Disney’s Lion King 3D World Premiere

El Capitan Theatre

In case you’ve been under a rock (Pride Rock?) you probably know that Disney has put a shiny coat of 3D magic on the classic film, Lion King. Saturday was the world premiere of Disney’s Lion King 3D at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Yes, I know I just said “the the” and I’m okay with it.

The Disney Blog had press credentials, so I took my fancy camera (read, iPhone) and my talent (read, 8-year-old son Atticus) and bellied up to the green carpet to let the stars come to us — which they did by the limo-ful (or whatever they drove, I didn’t have to valet this time).

Sadly, my iPhone couldn’t capture sound and picture with any clarity. I blame the thousands of people around us and the gentle lullaby of Hollywood Blvd. And by “gentle” I mean loud and freaky. Rather than have video without audio I went with the still photographs and casual conversation. Plus, my son was a little too nervous to conduct the interviews, and it was really, really hot out. We decided to play it cool, which works for us.

Among the celebrities at the event were Robert Guillaume (Rafiki), Moira Kelly (Adult Nala), Jim Cummings (Ed), Niketa Calame (Young Nala), Disney producer Don Hahn, co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff, animators Tony Bancroft, Mark Henn, and Andreas Deja, Modern Family‘s Julie Bowen and Nolan Gould, Melora Hardin (The Office), Melissa Joan Hart, Ali Landry, Gilles Marini, Antonio Sabato Jr., Rick Schroeder, Monet Mazur, RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad), Shaunie O’Neal, Adam Irigoyen (Disney Channel’s Shake it Up), Maria Canals-Barrera, Nolan Sotillo (Prom), Geno Segers, Trevor Jackson, the cast of A.N.T. Farm, Dylan Riley Synder, Davis Cleveland, Adam Sandler and more.

We talked at length with Moira Kelly who was very excited about the 3D release, and chatted with Dylan Riley Synder about the odds of a Kickin’ It 3D episode. He said he would push for it in the second season, but I think he was just humoring me. Geno Segers of Pair of Kings joined his Lion King west coast tour cast-mate, Trevor Jackson, in serenading us with a bit of song, and Shake It Up‘s Davis Cleveland and Atticus posed for pictures while his dad and I discussed the event.

Disney’s Lion King 3D will be playing a special two-week engagement in theaters starting September 16, and will be released in a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack on October 4, 2011.

Next up at the El Capitan is Disney’s Beauty and the Beast 3D from September 2 through the 15th.