File this one under wild rumor, really wild. But the News-Leader of Springfield, MO is reporting that a theme park development company has asked county officials to consider road improvements leading to a 1000 acre parcel that is the site of a future theme park outside of Joplin, MO (about an hour west of Springfield,… Read More »Bigtime Rumor: Disney to build in Branson, MO
Megan Davies reports that radio behemoth Clear Channel, also a competitor to Disney in television broadcasting, is selling its television group. U.S. broadcaster Clear Channel Communications Inc. said on Friday it will sell its television group to private equity firm Providence Equity Partners Inc. for about $1.2 billion. The sale comes as Clear Channel’s shareholders… Read More »Disney Competitor Clear Channel Exits Television
Two pieces of movie news in today’s Los Angeles Times caught my attention. Lorenza Muñoz explores the coming competition for the biggest 3-D movie in 2009 between News Corp’s 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks Animation for Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the summer movie season in the U.S. DreamWorks’ "Monsters vs. Aliens" will… Read More »Movie News: 3-D and a New Studio
Spotted on the Los Angeles Times website… Disney is opening its May 19 premiere of "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End," the third installment in the theme-park-ride-based franchise, to the public. The event will serve as a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and Make-A-Wish International. Individual tickets, at $1,500 each, are available… Read More »You Too Can Be at the Pirates III Premiere
"National Treasure: Book Of Secrets" (imdb) the Nick Cage led sequel will be filming some crucial scenes for the movie at Mount Rushmore. Only problem is the filming dates conflict with a high school prom that normally has that time at the national monument reserved. So what does Disney do? They offer to pick up… Read More »National Treasure evicts Prom from National Monument
E!Online’s Mark Malkin is reporting that Disney has chosen the voice for the lead character of Maddy in their upcoming animated feature "The Frog Princess" (wikipedia). Anika Noni Rose (wikipedia) will voice the part of Maddy, the title character and the first black princess to be featured in a Disney Animated film. Rose, 34, recently… Read More »Anika Noni Rose joins “The Frog Princess”
LaughingPlace.com is breaking the news that the Patina Restaurant Group (which operates New York’s Sea Grill, Café Pinot in Los Angeles, and my favorite Disneyland Downtown Disney restaurant Catal among others) will be opening up a restaurant in the space currently occupied by Alfredo’s in the Italy Pavilion in Walt Disney World’s Epcot World Showcase.… Read More »Patina Restaurant to replace Alfredo’s at Epcot
Remember Narnia? That other big franchise Disney is hoping to cash in on? Back on March 11th, they posted this Video Blog from the director Andrew Adamson. (I’ve embeded it below the cut too.) I’m beginning to wonder if they’re planning to continue this blog.
Building up an audience of fans who are interested in how the movie is being producted seems like a great idea to promote the movie. Let’s hope there are more coming.
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is scheduled to make it into theaters sometime Spring 2008.