-Con International, the following will
certainly seal the deal.
You wanna know who Disney’s bringing to San Diego this year?
Would you believe John Lasseter, Tim Burton, Robert Zemeckis and Hayao Miyazaki?
Not to mention Ron Clements, John Musker, Kirk Wise and Lee Unkrich.
Wait. It gets better. On Thursday, July 23rd,
Patton Oswalt (That’s right. The voice of Remy from “Ratatouille” ) will
moderate Comic-Con’s first-ever 3D panel. Which feature footage from Walt
Disney Studios Motion Pictures’ upcoming 3D adventures, “Disney’s A Christmas
Carol,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “Tron.”
Here. Read the press release. Then – if you don’t already
have a pass to the show – head on over to eBay and hope & pray that someone
is selling their tickets to this year’s Comic-Con:
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES’ COMIC-CON AGENDA IS
FULL OF “FIRSTS”DIRECTORS ZEMECKIS, BURTON TO TAKE PART IN FIRST-EVER 3D
PANELANIMATION LEGENDS MIYAZAKI & LASSETER TO ANCHOR
ANIMATION PANELStudio to Showcase Key Titles—PONYO, TOY STORY & TOY
STORY 2 DOUBLE FEATURE, DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG,
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TOY STORY 3 and TRONBURBANK, Calif. (July 9 , 2009) — Animation greats Hayao
Miyazaki and John Lasseter and directors Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton will
take part in their first ever Comic-Con at the San Diego Convention Center July
23-24. The filmmakers will be on hand to
help Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures showcase a wide-ranging roster of
upcoming films, including 3D juggernauts ALICE IN WONDERLAND, TRON and DISNEY’S
A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and animated gems THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, BEAUTY AND THE
BEAST, PONYO and the TOY STORY trilogy.Zemeckis, Burton, Miyazaki and Lasseter will take part in
industry panels.
- COMIC-CON’S
FIRST EVER 3D PANEL — Veteran directors Robert Zemeckis and Tim Burton join
TRON producers Sean Bailey and Steve Lisberger on Thurs., July 23 at 11 a.m.
for an unprecedented presentation featuring behind-the-scenes filmmaker
insights about the highly anticipated 3D adventures DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL,
ALICE IN WONDERLAND and TRON. In
addition to Q&A opportunities with each of the filmmakers, the 90-minute
panel will feature never-before-seen concept art, trailers, actual 3D film
footage and other Comic-Con-only footage debuts. In a groundbreaking technical feat, this is
the first time ever that 3D footage will be shown at Comic-Con.Patton Oswalt will moderate.
- ANIMATION PANEL
— Animation legends Hayao Miyazaki and John Lasseter join veteran animation
directors Lee Unkrich, Kirk Wise, Ron Clements and John Musker on Fri., July 24
at 12:45 p.m. for an animation panel which will highlight upcoming animated
films, including Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY/TOY STORY 2 double feature,
Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 3, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ BEAUTY AND THE
BEAST, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ half-hour holiday TV special PREP &
LANDING, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG and
Miyazaki’s PONYO. John Lasseter will
host the panel and Patton Oswalt will moderate a group Q&A following the
presentation, which will include filmmaker insights, trailers and select film
sequences.ABOUT THE MOVIES:
Copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights Reserved
PONYO
From the Academy Award®-winning director and world-renowned
Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki comes PONYO, a story inspired by Hans
Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Little Mermaid.” Already a box-office success in Japan, the
story of a young and overeager goldfish named Ponyo (voiced by NOAH CYRUS) and
her quest to become human features an outstanding roster of voice talent,
including CATE BLANCHETT, MATT DAMON, TINA FEY, FRANKIE JONAS, CLORIS LEACHMAN,
LIAM NEESON, LILY TOMLIN and BETTY WHITE. PONYO opens in U.S. theaters on Aug.
14, 2009.TOY STORY & TOY STORY 2 – DOUBLE FEATURE (In Disney Digital 3D™)
Disney ● Pixar’s TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2 return to the big screen in an
exciting double feature Oct. 2, 2009—this time in Disney Digital 3D™.TOY STORY
They’re toys, they talk—at least when people aren’t
around—and they’re back… celebrating the return of the “Toy Story”
franchise—this time in Disney Digital 3D. TOY STORY, the film that started it all, takes moviegoers back to that fantastic fun-filled journey, viewed mostly through the eyes of two rival toys— Woody
(voice of TOM HANKS), the lanky, likable cowboy, and Buzz Lightyear (voice of
TIM ALLEN), the fearless space ranger.The comically-mismatched duo eventually learn to put aside their
differences when circumstances separate them from their owner Andy and they
find themselves on a hilarious adventure-filled mission where the only way they
can survive is to form an uneasy alliance.TOY STORY 2
Disney•Pixar’s TOY STORY 2 picks up as Andy heads off to
Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive
toy collector named Al McWhiggin (voice of WAYNE KNIGHT), owner of Al’s Toy
Barn, kidnaps Woody (voice of TOM HANKS).At Al’s apartment, Woody discovers that he is a highly valued
collectible from a 1950s TV show called “Woody’s Roundup,” and he meets
the other prized toys from that show – Jessie the cowgirl (voice of JOAN
CUSACK), Bullseye the horse and Stinky Pete the Prospector (voice of KELSEY
GRAMMER).Back at the scene of the
crime, Buzz Lightyear (voice of TIM ALLEN) and the gang from Andy’s room – Mr.
Potato Head (voice of DON RICKLES), Slinky Dog (voice of JIM VARNEY), Rex
(voice of WALLACE SHAWN) and Hamm (voice of JOHN RATZENBERGER) – spring into
action to rescue their pal from winding up as a museum piece.The toys get into one predicament after
another in their daring race to get Woody home before Andy returns.DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (In Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D)
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL, a multi-sensory thrill ride
re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, captures the
fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3D motion
picture event.Ebenezer Scrooge (JIM
CARREY) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking
at his faithful clerk (GARY OLDMAN) and his cheery nephew (COLIN FIRTH).But when the ghosts of Christmas Past,
Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old
Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will
before it’s too late.Opens in theaters
nationwide on Nov. 6, 2009.Copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights ReservedTHE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Walt Disney Animation Studios presents the musical THE
PRINCESS AND THE FROG, an animated comedy set in the great city of New Orleans.
From the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” comes a modern twist on
a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana (ANIKA NONI ROSE), a
frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that
leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of
Louisiana.THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
marks the return to hand-drawn animation from the revered team of John Musker
and Ron Clements, with music by Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman. Opens on
November 25, 2009 in NY and LA, and on December 11, 2009 nationwide.PREP & LANDING
PREP & LANDING is ABC’s first television special
produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. The half-hour holiday special
reveals the never-before-told tale of an elite unit of Elves known as Prep
& Landing. Every Christmas Eve, this high-tech organization ensures that
homes around the world are properly prepared for a visit from the Big Guy (aka
Santa Claus). After working tirelessly on Prep & Landing for 227 years, an
elf named Wayne (voice of Dave Foley) is upset when he doesn’t receive an
expected promotion to be the Director of Naughty List Intelligence. Instead,
Magee (voice of Sarah Chalke), the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center
Coordinator (NPCECCC for short), partners Wayne with Lanny (voice of Derek
Richardson), an idealistic rookie who has an undying enthusiasm for Christmas.During their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and
Lanny encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits.BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (In Disney Digital 3D™)
Walt Disney Pictures’ magical animated classic BEAUTY AND
THE BEAST returns to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™, introducing a whole
new generation to the Disney classic with stunning new 3D imagery. Opening Feb. 12, 2010, the film captures the
fantastic journey of Belle (voice of PAIGE O’HARA), a bright and beautiful
young woman who’s taken prisoner by a hideous beast (voice of ROBBY BENSON) in
his castle. Despite her precarious
situation, Belle befriends the castle’s enchanted staff—a teapot, a candelabra
and a mantel clock, among others—and ultimately learns to see beneath the
Beast’s exterior to discover the heart and soul of a prince. Featuring unforgettable music by Howard
Ashman and Alan Menken, and an enormously talented vocal ensemble, BEAUTY AND
THE BEAST was the first—and only—animated feature to receive a Best Picture
nomination from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.ALICE IN WONDERLAND (In Disney Digital 3D™)
From Walt Disney Pictures and visionary director Tim Burton
comes an epic 3D fantasy adventure ALICE IN WONDERLAND, a magical and
imaginative twist on some of the most beloved stories of all time. JOHNNY DEPP stars as the Mad Hatter and MIA
WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first
encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum,
the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad
Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical
journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.The all-star cast also includes ANNE
HATHAWAY, HELENA BONHAM CARTER and CRISPIN GLOVER; Linda Woolverton wrote the
screenplay. Capturing the wonder of Lewis Carroll’s beloved “Alice’s Adventures
in Wonderland” (1865) and “Through the Looking-Glass” (1871) with stunning,
avant-garde visuals and the most charismatic characters in literary history,
ALICE IN WONDERLAND comes to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™ on March 5,
2010.Copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights Reserved
TOY STORY 3 (In Disney Digital 3D™)
The creators of the beloved “Toy Story” films re-open the
toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and
our favorite gang of toy characters in TOY STORY 3.Lee Unkrich (co-director of “Toy Story 2” and
“Finding Nemo”) directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the
Academy Award®-winning screenwriter of “Little Miss Sunshine,” brings his
unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings.TOY STORY 3 comes to theaters nationwide in
Disney Digital 3D™ on June 18, 2010.TRON (title not final) (In Disney Digital 3D™)
TRON is a 3D high-tech adventure set in a digital world
that’s unlike anything ever captured on the big screen. Sam Flynn (GARRETT HEDLUND), the tech-savvy
27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (JEFF BRIDGES), looks into his father’s
disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs
and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along
with Kevin’s loyal confidant (OLIVIA WILDE), father and son embark on a
life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has
become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? And – yes (Just in case you’re
wondering) JHM WILL be covering these panels at this year’s Comic-Con.
Your thoughts?