Dead Men Tell No Tales In Summer 2015...

The voyage has been postponed...

The fifth Pirates adventure of Jack Sparrow has had the wind knocked out if its sails.  Jerry Bruckheimer announced that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" was still having script problems and wouldn't join the incredibly long list of blockbustets coming out in 2015.  At the very least it will be delayed till fall of 2015, but more likely summer 2016.

The real problem is the script (too bad that didn't stop them on POTC 4), but also there are budget factors as well.  The Lone Ranger's shadow is cast high above this production.  Even Depp with his star power isn't enough to just blindly go forward.  Which is a good thing to me.  I'd rather them focus on getting a solid script with a compelling story and engaging characters.  The Pixar mantra: story, story, story should apply here and everywhere, always.

But for those wanting to set sail with pirates, you'll have to wait longer to plunder...

UPDATE:  The guys over at Bleeding Cool have a new article that reveals what could be the plot line for the script.  Just keep in mind that the script is currently being rewritten so any and all of these details could vanish with the completion of another draft.  Time will tell...

Son Of Solo...

Yes, I know we've had Star Wars casting rumors since last yesterday...

But has anyone thought to try and think of who Jonathan Rhys Meyers would be playing?  The most logical choice would be the offspring of Han and Leia.  So what we might have here is the son of the roguish space pirate.   Could this really be Chewie's godson?

It strange because I remember when "Mission: Impossible 3" came out reading an interview with Meyers where they asked him if there was any type of role he'd not like to play.  And he said science fiction, and then used a pejorative word regarding using the rest room to describe it.  I can't remember what article it was, but I clearly remember him saying it.

If this rumor is true, things have certainly changed.  Being offered a role in what could be the most widely anticipated film in a decade can have that effect on you.  Plus there is the prospect of working for his former director, J.J. Abrams.  Times change, taste change, people change.

Now we just have to find out if he's solo...

Monstrous Year Just Got More Monstrous...

And yet another film joins that year...

And this is one of the few that's not a Disney film.  New Regency and Ubisoft have plugged in Memorial Day, 2015 for the release of their "Assassin's Creed" film.  Hmmmm.  I wonder what other film will likely be out in May of that year?  The film studio is moving ahead with the Michael Fassbender starring game adaptation.

The studio/game-maker studio are moving for forward with production to begin on the film by early next year.  No start date has been announced, but the film, produced by Fassbender as well is being targeted as a tent pole franchise.  The first of many from Ubisoft's film division.  Michael Lesslie is penning the screenplay at this time with supervision by Fassbender himself.

Now, if they only had a director...

Delaying Dinosaurs Means Monster Year...

So Universal Studios put the breaks on their fourth Dino film...

"Jurassic Park 4" has been put on hold by the Uni suits.  And that's a good thing, because the release date was going to be extremely difficult to meet.  It's exactly one year away and the filming schedule, as welll as FX calender would have been insane.  The earliest we'll see the film now would be Christmas 2014.  But depending on when they come closer to a realization of what Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed) wants to do means the release date could slip into the following year:

2015.

That year is going to be gargantuan.  Can you imagine a year when so many film releases came to a head?  It makes you wonder if there are enough dates and theaters to show all these films.  Personally, it's a good thing not to rush this film into production before it's fully ready.

Here is the official statement released by Universal:

In coordination with filmmakers, Universal has decided to release Jurassic Park 4 at a later date giving the studio and filmmakers adequate time to bring audiences the best possible version of the fourth installment in Universal’s beloved franchise.  We could not be more excited about the vision that Colin Trevorrow has created for this film, and we look forward to watching as he and the producers create another great chapter in this franchise’s storied history.

I'm sure Calvin and Hobbes will be waiting to see this just as I will whenever it's released.  There's something genetic in people, particularly males that loves the idea of seeing a T-Rex running around demolishing things.  Although I love the original film, the second one had what every young boy dreams of: a Tyrannosaurus Rex smashing up a city.  Unfortunately, it also has a kid gymnast that unnecessarily weighed down the story.  The third one was a mess all the way around (sorry Joe Johnston).

Lets cross our fingers that the fourth will be much better than that...

Hat Tip to /Film.

2015: Becoming A Disney World...

With all the major purchases over the last five years, the Walt Disney Company is about to have a bumper crop...

What am I talking about?  Well, between the purchases of Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm, not to mention the live-action/animated films coming from the main branch, the Mouse is gearing up for a monster year.  That year will be 2015.  Just a little more than two years from now Disney will dominate the box office.  It's simply a given.  What films will they release that year?  Take a look at what most likely will be the summer offerings:


Avengers 2

Pirates of the Caribbean 5

Star Wars 7

Finding Dori

Walt Disney Animation Studios release (which one hasn't been determined yet, more in a future post.)

Tron 3 (not announced, but likely)

Ant-Man

Can you imagine the box office that year?  The public is going to get very used to seeing that castle every time they go see something at the local movie theater.  I don't believe any other film studio has had such a dramatic effect on the box office of an entire year this much.  It's going to be a very interesting year.  I'm trying to picture what the other major studios are going to line up against it.

And it's not just the films they release that will mark the year for Disney, but the theme park expansion as well.  There are several expansions (including a rather nice one for Disneyland if it's green lit) that could happen, but aren't approved as of yet.  These are the main two expansions that are on schedule to be opened.


Disney's Animal Kingdom: Pandora: The World of Avatar (tentatively)

Shanghai Disneyland 


This year will mark the end Disney's normal content distribution system as well.  Starting the next year, Netflix will be a primary driver of Mouse entertainment that will likely change distribution channels.  So this year will close on a normal way people get shows, films, and possibly even gaming.  Better sign up now.

Bob Iger is going to be leaving the company on a high note.  The opposite of how Eisner left the entertainment giant.  It's hard to believe how large the company has grown in the last decade, but it shows the popularity of the Disney brand.  Of course, Iger will still be there for a year or so after his resignation as "Chairman Emeritus", but the day to day of the company will be handled by one of four people who now report to him.

Just don't let it be Rasulo...

Crafting A War...

Your move...

Man, 2015 is going to be a monster of a year for film...

It looks like the "World of Warcraft" film is moving onto the fast track.  Now known simply as "Warcraft," the film has a new director.  With the departure of Sam Raimi the film was thought to be dead, or at the very least on life support.  And then news came of a new screenwriter being hired.  Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond) being hired was news that Legendary Pictures still wanted to make this film.

Well, that script must have given the producers confidence in the story, because now they've hired a new director.  He's not as well known as Raimi, but he's gotten a lot of ink based on his previous two films.  Duncan Jones has been hired to adapt the video game into a compelling and cohesive tale that can escape the game adaptation curse.  The film is tentatively scheduled for 2015.  Which, if Episode VII still arrives then, will turn out the most mind blowing year in cinema for geeks.

Now, if they can just get "Starcraft" going...

Jedi Abrams...

I'm really a Star Wars fan...

It's as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced...

Wow, now this is news I didn't expect to see. For those not aware, The Wrap is reporting that Kathleen Kennedy has chosen J. J. Abrams to direct the next Star Wars film.  The more important part is that he has apparently accepted the offer.  His mission, now that he's chosen to accept it, is to make us forget the Prequels.  And with a script by Michael Arndt that he's read and has mentioned he liked, that could be possible.

So now we have to wonder what the name of Episode VII will be?  Rise of the New Republic?  Rage of the Sith?  The Return of Organa?  I have a feeling we'll hear about that soon as well.  Exciting news to hear.

This film is shaping up to not be a reboot, but a rebirth...

UPDATE:

A day later and the Mouse and Lucasfilm have ponied up with the truth.  Here's the official press release:

STAR WARS IS BEING KICK-STARTED WITH DYNAMITE J.J. ABRAMS TO DIRECT STAR WARS: EPISODE VII 

                                                         January 25, 2013

After a bevy of emails and phone calls, the formalities have been wrapped up, and at long last everyone can exhale and properly share the word with an excited Internet. Yes, J.J. Abrams will direct Star Wars: Episode VII, the first of a new series of Star Wars films to come from Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy. Abrams will be directing and Academy Award-winning writer Michael Arndt will write the screenplay."It's very exciting to have J.J. aboard leading the charge as we set off to make a new Star Wars movie," said Kennedy. "J.J. is the perfect director to helm this. Beyond having such great instincts as a filmmaker, he has an intuitive understanding of this franchise. He understands the essence of the Star Warsexperience, and will bring that talent to create an unforgettable motion picture."George Lucas went on to say "I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller." He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands.""To be a part of the next chapter of the Star Wars saga, to collaborate with Kathy Kennedy and this remarkable group of people, is an absolute honor," J.J. Abrams said. "I may be even more grateful to George Lucas now than I was as a kid."J.J., his longtime producing partner Bryan Burk, and Bad Robot are on board to produce along with Kathleen Kennedy under the Disney | Lucasfilm banner."Also consulting on the project are Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg. Kasdan has a long history with Lucasfilm, as screenwriter on The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. Kinberg was writer on Sherlock Holmes and Mr. and Mrs. Smith.Abrams and his production company Bad Robot have a proven track record of blockbuster movies that feature complex action, heartfelt drama, iconic heroes and fantastic production values with such credits as Star Trek, Super 8, Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol, and this year's Star Trek Into Darkness. Abrams has worked with Lucasfilm's preeminent postproduction facilities, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, on all of the feature films he has directed, beginning with Mission: Impossible III. He also created or co-created such acclaimed television series as Felicity, Alias, Lost and Fringe.

---

Past Star Wars veterans, dating back to the classic trilogy, offered words of praise from their direct experience with Abrams: 

Visual Effects Supervisor Dennis Muren, ASC, whose credits include the original Star Wars trilogy as well as landmark films such as E.T. and Jurassic Park, also worked with Abrams on Super 8. "He puts everything he has into his work," said Muren. "He totally immerses himself. He's got such a visual eye, which is so important to the Star Wars films. It seems that a lot of the same things that were in George when he made the first Star Wars films are also in J.J. I think he's going to fit into the other movies perfectly, with the energy that J.J. has. We're kick-starting Star Wars again with dynamite. It will knock people out, including the people who get to work on it. I think it's a great choice." 

Ben Burtt, responsible for such iconic Star Wars sounds as Darth Vader's breathing, R2-D2's beeps and the classic lightsaber, has worked with Abrams as sound designer and sound editor on Star Trek and Super 8. "J.J represents the next generation of filmmakers from those that were making Star Wars when I started," said Ben Burtt. "When he was a teen, he was a fan of Star Wars, and a great deal of his love for movies came out of his reaction of that firstStar Wars film. You feel that he's already invested so many years in it, and he's going to propel it forward in a new way. In other words, you're having a fan who has grown up and developed tremendous directorial skills finding himself at the steering wheel to take the franchise into the next stage. I feel like I'm there watching history turn over from one era to another." 

Matthew Wood, who served as supervising sound editor on Super 8, similarly grew up as a Star Wars fan before working on the films through the prequels. "Working with him, it was so obvious to me that J.J. and I have the same nostalgic love of that era. Now we have someone from that generation who is going to be at the helm of the Star Wars franchise that I've known and worked on, so it's a great circle. Just seeing what he did with Super 8 and capturing those moments, and knowing what was so special about that era, it's going to speak to a new generation of audience as well."

Asking/Getting Directions...

We'll see if this is a good day for the Mouse...

Slowly, we are getting a look at what the new Walt Disney Studios will be...

The slim, and disappointing slate of pictures from Rich Ross were a sign of his taste as well as lack of experience when it comes to the film industry.  So to will be the line up of pictures that Alan Horn will line up.  We've seen very few clues as to what will turn into his first projects, but we do have the list of films made under his watch at Warner Bros.  and it's hopefully a promising sign of the future.

Today we have one of the first pick ups that he's put into production: "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".   Based on the award winning, classic children's book by Judith Viorst, and directed by Lisa Cholodenko with Steve Carell attached to star, this is one of the first steps in the new direction the Mouse is on with its film division.

The project, which was in turnaround at 20th Century Fox, but supposedly executives got cold feet over the budget.  The book tells the story of a young boy named Alex, who recounts the events of a very, very bad day.  Once Fox let it go, several other studios vied for the rights with Disney finally securing the rights.  It'll be interesting seeing how a full script for a small children's book turns out.  And as always, there is franchise material with two other sequel books.

This is an early glimpse into the mind and taste of Horn.  The full plan for what he'll have in the pipeline for Walt Disney Pictures, and the rest of the studio will likely not be known till early next year, but this is a peek into the window of what Mickey will show us in 2014/2015.

Now, I'm still waiting to know what he thought of Guillermo del Toro's "Haunted Mansion" pitch...

Heading Toward Paradise...

Paradise is what you find when you never leave the inside of your mind...






It looks like there may be another prequel to the Alien films...

The franchise has gone from great, amazing, lame, disappointing to simply digging up corpses, will continue. While Decadent Dave delivered the official Blue Sky Disney review of "Prometheus" here; I had a different opinion of the film and offered up some fascinating conversations regarding it.

Word now comes from The Hollywood Reporter about Fox's intentions to continue forward with a sequel to the Prequel. Ridley Scott wants to do it, Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender are attached to star, but another screenwriter is being sought for the project.

While the project has been a success, it wasn't the blockbuster that Fox Suits had hoped. Nevertheless, they are moving forward with the plan for a 2014/2015 release date. I'd say with Scott's very packed schedule that the 2015 date is more logistically possible. Now all they have to do is get there.

Kind of like the characters from the film, and their destination...

Fifteen Or Fourteen And Three...

Rules were made to be broken...






Latino Review has a really interesting rumor on the mystery film that Marvel is planning for 2014...

Everyone pretty much expects the "Avengers" sequel to be one of the two films that Marvel has mentioned as its line up for 2015, but much speculation has surrounded the identity of the other film that will come out that year.


Iron Man 3 - May 3, 2013

Thor 2 - November 8, 2013

Captain America 2 - April 4, 2014

Untitled Marvel Film - May 16, 2014

Avengers 2 - rumored 2015


While it has been widely speculated that the mystery film would be the adaptation of "Ant-Man" by director Edgar Wright based on his twitter feed and the comments of Kevin Feige, it now may appear otherwise. The Black Panther may be be the untitled 2014 film if Latino Review's trusted sources turn out to be correct.

But what if there are three Marvel films to come out that year? It's not likely, but Feige has been open to the possibility of having three films out in one year. The current plans call for two a year, but if you look at that schedule there is a huge gap between the second one and the end of the year. A release date change could happen where they schedule the film later in the year, but until then it leaves room for another production if the dates don't move.

Could an Avengers sequel come out in 2014? Doubtful, but with several projects in the fire right now, might the studio take a plunge and give us a holiday release of, say "The Incredible Hulk 2" or "Doctor Strange" even? While the odds are against it, the gap between Marvel film in 2014 and 2015 is awfully long. Could one of the many films on its development slate wind up being a surprise gift at the end of that ?

In a world where a man can turn into a giant green monster you never know...

Of King & Kingdom...

A whole new world...










It's amazing what a couple of years and a blockbuster can do to a studio...

The Hat Building is flying on all cylinders and things are a buzzing. But not everything is going well in the Happiest Studio in Burbank.

Later this year, "Wreck-It Ralph" will debut and show audiences that "Tangled" wasn't a fluke. From the stories I've gotten, it sounds like they really have a heart filled tale that will have everyone seeing this film over and over again. What "Toy Story" did for toys, this does for video games. And the nostalgia for those that grew up on 8-bit games as well as those that love the 90's games are going to be in love with this film. And boys, will eat this up. Get that? "Boys," the marketing demo that the Suits seem to be worried about.

After that, next year we go back to classic fairy tales. Minus the names that tell you they're royalty, of course. But one tale that won't be happening anytime soon is about Elves. That's right, "King of the Elves" was racing with "Frozen" to be the 2013 release and it still has too many story structure problems to make it across the finish line. So many in fact, that Chris Williams is now off the project and going back to work on other projects (not as a director, but story boarder). It seems the script for Snow Queen aka: "Frozen" is in much better shape and it got the release date for next year, while KOTE got put on the shelve. Again.

Ron & John's new project is going through story development and could wind up being the 2014/15 slot, but it's still deep in the early stage so time will tell what happens. A lot of people have commented that this will be the duo's first computer animated film. As of now, there are development test going on for traditional, hybrid and computer examples, and no decision has been made. This decision won't be made for quite a while. Just like Pixar, the focus is on story, story, story. Not, the medium it's presented in.

The projects competing for 2014/2015 are the uber-secret film from Don Hall, which will be a marvelously unexpected project if it ever gets the green light, and Nathan Greno and Byron Howard's films which are deep in development. These are projects that are busy working out the story elements so that the films live up to John Lasseter's high Pixar standards. The one that gets the release slot will be the one whose story is deemed ready to actually animate. Not a bad concept, right?

There are a couple other projects in concept form and many more animators are lining up for pitch sessions with John for a chance to develop their ideas. Slowly the culture has changed over the past half-decade to the point where many animators and artist actually are having fun again. And many are hoping that they will be part of the Third Golden Age of Disney Animation. That is a very good thing.

Those of you that are fans of "Prep & Landing" will be interested in knowing that the ratings for last Christmas' "Naughty Versus Nice" special weren't where ABC/Disney wanted them to go, and any plans for a third special have been put into a holding pattern as the Suits figure out what/where or even when/if it should go forward. It's possible that the advertising schedule didn't exactly set the mark for giving people the information for when it would be broadcast. So Burbank is factoring in merchandise, ratings and other elements to see if there is any viability in creating another special. I certainly hope so, because there was talk of taking all of them and combining the into a film with original footage along the lines of "Winnie the Pooh."

And when talking about animation, if you follow WDAS then you know there was talk of moving down toward Glendale a while ago to be next to WDI. Those plans were canned and plans moved to trying to find a place on the lot to build a new animation building. Well, now the goal is to take the existing animation building and rework it, kind of the way Disney California Adventure had an extreme makeover done to it. And just like DCA was kept open as guests went about their way, so would be the same for artists in the Hat Building. It's nice to know that in addition to screwing up Disneyland's Second Gate, Eisner was capable of screwing up the animation building as well. But thankfully, it's all getting fixed.

But it's great to see the majority of news coming out of the Hat Building to be positive...

Untitled Road...

Don't stop, go, go, go...








A lot has been happening in the Hat Building over the past six months...

After all, at the end of last year saw the release of "Tangled," which was a huge film for the studio. Not only did it relieve a bit of pressure to perform by the Disney animators, it also made way for a lot of projects to move further into development. Many have complained that there wasn't much in development over the past few years, causing many an animator/artist to get a layoff notice.

I am happy to tell you that that is not the case now. Of course, the development slate is nowhere near as large as DreamWorks Animation, which has a very large and long list of projects, but it is getting fattened up, and it's still growing.

First off, we know that Walt Disney Animation Studios next film is the hand-drawn sequel "Winnie the Pooh," which comes out as counter programing to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2." But where does the road take us after that?

Well, come 2012 we know that Rich Moore's "Wreck-It Ralph" will be the studios' animated offering. I hear that the project is very different from the last few films, but still shares the same, Disney heart. If some of the hysterically dark scenes I heard make it though the cut then this one will get an unusually rare, PG13 rating for the 52nd animated feature from Disney Animation. But we'll have to wait and see what final form it arrives in.

As of 2013, the next project to be moving down the pipeline is newly re-envisioned "King of the Elves," which has been chugging along under the direction of Chris Williams (something we reported exclusively last year). The storyboarding has been going on, new scenes are being written and the story structure is being tightened up. This CG animated feature should tentatively arrive during the holidays unless a kink in the production process pops up. I've heard many people asking if rumors of it being out of development were true and from what I know, it has continually been moving forward since last year.

Now for 2014, it gets a little murkier, as these projects are in a more fluid state of development, so changes could happen. But as of now, this is what you are likely to see.

Based on the current state of projects, a CG version of "Snow Queen" directed by Chris Buck is likely to see release sometime during the year. The story structure problems that popped up in the last hand-drawn version seem to be ironed out and storyboarding has moved forward with Chris' unique take on the material. And for those of you wondering if it'll be faithful to the original story? I can only say that it'll be as faithful to it as the Mouse was to "The Little Mermaid." Presuming that another film gets released that year, it is likely to be the new hand-drawn film from John Musker and Ron Clements. And no, I'm not talking "Mort" as the rights to that would have required the Mouse to purchase the entire series, which it didn't want to commit to. So this new project is something else that the duo has pitched Lasseter. All that is known, is that it will be hand-drawn.

After that, in the 2014/2015 range will be the untitled project coming from Nathan Greno & Bryon Howard's. Not much is known about this film, but the duo hit it off on "Tangled" and have apparently pitched a project that Lasseter thinks will be great. If their project is not ready, then Dean Wellins' project will fill the slot. His is a story that will be very different from the mold we picture Disney animated films and this is a project that is aimed at all those boys that don't like princess movies.

Sometime around this point in the schedule, Don Hall's super secret project may have been greenlit and far enough down the line to be penciled in for a 2015/2016 release. That project, once announced will generate a lot of buzz in certain geek communities, as it's going to surprise a lot of people for what it is and what it's not. But it's in the very early embryonic stage and it depends on how well the project is received upon the presentation that is being prepared for John and Ed.

After that, there are several ideas that are being prepared for pitches which could compete for time on the release slate, but as of now there you have it. It will be interesting seeing how Disney's marketing department deals with some of these titles as they are out of what we normally picture for a Disney film. Even some of the ones you would think are in the classic mold, are really not.

Although several of these films have titles, they are very much temporary ones and are as much in flux as is the schedule itself. The development track expanding in the last year is a very positive step and Lasseter's trust in the talent is also a very reassuring development as well.

The greatest contribution about last years hit is not the box office it generated, but that it may have untangled the restrictions that had been placed on the company's animation future...

Shanghai Details Land...

Second kingdom, second chance...


We finally have an idea of what Shanghai Disneyland will look like...

A map officially giving a bit of detail and definition to what we can expect has been released. Alain over at Disney and More has a fantastic article with the picture/map, details about size, number of hotels and transportation are included as well.

Give it a look...

Second World/Sixth Kingdom...

What a Onederful Wurld...






There seems to be a lot of news coming out from the Chinese media about the Mouse's Middle, Magic Kingdom...

Over at my friend Alain's website, Disney and More, he's been posting a great deal of coverage of the news about Shanghai Disneyland. Great stuff if you haven't read his blog.

From what I've been told, the media has had very limited knowledge of what Disney and the Shanghai government are planning. This is by intention and one of the reasons you haven't seen or heard much about it. This is Bob Iger's first park on his own and not fixing up Eisner's messes. I believe he wants to get it right and he wants it to be a surprise. Getting details about this park/resort has been very difficult. Put all the secrecy together with a weak economy and you can imagine the trouble prying open those Bothans mouths.

There was an article the other day that Alain quoted as saying the total cost of the 107-square-kilometer project would exceed 100 billion yuan ($15 billion). Now, while the resort is not as big as Walt Disney World (twice the size of Manhattan Island), it is far bigger than any other resort I believe except Disneyland Paris (which is 20 km, like Shanghai). Far bigger than Hong Kong Disneyland which will tap out at two parks and a half dozen hotels approximately, far bigger than the Tokyo Disney Resort or the original Disneyland Resort. And now officials have come out to discount this as they say final cost have not been determined. I have no inside knowledge as to how much exactly will be spent, but my suspicion is that the article was quoting an estimate as to what the final resort price would be. That is, over a three phase period. As in three gates, multiple hotels, retail environment, etc. and so on. This would make that projected cost of 15 billion much more reasonable as it would occur over decades, not years. The initial cost I've heard is somewhere around/between 3 and 4 billion. Of this amount, the Shanghai government and the partnership company, Shanghai Shendi Group Co. Ltd. will assume the majority of that cost. The Mouse will retain a minority interest similar to the contract with Hong Kong, while still running the actual resort.

From what I've gathered, the first phase will be the "Magic Kingdom" style park and two or three hotels and a version of the Downtown Disney retail area (something that has yet to come to HKDL, but will soon enough). This phase should be done by late 2014 with a planned opening of early 2015. The style may be similar to past parks, but it will also strike out in a different direction, perhaps being the most different of any Disney theme park that shares the trademark style fans are used to. From what I hear, the area around the park will be more extensively used than in Hong Kong as well.

While the public face of Honk Kong Disneyland Suits is that they have nothing to fear from a Shanghai Disneyland, the behind the scenes are a different matter. As work on their expansion winds to a close in 2014, expect a new announcement to counter the opening of the second Disney park in China. Bothans have already told me that work and proposals, all blue sky of course, are quietly underway in Glendale. The scope and grandeur of Shanghai will be bigger and different. The plan will be to offer a different reason to go to this theme park as opposed to the one in Hong Kong. Just as there are reasons to visit Disneyland versus Disney World, there will be reasons to travel between these two parks/resorts. And if you were wondering, Shanghai is WDW to Hong Kong's Disneyland. Each Disney, both different. I like that. I hate the idea of cloning and if they're going to have these two parks on the Asian mainland, it's good that they will have their own personalities.

When 2015 rolls around it's going to be interesting to see what the birth of this Sixth Kingdom means to our world and the Disney world...