Disney Headlines for August 6th, 2021
This week, Billie Eilish turns into a princess, Disney fans prepare to explore Wild Space, and Disney plans a new animation studio.
Ride a Galactic Starcruiser!
Disney finally revealed details about its most exciting resort since Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.
I’m speaking of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, a “hotel” that will mimic the cruise ship experience. This resort will possess one key difference, though.
You won’t be setting sail across the seven seas. No, you’re going to space! Wild Space that is.
You’re an interstellar tourist taking on a meticulously detailed themed adventure.
As Disney likes to brag, you’re living out your own Star Wars story. I love this idea, as two recent Disney movies included the subtitle of Star Wars Story.
You’re like Rogue One and Han Solo! You matter in the Star Wars universe just as much as them. Okay, that’s probably an exaggeration.
Still, Disney knows that fans have always dreamt of such an adventure. So, Imagineers have built a hotel that will bring this fantasy into reality.
One publication described the whole premise as “just like Westworld.” Who wouldn’t want to do that at least once in their lives?
The headlines so far have fixated on the price, although that misses the point a bit. We know from the Disney Magic that guests pay more for the maiden voyage.
Still, a party of two must pay $4,809 for the three-day, two-night cruise, at least for the first journey. Three adults and one child would split a cost of $5,999.
Disney had hinted at a $3,000 price point for a party of two. So, this is a bit more than projected. Again, prices should stabilize after the first few weeks, though.
More importantly, we now know that you can dress in your finest Star Wars cosplay for your trip. So live the dream, baby!
Is She an Official Disney Princess Now?
Disney+ recently confirmed that it’ll air a special Billie Eilish concert next month.
On September 3rd (the start of Labor Day weekend), fans can watch Eilish perform at the prestigious Hollywood Bowl.
Eilish will play her entire new album during this show, and she’s even spicing it up.
The Los Angeles Children’s Chorus and Los Angeles Philharmonic will join her during the event, as will Eilish’s brother and creative partner, Finneas.
Even more impressive, at least to me, is the fact that famed director Robert Rodriguez (Sin City) will helm this project!
Disney just published a promotional video for the event and, well, see for yourself…
Oh yes, she just briefly turned into a Disney Princess! So that’s reason enough to want to watch, right?
Thankfully, Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles is less than a month away from premiering on Disney+.
The Next Generation of Disney Animation
We are two years and two months away from the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company, an entire business predicated on animation.
Fittingly, Disney will spend part of that time creating a new animation studio in Vancouver, Canada.
What’s the rationale behind this decision? Have you ever watched the Marvel Avengers movie? No, not that one.
I’m talking about Ultimate Avengers: The Movie, which came out in 2006. This MLG Productions/Lionsgate film used animation to tell a similar story to Marvel’s The Avengers.
In fact, the project did well enough that it spawned a sequel, Rise of the Panther, and a franchise including six other Avengers movies. The Planet Hulk one is grrreat!
At the time, these films proved economical and successful. However, the main thing that killed them was that Disney purchased Marvel.
Now, with What If…? mere days away from opening, Disney/Marvel executives are eyeing something similar. Actually, it’s not just them, either.
You know about the upcoming Moana series, right? Disney+ aspires to create lots of long-form content like movies and TV series.
A new, modern animation facility represents the best opportunity to do so at affordable prices. Disney will once again vertically integrate key portions of its animation.
Thanks to this decision, you’ll receive much more Disney+ content without a spike in prices.
Disney Miscellany
I didn’t want to go into detail about the Scarlett Johansson situation again. Not much has changed.
Some parties accused Disney of gender-based attacks, while I agree that it’s an unforced error on the company’s part.
Still, the more alarming part involves the expectation that more performers will join Johansson in suing.
The crux of this debate has little to do with the actress. Instead, it’s more about the evolving nature of Hollywood as it transitions to streaming.
Two of the stories I mentioned last week have claimed even more headlines.
Disney has entered into negotiations with its labor unions. The goal is to update collective bargaining agreements to implement safety practices.
Executives feel strongly that the CDC is right about the spread of COVID-19, particularly the Delta variant.
As such, unvaccinated workers represent a hazard to co-workers and guests alike. Therefore, Disney wants to modify prior union agreements to reflect this fact.
Presumably, the union will ask for something in return from Disney. However, they want their union members to feel safe on the job.
So, I’d expect a reasonably quick resolution to these negotiations. Recent reports suggest that something could happen next week, although setbacks are always possible.
Disney has also informed potential applicants that they must take the vaccine before joining the company.
In park news, the Hall of Presidents has reopened at Magic Kingdom.
The attraction recently added President Joe Biden and moved former President Donald Trump to a new location.
Disney is obviously sensitive to the divisive nature of the attraction lately, as the new version seems decidedly apolitical.
Finally, here’s a bit of silliness for next week’s theatrical release, Free Guy:
You have to credit the cast for trying so hard during the pandemic, no matter what happens with the movie.
Feature Image: Disney