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John Lasseter Hams It Up at Hollywood Walk of Fame Ceremony

Two-time academy award-winning Pixar director John Lasseter was honored today with a star on the Hollywood Walk of family. The unveiling occurred at the historic El Capitan Theatre where he was surrounded by family, colleagues, and celebrities from his blockbuster animated features.

The event was emceed by Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Leron Gubler, with special guest speaker, actress Bonnie Hunt. Also joining the celebration were Owen Wilson, Brad Paisley, Emily Mortimer, John Ratzenberger, Patton Oswalt, Don Rickles, Randy Newman and Cheech Marin. Key Disney and Pixar executives in attendance included Studio Chairman Rich Ross, Studio President Alan Bergman, Production President Sean Bailey, Disney and Pixar Animation Studios President Ed Catmull, Pixar General Manager Jim Morris, among many other prestigious guests.

Lasseter’s star is the 2,453rd on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is located in front of the historic El Capitan Theatre. The event was followed by an exclusive luncheon specially prepared by celebrity chef Guy Fieri.

Lasseter made his feature film directorial debut with the now classic “Toy Story,” which was the first-ever feature length computer animated motion picture. He subsequently directed the international box office hits “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Cars” and “Cars 2.” Creatively overseeing all films and associated projects from Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, his executive producing credits include the Oscar®-winning and nominated Pixar films “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “WALL-E,” “Up” and “Toy Story 3.” He also served as executive producer for Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award®-nominated features “Bolt,” “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled,” as well as the studio’s most recent release “Winnie the Pooh.” Lasseter is also the executive producer of Pixar’s new animated feature “Brave,” which will be released in 2012.

A graduate of CalArts with a BFA in film, Lasseter is the only two-time winner of the Student Academy Award® for Animation for his student films “Lady and the Lamp” and “Nitemare.”

More photos below the jump:

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Disney’s Lion King 3D World Premiere

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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.

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El Capitan Theater Hosts A Christmas Carol Spectacular

Every year at the beginning of the Holiday season my family went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. When I attended in the early and mid-nineties the show included a version of “A Christmas Carol”, which to this day I… Read More »El Capitan Theater Hosts A Christmas Carol Spectacular

Nightmare Before Christmas returns to the El Capitan

Editor’s Note: Please welcome guest author Matt Feige to The Disney Blog. Last night was opening night for The Nightmare Before Christmas 3D at the El Capitan. The El Capitan runs The Nightmare Before Christmas for Halloween as part of an annual tradition. The line… Read More »Nightmare Before Christmas returns to the El Capitan

El Capitan Theatre to host Race to Witch Mountain Props & Grand Opening

Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre will play host the world premiere of Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain on March 11th. The movie, which Disney hope will relaunch the old franchise, opens nationwide on the 13th. If you’re in the LA area you should definitely catch it at the El Capitan, one of the last movie palaces. Plus you’ll get a chance to see props and costumes and the spaceship from the movie in a special exhibit.

Full details below the cut on a special poster made just the event:

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The El Capitan Movie Palace in Hollywood is for sale

Since The Walt Disney Company is the only tenant at the El Capitan movie palace in Hollywood, most people probably don’t realize that Disney doesn’t own the actual historic theater. Yes, they hold most of their movie premieres there. Yes, they did invest millions in… Read More »The El Capitan Movie Palace in Hollywood is for sale

Opening Night Sleeping Beauty at the El Capitan

As John posted last week, Disney is showing Sleeping Beauty in a limited engagement at their El Capitan Theater in downtown Hollywood. It’s showing for the next three weeks while we wait for the 50th Anniversary DVD and Blu-Ray release to come out in October.

Thursday night was the first showing of the film in this theater. It was preceded by a panel discussion on the film. And I was lucky enough to get to go.

Even though I live about 40 minutes away, this was my first time to the El Capitan Theater. It’s just easiest to go to a local one. But I was quite impressed with it. This is an old time, one screen affair with a balcony. I just had to sit in the upper section. I got there early and got to hear an organist playing Disney songs until the evening’s program actually got started. That was lots of fun.

Up first was the panel. It was hosted by Don Hahn, the producer of such big hits as Beauty and the Beast (my favorite movie ever) and The Lion King. I think he was as pleased to be there as the rest of us were.

There were five people on the panel itself. Blaine Gibson and Frank Armitage actually worked on the film as animators. Bob Thomas wrote his first book on Disney animation during the period they were working on the film. Tony Baxter is currently an imagineer with Disney. Finally, Princess Aurora herself was there in the form of Mary Costa. Each member of the panel got a few minutes to talk about some aspect of the film.Read More »Opening Night Sleeping Beauty at the El Capitan

Disney’s Sleeping Beauty on Big Screen at El Capitan

“Sleeping Beauty,” one of the most spectacular, stylish, and unique films in the history of Disney animation, has undergone a total digital restoration of its picture and soundtrack in advance of the October 7th release of its 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition on Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD, and will have an exclusive digital wide-screen engagement at Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre from August 29th through September 18th.

Lucky audience members will experience a brand new state-of-the-art restoration that was created using high resolution digital scans of the original 50-year old Technirama 70 negative (over 7.5 miles long), and hear a new special 7.1 stereo mix made from the original multi-channel stereo music masters recorded in 1958.  This special engagement of “Sleeping Beauty” will play from August 29th through September 18th.

Daily showtimes are 10 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4:45 p.m., 7 p.m., and 9:15 p.m.

To help celebrate the film’s new restoration and the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray DVD release, a special opening night gala event will take place on Thursday, August 28th at 7:00 p.m. These are always a pleasure to attend, so if you’re in the LA area on the 28th, you should get your tickets asap.

See the full Press Release below the cut:

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