Walt Disney Studios has finally announced more information about what they will be bringing to the D23 Expo, and it looks like Expo attendees will have a lot to look forward to. With the Expo only ten days away, the Studios has announced stars, exhibits, and special panels that Expo attendees will not want to miss.
The highlight of the Studios’ presence at the Expo will be their Arena presentation on Saturday, August 20 from 10:30 AM-1:00 PM. The presentation, led by Rich Ross, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios; Sean Bailey, president, Production, The Walt Disney Studios; John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios; and Kevin Feige, producer and president, Marvel Studios, will take an exclusive look at many of Walt Disney Studios’ upcoming films, including Disney’s The Muppets, John Carter, Disney•Pixar’s Brave, Marvel’s The Avengers, Tim Burton’sFrankenweenie, Oz: The Great and Powerful, and more.
The presentation will also include a number of special appearances from the stars of these upcoming films. Muppet fans can expect an appearance by Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog themselves, as well as The Muppets screenwriter and star Jason Segel. Other appearances will include Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, and Willem Dafoe (John Carter), Kelly Macdonald and Kevin McKidd (Brave), Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green), Jack McBrayer and Sarah Silverman (Wreck-It Ralph), cast members from Marvel’s The Avengers, and other surprise guests. The presentation will also give attendees a look at some never-before-seen footage from the upcoming films.
Expo guests can also explore what’s going on at The Walt Disney Studios on the show floor, where the Studios will have comprehensive exhibits set up for guests to explore at their leisure. These exhibits will include a Walt Disney Studios Animation exhibit, featuring demonstrations, drawing classes, art exhibits, and meet-and-greets; a Walt Disney Studios In-Home Entertainment exhibit, which gives guests a look at home entertainment technology and its future with sneak peeks of upcoming films in high definition Blu-Ray 3D and more; and the “Inside Tides: Pirates of the Caribbean Film Prop Collection,” which features an exclusive collection of costumes, props, and set pieces from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Fans of Pixar Animation Studios are sure to not be disappointed at the Expo. In celebration of Pixar’s 25th Anniversary, Disney has announced five sessions that will give fans a behind-the-scenes look at the Studio’s artistry and technical wizardry. These sessions are:
- A Conversation with the Pixar Creative Team: Enjoy a rare opportunity to spend some time with the key figures responsible for Pixar’s unprecedented success, including John Lasseter (chief creative officer, Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios), Jim Morris (general manager, Pixar Animation Studios), Pete Docter (director, Monsters, Inc.,Up), Andrew Stanton (director, Finding Nemo, WALL-E), Bob Peterson (co-director, Up), Lee Unkrich (director, Toy Story 3), Mark Andrews (director,Brave), and Dan Scanlon (director,Monsters University).
- The Characters of Monsters University: Director Dan Scanlon and Production Designer Ricky Nierva discuss how they combine hair, horns, and a lot of heart to bring the wonderful Monsters University characters to life.
- Michael Giacchino’s Music of Pixar: In this musical presentation, award-winning composer Michael Giacchino explores his early influences through the creation of modern-day classic scores from Ratatouille, Up and Cars 2.
- The Art of Brave: Production designer Steve Pilcher and shading art director Tia Kratter show how they and their team put paint to canvas and fingers to computer keys to create the stunning visuals of Scotland for Disney•Pixar’s upcoming film Brave.
- Pixar Shorts: This retrospective screening of the animation studio’s legendary short films will be followed by a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers, including Ralph Eggleston (director, For the Birds), Andy Jimenez (director, One Man Band), Angus MacLane (director, BURN-E), Pete Sohn (director, Partly Cloudy), Teddy Newton (director, Day & Night), and Enrico Casarosa (director, La Luna).
In addition to these new announcements, Disney film fans at the Expo will also be able to enjoy the special screening of The Lion King in 3D on Saturday, August 20 at 6:00 PM, as well as the screening of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ABC Holiday Special Prep and Landing: Naughty vs. Nice on Friday, August 19 at 12:45 PM.
The D23 Expo will take place August 19-21, 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center. To purchase tickets, visit the event’s official website.
