The children of comic book icon Jack Kirby have officially sued Marvel to terminate copyrights and gain profits from such lucrative comic creations as Iron Man, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, follows the September move by the estate to send out 45 notices of termination to Marvel and owner the Walt Disney Co., as well as Sony, Universal, Fox and others, hoping to recapture control of much of Kirby’s work. In January, Marvel filed its own lawsuit, claiming the creations were “work-made-for-hire” and that Marvel was the real “author” of such works under the 1909 Copyright Act.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Kirby was instrumental in conceiving many popular characters and had a big hand with Stan Lee in helping flesh out and draw the Marvel universe. Kirby died in 1994, passing along his interests to his three daughters and one son.
The Disney Park Blog is digging back through the Walt Disney World video archives today – to 1999 and a night you could’ve been driving toward Magic Kingdom Park with Pete’s Dragon in the lane next to you. In May of 1999, a few weeks before Main Street Electrical Parade started making nightly appearances in Florida, hundreds of cars lined an interstate for an overnight road test. Many of the Main Street Electrical Parade vehicles and cars driven by Walt Disney World cast members joined a ceremonial caravan toward the park. It was quite a sight. See for yourself:
This isn’t the first time this “crown jewel of summer” has traveled from California to Florida. Main Street Electrical Parade debuted in Anaheim at Disneyland back in 1972 and after a 24-year run, closed in 1996. In May 1999, after technical and electrical upgrades, Main Street Electrical Parade made the move to Magic Kingdom, just in time for the start of the Millennium Celebration.
Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade begins a limited engagement for Summer Nightastic! at Walt Disney World beginning June 6 and continuing through Aug. 1
Another great article from io9 talking about remaking some classic Disney Movies, TV, and Attractions:
With Disney refurbishing Tron, The Black Hole, and Flight of the Navigator, it’s obvious the Mouse House is mining its past for modern greenbacks. What Disney properties deserve an update? And no, we don’t mean Hall of Presidents: The Movie.
Since the success of Pirates of the Caribbean, Disney hasn’t been trying to capture lightning in a bottle twice. No, they’ve gone whole hog and built an entire lightning bottling plant designed to transmogrify your fuzzy nostalgia into hard cash. It’s a massive paradigm shift for the company – a decade ago, who would’ve thought an Escape From Witch Mountain sequel would’ve raked in $100 million? Hell, even Lindsay Lohan’s Herbie: Fully Loaded turned a huge profit.
With new versions of The Black Hole, Swiss Family Robinson, and Flight of the Navigator coming down the pike, it’s possible that some of the following properties will be in the reticule of Walt Disney Pictures’ money-gun. With some luck, they’ll have all the swagger of the first Pirates of the Caribbean and none of the superfluity of the last two.
This article comes from I09 talking about a few upcoming Disney Films and the release of the Robert Zemeckis motion-capture studio ImageMovers Digital:
Disney has closed the doors to Robert Zemeckis’s motion-capture studio ImageMovers Digital. But in the wake of this destruction comes some interesting news. Disney is still moving forward with mo-cap Yellow Submarine and Mars Needs Moms.
The New York Times announced that ImageMovers was done. The San Francisco company would slowly start wrapping production and closing its office doors. Disney explained it was the financial climate of today that made the cost cutting moves so important. We tend to think it was more the so-so box office turn out for Zemecki’s A Christmas Carol, and the NYT agrees.
Dolby Laboratories announced Monday it is working with Disney/Pixar to develop a new audio format called Dolby Surround 7.1.
The Mouse House plans to launch the format in select theaters in conjunction with its launch of 3D toon installment “Toy Story 3” on June 18.
According to Dolby, the improved system allows for a more comprehensive mix of audio and visual 3D elements, as well as “a more exciting sensory experience to audiences for 2D.”
“For 40 years Dolby has not only provided content creators with the tools to create a more realistic audio experience, but has also enabled the exhibitor to deliver audiences the ability to experience the content as the creator intended,” said Dolby senior director of marketing and cinema market segment Page Haun.
Audio system uses four surround zones, spanning the entire theater with playback capabilities in the Dolby CP650 and CP750 digital cinema processor lines.
Announcement was made as part of the ShoWest confab in Las Vegas, where Dolby also announced that it has reduced prices for 3D glasses from $27.50 to $17 for Dolby exhibs.
Jason Segel has found his rainbow connection with Disney’s Muppets movie, signing to star as the human lead.
James Bobin is on board to direct the movie, the plot of which is under wraps. The TV show as well as some of the movies tended to have one key human actor with whom the Muppets associated on their adventures. It is known that Segel plays a man on a quest to find and reunite the Muppets.
The actor’s coming aboard is a natural extension of the development process; he wrote the script with pal Nicholas Stoller.
Segel has been on a tear with feature work of late. He recently boarded the Cameron Diaz comedy “Bad Teacher” and last week signed to star with Ed Helms in the Duplass brothers’ latest movie, “Jeff Who Lives at Home.”
On Thanksgiving, Kalogridis emptied trash cans, swept litter along a parade route and sorted recyclable plastic and glass from the garbage in Disneyland.
He answered visitors’ questions about parade times and restroom locations. And he took his break with the custodians, joking about the difficulty of cleaning up popcorn and cotton candy.
Kalogridis wanted to see the perspective from the ground floor at his new job – especially on a busy holiday.
“I always respect the fact that cast members (employees) work in the park, typically giving up (holiday) time with their families and friends,” Kalogridis said. “It’s important to send a message that I respect that and I would do the same thing.”
Inaugurated in September 2005, Hong Kong Disneyland features all the fantasy and magic that people expect from Disney parks – classic attractions, exciting rides, theme hotels, dazzling restaurants, exceptional shops, and unmatched live entertainment. Hong Kong Disneyland is the fifth theme park in the Disneyland style and the first one to recreate some of the attractions like the Sleeping Beauty Castle, present in the original Disneyland Park in California. This park also features a few of the most notable attractions from other Disney parks such as the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World in Florida.
Hong Kong Disneyland has been designed to transport you from the world of reality to one of adventure, imagination, and magic. Get set to be mesmerized by medieval castles, jungle elephants, fire engines from yester years, and gleaming space-age rockets. The best part of the trip is to be able to meet your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, and many others.
There are four zones in Hong Kong Disneyland, each one designed to carry you off to another era and another place. Here is a detailed look at the four lands
Fantasyland
Guests enter Fantasyland thorough the Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Fantasyland is a magically fascinating place where your favorite stories and Disney characters come alive. You can meet Mickey, Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, or fly off to Neverland with Peter Pan. The experience is almost like the characters stepping out of the storybooks and coming to life right before your eyes.
Tomorrowland
This is a sci-fi world where exciting space adventures await you. It is almost like blasting off into space for real, and arriving at an intergalactic outpost. You can also get going on adventurous trips with Buzz Lightyear. Every attraction, restaurant, and shop in Tomorrow land features floating planets, spaceships, and robots.
Adventureland
This land welcomes guests to exotic locales modeled after the African jungles. Watch out for surprises springing from every direction and scary treats lurking behind each bend. If you are a true daredevil, do not miss the daring cruise through the jungle river. There is also something for the less adventurous. Live entertainment shows in the indoor theater, which incidentally, also happens to be among the largest in the world.
Main Street USA
Stepping into Main Street USA is like suddenly finding yourself in small, quintessential American town, with the classic, slow-paced life of the 1800s. The nostalgic design of this land represents the transition happening in the United States in the late 1800s when major inventions were changing the way of life. Observe how the gas lamps are slowly being replaced by electric lights and how the early automobiles were raising a threat to horse-drawn carriages.
In addition to all these classic Disney attractions, Hong Kong Disneyland is also home to many original attractions that have been specifically designed for Hong Kong. Local culture has been expertly blended into the parades and live entertainment shows to cater to local tastes.
Over the last few weeks, approximately 1,700 individual Walt Disney World Resort Cast Members raised more than $47,000 for the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund through direct contributions from their paychecks. Nearly a hundred Disney Cast Members gathered early this morning to show their support of the American Red Cross and give a ray of hope to the people of Haiti. Many donations came from Haitian Cast Members who work in Disney Resorts; they have found the effort especially meaningful as many been directly impacted by the tragedy in Haiti.
“I would love to be in Haiti to help out my family and friends but until I can get there, I do what I can to help from here,” said Wendy Richard, who works as a Cast Service Specialist at Disney’s All-Star Resort. “I am very grateful for this effort and the many Cast Members who contributed together to make it their own cause,” said Richard.
In recognition of the accomplishment, a team of Resorts Cast Members joined by Kevin Myers, vice president of Resort Operations for Walt Disney World Resort, presented a check to Joel Hass, Central Florida CEO of the American Red Cross, along with a gift of more than 1,700 Mickey Mouse plush dolls – one for each Cast Member who donated – for use in their disaster relief efforts involving children. With a smile, Myers noted this is just one example of the care and compassion that Disney Cast Members show the world and each other.
“To see Disney Cast Members giving of themselves to our efforts is just wonderful,” said Joel Hass, Central Florida CEO of the American Red Cross. “This money will go to use right away in helping us in Haiti take care of victims with food, clothing, whatever they need – their immediate humanitarian needs.”
Offering to help with the American Red Cross efforts is just one of many ways that Disney Cast Members and The Walt Disney Company are extending support to the people of Haiti. The Walt Disney Company has committed $100,000 in humanitarian aid through the Red Cross International Fund to support relief efforts and is working closely with Cast Members from Haiti to accommodate their needs. Additionally, Disney VoluntEARS have been instrumental behind-the-scenes by lending their support to the “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon and Clean the World recycling efforts in Disney Resorts.
Does it look like anyone we know? Correction anyone’s hands we know?
The product above is from Hug-E-gram. I have never seen these before..Of course I don’t watch a lot of infomercials either. It is still a very funny infomercial. I can’t image a huge market for them. I wonder what Walt Disney Co has to say about this cause that is the first thing that comes to my mind..Mickey Mouse.
Check out the video below and tell me what you think..
Not quite what I thought it would be. I was expecting Mouse Ears and characters from the movies. This stuff is quite cool.
York Wallcoverings and the lifestyle brand Walt Disney Signature have teamed up to debut an upscale wallpaper collection inspired by original artwork from the Disney archives of the 1940 classic Fantasia. The collection includes 12 prints with graphic and botanical motifs derived from specific scenes in the animated film, such as the dancing thistles and orchids, frost fairies, and milkweed ballerinas in “The Nutcracker Suite.”
Click here for more information including photos of the complete line.
A group of us from the Chip and Co site decided to get together and take a trip to Raleigh North Carolina to see Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3D. Jon, Anne’, my wife and I ordered our tickets for Saturday afternoon at 1pm and decided to drive a hour and a half to see Tim Burton’s film up on the IMAX Dome instead of a normal theater.
We left that morning 3 hours early so we could have a quick lunch at one of my favorite restaurants from back home in Florida – Sweet Tomatoes. Soup, Salad, Pasta, and more..Mmm Mmm.
Lunch was great as always and Jon & Anne’ never been before and I know they will be back again. At this point we are running about 15 minutes late, and as always the traffic in Raleigh is horrible. We are hurrying the best we can to get to the Children’s Museum. As we approach the downtown area and Jon’s Droid phone is telling us to go straight we see a sea of Green just a few blocks over with Police everywhere. Come to find out they are having a St Patrick’s Day Parade on the street of the museum and the park directly across the street is full of people drinking and having a good time.
One of the Police officers inform us were going to have to do about 20 blocks south, go east by 4 blocks then 20 blocks north just to get past the parade. It is now 1:15pm ugh!!! Thanks to Jon (Andretti) and my quick navigational skills we get past the traffic only to run into the next dilemma. Parking…! or lack there of..
Needless to say that takes another 15 minutes and we make a mad dash for the theater. So now were 35 minutes late and apparently they only had 5 minutes of previews and we have missed 30 minutes of the film. We ask to get into the next show and the manager tells us they are sold out all weekend..What????
He said we were going to have to come back next weekend…So we exchange our tickets for next Friday night and decide to see what all the commotion is about and go check out the St Patrick’s Festival. My wife is Scottish, Irish, and French and I am Italian so she is at home with all her kin folk and I stick out like a sore thumb 🙂
I think we were the only people not wearing green.
I love some good Piper Music!
So after hanging out at the parade/party for a hour we decide to make a pilgrimage to the closest thing to Disney we can think of. The Disney Store!
The store was packed!
First we stopped by the Lego Store cause who can resists some Lego Fun? I took pictures of the Toy Story Lego’s they had on display(check them out below). I have never seen a Lego store before and it was the coolest thing ever! I wish they would have had one of these when I was growing up.
That is one cute Chip 🙂
After checking the Lego store out it is time to pay our respects to Mickey and Friends 🙂 Disney had Princess Tiana front and center when you walk in. As always the place is packed! We decide to get a few things for our Disney Princess for Easter and she is starting to outgrow some of her clothes that we bought for her at the Myrtle Beach Disney Store. We find some good deals and comment that it wasn’t a total waste of a trip.
Overall we were able to take a bad situation and turn it into a fun Disney adventure. We will be making our way back to Raleigh this Friday and possibly hook up with Chris from Everything WDW for some dinner or she might join us for the movie. So I would expect our movie review sometime over the weekend.
Let us know what you thought of the movie in the comment section below.
