Y’all remember that movie? We Are Marshall? It was a great movie. A feel-good movie…inspirational. Here’s the thing. I’m not Marshall. But I want to be. Are you puzzled? I thought so. This has nothing to do with the movie or the university or football. Now you’re really confused. It was just a fun tie in to get you interested in the rest of the story.
See, Marshall W. is one of my Facebook friends. We have never met in person. He is affiliated with…drum roll please…DISNEY! Marshall gets to go to all kinds of awesome Disney events. And get paid for doing it!!! Now do you see why I want to be Marshall??? Marshall is a publicist with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. He lives and breathes Disney movies. Talk about a charmed life.
So here’s what Marshall did last weekend: He attended the D23 EXPO in Anaheim, CA and took a bunch of his blogger friends with him. No, alas, not me. One day I will grow up to be in the cool kids group.
Here’s what went down: Numerous talent and filmmakers from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios introduced fans to array of new stories and characters—from a lost dinosaur to a master wayfinder, a scheming fox to a forgetful fish. The audience of 7,500 was treated to sneak peeks, musical performances and appearances from stars like Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Ginnifer Goodwin, Dwayne Johnson, Randy Newman and Ty Burrell, among others.
John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, led the presentations, calling on a host of filmmakers from both studios to introduce the upcoming slate of films. “We really have an unbelievable range of movies in production at our studios right now,” said Lasseter. “The stories are dynamic, fresh and so much fun; the characters new and old are so appealing. I’m excited to share some of our long-held secrets for the first time at the D23 EXPO.”
The movies: (just a taste of what you can look forward to!)
The Good Dinosaur
In theaters on November 25, 2015, the film introduces audiences to Arlo, a sheltered Apatosaurus who finds himself far from home, and Spot, Arlo’s unlikely human friend. “Arlo and Spot journey through a world that has been greatly inspired by the American Northwest,” said Sohn. “It is epic in scope, soul-enriching and simultaneously beautiful and treacherous. In this world, we meet up with a very special family of T-Rexes, who help Arlo find a way through his personal fears and ultimately teach Arlo what he’s truly made of.”
Finding Dory
“In FINDING DORY, we can expect to address the one emotionally open-ended issue that remained from the first movie: Where is Dory’s family, and will this overly-optimistic fish with short-term memory loss ever be able to find them again? Her issue has also given us the opportunity to travel to very different locations, on land and sea, and meet a variety of new sea creatures that expand the world of Nemo, Marlin and Dory.”
Also featuring the voices of Albert Brooks, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton, Disney·Pixar’s FINDING DORY swims into theaters June 17, 2016.
Gigantic
Set in Spain during the Age of Exploration, Disney’s GIGANTIC follows adventure-seeker Jack as he discovers a world of giants hidden within the clouds. He hatches a grand plan with Inma, a 60-foot-tall, 11-year-old girl, and agrees to help her find her way home. But he doesn’t account for her super-sized personality—and who knew giants were so down to earth? GIGANTIC hits theaters in 2018.
About D23 EXPO 2015
D23 EXPO—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks and celebrities. For the latest D23 EXPO 2015 news, visit D23EXPO.com. Presentations, talent and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 EXPO conversation, make sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23EXPO.
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
So there you have it. You know why I want to change my identity to Marshall. Maybe one day…
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