the 24-hour rainfall ending - Rechercher (2025)

Disney Parks a écrit:

Piston Peak National Park Builds on the Story of Frontierland

Cars from around the country are fueling up to be the wildest racer in the “wheelderness.” Of course, we know that fans are curious to see how the exciting new backdrop for the big rally race will fit into the waters, landscapes, and storytelling at Magic Kingdom. 

Today, we are excited to share that Piston Peak National Park will continue the sweeping storytelling tradition that has crossed Liberty Square and Frontierland since opening day.  

Westward Ho! Crossing into New Frontiers at Magic Kingdom

Since the early days of Magic Kingdom, adventurous guests have traveled across space and time as they pass from Liberty Square to Frontierland. Starting with architectural influences from upstate New York and colonial America in Liberty Square, before traveling to a bear-y fun concert in the North Woods, a stop by New Orleans at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and ending in the Arizona bluffs at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  

At the heart of all these stories are heroic characters with a belief in themselves that helped forge a path to their dreams. To continue this journey in great American storytelling, Piston Peak National Park will be part of the largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom.

Welcome to Piston Peak National Park

Imagine an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers. While fictional, Piston Peak is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area and the history and iconic sights of the American Frontier and its national parks.  

Inside Piston Peak, guests will be able to see and explore the visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, trails and more all set within the Disney and Pixar “Cars” universe. To make sure these buildings fit naturally within the surrounding majestic landscapes, Imagineers are using a style of architecture called “Parkitecture,” which was developed by the National Park Service to create structures that harmonize with the natural environment.   

From the outside, trees will provide a natural barrier between the off-road rally and other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square. Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally. 

Cruising Just Around the Bend 

As work revs into high gear this summer, the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat will close beginning July 7. Imagineers are also hard at work beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad bringing to life the first-ever land inspired by the Disney Villains with two major attractions, dining and shopping all on an incredibly twisted grand scale.   

But that’s not all happening at the Magic Kingdom. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen next year with new magic, and later this summer, Disney Starlight will grace the streets of Magic Kingdom with its grand debut on July 20, and The Beak and Barrel will welcome pirates of all ages.

https://disneyparksblog.com/wdw/piston-peak-national-park-builds-on-the-story-of-frontierland/

LE FEU D'ARTIFICE DE VAIANA

TULOU TAGALOA :

WE KNOW THE WAY :

HOW FAR I'LL GO :

I AM MOANA (SONG OF THE ANCESTORS) :

HOW FAR I'LL GO (REPRISE) :

YOU'RE WELCOME :

Entertainment Weekly a écrit:

Raising the Freaky flag: Inside Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan's 22-year bond fueling Freakier Friday's soul

Curtis, Lohan, and their "Freaky" sequel family swap stories on returning for more body switching, new (and old) motherhood, and keeping nostalgia alive for a new generation.

Nisha Ganatra has something on her phone you need to see.

It's a sunny April afternoon in Los Angeles, and the film director eagerly holds her phone to show off a black-and-white snapshot. It's a candid behind-the-scenes vignette of Lindsay Lohan, nestled in a comfortable slump on Jamie Lee Curtis' lap. The Oscar-winning Halloween franchise vet gently cradles her onscreen daughter between takes on set of Disney's Freakier Friday, the highly anticipated sequel to body-swapping family comedy Freaky Friday.

"It looked like mother and daughter, really holding each other," Ganatra recalls of capturing the shot, still fresh in her mind (and heart) over a year after filming. "That's something you can't bring as a director. They have a love and a trust. They bring a joyfulness out in each other, and that's gold."

Curtis knows what you're thinking: This is just "that weird thing when you're doing movie promotion" where the stars fake their fondness for each other. Not the case, she insists, speaking to Entertainment Weekly while sitting next to Lohan in a dressing room on set for a Freakier marketing shoot. Their natural chemistry is as evident during the afternoon conversation as it is on screen in their long-awaited sequel, the product of 22 years of friendship.

"I've known Lindsay since she was 15," Curtis explains of meeting Lohan while filming the 2003 film, which became a teen comedy hit to the tune of $110 million at the domestic box office. "That's just an extraordinary thing, to watch someone walk through life."

The actresses' trajectories may have deviated slightly since their initial collaboration, but Lohan confirms she and Curtis remained an important part of each other's lives over the decades — and Freakier Friday's narrative celebrates that power of ties that endure and prevail through sometimes sorcerous hurdles.

Written by Dollface creator and Sweethearts writer/director Jordan Weiss, Freakier Friday (in theaters Aug. 8 ) finds Tess (Curtis) and Anna (Lohan) in the days leading up to the latter's wedding to British restaurateur Eric (Manny Jacinto). Tess, now a successful podcaster and author, is still a helicopter parent, though her propellers now pull double duty as a mom and a doting grandma to Anna's 15-year-old daughter, Harper (Julia Butters). A wacky psychic (Vanessa Bayer) senses familial disarray, and switches the duo's minds with that of Harper and Anna's soon-to-be stepchild, Lily (Sophia Hammons).

The blended tribe's soul-switching trials are all by design, of course. As in the 2003 film, the events are purposefully engineered by occult entities to test the bonds of blood. But this time, the ties that bind chosen family are challenged, too — all while the teens at the center resist each other, and their fate as stepsisters-to-be.

Like their characters, Curtis and Lohan — who also produce their new film — have grown personally and professionally since last sharing the screen.

Lohan, 38, is a new mom hot off a Hollywood comeback thanks to a three-picture Netflix deal, and she'll re-team with Disney on Hulu's just-announced series adaptation of suspense-thriller novel Count My Lies.

Curtis, 66, now has an Academy Award for her work in 2022's Everything Everywhere All at Once. But, unlike Harper and Lily, they couldn't be happier to meet each other back in this moment — one they say the universe willed into existence (with a little earthly help from Curtis).

"In every country I went to [promote Halloween Ends], the only consistent question I got was 'When are you making another Freaky Friday?' I called you on the road at one point and said, 'This is all people are asking,'" Curtis says, turning toward Lohan. "Clearly, there was an appetite for this."

Enough so that Curtis launched a personal mission, taking the idea to those who mattered most: Disney boss Bob Iger and Lohan, whom she phoned in late 2022 with a pitch while the Mean Girls star filmed her 2024 rom-com Irish Wish in Europe.

"When Jamie called me in Ireland, I was like, 'Yes, I'm in, let's do it.' It's not very often that you get to work with someone who's been such a big part of your life on a personal level," Lohan recalls, smiling as she stares back at the friend who made it happen. "That was exciting for me, to come back and do a big-screen film with a woman that I admire, that's part of my life off screen. To have that chance again, it doesn't happen much. I felt lucky to be able to do it."

Raising the 'Freaky' flag higher
While fate and fandom conspired to reunite Curtis and Lohan, making a sequel to one of the millennial generation's most cherished comedies was a monumental task that required more than just the stars' desire to work together again. Their mystical movie star chemistry isn't the only thing fueling the film's appeal. Its script has a surprising amount of heart, progressing the stories of these beloved characters rather than simply retreading old ground for those who grew up with the prior installment (and might now be watching with their own children).

"It's the reason you go to the movies — it's the reason you go to a Disney movie," Curtis says of the film's buoyant climax, which, without spoiling too much, repositions Lohan on a musical stage in soaring fashion. "To have a moment where all of a sudden you're going to reach over and hold the hand of the person sitting next to you, if it's your mom, grandma, friend…. You're going to be moved by it."

Yes, beloved characters return (Chad Michael Murray's hunky Jake, Mark Harmon's loving stepdad Ryan, and even Stephen Tobolowsky's Mr. Bates), obvious references are made (Curtis outdoes her "I'm like the Crypt Keeper" joke from the first film by a mile), and the themes are mostly the same.

One thing you won't see, however, is a cameo from Jodie Foster, who starred in the first adaptation of Mary Rodgers' Freaky Friday novel in 1976. ("We begged her. She's not going to do it," says Ganatra. EW has reached out to a representative for Foster for comment.)

And maybe that's for the best, because one of Freakier Friday's strengths — and what sets it apart from many family-oriented sequels — is that, while it's a nostalgic jaunt into the past, it never hits those beats without earning them.

"Every moment is accounted for," Murray feels. "When you get to walk on a set and it just feels like it's home, why would you not want to be there? It felt like an all-encompassing, loving, great dynamic, like no time had passed. Yet, we had entire lives in between. It's a very full film."

Or, as Lohan puts it, Freakier Friday is a "timeless story of dynamics within a family," exemplified in the film's opening sequence. The scene trains on Anna, a single mom dreaming of her past life as a rock star after giving up her successful stint as Pink Slip's guitarist and vocalist for a day job at a record label so she could raise Harper. (Though her former bandmates, played by returning stars Christina Vidal and Haley Hudson, are still a part of her life.) Anna now fusses over her daughter's early morning grumbles, rushes to get her out the door, and even shouts, "Make good choices!" at the bleary teen from the car as she drops her off at school, just as Tess did with her.

Things have changed quite a bit for Tess and Anna, and it's all motivated by the actresses' personal evolution. Particularly, Lohan feels a stronger connection to the story after she and her husband, Bader Shammas, welcomed a son, Luai, in July 2023.

"The closeness that you have with your child, and that bond — how irreplaceable that is, and wanting to do the right thing for your child — is always the most important thing in the world, and nothing can stand in the way of that," Lohan says of the perspective she has now but couldn’t bring to filming Freaky Friday at age 16. "I also didn't have the calmness that a mother needs to have when a child is losing it. Now, I get to play with that. I get to have those moments that Tess used to have with Anna."

Mother of the Lohannaisance
During their interview, it's easy to see Lohan and Curtis' appreciation for each other. Curtis often breaks her gaze to cast gentle glances toward Lohan when she speaks, and her face lights up when she hears Lohan assert her priorities as a new mom.

"Everything I do is [about] what's going to work for my family," Lohan explains of choosing projects at this stage of her career. "If something works around that, it's meant to happen. If it doesn't work around that, it's a no-go."

It's a marked difference from the hectic early 2000s Lohan spent on seemingly every movie poster and tabloid cover. Until her Netflix deal that produced 2022's Falling for Christmas, Irish Wish, and Our Little Secret (also 2024), Lohan hadn't led a feature distributed by a major Hollywood studio since 2007's I Know Who Killed Me. And the new mom knew she was ready for more.

"It's manifestation," she says of Freakier Friday, "because I had this thing in my head during COVID, I was like, 'I want to work with Netflix and do a couple movies, but I want to work with Disney again, too.' It came to fruition because I believed it. Those things are meant to happen. I love my life, and I'm grateful for these moments I have."

Curtis says watching Lohan "become a mother and a woman has been a great privilege," and even relates her own experience filming Freaky Friday to that of her onscreen daughter's during production of the sequel.

"I had a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old at home, with three days of prep before the original Freaky Friday," Curtis reflects. "If it filmed outside California, I wouldn't have been in the movie. If it shot in Vancouver, I wouldn't have done it because I had kids. Balancing motherhood is a big part of our lives, but it's also a big part of the movie. It's the story of the movie."

That narrative expands in the sequel thanks to new cast and crew, whom Lohan and Curtis quickly adopted into their expanding Freaky family.

Ganatra, who helmed Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson's 2020 comedy The High Note and Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson's 2019 Sundance hit Late Night, joined the project in early 2024 after a series of meetings with Disney and producers. The filmmaker found the idea of directing Freakier Friday "intimidating," but was confident she could "lean into the emotional arc of it and push [the studio] to make it more moving." She was also eager to buck the "trend of the anti-hero" in Hollywood films made by men, which she says "really bums me out" as an audience member.

"As a gay person, I know a lot about chosen family. The idea struck me that there's the family you think you are, and the family you could be. If you're afraid to let people in and grow, you're limiting yourself," she adds of the story, which showcases a modern, blended family navigating the universally relatable "messy journey" of parenthood.

Things weren't always so serious on set, though. This is a Disney sequel, after all, and Ganatra's goal was a product that "lifts you up" in the end — and, for her, one that ensures audiences aren't "forgetting the movie by the time they get to their car.'

Table manners
In a mid-film plot by Harper-as-Anna (remember: daughter-as-mom) to meddle in her mother's affairs, she puts her feelings aside and partners with Lily-as-Tess (her soon-to-be-stepdaughter-as-grandma… phew). Together, the frenemies hatch a scheme that, for one reason or another, requires "Anna" to reintroduce herself to her dreamy, motorcycle-riding, ex-high school crush, Jake, who now owns a record store.

In this sequence of comical seduction, Lohan feels free on screen in ways we haven't seen in years, perhaps because of the comfortable, familial vibe of the collaborators around her. Soundtracked by Britney Spears (another nod to the prior film), an electric energy washes over her as the star climbs atop a table and writhes around in front of Murray. But, as Curtis recalls, all that was written on the page was "Anna flips her hair" for Jake.

"None of that was there," Lohan confirms. "I almost fell off a few times. I think Chad's reactions were real."

Murray agrees: "I loved watching Lindsay own it. It was like, Oh, there she is."

Ganatra thinks the performance will reposition Lohan in the eyes of the industry amid the ongoing Lohannaisance.

"I feel like people are going to see the Lindsay that has that twinkle in her eye, is a little mischievous, has a big f---ing heart, and makes you smile while watching her," she says. "It's not just the nostalgia of, 'It's Anna again!' It's Lindsay doing what we love watching Lindsay do."

'Freakies' in the family
Lohan also found fans in the film's next-gen stars, with 16-year-old Butters endearingly referring to her and Curtis as Friday's "Founding Mothers."

"As humans, they're so nurturing," adds Hammons, 18, while seated next to Butters on a break from the marketing shoot with Curtis and Lohan. "Putting that kind of person in a position to welcome two new actors into this story worked out great. I got a parental vibe from them. It felt like they always had our backs, always looking out for us."

Ganatra says she aimed to amplify that intimacy with "some weird rehearsal stuff" during preparation, putting her stars through awkward encounters that honed their attention on the physical notes they'd need to hit to make those role reversals feel natural.

"The whole movie falls apart if you don't believe" it's real, Ganatra says.

So, the four actresses rehearsed in a dance studio for weeks, practicing each other's mannerisms; studying vocal inflections; and engaging in what can be described as emotional transference, spiritual osmosis, or a combination of the two. They held hands, stared into each other's eyes for great lengths, and exchanged secret notes written in character.

"They'd give us scenarios to play out, like your first mother-daughter bonding moment: 'You're going to come out, and Lindsay will tuck you in with a blanket.' It built memories to use as a foundation for later," Butters shares.

"One time, I got a migraine on set. There's not much you can do if it's not going away with medicine. Lindsay gave me sunglasses to wear during her coverage. I sat slouched in a corner, and she'd squeeze my neck, fully unprompted," she continues. "Mother, literally."

And "Jamie really did act like Lindsay's mom on set," Hammons recalls. "Then, they started acting like that toward us. We're always getting kisses on the forehead or cheek. We slowly became part of that circle, too."

Acceptance of their new brood means that, like most families, the quartet are now deeply embedded in an ongoing group text titled "Freakies," where Butters and Hammons say their onscreen maternal figures share bits of wisdom, updates on the film's progress, and messages of encouragement, while also organizing meetups, dinners, and more.

Hammons emphasizes that she and Butters "literally are best friends" in real life because of the movie, while Butters — who says she and Hammons are building "our own 20-year [friendship]" — makes a sweet promise to her bestie beside her: "Sorry, but you're stuck with me!"

Laughing, Hammons compares the group's relationship to an imagined monument.

"Freaky Friday Mountain," she calls it. "But, instead of Mt. Rushmore, it's Lindsay and Jamie's faces chiseled into it, and we'll be like little stones on that mountain."

Picture-perfect Hollywood ending
Back in their dressing room, Curtis and Lohan are anything but etched in stone, marveling at how they both have evolved since their 2003 hit. The former's voice softens as she recalls discovering the hows and the whys surrounding the latter's permanent move to Dubai in 2014.

"She was looking to find [a calm] place and quiet. That wasn't going to be in New York or L.A., because they're filled with aggro people. It impressed me so much," says Curtis.

"I grew up so much in the public eye that I never really had the space to take time for me and just live a normal life," Lohan explains. "I found it there."

A part of it might exist right here with Curtis, too.

"I understood the depth of the woman you've become. I give you great respect for that," Curtis says, her eyes still on Lohan. "I couldn't freaking do that at your age. I wouldn't have known how to do that. That speaks volumes to the woman she's become, the type of human she is, the type of mother, wife, friend."

She hugs Lohan, whose head finds its rightful place in the cradle of Curtis' neck.

Then, Lohan smiles, unknowingly recreating a version of that photo Ganatra holds so dear as a reminder of the love that went into their Freakier adventure.

LA RÉVÉLATION FINALE

JUST LIKE WE DREAMED IT :

Un article du The New Yorks Times revient sur la production de Blanche Neige, et les controverses.

Déjà repoussé plusieurs fois en raison de la pandémie de Covid-19, le tournage a finalement commencé à Londres en 2022, obligeant Disney à adopter des protocoles de sécurité stricts et à augmenter le budget de plusieurs millions de dollars. L'un des décors, une maison au toit de chaume, a pris feu sur un plateau de tournage. La grève des acteurs de 2023 a contraint Disney à interrompre les reshoots. Puis, début 2024, Gal Gadot, qui incarne la Méchante Reine, a souffert de complications de santé liées à une grossesse (un accident vasculaire cérébrale ayant nécessité une intervention chirurgicale), retardant les reshoots et le travail sur les effets visuels.

Dès le début, Disney savait que les sept nains pourraient devenir un cauchemar en termes de polémiques. La communauté du nanisme a tendance à considérer ces personnages comme infantilisants, déshumanisants et blessants. Le studio a alors engagé trois personnes de petites tailles comme consultants pour les aider à éviter des problèmes potentiels.
Mais les premières controverses sont survenues dès janvier 2022, suite aux propos de Peter Dinklage, auxquels Disney a répondu dans un communiqué : "Pour éviter de renforcer les stéréotypes du film d’animation original, nous adoptons une approche différente avec ces sept personnages et avons consulté des membres de la communauté du nanisme". Cependant, comme Disney n'a pas expliqué son "approche différente", des théories préjudiciables ont commencé à circuler sur Internet. Le studio avait-il décidé de se débarrasser des nains ? Après tout, ils avaient disparu du titre du film. Puis, une fuite de photos de tournage a transformé ce qui n'était que des braises en véritable brasier : en juillet 2023, le Daily Mail a publié des images semblant montrer les sept nains incarnés par des acteurs et actrices de différentes origines ethniques avec en titre "Blanche-Neige et les Sept… Des compagnons politiquement corrects ?". Dans un premier temps, un attaché de presse de Disney a déclaré que la photo était fausse. L'entreprise a ensuite fait marche arrière. Mais Disney, soucieux des spoilers, a omis de fournir une information cruciale : il ne s'agissait pas des nains. Ce film mettrait en scène deux groupes de sept : une troupe de bandits (représentés sur la photo) et une autre troupe de nains en images de synthèse, qui seraient ajoutés en postproduction. La date de sortie initiale de mars 2024 ayant été repoussée – Disney, déçu par le premier montage, ayant ordonné des reprises –, le studio s'est retrouvé à jouer au jeu de la taupe, avec une succession de controverses sur les nains. Lorsqu'il a finalement été révélé que Disney avait opté pour l'imagerie de synthèse pour les représenter, l'entreprise a alors été critiquée pour avoir "invisibilisé" les personnes atteintes de nanisme. D'autres ont reproché à Disney d'avoir retiré des emplois à des comédiens de petites tailles, dont les "opportunités sont rares".

On apprend que le film a été travaillé jusqu'en février 2025 par le réalisateur Marc Webb.
En octobre 2024, le nouveau directeur des films live-action de Disney, David Greenbaum, qui a hérité du projet, a réuni une douzaine de responsables du studio dans une salle de projection et a passé deux jours à examiner le film pour faire des modifications.
"Hidden in My Heart", une chanson émouvante interprétée par l'un des nains dans le deuxième acte, a été coupée pour accélérer l'histoire. L'intrigue des bandits a également été considérablement resserrée. Une nouvelle scène, proche du final, impliquant la Méchante Reine et le miroir magique a été ajoutée. Certaines scènes avaient été retournées et retouchées numériquement pour modifier les cheveux de Blanche Neige, qui avaient été moqués sur le net.

L'impact du changement de climat politique est également évoqué : ce qui était considéré comme changement(s) positif(s) au début de la production est désormais démoli par les "anti-wokes".
Aussi, l'enthousiasme suscité par la réinterprétation d'un classique d'animation en live-action s'est quelque peu estompé depuis le début du tournage de Blanche Neige. Même s'il ne faut pas négliger "l'effet baby-sitter".

The New Yorks Times a écrit:

Snow White and the Seven Kajillion Controversies
The dwarfs. The casting. The politics of the lead actress. And that wig! Is Disney’s live-action remake of the classic film doomed by culture war skirmishes?

Disney knew that remaking “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” as a live-action musical would be treacherous.

But the studio was feeling cocky.

It was 2019, and Disney was minting money at the box office by “reimagining” animated classics like “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Jungle Book” as movies with real actors. The remakes also made bedrock characters like Cinderella newly relevant. Heroines defined by ideas from another era — be pretty, and things might work out! — were empowered. Casting emphasized diversity.

Why not tackle Snow White?

Over the decades, Disney had tried to modernize her story — to make her more than a damsel in distress, one prized as “the fairest of them all” because of her “white as snow” skin. Twice, starting in the early 2000s, screenwriters had been unable to crack it, at least not to the satisfaction of an image-conscious Disney.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” which premiered in 1937, posed other remake challenges, including how to sensitively handle Happy, Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Bashful, Grumpy and Doc. (One stalled Disney reboot had reimagined the dwarfs as kung fu fighters in China.)

Still, Disney executives were determined to figure it out. They had some new ideas. More important, the remake gravy train needed to keep running.

“It’s going to be amazing, another big win,” Bob Chapek, then Disney’s chief executive, said of a live-action “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at a 2022 fan convention.

Ms. Zegler at the premiere of “Snow White,” where security was tightened because of the tumult around the film.

Instead, “Snow White,” starring Rachel Zegler, arrives in theaters on Friday as one of the most troubled projects in Disney’s 102-year history. The movie became a cautionary tale about relevance — how trying to strike the right cultural chord at the right cultural moment can turn a seemingly innocuous movie into a proxy battle for special interests. And just about everything that could go wrong did, resulting in a case study of the perils of big-budget moviemaking in a volatile, fast-moving world and the risks of trying to endlessly mine existing intellectual property.

For Disney and Hollywood as a whole, this weekend will be a test: How much does prerelease Sturm und Drang even matter these days? Will family ticket buyers steer clear? Or will they ignore the negative chatter and trust a vaunted entertainment brand to provide a little escapist fun?

This article is based on interviews with more than a dozen people involved with the film. Together, their accounts show how “Snow White” went from promising idea to poisoned apple, and how the entertainment giant and the film’s creative team scrambled to save it.

Some “Snow White” challenges amounted to bad luck. Pandemic Covid cases flared up just as production got underway in London, forcing Disney to adopt stringent safety protocols and adding millions of dollars to the budget. One of the sets, a cottage with a thatched roof, caught fire on a soundstage. The 2023 actors’ strike forced Disney to halt reshoots. Gal Gadot, cast as the Evil Queen, suffered health complications from a pregnancy, delaying reshoots and visual-effects work.

Gal Gadot, portraying the Evil Queen, had health complications that contributed to delays.

Other problems were self-inflicted. Disney flubbed its response to leaked on-set photos of new characters (a troop of seven woodland inhabitants known as bandits) that appear in the new film alongside the seven dwarfs, but that led fans to worry the dwarfs had been expunged entirely for political correctness. And Ms. Zegler went rogue in interviews and on social media, sparking one controversy after another.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to the movie was the cultural shift that has taken place over the past several years.

In 2021, online trolls attacked Disney for casting Ms. Zegler, a Latina actress, as Snow White. “Snow Woke” briefly trended. But the pushback dissipated, and Disney shrugged it off. Inside the studio, executives were proud of the casting. They had been wowed by Ms. Zegler’s voice and screen presence. They saw her ethnicity as a bonus. The killing of George Floyd a year earlier by a police officer had roiled every sphere of American life, prompting institutions and individuals around the country to confront racism and inequity. In Hollywood in general and Disney in particular, “We must do better” rang in every hallway.

As “Snow White” finally comes to market, however, Disney finds itself in a very different climate. Companies, including Disney, have raced to distance themselves from diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives amid a broader backlash toward D.E.I. policies by President Trump. What had been a positive — a Latina in a role associated with whiteness (it’s in the title) — became a potential liability, with right-wing agitators (many of them adult men unlikely to see the film to begin with) hammering Disney and Ms. Zegler.

Some news outlets followed suit. The New York Post alone has published 20 articles about “Snow White” over the last week. “Grumpy, Dopey and Woke — Disney’s ‘Snow White’ Disaster” was the headline on one.

The tumult around “Snow White” had grown so intense by the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles last weekend that Disney heightened security and curtailed red carpet interviews. The entrance to the theater was hidden from public view by tall hedges on movable platforms. (The eagerness to see “Snow White” fall on its face was such that some online haters began insisting, incorrectly, that the premiere had been canceled.)

After the screening, a few Disney executives and people who worked on the film stood in the lobby searching people’s faces for responses and hoping for a last-minute plot twist — that reviews would be positive and their work to keep “Snow White” on track would pay off with strong ticket sales. Maybe, in the end, the movie would not go down in the Hollywood history books as a cautionary tale. Maybe I.P. really can be reimagined for every generation, just as every studio executive loves to dream.

“Our job is to delight,” Marc Platt, the film’s lead producer, said to The New York Times after the premiere. “I’m hopeful that once audiences actually experience the film, all the noise around it will fade away and people will discover a family entertainment that is joyful, aspirational and delightful.”

A naïve princess no longer

As Hollywood’s first feature-length, fully narrative animated film, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” defined a new art form. It contributed “Heigh-Ho,” “Whistle While You Work” and “Someday My Prince Will Come” to the Great American Songbook.

The movie cost about $1.5 million to make (about $34 million today) and collected $184 million (roughly $4 billion) in the United States and Canada. Walt Disney bought the land for Disney headquarters with part of the profit. To this day, Disney leaders work in a building adorned with monumental statues of the seven dwarfs. Disney Animation offices sit nearby, along Dopey Drive.

Any effort to remake the movie would carry extra weight.

Marc Platt, the lead producer of “Snow White,” at the 2025 Academy Awards, where he was nominated for “Wicked.”

Knowing this, Disney movie executives lined up an A-plus creative team. In the producer’s chair would be Mr. Platt, now a four-time Oscar nominee for “Wicked,” “La La Land,” “Bridge of Spies” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” Marc Webb, who had experience with big-budget blockbusters, including two “Spider-Man” movies, came aboard as director. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the EGOT-winning songwriting partners (“Dear Evan Hansen,” “The Greatest Showman”), would contribute new tunes.

Ms. Zegler was winning raves for playing Maria in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story.” Ms. Gadot was literally “Wonder Woman.”

The production would be colossal, sprawling across 10 soundstages in suburban London. Eight visual-effects companies in three countries would digitally create the dwarfs, the magic mirror and a multitude of cutesy animals (owls, bunnies, birds, turtles, squirrels). For the deer, puppeteers would be employed.

Most important, the screenwriter Erin Cressida Wilson (“The Girl on the Train”) had collaborated with Mr. Pasek and Mr. Paul to modernize the story. Snow White, now named after a wintry storm, was no longer a naïve princess defined by her looks; she was a leader in training, someone the Evil Queen despised because she was beautiful, yes, but also because she prized fairness as a leadership quality. The prince was dropped; that love interest became a Robin Hood-esque scofflaw. And the dwarfs, especially Dopey, were given character arcs of their own — more emotional depth, less bumbling physical comedy.

Greta Gerwig (“Barbie”) and five other writers did polishes. Satisfied by their work, Alan F. Horn, then chairman of Walt Disney Studios, pushed the project forward with a budget of $210 million. It was fall 2021. He retired from Disney shortly thereafter, entrusting execution to his former team.

‘I was born to play Dopey’

From the beginning, Disney knew the seven dwarfs could become a public-relations nightmare. Disney fans delight in them. The dwarfism community, however, tends to view the characters as infantilizing, dehumanizing and hurtful.

The studio hired three dwarfs as consultants to help navigate potential pitfalls.

The first real blowback came in January 2022 when the actor Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) criticized Disney for remaking “Snow White” during an appearance on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast. “I was a little taken aback when they were proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White,” Mr. Dinklage said. “You’re progressive in one way, and you’re still making that backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox?”

Peter Dinklage presenting an Emmy Award in January.
On a podcast in 2022, he criticized Disney for remaking “that backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave.”

Disney swiftly put out a statement: “To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.”

Because Disney did not explain its “different approach,” however, damaging theories began to wash across the internet. Had the studio decided to do away with the dwarfs? After all, they had disappeared from the title of the film.

Then an on-set photo leak turned what had been an online brush fire into an inferno. In July 2023, The Daily Mail published images that appeared to show the seven dwarfs being played by actors and actresses of various races and ethnicities; only one of them was a dwarf. The headline was “Snow White and the Seven … Politically-Correct Companions?”

At first, a Disney publicist said the photo was fake. The company then reversed itself. But Disney, worried about spoilers, did not provide a crucial piece of information: Those weren’t the dwarfs. This movie would feature two groups of seven — a troop of bandits (depicted in the photo) and a separate troop of C.G.I. dwarfs, to be added in postproduction.

As the initial March 2024 release date moved back — Disney was underwhelmed by the first cut and ordered reshoots — the studio found itself playing Whac-a-Mole with one dwarf controversy after another. When it finally emerged that Disney had opted to use C.G.I. to render Doc, Sleepy, Bashful and the gang, the company came under attack for the “erasure” of people with dwarfism.

Others criticized Disney for denying them jobs. “I was born to play Dopey,” Matt McCarthy, an actor with dwarfism, told reporters on Monday as he and his wife, an actress with dwarfism, planned a protest outside Disney headquarters in Burbank, Calif. “When you’re a little person, opportunities are few and far between,” he said.

The star goes rogue

On Aug. 9, 2024, Disney’s marketing campaign for “Snow White” kicked into a higher gear with the release of a teaser trailer. It did not go well.

Ms. Zegler’s political posts on social media created headaches for Disney.

Some people criticized the dwarves. Others mocked Ms. Zegler’s wig, likening her helmet hair look to Lord Farquaad from “Shrek.” Many simply questioned the wisdom of remaking the 1937 original. (As of Wednesday, roughly 102,000 people had clicked “like” on the trailer on YouTube, while 1.5 million had clicked “dislike.”)

But the real headache came a few days later when Ms. Zegler shared the trailer on X and added, “And always remember, free Palestine.” In an instant, “Snow White” became part of a highly divisive global political conversation — the opposite of what Disney wanted. Ms. Zegler’s comment also caused a severe rift with Ms. Gadot, who is Israeli. (Both actresses declined to comment for this article.)

Hollywood’s studio system days are long gone. Stars are free to express themselves as they wish. All studios can do is beg: Please, pretty please, stay on message. (Ms. Zegler had already angered fans of the original movie. “People are making these jokes about ours being the PC Snow White,” she said in 2022. “Yeah, it is — because it needed that.”)

The best containment strategy, Disney decided, was silence. Asking Ms. Zegler to take her post down could generate more attention — especially if she told her followers that she had been pressured to do so. But Mr. Platt flew to New York from Los Angeles to have a heart-to-heart with Ms. Zegler. He explained how much was at stake, both for Disney and for her career, and asked her to post heedfully.

She seemed to understand.

In November, however, Ms. Zegler took to Instagram to sound off about the presidential election. In a post salted with expletives, she harshly criticized Mr. Trump and those who had voted for him.

It had only been a short time since Disney had tried to turn a corner with MAGA followers by ending a spat with the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, over Disney World. A new skirmish could threaten the détente.

Within seconds of Ms. Zegler’s Instagram post, screenshots of the screed pinged between phones at Disney headquarters. How could the studio possibly trust her to participate in the coming “Snow White” publicity tour?

This time, members of Ms. Zegler’s management team, including agents at Creative Artists Agency, sprang into action. Her post was quickly replaced with an apology. “I let my emotions get the best of me,” she said. “I’m sorry I contributed to the negative discourse.”

But it was too late. Ms. Zegler, “Snow White” and Disney had already been in the cross hairs of right-wing pundits. Now, it was open season.

Megyn Kelly called for Ms. Zegler’s replacement in the film. An anti-D.E.I. agitator, Robbie Starbuck, went on the attack. Elon Musk weighed in with a post that skewered Disney for race-swapping iconic characters.

Ms. Zegler’s fans rallied around her. “So overjoyed knowing that little Latinas will be able to see themselves as such an iconic Disney princess,” one commented on Ms. Zegler’s Instagram page.

Disney hoped that prominent voices on the left would step up to deliver a pushback to the pushback. But it didn’t happen.

“Really never, but especially right now, no studio wants its movie branded as a D.E.I. lesson,” said Martin Kaplan, who runs the Norman Lear Center for entertainment, media and society at the University of Southern California.

Disney largely managed to avoid this critique as recently as 2023, when it remade “The Little Mermaid” with a Black actress in the title role; defenders were plentiful. But last month, when Disney released “Captain America: Brave New World,” with a Black actor in the title role for the first time, the company had a harder time.

It’s not an entirely new phenomenon: Think of the male-Internet uproar over the all-female “Ghostbusters” from 2016, or the ongoing fan vitriol around Disney’s efforts to bring diversity to the “Star Wars” franchise. But the “anti-woke right” has grown more powerful, Mr. Kaplan noted, while defenders on the left have grown quieter, either because they feel cowed or frustrated or because even they have come to see Hollywood’s aggressive diversity efforts as clumsy.

“I’m not sure anyone could have predicted that a reactionary force could so quickly and dramatically reverse the cultural winds, but that is certainly what has happened,” Mr. Kaplan said. “What once were uncontroversial or proud decisions are suddenly somehow un-American.”

Digital wig fixes

As “Snow White” bounced from one controversy to the next, the Hollywood gossip mill kicked into high gear: Surely, Disney would cut its losses and send this beast straight to streaming.

But sweeping “Snow White” under the rug (as the company had done with other problem movies, including the critically reviled “Artemis Fowl” in 2020) was never something that Disney considered. The budget for “Snow White” had risen to $270 million, not including marketing. Disney+ would need to absorb that cost (minus tax incentives) if it took the film. And that would undercut one of Disney’s key promises to Wall Street: greater streaming profitability.

Disney also knew something the outside world did not: After the reshoots (“additional photography” in studio parlance) and extensive visual-effects work, the movie was starting to jell.

A second-act song called “Hidden in My Heart,” a tear-jerker sung by one of the dwarfs, had been cut to speed the story along. A new scene near the finale involving the Evil Queen and magic mirror had added spectacle. That troublesome wig had undergone digital fixes.

Was it possible that “Snow White” was becoming … a decent movie? At least one that would entertain the Disney faithful?

In October, executives from across the company had been scheduled to fly to Disney World in Florida for a corporate retreat. When the summit was called off at the last minute because of Hurricane Milton, the studio team used the time to focus on “Snow White.” Disney’s new live-action film chief, David Greenbaum, who had inherited the troubled project, gathered a dozen studio leaders in a screening room on the Disney lot and spent two days scrutinizing the movie — stopping it, starting it — to see what could be improved, according to three people with direct knowledge of the session, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private process.

The C.G.I. dwarfs looked “waxy,” Mr. Greenbaum worried. They could also be better integrated with live-action woodland footage shot on location. What trims could be made? The bandit story line, it seemed, could be tightened by a lot.

Changes were being made to the movie until February.

Mr. Webb, the director, kept tinkering with sound and color until February.

A fairy tale ending?

On Tuesday, Mr. Webb was in an upbeat mood. Reactions from people invited to the premiere had been positive. He positioned his “Snow White” as a throwback to a simpler time.
“Now that people are seeing the movie, I think they’re surprised and warmed by how nostalgic it is,” he said in a phone interview. “This movie is nostalgic not just in its aesthetic but in its worldview. It’s wholesome and kind, and that’s what I’ve held sort of dear through this whole process.”

Reviews arrived on Wednesday. Critics praised Ms. Zegler’s performance, but were underwhelmed by the film as a whole. “It’s just, well, fair,” Nell Minow wrote on RogerEbert.com.

Based on ticket presales and surveys of moviegoer interest, “Snow White” is expected to collect $45 million to $50 million at domestic theaters over the weekend, according to box-office analysts. That start would be slow for a Disney live-action remake: In the 15 years that the company has been producing them, none of the big-budget entries have exclusively arrived in theaters to less than $58 million, after adjusting for inflation. (That was “Dumbo” in 2019.)

David A. Gross, a box office analyst, noted that some of the thrill of seeing an animated classic reimagined as a live-action spectacle has worn off in the years since “Snow White” went into production. The film’s ultimate box office tally will probably come down to what he called “the babysitter effect.”

“Never underestimate the need for a 6-year-old to be entertained,” Mr. Gross said.

La réinterprétation en live-action aurait été mise en pause.

The Hollywood Reporter a écrit:

Disney’s ‘Tangled’ Live-Action Movie Hits the Pause Button (Exclusive)

'The Greatest Showman' helmer Michael Gracey was on board to direct the musically inclined remake of the 2010 animated hit.

Rapunzel is rolling back up her hair.

Tangled, Disney’s live-action reimagining of its 2010 animated film focused on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale heroine, has been put on pause, according to studio insiders.

The project had been in active development, with The Greatest Showman helmer Michael Gracey on board to direct and a script by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Thor: Love and Thunder, Do Revenge).

The pause occurs in the wake of the rather underwhelming release of Disney’s latest live-action adaptation, Snow White. The movie has grossed only $69 million domestically and $145 million worldwide on a production budget of $270 million (the budget inflated due to the 2023 labor strikes). The film was plagued by controversial headlines from the start due to casting and creative choices and then into its press tour due to social media posts from star Rachel Zegler. But Snow White didn’t fare well with the critics nor audiences, the latter of which have given it a B+ Cinemascore (anything outside the A range is considered unsatisfying). It currently only has a 50 percent on review aggregator Metacritic.

It remains uncertain whether Tangled will move forward down the road or undergo a creative rethink.

Since the early 2010s, Disney has embarked on a live-action feature strategy that relied heavily on returning to its library and repurposing its old titles. Some of the features worked incredibly well (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King) while others did not (Dumbo, Pete’s Dragon). Recently, Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa: The Lion King had a slow start with a $35.4 million domestic opening before picking up steaming and ending up with an impressive $718 million globally. Before this, The Little Mermaid earned a tepid $570 million.

But Snow White seemed to test the limits of that strategy.

The coming 15 months will offer two more live-action remakes to test audiences’ appetite. And each one has glimmers that offer Disney reason to believe they will be successful. Lilo & Stitch, a remake of the 2002 animated film, surfs into theaters May 23. During this year’s Super Bowl game, a spot featuring Stitch “crashing” the field generated 173.1 million views in 24 hours, making it Disney’s most-viewed spot digitally. The trailer also became the second most-viewed Disney live-action trailer of all time.

Meanwhile, the live-action Moana is set to sail July 10, 2026. That film has the benefit of being based on one of the biggest movies streaming on Disney+, surpassing 1.4 billion hours, which Disney has pointed out is equivalent to streaming the film over 735 million times. Or playing the Grammy-winning Oscar-nominated song “How Far I’ll Go” on repeat for more than 50,000 years. And it also comes a few months after the animated sequel, Moana 2, grossed $1 billion when it was released last November and became the third highest-grossing film of 2024.

Tangled’s pause also comes as some of the architects of Disney’s live-action features strategy have exited the studio’s executive ranks and a new infusion has taken place. In February, Daria Cercek was named the head of live action theatrical films, reporting to David Greenbaum, President of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, who replaced Sean Bailey last year.

Deadline estime que Blanche Neige pourrait faire perdre environ 115 millions de dollars, avec un box-office mondial final estimé à 225 millions de dollars.
Ce serait un montant proche de la perte des 117 millions du film Le Manoir hanté en 2023, mais pas aussi conséquent que The Marvels (237 millions) ou Wish (131 millions).

Selon leurs prévisions, Blanche Neige pourrait générer 295 millions de dollars : avec 101 millions de gains du box-office mondial, 62 millions de dollars par les ventes et locations vidéo physiques et numériques, 130 millions de dollars de revenus de streaming et de télévision, et 2 millions de dollars de produits dérivés. Mais à cela s'ajouteraient les 410 millions de dollars de dépenses du long métrage, comprenant un prix de production net de 270 millions de dollars (en raison des démarrages et des arrêts à cause du protocole COVID,l'incendie sur le plateau et les grèves), ainsi que 111 millions de dollars de frais de marketing et 29 millions de dollars de frais résiduels et autres dépenses.
Cette prévision ne prend pas en compte les possibles revenus futurs provenant des parcs, croisières et de Disney+.

Deadline a écrit:

‘Snow White’, Poisoned By Controversy At Box Office, Won’t Have A Happy Ending With A $115M Loss: What Went Wrong

Disney’s Rachel Zegler- and Gad Gadot-starring Snow White is headed to an estimated loss of $115 million after all global home entertainment, TV and Disney+ ancillaries, according to distribution sources Monday. The loss, which was expected, is based on a final worldwide box office of $225M.

Broken down, the global cume is based on a possible $100M take at the domestic box office, which is under the $115M gross of 2019’s Dumbo (another live-action remake of a classic Disney animated feature), and a $125M overseas total. Snow White, which hit theaters March 21, ended its second U.S. weekend Sunday with $14.2M — off 66%, steeper than Dumbo and the Maleficent movies — and $36.3M global, for a running worldwide cume of $143.1M.

Snow White per our forecasts will clear $295M in revenues from $101M global film rentals, $62M worldwide home entertainment, a $130M from streaming and TV revenues and $2M from merchandise. Note when Disney+ buys the title from itself for its streaming window, it’s not a quick and easy calculation of 10% of domestic box office, which was the case back in the old days of Pay 1 windows. Rather, it’s a more byzantine computation based on myriad factors, I’ve been told. Counter this with $410M in feature expenses that are comprised of a $270M net production pricetag from the starts and stops due to the strikes, and a fire on the UK set, as well as $111M global P&A and $29M in residuals and other expenses.

Keep in mind that the above doesn’t indicated future monies from theme park or cruise ancillaries down the road. Also, realize that once Snow White hits Disney+, it could take on a viewership life of its own and have a second halo that’s unforeseen at this point.

In a battered box office where brand is king, Snow White wasn’t a dumb decision for Disney. It was logical. 500 Days of Summer Marc Webb directing, Wicked‘s Marc Platt producing and Oscar winners Pasek and Paul writing songs. Barbie‘s Greta Gerwig has fingerprints on the script.

Yet, what does everyone learn from this exercise?

Clearly, the age old adage that controversy is bad for a movie’s publicity, and Disney went through this before in the change-up between Lord & Miller as directors to Ron Howard on Solo: A Star Wars Story. The movie’s future box office fate was sealed from that moment on becoming one of the lowest grossing Star Wars movies at $393M WW. Zegler’s comments on Snow White didn’t help, nor did her pushback to trolls ranting about a Latina in the title role (Nonetheless, right wing media and these trolls were never ever going to see this movie, nor change their minds about it), and the anti-Trump outrage in a pro-Trump role isn’t proper business for anyone. But we can’t deny her sublime talent, nor should she be punished. This happens with young stars who are unabashed to share their opinions, having been raised in a social media world.

How to fix? Disney could have screened the movie early for social media influencers to get great word of mouth out there. Still, as we reported, the uphill with Snow White is the fact that it’s a feature take of a classic Disney toon (Dumbo, Maleficient), and those have a very different box office outcome than anything being adapted past the 1989 Jeffrey Katzenberg musical renaissance (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Lion King). Alice in Wonderland is the exception with a $1 billion global take made with the acid stylings of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp when he was hot as hell in a pre-streaming 2010.

But off that point of Alice in Wonderland: if this feature live action adaptation of the old Disney toon vault (pre 1989) is to survive going forward under the Disney Studios Boss David Greenbaum regime, it’s not in a straight-up take of the IP, rather an avant garde one ala the Emma Stone fashionista punk rock Cruella (which is getting a sequel). Never mind Cruella‘s $233.5M global take; remember, it was impacted by a Disney+ theatrical/PVOD day-and-date strategy coming out of Covid.

Suite du communiqué de presse :

In Cinemas:

About the Cast:

About the Filmmakers:

Jon M Chu a écrit:

10 Academy Award Nominations. Grateful grateful grateful #WickedMovie

Cynthia Erivo a écrit:

Moments like this don’t come along very often, and when they do, it is sacrilege to let them pass by without a moment of gratitude. I am grateful, grateful to the Academy, grateful to be a part of something that makes people feel seen, grateful to be a cog in the wheel of a piece that makes us believe in magic, grateful to have experienced a dream come true, and deeply deeply grateful for this unbelievable recognition.

I often get asked what I would say to my younger self. Well today there’s nothing to be said. She is smiling, beaming, glowing from ear to ear. That speaks volumes.

To my sister, Ariana, what a joy it is to be here with you watching as you ascend and amaze and become the actress you were meant to be. Congratulations first time nominee, I’m so so proud of you!! There is no one in the world I would have wanted to do this with more than you.

Thank you Jon, our fearless leader whose kindness provided us with the room to play, you are deserving of all good things and I’m lucky to call you my brother.

Marc, Winnie, Stephen, Universal fam, Wicked fam!!! LETS GO!!! 🧹

Ariana Grande a écrit:

picking my head up in between sobs to say thank you so much to the academy for this unfathomable recognition. i cannot stop crying, to no one’s surprise. i’m humbled and deeply honored to be in such brilliant company and sharing this with tiny ari who sat and studied Judy Garland singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow just before the big, beautiful bubble entered. i’m so proud of you, tiny.
thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for this acknowledgement the academy.

thank you Jon for taking this chance on me and for being the most unbelievably brilliant leader, human being, and most fierce friend. i am so deeply proud of my beautiful Wicked family. i am so proud of my Elphie, my sister, my dear Cynthia. your brilliance is never ending and you deserve every flower (tulip) in every garden. i love you unconditionally, always.

i don’t quite have all my words yet, i’m still trying to breathe. but thank you. oh my goodness, thank you. Universal, Marc, my family, my heart.

lemons and melons and pears, oh my. 🫧

PinkLadyTremaine a écrit:

Hello tt le monde, tt les enfants sages ont découvert leur PNS? ;-)

Normalement j'ai tout listé et oui... Sauf si j'ai loupé quelqu'un ^^'

Cocolapin n'a pas eu l'occasion de chercher mais il a peut être déjà trouvé par élimination ? Du coup je n'ai pas mis la liste des P§MNS découverts dans le doute.

Je l'ai oublié au travail, je peux même pas la mettre en spoiler pour l'instant (j'y avais pas pensé désolée).

Le lutin fantôme reviens pour rattraper les messages

PoohBear J'ai récupéré mes colis le 2 janvier... Fallait pas être pressé. Je suppose que c'étais bloqué par un trop gros nombre de colis? Enfin Vinted Go c'est fini, je retourne sur du mondial relay. C'est plus cher mais j'attend moins.
Si j'appelle parfois Nougat le Brouillon et Neïa la perfection, mais il sait que c'est mon bébé d'amour, il subit régulièrement sur harcèlement au bisous et câlin. Plus que sa sœur qui est une peureuse, elle se laisse pas approcher (pas folle, elle veut pas de harcèlement). J'ai quand même un câlin chaque soir avant de dormir quand je m'allonge dans mon lit. Elle est rassurée que quand je suis dans mon lit (la je suis assise sur mon lit, elle est couchée pres de moi et je peux la caresser. Je cherche même plus à comprendre xD).
Oh les pins HP trop beaux !

Malefique94 t'es trop mimi avec ton petit chapeau
Bonjour magnifique Gaïa J'adore quand vos compagnons velus squattent vos photos !
Mais ou ta MNS a trouvé tout ces supers cadeaux ?
Ah enfin tu as ta voiture ! Je crois qu'on a la meme sauf que moi elle est en manuelle et le gris pars un peu plus sur le bleu.
Oh tu sais moi Nougat le brouillon, je l'aime énormément, c'est l'amour de ma vie ce chat, j'ai retrouver le meme lien que j'avais avec mon 1er chat que j'ai eu a mes 1an Meme si j'aime aussi énormément Eva et Neïa !
En general je joue au sims sur PC pendant mes vacances, mais la j'ai pas du tout eu le temps de toucher a mon PC. Si je commence je joue toute la journée, la suivante et ptet encore la suivante selon la météo et le temps de mes vacances Pour ca le chômage était pratique
Je me suis posée 2 jours, je passais mes après midi et soirée sur un puzzle qui m'a torturé la tête Un puzzle a énigme sur le thème Alice au Pays des Merveilles l'image de la boite et le puzzle en lui même présentait des différences. Mais au final c'est surtout les fond qui ont été difficile a faire Et les énigmes difficile a comprendre. J'ai du utiliser les indices sur 2 et franchement ca n'aidait pas su tout ... Mais bon j'ai pensé a rien et le puzzle est joli !

OMG la Jim Shore Aristochat je suis jalouuuuuuuuse !!!

Lady-Panpan j'ai aussi passé mon réveillon de Noël en jogging, nouvel an en pyjama Bon au moins j'étais pas malade pour Noël
Ouah les beaux colis que vous avez eu avec Clochette62
Ne t'en fais pas pour Cocolapin, un happy ending devrait se produire
J'espere que ca va mieux ! Moi ca commence enfin (j'ai fini par aller chez le medecin apres 10 jours de toux, j'était arriver a un stade ou j'étais a deux doigts de tomber dans les pommes apres des quintes de toux. J'etais épuisée, je repportais car je n'avais pas encore ma carte de Mutuelle et je voulais pas aller chez le medecin sans avoir fait ma prise de sange bi-annuelle... J'ai dit tant pis, j'étais a bout x)
Je ne l'ai toujours pas reçue d'ailleurs... Je vais devoir envoyer un mail au service qui s'en occupe. Dingue de bosser en Mutuelle et d'avoir ce genre de problème, merci nos nouveaux collègues.

minniegigi OMG les médaillons de la Belle et la Bête sont trop beau !

nuteliam rolala j'adore le coussin Oliver and Co

Je m'excuse platement d'avoir loupé ton anniversaire, pourtant c'est une date pas compliqué à retenir Le temps a filé, j'ai pas lu les message quand je passais rapidement et nous voila le 09/01/25 .... C'est mon recourd de bouletude sur les anniversaire je pense... Joyeux non anniversaire

sandrine1976 il est sympa le Stitch Reine de Coeur. C'est vrai que le dessin est joli
J'aurai trop aimé avoir se set de boule de bain ! Jeu et detente

disneygirl59's mum oh trop jolie les gravure en bois ! Celle des Pikachu

m0rwen j'espère que tu as passé un bon moment à Milan
Trop cool les friandises du Japon ! Une amie Japonaise est venue a DLP la semaine de Noël, elle nous a ramenée un snack sucré et un salé, j'adore !

Je te souhaite pourvoir visiter DisneySea un jour, c'est mon parc favoris pour le moment (soyons honnête, il sera très difficile a détrôner rien qu'avec le Mermaid Laggon )

disneygirl59's mum ouaw, tu as des jolies choses dans ton colis Je t'envie actuellement ta bouillotte micro-onde, flemme d'aller faire bouillir de l'eau pour ma bouillotte traditionnelle
Un chat qui mange une carotte... Original

nath98 tes amuses bouches pour le réveillons avaient l'air bien bon ! Nous on a commencé directement au foie gras et saumon fumé
Apres on avait des coquilles St Jacques, canne facie avec pomme noisettes et buche glacée... Ont a bien roulé
Tes deco de noël sont super jolies ! Ouaw tout plein de cadeaux avec la participation de ton toutou j'adore

Nims j'adore les livres de la collection que tu as reçu dans ton colis ! Ils sont super jolis !

Encore toutes mes félicitations Luna et Tigroufan

Spoiler:

Des bisous à tous, force et courage pour le dernier jour avant le week-end pour celles qui triment au travail

Coucou !

Je me laisse vraiment débordé sur le suivi du topic

Je rattrape :

m0rwen l'aide ménagère est la, ca me soulage un peu (mais pas assez pour venir régulièrement *se cache*). Bah écoute le roi lion a l'air de tenir, il t'attend peut être Franchement, du moment que tu mets tout ton cœur dans le colis de ton ES, c'est le plus important, qu'importe qi tu ne peux pas passer tout les jours, tant que tu n'oublie pas ton ES
Je suis contente de lire que Nunu mange mieux ! J'espère qu'il a moins mal à son dos aussi.
Han c'est dur de laisser nos bébé, Saïko te fera la fête quand tu reviendras j'en suis sure
Ah bah super le début d'année 2025, perdre une personne qui en remplaçait deux, sans remplacement youpi ... Et le 2eme collègue, ils comptent pas le remplacer non plus ?
Tu es partie où en vacances ?

Lady-Panpan haha j'ai pas pensé a loucher avec Nougat car j'essayais de faire un photo rapide avant que la veto revienne dans la pièce pour pas passer pour une maman chat complètement gaga (bon en vrai c'est tellement griller de loin )
Tes bébés sont si craquants
Super les ongles !

Clochette62 avait pas tort au blindtest pour "Tu t'envoles", t'as déjà essayer de faire un tour de balais ? Demande à Neuville ca décoiffe
J'attend toujours un colis vinted pour une amie... Et cette amie m'avais envoyé un colis via vinted (elle est Belges, on prefere passer par la que par juste mondial relay). Sont colis est aussi bloqué, du coup ni l'une ni l'autre on aura nos cadeaux de noel

PoohBear je confirme que la procrastination c'est mal (je sais même pas si tu te souviens que tu as écris ca tellement j'ai abusé de la procrastination )
Je suis désolée pour ton colis ton/ta P/MNS aussi ! Ils sont passés deux fois, mais apparemment sans te laisser d'avis de passage. Je t'ai envoyé un mail à ce sujet mais du coup j'ai ma réponse
Tu as trouvé le temps de voir Wicked ?
Le sapin est installé depuis hier, les achats... Bah les principaux c'est fait et j'en ai une parti de bloqué grâce à VintedGo, d'habitude je passe via mondial relay... Bah j'y retournera, 2 colis de bloquer depuis deux semaine pour un et une semaine pour l'autre youpi !
Nougat est un amour, c'est plutôt simple de lui mettre des gouttes. C'est plus fatigant les comprimé, mais il en avait pas la ouf
Lui il a les yeux gris, sa sœur a les yeux bien bleus et elle louche pas, comme je dis toujours, on a le brouillon et l'œuvre d'art
Une amie a vu le musical Retour vers le futur, elle avait adoré ! Londres durant Noël c'est encore plus beau
Non mais suis tellement en PLS pour Cocolapin et toi pour vos colis et vos P/MNS aussi

Malefique94 je serai aller voir Le Roi Soleil même sans Emmanuel, j'aime tellement cette comédie musicale, j'ai saignée les CD
Nougat va mieux et les deux autres vont très bien, c'est l'hivers, Nougat cherche le contact avec Mamie Eva et elle ronchonne beaucoup sur lui
Je vois qu'il faut enterrer un corps pour Nims ? Let's go ca se passe où ?
Ah bah super pour la voiture

Nims ya un sapin de fait ca y est, j'ai pas eu le temps de faire le mien (pas taper). Hier m'a mère s'est rendu compte que sa guirlande électrique ne fonctionnait plus, on a du faire 4 magasin avant d'en trouver, du coup pas eu le temps de faire le mien.
Il a pas trouvé les gouttes pour la conjonctivite drole non plus, mais il est sage et bouge pas quand je lui mettais
J'adore tes ongles

sandrine1976 ouaaaw bravo Arwen pour ce beau bulletin !
Et oui, on rencontre quelques péripéties pour ces colis Mais il y aura un happy ending !
Sacré souvenir la naissance de Nuteliam, c'est super que la famille ait pu rester !

nuteliam Je joue a Tears of The Kingdom, depuis sa sortie Oui je joue par periode et mes manettes ont eu le fameur probleme de joycon.... Elles auront tenue longtemps. La j'ai acheté des nouvelles manettes, du coup je m' suis remise. Mais bon je suis sur la fin, toutes les missions quasi faites, ainsi que les temples, mais j'aime pas allez dans les profondeur ca me fait peur J'en fait même des cauchemars la nuit
Les sims sur console j'aime pas du tout. J'en avais un un sur DS, c'etais nul... Rien de mieux que les jeu PC.
Oui l'aide ménagère vient maintenant, ma mère ca avance, elle fait plus de chose, mais des que je suis a la maison, bizarrement elle arrive plus a les faire le week-end faut que je prépare son petit dej alors que tout les jours ou je suis au travail, elle le fait toute seul mais bon.
Et oui, Nougat a retrouvé son regard de tombeur !

cocolapin merci pour ce partage de photos et de nous faire voyager avec toi

Luna1005 bon je vois que la poste a géré ton colis, je m'attendais pas à tant de rapidité
Je suis contente de lire que vous avez aimé les cadeaux
Non mais c'est quoi cette sage femme qui abandonne ses patientes ? Heureusement que tu en a trouvé une autre et bien meilleure !

minniegigi j'espère que vous vous êtes bien reposé Cocolapin et toi après toutes ces visites

J'ai pas touché terre depuis mon dernier passage, j'espère avoir pas été un lutin trop nul ces 10 derniers jours J'ai normalement pas loupé de message à passer. Metro, boulot, pas dodo ! Toute la semaine, impossible de dormir, j'ai la tête beaucoup trop pleine je pense. T'es épuisé mais pas moyen de fermer l'œil, l'ordi n'aidant pas, j'évitais de passer le soir après avoir tout fini à la maison.

Je me suis dit le 25 tu seras enfin tranquille, mais ma demi sœur vient de me dire qu'elle allait passer avec notre père à la maison, le 26 après midi je vais chez ma meilleure amie qui réuni la famille pour que ses enfants ouvrent leurs cadeaux en une seule fois (je suis totalement ravie d'y aller mais encore pas de pause bulle). Faudra attendre vendredi pour RIEN FAIRE ! Pitié, que rien ne se mette ce jour là, je veux souffler de la sociabilisation ! J'aime mon entourage mais j'ai besoin de solitude, de puzzle, de jeu video, de film sous la couette et 1 jour c'est pas assez

00H, demain une journée chaotique m'attends : télétravail, conduire ma mère au kiné (soucis avec son transport demain, ils ont deux voiture en réparations, comme je suis la je dépanne), course pour le repas de noël, je vais encore être en grande forme moi

Profitez bien de vos vacances et repas en famille

Et celles qui sont la tete sous l'eau comme moi.... We will surviiiiiiiive !

Intrada Records a annoncé sortir une nouvelle version de l'album de la bande originale du film Dinosaure. Le coffret de 2 CD comprendra la bande originale étendue du film composée par James Newton Howard, avec plus de 30 minutes de musique inédite, ainsi que des pistes alternatives. La bande originale est désormais disponible à la commande sur le site officiel du label.

THE SCORE
01. Inner Sanctum/The Nesting Grounds (3:20)
02. The Attack (1:17)
03. The Egg Travels (2:47)
04. The Egg Hatches (3:46)
05. Playing Monster (2:13)
06. The Mating Ritual (4:19)
07. The Meteor (4:07)
08. Arrival On The Mainland (2:12)
09. Raptors/Aladar Meets The Herd (4:29)
10. Aladar Meets The Misfits (Film Version) (5:47)
11. The Trek (2:34)
12. Finding Water (5:14)
13. Aladar And Neera (6:11)
14. The Cave (5:27)
15. Attack In The Cave (3:54)
16. Neera Rescues The Orphans (1:15)
17. A Dead End (1:06)
18. Breakout/Comes With A Pool (5:48)
19. Kron And Aladar Fight (3:01)
20. Carnotaur Stand-Off (4:53)
21. Epilogue (2:34)
CD 1 Time: 76:09

THE SCORE (Cont.)
01. End Credits (6:20)
Total Score Time: 82:20

THE EXTRAS
02. Aladar Meets The Misfits (Alternate Ending) (3:34)
03. The Trek (Alternate) (2:55)
04. Enough For Everyone (Alternate) (1:32)
05. End Credits – Version 2 (6:05)
06. End Credits – Version 3 (6:18)
The Extras Time: 20:33

2000 SOUNDTRACK ALBUM
07. Inner Sanctum/The Nesting Grounds (3:00)
08. The Egg Travels (2:44)
09. Aladar & Neera (3:29)
10. The Courtship (4:14)
11. The End Of Our Island (4:01)
12. They’re All Gone (2:09)
13. Raptors/Stand Together (5:38)
14. Across The Desert (2:26)
15. Finding Water (4:15)
16. The Cave (3:41)
17. The Carnotaur Attack (3:53)
18. Neera Rescues The Orphans (1:13)
19. Breakout (2:44)
20. It Comes With A Pool (3:02)
21. Kron & Aladar Fight (2:58)
22. Epilogue (2:33)
Soundtrack Album
Time: 51:53
Total CD 2 Time: 78:48

RAIPONCE - LA SÉRIE

LE VENT DANS LES CHEVEUX :

TANT D'AMOUR À DONNER :

TANGLED: THE SERIES / RAPUNZEL'S TANGLED ADVENTURE (VERSION ORIGINALE)

WIND IN MY HAIR :

MORE OF ME :

L'INCANTATION DE LA GUÉRISON :

WHAT THE HAIR?! (VERSION ORIGINALE)

HEALING INCANTATION :

L'INCANTATION DE LA GUÉRISON :

TOI ET MOI :

PASCAL'S STORY (VERSION ORIGINALE)

HEALING INCANTATION :

YOU AND ME (FRIENDSHIP SONG) :

ÉCOUTEZ-MOI BIEN :

THE WRATH OF RUTHLESS RUTH (VERSION ORIGINALE)

LISTEN UP :

C'EST MON RÔLE :

JE TE RENDRAI FIER :

JE TE RENDRAI FIER (REPRISE) :

QUEEN FOR A DAY (VERSION ORIGINALE)

I'VE GOT THIS :

LET ME MAKE YOU PROUD :

LET ME MAKE YOU PROUD (REPRISE) :

TA LIBERTÉ :

PLUS PRÊT QUE JAMAIS :

LE VENT DANS LES CHEVEUX (REPRISE) :

SECRET OF THE SUN DROP (VERSION ORIGINALE)

SET YOURSELF FREE :

READY AS I'LL EVER BE :

WIND IN MY HAIR (REPRISE) :

QU'IMPORTE OÙ L'ON VA :

FAIRE MARCHE ARRIÈRE :

QU'IMPORTE OÙ L'ON VA (REPRISE) :

BEYOND THE CORONA WALLS (VERSION ORIGINALE)

NEXT STOP, ANYWHERE :

IF IF COULD TAKE THAT MOMENT BACK :

NEXT STOP, ANYWHERE (REPRISE) :

DANS LES AIRS :

FREEBIRD (VERSION ORIGINALE)

VIEW FROM UP HERE :

IL FAUT TOUJOURS PARLER À CŒUR OUVERT :

LA BALLADE DU PIED FROID :

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT HOOK FOOT (VERSION ORIGINALE)

SPEAK FROM YOUR HEART :

HOOK FOOT'S BALLAD :

MON AMI :

L'INCANTATION DE LA PIERRE DE LUNE :

EN COULISSES :

RAPUNZEL AND THE GREAT TREE (VERSION ORIGINALE)

BUDDY :

REVERSE INCANTATION :

WAITING IN THE WINGS :

VIVRE UN RÊVE :

THE BROTHERS HOOK (VERSION ORIGINALE)

LIVIN' THE DREAM :

AVEC VOUS PRÈS DE MOI :

SI SEULEMENT J'AVAIS SU :

DESTINIES COLLIDE (VERSION ORIGINALE)

WITH YOU BY MY SIDE :

EVERYTHING I EVER THOUGHT I KNEW :

EN COULISSES (REPRISE) :

JE FRANCHIS LE PAS :

L'INCANTATION DE LA PIERRE DE LUNE (REPRISE) :

ON N'A JAMAIS ÉTÉ SI FORTS :

RAPUNZEL'S RETURN (VERSION ORIGINALE)

WAITING IN THE WINGS (REPRISE) :

CROSSING THE LINE :

REVERSE INCANTATION :

STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE :

Empire Magazine a écrit:

The Acolyte Deserved A Season 2 – And Star Wars Will Be Poorer Without It

In Star Wars, there’s always been more than one side to the story. When Luke Skywalker confronted Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Force Ghost in Return Of The Jedi – having learned that his father is Darth Vader and not, as Obi-Wan previously claimed, a man killed by Darth Vader – the Jedi Master delivered a sly retort: “What I told you was true… from a certain point of view.”

No Star Wars story has dug into the idea of a ‘certain point of view’ quite like The Acolyte – the all-original High Republic-era series devised by Leslye Headland, in which a Jedi cover-up spawns disastrous consequences for all involved. Across its first – and now only – season, the show presented a series of shifting viewpoints on a situation with no clear-cut answers; just flawed people making flawed decisions, whether Jedi or Sith(ish) or something in between. It was a unique storytelling mode for the galaxy far, far away, expanding upon the brief Rashomon-esque Luke-and-Kylo flashbacks in The Last Jedi to deliver a multifaceted story boasting stark revelations; critiques of the Jedi Order; a sympathetic view of the personal betrayals that might draw an individual to the dark side; and real, personal pain. That pain is now felt by The Acolyte’s acolytes: the show will not return for Season 2. It feels like a massive mistake.

For fans, there’ll be a real sense of unfinished business. While Season 1 reached a satisfying point in its cyclical character arcs – ‘sisters’ Osha and Mae had, effectively, switched places on the scale of light and dark, inverting the board with which the show began – there are major questions posed for a potential Season 2 that will remain unanswered. Who, exactly, is the Stranger, the mysterious masked baddie? What exactly was his fractious former relationship with Master Vernestra Rwoh? How does the briefly-glimpsed Sith Lord Darth Plagueis impact the Stranger and Osha’s story? And how would Yoda have responded to Vernestra’s decision to cover-up the cover-up? Unless the remaining story is told in another form – novels, perhaps – we’ll never know.

The Acolyte would, undoubtedly, have picked up more viewers discovering it at their own pace.

This is unusual in Star Wars storytelling. Rarely has a story been started that isn’t either finished or later woven back into the wider narrative – arguably, Solo: A Star Wars Story might have spawned additional sequels (a Lando spin-off with Donald Glover has been circling in development for a while), but films are finite. A series without a definitive end is left dangling. The very genesis of The Acolyte came from a desire to expand beyond the much-explored Skywalker Saga timeline, rewinding 100 years before The Phantom Menace to cultivate a new era – as a result, it’s unlikely that the questions unresolved by The Acolyte Season 1 can be tied up on-screen elsewhere. At least for now, it’s its own corner of the galaxy.

That idea – to present something entirely new within George Lucas’ world, not drawn from the animated series or connected to a previous film – was one of the biggest reasons for audiences to be excited by The Acolyte. It was also, always, going to be a tougher sell. Sure, its array of Jedi characters allowed for plenty of lightsaber-centric marketing – but it didn’t have a Baby Yoda to capture the hearts of Star Wars agnostics; nor did it have a character like Ahsoka with its own built-in audience; even Andor spun off a character (admittedly not one people remembered particularly fondly) from the $1 billion-grossing Rogue One. According to Deadline, it was the viewership for The Acolyte that resulted in it not being renewed – it had the lowest-viewed finale of any Star Wars series so far. Regardless of any opinion on the show itself, is that really a surprise, given the lack of name recognition? Should season finale numbers be the measure of success for any Star Wars project going forward? A series like The Acolyte would, undoubtedly, have picked up more viewers discovering it at their own pace on Disney+.

The worry here is that Lucasfilm – or the Disney overlords – may be more hesitant to move ahead with original Star Wars stories down the line. The Acolyte was a risk, extricated from the Skywalker Saga. And it took narrative risks too: its unusual structure delivered two equal-and-opposite flashback episodes at apposite points in the season, each illuminating contrasting viewpoints on its central conundrum; in Lee Jung-jae’s compelling Sol, it gave us a Jedi Master character to put your faith in, only to have you, resignedly, root for his demise in the finale; it dared to take several cast members off the board in an astonishing mid-season brawl. And it offered things we’d never seen before in Star Wars too: a Kyber crystal being bled in real-time; a possessed Wookiee Jedi fighting his friends tooth-and-nail; Cortosis armour with the ability to de-power lightsabers mid-fight. For a franchise caught between being reverent to its own near-50-year history and trying to forge a new future, The Acolyte was hell-bent on accelerating both.

There are concerns, too, that The Acolyte ending abruptly will – inadvertently – embolden the darker side of the Star Wars fandom. It’s undeniable; they exist, loud in voice, probably smaller in number than their presence suggests. But before a single frame of The Acolyte had emerged, they were perpetuating a narrative against the show. That it was ‘woke’ (whatever the hell that actually means), that it would be the end of Star Wars, that it was anti-George Lucas, that it was going to ruin the Jedi. The show’s mere existence (before it actually existed) caused ire in the worst corners of online discourse. These are not people who watched the show and didn’t like it (a valid response for some viewers). These are people who didn’t like it before they’d even seen it. It won’t be the intended effect, but those obnoxious and unwelcome voices will only feel vindicated by The Acolyte’s premature ending.

A cultural force like Star Wars can’t afford to be one that lets its fans down.

Meanwhile, those who did support the show are the ones being let down. Fans are not entitled to art; artists are not beholden to their audiences. And yet, Lucasfilm getting behind The Acolyte was a statement of intent: there was a story that demanded to be told here, and it would introduce Star Wars fans into something fresh and new. Not renewing the show for Season 2 feels like a refusal to commit to that story; a creative backing-down, leaving viewers’ personal attachments to the ongoing narrative unfulfilled. Sure, The Acolyte – like any Star Wars series – is an expensive proposition (reportedly $180 million). But the financial investment isn’t just in creating the show itself; it’s in fostering fans’ trust and attention and imagination for the long road. A cultural force like Star Wars can’t afford to be one that lets its fans down.

The disappointment, then, is seismic. Which doesn’t take away from what The Acolyte Season 1 gave us. It presented a refreshing take on a galaxy we’ve long come to know; some of the greatest fight choreography in the franchise; connections to deep Expanded Universe lore; a big-screen representation of (the end of) the High Republic; Trinity from The Matrix using Force-fu. Hopefully, in time, more fans will appreciate what The Acolyte achieved – or, at least, strived for. Opinions on Star Wars rarely remain static; this is the way. But like those decisions made by the Brendok Jedi, the choice to end The Acolyte here is flawed; perhaps fatally so. Here’s hoping it doesn’t send more Star Wars fans to the dark side.

The Acolyte is streaming on Disney+

L'article de Forbes ne met pas pour autant de côté le film de 2019 dans le projet.
On peut noter :

- Il est vite devenu évident que Disney n'avait pas accidentellement publié le mauvais concept art ou utilisé la mauvaise formulation dans l'annonce, car il a procédé à plusieurs publications similaires dans différentes langues et a même publié une version animée de l'illustration montrant les personnages du film animé par ordinateur.

- « Bien que la phase de conception détaillée soit toujours en cours et que davantage de détails soient révélés ultérieurement, cette nouvelle zone immersive célébrera la magie de la franchise Le Roi Lion dans son ensemble. L'attraction principale suivra l'histoire et l'apparence du film d'animation original », a déclaré Disneyland Paris dans un communiqué. « L'attraction sera basée sur le film d'animation de 1994. Les illustrations conceptuelles publiées pour D23 sont uniquement indicatives car nous en sommes aux premières étapes du projet. »

- Bien que cela rétablisse la vérité, cela n'explique pas pourquoi le parc a publié à plusieurs reprises des images montrant les personnages animés par ordinateur et a même pris la peine de créer et de publier une version animée de l'œuvre. Une demande de commentaires supplémentaires a été envoyée et ce rapport sera mis à jour si une réponse est reçue.

- "Il peut sembler stupéfiant que Disney ait fait une autre gaffe quelques semaines plus tard, mais en réalité, tout n'est peut-être pas ce qu'il semble être. [...] L'utilisation par Disney de personnages animés par ordinateur et de leurs homologues dessinés dans ses communications sur le land du Roi Lion lui permet de garder ses options ouvertes quant à ce qui sera finalement utilisé. Le land n'a pas encore de date d'ouverture, donc le temps joue en faveur de Disney. Si Mufasa est un échec, l'entreprise peut s'en tenir à son projet de thème du pays du Roi Lion de 1994, mais si Mufasa est un succès retentissant, elle peut s'en tenir au concept art qui n'a clairement pas été créé et publié par accident.

Forbes a écrit:

Disney Sets The Record Straight About Upcoming Theme Park Attraction

Disney has issued a rare clarification to clear up confusion about an upcoming theme park attraction after fans claimed the media giant had misled them.

After months of decline in its stock price, Disney finally lifted the lid on some of its biggest upcoming projects at its biennial D23 bash at the weekend. However, one of its most eagerly-awaited announcements left more questions than answers.

For the past few years Disney's bottom line has been propped up by the profits from its Experiences division which includes its theme parks and cruise ships. Their success has compensated for the blockbuster losses burned up by the Disney+ streaming platform which only became profitable in the latest quarter, five years after it was launched. It came at just the right time as Disney recently forecast that over the next few quarters it is expecting a slowdown in demand for its domestic parks which generate the majority of the revenue and profit of its Experiences division.

As we reported, it was far from a spellbinding backdrop for a series of announcements about cost-intensive theme park investments which made it all the more important to ensure that they hit the mark.

Disney played it safe with many of the announcements as it revealed that it is working on attractions which have been rumoured for decades. They include a land dedicated to the Monsters, Inc. computer-animated movies at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando whilst the neighboring Magic Kingdom will get an area themed to the villains from the Mouse's classic cartoons. Both projects date back to the days when Michael Eisner was in charge of Disney and have been discussed for so long that they had almost become legend.

Disneyland Paris also got in on the action and, like many of the other attractions, it wasn't a great surprise. British newspaper The Express set the scene for it back in November 2017 when it revealed that Disney would invest $2.1 billion in its Parisian theme park complex over the following decade. The news was finally officially confirmed by Disney in February 2018 at a meeting between its chief executive Bob Iger and French president Emmanuel Macron.

There are two key areas of investment. One is an overhaul of the resort's Disney Village shopping and dining district which the news was broken about on Forbes in 2018, precisely four years before it was officially announced by Disney.

The other component is the addition of three lands to the Walt Disney Studios, one of the two theme parks at Disneyland Paris. When the investment was officially announced, Disney revealed that the new lands would be themed to its Avengers superhero series, its computer-animated Frozen films and the Star Wars sci-fi saga.

In July 2022 Avengers Campus swung open its doors and at D23 Disney announced that the Frozen land will follow suit in 2026, by which time the Studios will have been renamed Disney Adventure World. The force was not so strong with the Star Wars land which was quietly dropped over the past few years.

In an interview on French television in 2022, Disneyland Paris' president Natacha Rafalski was asked directly if the Star Wars land was still planned and she replied that "we are still working on the third theme. We will make announcements about this when we are ready." As the Star Wars land wasn't publicly dropped, it kept the public guessing and the anticipation increased right up to D23.

Rumours swirled that it would be replaced with a land themed to The Lion King, one of Disney's most beloved franchises, and that's precisely what was announced at the event. However, this was just the start of the story.

The announcement of the Lion King land was accompanied by concept art, an online video and several scale models. They all showed a land with lush green rolling hills leading up to a rocky outcrop where the eponymous feline is famously brandished before flocks of animals in the 1994 hand-drawn animated original and its remake 25 years later. The 2019 movie shares the same story but overlays computer-animated characters onto live action backgrounds.

In the Lion King land at Disneyland Paris, water pours down a steep slope under the rocky plinth as a log flume is integrated into the area. So far, so Disney but then comes the twist which cuts to the heart of one of the many challenges currently facing the company.

Confusingly, the concept art of the Lion King ride clearly shows the landscape and characters from the computer-animated remake even though Disney's announcement referred to it telling the story "seen in the beloved Walt Disney Animation Studios classic." It soon became clear that Disney hadn't accidentally posted the wrong concept art or used the wrong wording in the announcement as it proceeded to make multiple similar posts in different languages and even released a moving version of the artwork showing the characters from the computer-animated movie.

At D23 Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, seemed to follow the script, rather than the images on the screen behind him, when he described the Lion King land as being "based on this animated classic". However, of course, the computer-animated remake is also based on the animated movie so it didn't appear to rule it out. Likewise, a social media post from Disney referred to the new development as an "attraction and immersive themed area inspired by The Lion King" which could also apply to both of the movies.

The models of the attraction don't help to clear up the confusion. Crucially, they contradict the concept art by including figurines which are clearly based on the 1994 movie. That's not all as the models also come with mini logs which have a side-by-side seat configuration whereas the art shows that they will have one seat behind the other. One of the models even has different landscaping around the attraction so they don't even tally with each other.

It is worth noting that, in contrast to other theme park operators, Disney has a history of releasing concept art which varies greatly from the end result. As we have reported, the artwork for the new log flume in the Magic Kingdom showed that it would be topped off with a soaring weeping willow tree but this was scrapped.

Likewise, the drawings of Disney's theme park take on the the Avatar movie had mountains which appeared to float but the anchor points of their real-life counterparts are hardly hidden.

In contrast, when the Middle Eastern theme park operator Miral was working on its Warner Bros. World park it released concept art which looks staggeringly similar to the end result as shown by the images here and here.

Disney's concept art tends to give more of an indication of the atmosphere of the attraction rather than being a precise template to follow. However, if the Lion King log flume isn't actually based on the computer-animated movie it wouldn't just have a different atmosphere but entirely different content so this isn't an explanation for the contradiction between the art, the announcement and the models.

The latter clearly aren't definitive evidence of what the end result will be like as the scale versions of the buildings found in other parts of the park don't even have signs on them. Adding further confusion to the matter, an eagle-eyed fan spotted that photos of the Lion King land model being made show that the reference images on the walls in the background are of scenes from the computer-animated movie, not the 1994 film even though the figurines are of the characters from it.

The icing on the cake is that the official online video about the new land features both the characters from the 1994 movie and the concept art showing their computer-animated counterparts. There has been no suggestion that both will be showcased in the attraction and it would look muddled if they were as they have completely contrasting styles. Indeed, that is why this matter may actually give significant insight into the future of an entire segment of Disney's business.
we revealed
The original Lion King is one of the most beloved animated movies of all time with a 93% audience score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. However, the computer-animated remake doesn't rank far behind with 88% so you might think it wouldn't matter which movie the log flume is based on. Not so fast.

Since the computer-animated version was released in 2019, Disney has had little luck with the remakes of its classic cartoons. The last three alone are testimony to this.

Pinocchio and Peter Pan & Wendy were awarded audience scores of just 27% and 11% respectively whilst The Little Mermaid fared much better at 94%. It was the only one of the three movies which was released in theaters as the other two were streamed. Despite its high audience score, Little Mermaid failed to make a splash at the box office.

According to industry analyst Box Office Mojo, the movie grossed $569.6 million with around half of that going to Disney and theaters retaining the remainder. As we revealed, this only gave the movie a profit of around $40 million at the box office and it could still sink into the red. That's because the data was based on its $304.4 million (£243.5 million) costs to the end of August 2022 which was eight months before the movie was released. As it was effects-heavy, its budget will have swelled before then in post-production possibly pushing the picture into a loss.

Worse still, one of the chief criticisms of the movie was the calibre of the visuals and that is common to many of Disney's remakes. In The Little Mermaid, it was the fish. "Their tiny mouths are contorted in unnatural ways," said Vox. "It's as though there’s almost something sinister hiding underneath the computerized animal skin – and that's even before they start singing and dancing."

Likewise, critics complained that the computer-animated puppet in Pinocchio looked "creepy" and that the canine protagonists of Lady and the Tramp had "glassy, expressionless eyes." Although the Lion King remake made an impressive $1.7 billion at the box office, viewers aren't as attached to its characters as they are to the hand-drawn originals. That is clear from the almighty backlash to the concept art of the Lion King land.

"Oh god please not inspired by the live action movie," said Clay Freeman on social media. "YUCK! It's the Live-Action one," added another user with others going even further. "The decision to base this off the live action has spoiled any excitement I had," read one comment with another adding that "no one wants live action."

For many, the computer-generated characters aren't authentic with one user asking Disney "why’d you use the awful remake version for this concept art instead of the real version?" This was echoed by social media user Blake Haupt who also asked Disney "why on earth would you use the live action version?"

The answer is synergy. If the movies in the theaters are good enough, they convince kids to subscribe to Disney+ so that they can stream the films at home. Watching them reminds the kids to ask their parents to take them to the theme parks so that they can go on the rides based on the movies. Gift shops selling merchandise featuring the characters in the rides are cunningly placed at the exits of the attractions so that riders have to pass through them when they are in a happy frame of mind. This encourages them to buy the merchandise and when they take it home it reminds their kids of the park which encourages them to book a return visit and the cycle begins anew.

This model only works if the Intellectual Property (IP) that the ride is based on reflects the movies that Disney is making. It drives revenue and therefore profit which is what Disney's Experiences division needs so it remains to be seen whether the media giant would take a risk by basing a new ride on very old IP. Apparently not, according to Iger.

Talking at the recent MoffettNathanson Media and Communications Summit, he revealed the impact that Disney's IP has on the return it makes from its theme parks. "Interestingly enough, if you look – if you analyze carefully how we achieve those returns on invested capital in the parks, it was all about the IP. So, for quite a long time, new attractions in lands at the parks were based on essentially either very old IP or no IP, just an attraction. And starting really with Cars Land and Toy Story and there are a few others, I can’t remember this, all the specifics, we decided that almost all of our investment in the parks in terms of attractions and lands would be using that IP. And it’s very, very clear what that delivers."

Twitter user TheMagicEverywhere also made the astute observation that it would be more logical to base the Lion King land on the life-like computer-animated version so that it doesn't look fake or cartoony. Disney seems to think otherwise.

"While the detailed designing phase is still under way and more details will be revealed at a later stage, this new immersive area will celebrate the magic of the Lion King franchise as a whole. The main attraction will follow the story and design of the original animated movie," said Disneyland Paris in a statement. "The attraction will be based on the 1994 animated movie. The concept art released for D23 is illustrative only as we are in early stages of the project."

Although this sets the record straight, it doesn't explain why the park repeatedly released images showing the computer animated characters and even went to the trouble of creating and releasing a moving version of the artwork. A request for further comment has been sent and this report will be updated if a response is received.

Regardless of the reason for the decision, this does not seem to be the clearest way to begin promoting the new land, especially as it has changed its theme once already. It isn't just confusing, it could unnecessarily put off potential customers if they wrongly believe the ride will feature the computer-animated characters.

"The concept art is misleading, the ride isn't going to be based on the remake," wrote Dom Brown on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Another added "Josh said it was based on the original animated Lion King. Someone else said the model shows simba in the animated style. The concept art is misleading I think." Yet another user shared this view and said "it is not based of the live action Lion king. The concept art is misleading."

Trying to make sense of this, an X user called Aly wrote "I'm still so confused, it says 'themed to The Animated 'The Lion King'' But the concept art uses the live action. Are they just place holders for the art or what?"

If that is the reason it would be a tremendous blunder, especially as it comes just two months after Disney spoiled the surprise of its new log flume in the Magic Kingdom by releasing a disenchanting ride-through video a month before its official debut as we reported. It may seem staggering that Disney has made another gaffe just weeks later but actually all may not be what it seems.

In December Disney will release Mufasa, a prequel to the computer-animated Lion King as it tells the story of the feline's father who dies at the hands of his brother in the first movie. Mufasa features the same computer-animated characters as its predecessor and given how well it performed at the box office, Disney has high hopes for the new movie. It will be a litmus test for whether the malaise over the remakes can be overcome and if not it could spell the end of the format.

Disney's use of the computer-animated characters and their hand-drawn counterparts in its communications about the Lion King land enables it to keep its options open as to which will end up being used. The land does not have an opening date yet so time is on Disney's side. If Mufasa is a flop then it can stick with its plan to theme the land to the 1994 film but if Mufasa is a smash hit then it could stick to the concept art which was clearly not created and released by accident.

A fan called Boria wrote on X, "we all know they’re waiting to see if the upcoming Mufasa movie will be a hit to decide on that." If so, it suggests Disney is aware that its computer-animated remakes may be on their last legs due to public apathy. That may not be music to investors' ears as Disney has missed at least one obvious opportunity for a live-action sequel as we have reported.

In contrast, Disneyland Paris is not leaving any stone unturned. Lise Valencia, senior business solutions manager at Disneyland Paris Event Group, revealed today that the Lion King land was "the first in a series of exciting announcements about the ambitious transformation of our parks." She added that "more exciting news is coming this week."

That would be no bad thing as Disneyland Paris was short-changed by D23. The Lion King log flume was the only new ride announced for the French resort whereas the US parks got more than ten. Moreover, an outdoor log flume isn't perhaps ideal in a country where the temperature often falls below freezing in winter. As an X user called Phoebes also pointed out, "can we really call it a land when it’s one ride?"

These kind of criticisms were lost in the furore about the theme of the attraction and that could be just the happy ending that Disney was actually looking for.

Autour des effets spéciaux réalisés par Wētā FX :

Michael Moriarty, directeur général de Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Crédit photographique : Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort présente une forte amélioration des performances au cours de l’exercice fiscal 2023, renforcée par une fréquentation locale record et un fort rebond du tourisme sur le territoire de Hong Kong.

Le resort hongkongais affiche des bénéfices au cours de l'année civile 2023, stimulés par le nouveau land World of Frozen, attractions et spectacles nocturnes.

World of Frozen prolonge le succès continu du complexe touristique, avec des revenus et un bénéfice net records au premier trimestre de l'année civile 2024 !

En décembre 2023, le resort a franchi une étape importante en accueillant son 100 millionième client depuis son ouverture en 2005.

Au cours de l’exercice fiscal 2023, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort a enregistré de solides performances financières dans tous les domaines, avec une forte croissance par rapport à l’exercice précédent, malgré l’impact des restrictions de voyage pendant la pandémie pendant près de la moitié de l’exercice fiscal en question.

De plus en décembre 2023, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort a entièrement remboursé la facilité de crédit financée par une filiale de The Walt Disney Company et n'a plus eu recours à celle-ci par la suite.

La fréquentation totale du parc a augmenté de 87% pour se porter à 6,4 millions.

Les dépenses par visiteur ont augmenté de 54 %.

Le taux d'occupation global des hôtels du resort a augmenté de 23 points pour atteindre 47 %

(il faut prendre en compte que le resort n'est toujours pas ouvert 7 jours par semaine tout au long de l'année et que seul 77% de la capacité hôtelière du resort était disponible et commercialisée pour diverses raisons comme des rénovations par exemple, le Disney Explorers Lodge n'a repris ses activités pendant sept jours par semaine qu'en avril 2023, tandis que le Disney's Hollywood Hotel n'a rouvert ses portes qu'en juillet 2023.).

Les revenus ont augmenté de 156 % pour atteindre 5,7 milliards de dollars de Hong Kong.

L'EBITDA s'est amélioré de 207 % à 924 millions de dollars de Hong Kong

Perte nette améliorée de 83 % à 356 millions de dollars de Hong Kong.

Depuis le weekend denier et jusqu'à la fin du mois d'août, le resort hongkongais reprend un rythme d'opération quotidienne avec son parc à thème.

Pour conclure, le directeur général Michael Moriarty a déclaré : "Alors que Hong Kong Disneyland célèbre son 20e anniversaire l'année prochaine, restez à l'écoute des mises à jour et des offres passionnantes à venir !"

Citation :

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Shines as Beacon of City’s Tourism, Rebound Outpacing the Overall Market

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (Hong Kong Disneyland) today shared its business results for the fiscal year of 2023 (FY23) and the latest resort developments. The theme park reported record-high local attendance and an encouraging rebound in mainland China and overseas visitation compared with pre-pandemic levels.

(With a year-end date on the Saturday closest to, if not on, 30 September, the fiscal year consists of 52 weeks with the exception that approximately every six years, the fiscal year comprises a 53-week period. Fiscal 2023 and 2022 were both a 52-week year ending on 30 September 2023 and 1 October 2022, respectively.)

The resort also announced a profit in calendar year 2023, driven by the success of a holistic strategy to create lifelong memories among local guests and robust campaigns that reignite tourists’ intent to visit following the resumption of inbound tourism in early 2023.

“We have entered a new era. I am extremely proud of all we have accomplished at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort in the lead-up to our 20th anniversary, achieving profitability in calendar year 2023 and our rebound in visitors outpacing the overall Hong Kong tourism market ,” said Michael Moriarty, managing director, Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

(Hong Kong Disneyland’s non-local attendance recovery has outpaced Hong Kong’s total visitor arrival recovery according to figures from the Hong Kong Tourism Board, comparing the same period in 2023 and 2018.)

“And the strong momentum continues. The first quarter of calendar year 2024 was our most successful quarter ever, achieving record levels of revenue, EBITDA and net income.”

Moriarty added that Hong Kong Disneyland has firmly established itself as a key driver and contributor to Hong Kong’s economy and community through its ongoing investment in bespoke attractions, experiences and storytelling, as well as its corporate citizenship efforts.

“Through a series of record-breaking achievements, fueled by creativity and innovation, including our new signature offerings — the reimagined Castle of Magical Dreams, ‘Momentous’ Nighttime Spectacular and most recently, World of Frozen, we have become a drawcard for Hong Kong tourists,” Moriarty added.

“We’ve created a unique, world-class tourist destination in the Greater Bay Area for our guests in Hong Kong and the region, who have embraced Disney in their own favorable way.”

The rebound of non-local guest attendance outpaced Hong Kong’s overall visitor arrivals recovery in calendar year 2023 when compared with 2018 levels. This positive momentum continued in Q1 of calendar year 2024. Rebound in mainland guest attendance was particularly strong.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort - 25 juin 2024.

Crédit photographique : Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

Crédit photographique : Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

J'ai eu la chance de découvrir les premières images de Le Robot Sauvage au festival d'Annecy et je tenais à vous partager mon retour tant je suis ressorti émerveillé et bouleversé de cette séance.
La première bande-annonce était déjà très prometteuse comme le montrent les avis ci-dessus, c'est donc un des premiers événements que j'ai réservé !

On a tout d'abord commencé par une jolie vidéo-montage qui rend hommage à DreamWorks puisque les studios célèbrent leur 30ème anniversaire. Beaucoup de leurs œuvres ont indéniablement marqué le monde de l'animation, et c'était une vraie bouffée de nostalgie que de se replonger dans leur historique, le tout sur le score épique de John Powell pour Dragons. J'ai eu les larmes aux yeux de revoir la scène du premier contact entre Harold et Krokmou sur écran géant. C'était aussi tellement satisfaisant de revoir des scènes du grandiose Le Prince d'Égypte. Les émotions sont d'autant plus exacerbées dans ce contexte, dans ce festival qui ne rassemble que des passionnés d'animation et qui a toujours une ambiance de folie !
C'était quand même drôle de voir que la réaction du public était totalement différente selon les films mis en avant : si les applaudissements se déchaînaient pour Le Prince d'Égypte, Shrek, Les Bad Guys ou Le Chat Potté 2, on a eu des silences de marbre pour Baby Boss, Les Trolls ou encore Ruby l'ado Kraken, ça m'a vraiment explosé de rire de voir que toute la salle était raccord comme ça

Bref, pour entrer dans le vif du sujet, on a d'abord revu la première bande-annonce de Le Robot Sauvage (ce qui est toujours appréciable sur grand écran). Ensuite, le réalisateur (Chris Sanders, grand nom de l'animation) nous a présenté deux extraits.

- Le premier est le début du film. J'étais étonné de la durée de la projection qui était beaucoup plus longue que ce à quoi je m'attendais (pour mon plus grand plaisir). On a bien dû voir les 20 ou 25 premières minutes du film au moins !
Ma première surprise fut de découvrir que le robot parle, sous les "traits vocaux" de Lupita Nyong'o. Ça m'a tout de suite crispé car je connais le penchant de DreamWorks pour l'humour bien lourdingue alors que je m'attendais à un film contemplatif avec très peu de dialogue qui se rapprocherait de la poésie de WALL•E. Mais la surprise passée, on s'habitue et j'ai très vite été rassuré par tout de que j'ai vu ensuite, on ne tombe jamais dans le ridicule.

Spoiler:

Chris Sanders a énormément insisté sur l'aspect visuel, en expliquant qu'ils avaient poussé le style de Le Chat Potté 2 encore plus loin. Il a répété a de nombreuses reprises que, pendant le développement de film, il n'a pas su à faire la différence entre les dessins exploratoires et le rendu final des scènes. Il pensait être en train d'observer un dessin d'exploration quand celui-ci se met soudainement à bouger. On peut le comprendre, avec à l'appui des images comparant les "concept arts" et les scènes finales. J'ai vraiment trouvé que les compositions de chaque plan étaient super bien travaillées, ça reste contemplatif comme je l'espérais.

Il a aussi expliqué que Roz a vraiment eu un impact sur la vie des animaux sur l'île. Si au début l'ambiance est très hostile et survivaliste, la générosité un peu naïve du robot et sa détermination a été involontairement instigatrice d'une certaine bienveillance. On voit certains animaux se mettre à - timidement - l'aider parfois et faire preuve de gentillesse envers elle, c'est vraiment touchant car le spectateur ressent vraiment sa solitude.

- Le second extrait doit probablement se situer entre le milieu et la fin.

Spoiler:

La musique est très belle est accompagne à merveille les scènes. Chris Sanders nous a dit qu'il s'agissait d'une version provisoire et promet une bande originale finale encore meilleure.

Enfin, ils nous ont montré en exclusivité la seconde bande-annonce avant qu'elle ne sorte mondialement quelques heures plus tard et qui a été très bien accueillie.

Pour conclure cet énorme pavé, je suis évidemment passionné par WDAS et Pixar et c'est même la raison principale de mon déplacement au festival, mais Le Robot Sauvage a clairement volé la vedette et est devenu ma plus grosse attente cinéma de 2024. Je suis persuadé qu'un excellent film nous attend, possiblement un futur chef-d'œuvre, et j'espère qu'il rencontrera son succès !

Amy Poehler, la voix de Joie, aimerait bien voir plus de suites sur la vie de Riley : "Je pense simplement qu'ils devraient faire des films comme 'Seven Up!' tous les deux ans dans la vie de Riley. Une jeune adulte, une jeune mère et, je pense, une personne d'âge mûr – tout le monde éprouve de nouvelles émotions très distinctes qui apparaissent tout le temps."

Empire a écrit:

Amy Poehler Wants More Inside Out Sequels, Following Riley’s Life ‘Like Seven Up’ – Exclusive

Of any Pixar film to sequelise, a follow-up to Inside Out makes perhaps the most inherent sense. In fact, the ending of the first film actively invites it. While a new status quo is established in Riley’s mind – with Joy and Sadness reconciled – there’s a big ‘PUBERTY’ button just waiting to be pressed, and a tantalising question from Amy Poehler’s Joy: “After all, Riley’s 12 now. What could happen?” The answer is, a lot. Hence, Inside Out 2 will see the influx of several new emotions in Riley’s headquarters, set to rock her world all over again – a reflection of the total upheaval that comes with adolescence.

As Poehler tells Empire, that process of emotional evolution never really ends – and her hope is that there’ll be many more Inside Out movies to come, reflecting that journey. “I just think that they should make these films like Seven Up, every couple of years in Riley's life,” she enthuses. “A young adult, and a young mother, and I think a middle-aged person – everyone's having these very distinct new emotions that are showing up all the time.” It’s a tantalising prospect – imagine an ongoing Linklater-esque study of a single lifetime, in Pixar form.

Of course, the bar for Inside Out 2 alone is astonishingly high. The first film remains one of the studio’s most beloved and celebrated works – even among those who made it. “It was super-emotional, and I felt so proud to be in it,” Poehler recalls of seeing the finished thing back in 2015. “I still maintain it’s probably the best film I’ve ever been in.” But for all the pressure, Poehler had no qualms about attempting to strike gold for a second time in the sequel. “This is where Joy and I dovetail,” she says. “You can’t let that fear stop you from action. You have to act. What Joy would say about it — and what I would too — is, ‘What are you going to do? Not make it, because you’re afraid it’s not going to be good? We just have to do it.’” Bring on a fresh jolt of joy.

Forbes a écrit:

Disney Reveals Record $540 Million Theme Park And Hotel Investment

Disney spent a record $540 million on its Parisian hotels and theme parks in 2023

Disney has revealed that it spent a record $543 million (€504 million) last year on renovating the flagship hotel at its resort in Paris and building a land there based on the hit animated movie Frozen.

It is the largest annual investment ever made in Disneyland Paris since its ornate iron gates swung open in 1992 and is almost double the peak amount spent during the construction of the Walt Disney Studios park where the Frozen land is located.

The new land will sit on the fringes of a man-made lake which is also under construction along with a new restaurant, a ride themed to beloved 2010 movie Tangled and an Alice in Wonderland stunt show which will debut later this month. The new attractions will be a whole new world for the resort and when the Frozen land opens over the coming years the Studios park will be renamed Disney Adventure World.

It is part of a plan to nearly double the size of the park which opened in 2002 and has long been criticised for being far smaller than its fairytale-themed neighbor, the Disneyland Park.

In November 2017 we broke the news about the expansion which was officially announced in February the following year at a press conference led by Disney's chief executive Bob Iger and French president Emmanuel Macron.

The first step in the expansion plan was the opening in 2022 of the Avengers Campus area based on Disney's Marvel superhero characters. Its roller coaster races past screens showing Iron Man and Captain Marvel whilst another ride uses motion-sensing cameras and 3D screens to give guests the impression that they are spinning webs alongside Spider-Man as we have reported.

A Spider-Man attraction is at the heart of Disney's Avengers Campus in Paris

The lavish land is designed to look like a secret base which has been built on the site of old factories and military compounds. No expense has been spared as fake crumbling brickwork, complete with faded paint on it, can be seen behind the futuristic facades. It feels like less of a theme park area and more of a stage for guests to act our their super hero fantasies.

Costumed characters do battle with each other on the roofs of the elaborate buildings which seems like a more natural location for mock-fights than the stages that usually stand on the ground in theme parks.

Even the restaurants are suited to their surroundings. One is supposedly powered by the serum which enables tiny Avengers team member Ant-Man to shrink and grow so it serves micro Oreos and burgers the size of dinner plates cut into slices like cake.

Another restaurant is hidden inside a converted World War II control center which has blueprints of weapons from the Avengers movies hanging on the walls. Stain marks next to them appear to have been caused by an explosion and there is good reason for this.

The wizards behind this immersive land, and all of the others in Disney's parks, are are known as Imagineers because their jobs involve the imaginative application of engineering. Disneyland Paris was developed by Imagineers who aren't just leaders in theme park design but the entire experiential entertainment sector. They include luminaries like Tom Morris, Eddie Sotto and Jim Shull who oversaw the Avengers Campus.

Shull says the story behind the blast marks is that the dining area was originally a store room for dangerous materials and something went awry there. Pointing to a map of the land, Shull even shows where an airfield would have been located in the imaginary world where the buildings were actually a military base rather than a theme park land.

"The airfield doesn’t exist in reality, but it was present in my mind whenever I thought about the foundations of the designs," he says. It has paid off.

One of Imagineering's most skilled artists, Shull was the logical choice for Avengers Campus as he began drawing Marvel characters when he was only a few years old. "I also owned thousands of Marvel Comics and they proved as useful as the films in the creation and design process," he says. No stone was left unturned as he even visited factories in France to ensure that the ones in Avengers Campus looked authentic.

"European factories don’t look the same as US factories," he says. "The electrical, the fittings, the walls are different." No detail was too trivial as he even inspected valve fittings to design the exposed piping for the make-believe former factory in Avengers Campus. "European guests would have known if the factory didn’t look correct," he explains.

It comes at quite a cost and, according to David Jaraudias, design manager of Avengers Campus, Disney spent a total of $398.6 million (€370 million) on the land. It didn't take long for the investment to start paying off.

Shull's attention to detail has driven a stream of guests through the turnstiles. According to the 2022 Theme Index Report from infrastructure analysts AECOM, attendance at Disneyland Paris hit 15.3 million in 2022, rising 2% on its 2019 tally and making it Europe's most-visited tourist attraction.

Although Disney wholly owns its outpost in Paris, it doesn't itemise the results of any of its parks in its filings in the United States. However, they can be found in the French financial statements of Euro Disney Associés (EDA), the main operating company of Disneyland Paris.

As we revealed last year in The Times of London, the opening of Avengers Campus cast a powerful spell on the resort as EDA's revenue rose nearly three-fold to a record $2.6 billion (€2.4 billion) in the year to September 30, 2022. It outstripped a 57.8% increase in costs leaving the company with a $50.6 million (€47 million) operating profit, its highest in a decade.

Investment in the expansion of the Studios park began showing in EDA's financial statements in 2019 and since then, a total of $2.1 billion (€1.9 billion) has been spent on it and other smaller projects as shown in the graph below.

Last year a further $25.4 million (€23.6 million) was invested by the Disney-owned company which operates the Disney Village shopping and dining district at Disneyland Paris along with five of its on-site hotels. The grandest of the group, Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel, re-opened in 2021 following an extensive renovation which gave it the appearance of a high-end art gallery dedicated to superhero comics. It has had a magic touch.

According to documents filed by Disney last year, in 2022 the hotel's average daily rate was more than 100% higher than in 2018, its last full year of operation before closing for the renovation. The filings add that spending per room increased by more than 50% and guest scores more than doubled. It hasn't been such a fairytale for the flagship hotel at Disneyland Paris.

EDA's financial statements for the year-ending September 30, 2023 reveal that the increase in spending on construction in progress "mainly reflects the investment linked to the development plan for the Walt Disney Studios park and the renovation work of the Disneyland Hotel."

The palatial pink hotel at the entrance to the Disneyland Park re-opened in January after an extensive renovation and it is now themed to Disney princesses. It was initially deluged with negative reviews reportedly giving it a rating of 2.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor.

It has risen to 4 since then but negative reviews are still flooding in and in April alone one guest said that "the deluxe rooms are ok but not particularly magical." Another added that "literally whatever we tried and ate was probably the worst food my family ever had. (without exaggerating)." A third guest concluded that "overall, this stay was not up to expectations and we will stay elsewhere in the future."

Disneyland Paris replied to say the concerns have been logged and that it "will address them internally to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future." It isn't stopping there.

After years of under-investment, there are still many areas of the resort that are in need of a fresh sprinkling of pixie dust. In 2018 we revealed that the Disney Village would be transformed by both a major renovation and an expansion.

"We have renewed part of the hotels, and we will continue that. We have renewed a number of attractions in the parks so the next step will be to renew the Disney Village as well," revealed Francis Borezée, the former vice president of resort and real estate development at Disneyland Paris. "We will start with the renovation, but then we have an opportunity to expand where today we have tents which are used for business events."

Disney Village hasn’t changed much since it opened with Disneyland Paris 32 years ago. It was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and has an industrial style which was popular in the 1990s. There are brushed steel pillars, bare concrete paths and shops in warehouse-like units. A phased plan to give it the appearance of a rustic retail park was finally officially announced in March 2022 and is currently underway. There is more to come.

Disney Village is getting an upgrade

Another land is due to be added to the Studios park once it has been rebranded. It was originally announced that the land would be set in the world of Star Wars but since then rumours have swirled that it could be switched for one based on the Lion King or Avatar following the success of the latter at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Disney needs to work its magic next door to the Studios park too. To this day, the last major new-build attraction in the Disneyland Park was the Space Mountain roller coaster which opened way back in 1995. The resort faces home grown challenges too as the DLP Report fan account frequently posts photos of disrepair there. Even the new Avengers Campus hasn't escaped its gaze.

Its photos show that the glass doors at the entrance to one of its restaurants shattered in September, effects in the parade next door went down in February and earlier this month paving cracked near to the route.

There is no shortage of money to patch this up. As we recently revealed in The Guardian, Disneyland Paris made a record operating profit of $188.5 million (€175 million) last year as revenue rose 23.5% to an all-time high of $3.1 billion (€2.9 billion).

This represented a staggering 56.4% of the international revenue generated by Disney's entire parks and experiences division and 17.1% of its profit. In contrast, Disney's direct to consumer streaming unit burned up $2.6 billion of losses during 2023 so the profits from Disneyland Paris helped to mitigate that. The entire parks and experiences division had a similar effect on Disney's overall fortunes as it generated 69.6% of the media giant's $12.9 billion operating income on just 36.6% of the revenue.

Disney is capitalizing on this by heavily investing in its parks and resorts. It has been widely reported that Disney will pour in $60 billion over the next decade though its filings reveal that the sum will actually be half that with the difference spent on tech, maintenance and its cruise line. It is still 60 times the amount invested in Disneyland Paris last year and given how much of a glow that has given to the French resort's bottom line, Disney's parks and experiences division has everything to play for.

FREAKY FRIDAY

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME :

JUST ONE DAY :

JUST ONE DAY (THE SWITCH) :

I GOT THIS :

I GOT THIS (REPRISE) :

OH, BIOLOGY :

OOH, BABY, BABY :

IT'S ON :

PARENTS LIE :

GO :

SAY YEAH! :

JUST ONE DAY (FALSE SWITCHBACK) :

TODAY AND EV'RY DAY :

TODAY AND EV'RY DAY (REPRISE) :

AT LAST IT'S ME :

VERSION ORIGINALE

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ME :

JUST ONE DAY :

JUST ONE DAY (THE SWITCH) :

I GOT THIS :

I GOT THIS (REPRISE) :

OH, BIOLOGY :

OOH, BABY, BABY :

IT'S ON :

PARENTS LIE :

GO :

SAY YEAH! :

JUST ONE DAY (FALSE SWITCHBACK) :

TODAY AND EV'RY DAY :

TODAY AND EV'RY DAY (REPRISE) :

AT LAST IT'S ME :

TEEN BEACH 2

BEST SUMMER EVER :

SURF CRAZY (WET SIDE STORY) :

NOW I KNOW JUST WHAT I WANT :

ON MY OWN :

FALLING FOR YA (WET SIDE STORY) :

RIGHT WHERE I WANNA BE :

SO IN LOVE WITH YOU :

FALLING FOR YA :

WANNA BE WITH YOU :

TWIST YOUR FROWN UPSIDE DOWN :

MAMBO :

SILVER SCREEN :

TRAMPOLINE :

RESCUE ME :

GOTTA BE ME :

MEANT TO BE (REPRISE 3) :

TRAMPOLINE (REPRISE) :

QUEEN OF THE BEACH :

THAT'S HOW WE DO :

STARTING OVER :

VERSION ORIGINALE

BEST SUMMER EVER :

SURF CRAZY (WET SIDE STORY) :

NOW I KNOW JUST WHAT I WANT :

ON MY OWN :

FALLING FOR YA (WET SIDE STORY) :

RIGHT WHERE I WANNA BE :

SO IN LOVE WITH YOU :

FALLING FOR YA :

WANNA BE WITH YOU :

TWIST YOUR FROWN UPSIDE DOWN :

MAMBO :

SILVER SCREEN :

TRAMPOLINE :

RESCUE ME :

GOTTA BE ME :

MEANT TO BE (REPRISE 3) :

TRAMPOLINE (REPRISE) :

QUEEN OF THE BEACH :

THAT'S HOW WE DO :

STARTING OVER :

TEEN BEACH MOVIE

OXYGEN :

SURF CRAZY (WET SIDE STORY) :

FALLING FOR YA (WET SIDE STORY) :

SURF CRAZY :

CRUISIN' FOR A BRUISIN' :

WAP SHOO-WAP :

FALLING FOR YA :

BEACH PARTY :

MEANT TO BE :

OH-OH-OH :

???? (49'00) :

LIKE ME :

PA-LA PA-LA PA-PA :

???? (58'05) :

CAN'T STOP SINGING :

MEANT TO BE (REPRISE 1) :

MEANT TO BE (REPRISE 2) :

SURF CRAZY FINALE :

SURF'S UP :

CAN'T STOP SINGING (GÉNÉRIQUE DE FIN) :

COOLEST CATS IN TOWN :

VERSION ORIGINALE

OXYGEN :

SURF CRAZY (WET SIDE STORY) :

FALLING FOR YA (WET SIDE STORY) :

SURF CRAZY :

CRUISIN' FOR A BRUISIN' :

WAP SHOO-WAP :

FALLING FOR YA :

BEACH PARTY :

MEANT TO BE :

OH-OH-OH :

???? (49'00) :

LIKE ME :

PA-LA PA-LA PA-PA :

???? (58'05) :

CAN'T STOP SINGING :

MEANT TO BE (REPRISE 1) :

MEANT TO BE (REPRISE 2) :

SURF CRAZY FINALE :

SURF'S UP :