A Better Tomorrow...

We now have a clearer idea of what Brad Bird's "Tomorrowland" will be...

With an official press release from Disney about the beginning of shooting in Vancouver, a new synopsis has been released.  It gives a much more expansive description of what the film will be, while still shrouding the story in enough mystery to make everyone wonder what Bird and Lindelof have in store for us.  Here is the release;

DISNEY’S “TOMORROWLAND” BEGINS FILMING IN VANCOUVER
STARRING ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER GEORGE CLOONEY, HUGH LAURIE, BRITT ROBERTSON, RAFFEY CASSIDY AND THOMAS ROBINSON 

Burbank, Calif. (Aug. 26, 2013) —Principal photography has begun on Disney’s mystery adventure “Tomorrowland,” starring two-time Academy AwardÒ winner George Clooney (“Michael Clayton,” “Syriana”), Hugh Laurie (“Monsters vs. Aliens,” “Arthur Christmas”), Britt Robertson (“Under The Dome”), Raffey Cassidy (“Dark Shadows,” “Snow White and the Huntsman”) and Thomas Robinson (“The Switch”). 

The film is directed, produced and co-written by two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird (“Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” “The Incredibles”). Damon Lindelof (“Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Prometheus”) and Jeffrey Chernov (“Star Trek,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol”) are also producers. The screenplay is written by Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof from a story by Lindelof & Jeff Jensen and Brad Bird. 

Jeff Jensen and John Walker (“The Incredibles”) will executive produce with Bernard Bellew (“Les Misérables,” “28 Weeks Later”) and Tom Peitzman, VFX producer (“Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol,” “Alice in Wonderland”) serving as co-producers. 

Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as “Tomorrowland.”   

Bird has gathered a great team behind the lens with Oscar® winning director of photography Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”), production designer Scott Chambliss (“Star Trek,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Cowboys & Aliens”), Oscar® nominated costume designer Jeffrey Kurland (“Inception,” “Ocean’s Eleven”) and Academy Award®-winning editor Walter Murch (“The English Patient,” “Cold Mountain”). 

“Tomorrowland” will be released through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on December 12, 2014.

The trailer for this is going to be so welcome...

Tommorow, Today..

This is a very important week for film fans...

It marks the start of filming of another Brad Bird film.  And I always say that any time that that man is making a film it's a momentous occasion.  Each work of his is a joy to behold. A little jewel, a cinematic treasure really, given to us to enjoy for two hours that allow us to step away from the world that is into a world That could/would be.  From his first, best film "The Iron Giant", to his stepping into live-action with the thrill filled fun of "Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol", Bird has never not amazed me.

This marks the first week of shooting of "Tomorrowland", a new film from Walt Disney Pictures, directed by Brad Bird from a script that Damon Lindelof co-wrote based on his own idea.  I expect nothing short of greatness from this film.  I've never been disappointed by his work, and I don't expect to be by this one.  Even with all the hype amd mystery that has surrounded it, I still have lofty expectations for this film.  With his amazing list of actors in it including George Clooney, Hugh Laurie and others, I look forward to an amazing experience.  And with each passing day, I expect us to get snippets of the supersecret story as more spy pictures come in and more details emerge.

I have to wonder how much, if any will be shot at Disneyland in Tomorrowland?  Or perhaps it will just be a metaphor for something very Disneyesque?  Bird is an accomplished and skilled storyteller who knows structure like very few directors do, much less screenwriters do. So if Lindelof's script piqued his interest, then it'll definitely peak mine.  If I were Alan Horn, I'd sign him up to an exclusive agreement for years so that every work of art he made had the Magic Kingdom's castle in front of it.

If the Bunny can have a Governor, then the Mouse should have a Bird…

Giving Tomorrow A Past...

There's been a great deal of mystery surrounding Brad Bird's next film...

It was untitled, then it was called "1954" or "Tesla" depending on who you talked to.  Finally it was announced that it would be known as "Tomorrowland" to the confused looks of film and Disney fans alike.

The guys over at Grantland have released a very entensive interview with Damon Lindelof (I urge you to read the entire interview because it's a facinating look inside the mind and process of a writer.) where he talks about several projects that he's been connected to, but he unpacks the origins of his script which Brad Bird is now getting ready to start directing:

I’ve always been fascinated by Disneyland and Disney World, and my favorite part of the park was always Tomorrowland. But there’s no story there. Like, if you go into Fantasyland, there’s just story happening all around you everywhere, whether it’s sort of a direct kind of connection to a movie that you know or a fairy tale that you know, and the same with, like, Frontierland, or when you go in the Haunted Mansion. My son, who’s 6, when he went on Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time, Jack Sparrow is a part of that ride. He’s going to see the movies in two years, when he’s old enough, and he’s going to think that the movies were the inspiration for the ride, versus the other way around. I would love to do that for Tomorrowland, you know? I would love to give Tomorrowland a story, because right now, Tomorrowland is kind of being taken over by Star Wars — which is great, but it’s called Tomorrowland. Star Wars is a galaxy a long time ago, far, far away. Star Wars is not about our future. 

And there’s this Neil deGrasse Tyson speech — you can YouTube it — and he gave an eloquent and beautiful talk about how the abandonment of the space program after we landed on the moon is responsible for the fact that we no longer have an optimistic view of our future. I just said, “There’s a movie in there somewhere.” And that was the beginning of me curating this rather fascinating “is it or isn’t it?” Disney history in this kind of Dan Brown, Da Vinci Code way. Like, all these things that I didn’t know about, the history of Tomorrowland in the park, and could that be the basis of something? Even though the movie is not about the park — I will say this exclusively to you, that none of the movie takes place in a Disneyland park. It doesn’t, but that history became the inspiration for this amazing story. I brought Jeff Jensen in, who had come up with all these amazing theories about Lost while it was on, some of which were just so much better than what we were coming up with in the room. I said, “Come in and look at this stuff and talk to me about it,” and then we started coming up with the germs of a really cool story, and then at the same time, I was hanging out with Bird, because we were both in the Bad Robot universe; he was posting Ghost Protocol as we were working on Into Darkness. I kind of got my hooks in him because I started asking him all these questions about Disney, because he worked there for a number of years and was basically trained by a couple of the original Imagineers, and he was like, “Why are you asking me these questions?” and I said, “I’m working on this project regarding Tomorrowland,” and then he was in. And then we went and picked up George Clooney, and we were off to the races.

It's a fascinating walk through the process for coming up with the story that became so interesting that it made Bird turn down an offer to direct "Episode VII".

Now that has to be a powerful story...

 Hat Tip to /Film.

World Of Tomorrow...

And so the film keeps getting curiouser and curiouser...

Yeah, I know.  The grammatics of that sentence just don't work (or this one for that matter).  But it does describe the reaction and feelings to Brad Bird and Damon Lindelof's "1951" film.

Or as it's now known as: "Tomorrowland"

A little strange, isn't it?  I know that the Mouse was trying to see if they could come up with a film based on this famous land of Disneyland; recently, with The Rock connected to it, but this ain't it.  In fact, it doesn't revolve around that concept at all.

It appears that Lindelof came to Burbank with the unique pitch, and they signed off on him developing it.  He had mentioned it to Bird, who took a spark to it, and eventually Lindelof asked him if he'd like to direct it.  It's obviously a clever enough story for him to say yes, and commit to it as his next film.  Of course, that tells us nothing about it really.  Looks like we won't find out for sure till the holidays in 1952.

Oops, I mean 2014...

One. Small. Step...

The American Way: Imagine the impossible and do it...





A pinnacle of human achievement happened on this date...

Forty-three years ago on this day, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk upon the surface of the moon with the success of the Apollo 11 mission.

The historic event is broadcast in Tomorrowland... It was a perfect example of the optimism Walt saw when thinking about man's future. It is a case of doing something right. Something positive. It was American progress on display for the world to see...

That's what was/is great about Walt and what was/could again be great about Tomorrowland. it represented the best of what man could do, and never focused on what he could not.

The impossible is only impossible when we tell ourselves we can't do it...

A Take...

A long time ago in a galaxy finally updated...


So, I rode both new attractions early last week before I left for a business trip back East...

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, but real life has been pretty hectic lately and I've had to attend to it rather than the musings of the blogosphere. But as I said, I've ridden The Little Mermaid and Star Tours. I've noticed some people, particularly the cast members being somewhat disappointed with the experience. I think this comes from expecting it to be something it's not (ala: Pirates/Indy), combined with a lack of knowledge as to what it is.

It's a dark ride. Many cast members today don't know the terminology and aren't as familiar with what defines this type of attraction. Many went in expecting something with the bells and whistles associated with a fast paced attraction, which is what this ride is not. Let me tell you what it is. If you go in expecting to see something along the lines of Pinocchio, Snow White or Peter Pan, but with animatronics instead of statues then that is exactly what you get. That is what a dark ride is. And it's very lovely and extremely detailed. It's the story you all know, so anyone going in expecting something else? This is a Fantasyland attraction that's not in Fantasyland. And it's going to bring in the crowds in droves.

Star Tours on the other hand is exactly what you would expect, and more. While I knew it was an update to an older attraction, one which I've ridden very few times of late, particularly because it's long in the tooth and Tomorrowland isn't my bag (I'm a New Orleans Square, Adventureland, Frontierland kinda guy). While the area is a mix of dated attractions and a chaotic collection of uneven themes, this revamp is just what is needed to turn this area into the land of tomorrow. Now if TDA and WDI can just get together and iron out all the differences they have and have Burbank pick one of two or three projects as well as a cohesive retheme for the area. We can now expect some true excitement for this area when Disneyland becomes the focus after next summer.

I think Imagineers hit a home run with this one. While the overall budget is less than Mermaid (approx $50 million for DL, and the same for WDW), the impact on the area is going to provide a major improvement in the long lines headed to see this classic Disneyland attraction. It's really an amazing site to see and the multiple experience you get will keep guest getting right back in line after exiting.

Now, if they'll just move forward with those plans for Innoventions and the building to formerly be occupied by Captain EO...

Getting On The Grid...

With all the buzz surrounding "Tron Legacy" the Suits in Burbank are getting a bit giddy...

How Giddy, you ask? Well, with all the positive buzz surrounding the upcoming film, the Bothans tell me that the Imagineers over at WDI have been given the go-ahead to move further into blue sky development on an E-Ticket attraction themed to Tron for Disneyland. This isn't a green light for the actual, finalized ride, just the opportunity to explore more extensive designs and concepts. Something tells me late 2012/early 2013 could see the beginning of that long talked about, but continually put off remake of Tomorrowland.

It appears the future is happening now...

The Future @ The Corner Of Santa Monica & Glendon...

Those of you in Los Angeles traveling down Santa Monica this morning got a nice surprise...

On the corner of Santa Monica and Glendon is a billboard with a new image from "Tron Legacy" that will change with each passing month. So if you add it up that's at least eleven more awesome images to look forward to before we see the actual film.

I've heard from sources that we should be seeing a teaser for the film sooner than you'd think. But this time it'll be a real teaser and not the proof-of-concept one that was shown put online earlier this year.

Also come 2010 expect to see a lot of promotions in the parks. By summer time I'd expect certain areas of the parks to begin to be flooded with merchandise; building to an intense marketing campaign that overwhelms the parks right after the Halloween season ends. Tomorrow land should be very interesting with Star Tours closed. They'll have to have something to keep people in this area and I wonder what it's going to be?

Hmmm...

Oh and if you want to see the actual image on the billboard without any perspective then put another coin in and proceed down to play the game:
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What The Future Holds...

Let's see, how do I put this...

I tend to be pretty up on Hollywood projects, Disney projects in particular as you know if you read this blog regularly. But I really am out of the loop on this one. It's not that I've not heard ramblings about it. I simply thought it was a joke. One of those rumors that you brush aside because it's too ridiculous to actually be true.

I may be wrong. According to the writers of "The Hangover," Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, they are actually working on a "Tomorrowland" film. I had heard rumblings like I said, but hmmm... I guess it's actually in development for Dwayne Johnson. Here's what they have to say:

"In Tomorrowland his character's name is Rip. And he plays a present day test pilot who tests a plane and gets shot into the future, and so he's a sort of a fish out of water in the future and he is sort of figuring out how everything works. And the people in the future don't know who he is, and they think he's bad guy come to destroy the future."

I really don't know. I'm incredibly critical of a project like this, but if they've come up with a great concept and were able to execute it in a script you never can tell. I'll hold my powder dry until I actually read the screenplay or hear more about the project in the coming weeks. I guess I'll have to take those rumors of "It's A Small World" the movie a little more serious now.

Developing...


Hat Tip to El Guapo over at Latino Review for the link to his original article.

How Will The Future Look?

Don't know what to think of this one...

Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures have hired scribes Jon Lucas and Scott Moore("The Ghost of Girlfriends Past") to develop a futuristic adventure for Dwayne Johnson to star in...

Variety is saying the project is "Tomorrowland" themed but the Mouse is denying this, saying that it is an original project.

This is the third Disney project the man formerly know as "The Rock" has been attached to, it appears he's getting along well with Dick Cook and Oren Aviv enough that they see a continued future together.

The question is, is this future in Tomorrowland?

One Small Step For Man...

Thirty-nine years ago on this day, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk upon the surface of the moon with the success of the Apollo 11 mission.

The historic event is broadcast in Tomorrowland... It was a perfect example of the optimism Walt saw when thinking about man's future. It is a case of doing something right. Something positive. It was American progress on display for the world to see...

That's what was/is great about Walt and what was/could again be great about Tomorrowland. it represented the best of what man could do and never focused on what he could not...