AVATAR coming to Disney Parks
Posted on September 20, 2011 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
We have great news to share today. At a press conference happening right now at Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob Iger and Tom Staggs just announced a long-term creative partnership with James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the fantasy world of AVATAR to life at Disney Parks. And it’ll all begin at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.
James and his producing partner Jon Landau and their team at Lightstorm Entertainment will serve as creative consultants on the project and will work side-by-side with our Walt Disney Imagineers as we dream up experiences that will take our guests deep into worlds of AVATAR like never before. There are also two sequels to the record setting first film in the works, which will offer more fascinating stories, characters and locations to explore in the AVATAR universe. Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort is planned as the site of the first AVATAR-themed land with construction expected to begin by 2013.
We believe Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a great fit for this project because it was created to give guests the opportunity to experience the worlds of animals and nature – real and mythical – in new ways. Disney’s Animal Kingdom also celebrates adventure, living in harmony with nature and environmental stewardship – themes that are deeply rooted in the story of AVATAR.
The design phase on the Disney’s Animal Kingdom project has just begun so stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more details.
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Ok, my first reaction to this was, "Huh? AVATAR????" I went on to read that this is going to be an entirely new land in AK park, which made me do a double take, to be quite frank. And again, "AVATAR?"
I'll begin by saying that I haven't even seen the movie, so maybe I'm making a snap judgment, but this is the LAST theme I'd expect to see go in as an entire land in Animal Kingdom. Maybe I'm way off base, so perhaps I should see the movie. ;)
On the other hand, it's about time that they expand AK! If they can do it well, it will at least make that park more interesting, IMO, and add more to do there.
Still, though, it seems like there are about 100 different (better) ideas for a new land in a park than Avatar...
Avatar coming to AK and WDW
I happened to be over at
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/
a few minutes ago and it said that at a press meeting hapening "right now" James Cameron has signed on with Disney to create the world of Avatar at AK and WDW with 2013 as a begin date for construction.
Interesting....
Disney plans "Avatar" attractions for Animal Kingdom
September 20, 2011, 1:08 pm
Disney to Add ‘Avatar’ to Theme Park
By BROOKS BARNES
New York Times / Media Decoder
Robert A. Iger, chief executive of the Walt Disney Company, plans to announce on Tuesday morning that Disney has licensed the rights to the hit movie “Avatar” from 20th Century Fox for a theme park experience, according to two people briefed on the plan.
The “Avatar” experience – plans call for more than a single ride – will be built at Animal Kingdom, the newest of the four major theme parks that make up Disney World in Orlando, Fla., according to these people, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Disney did not authorize them to speak publicly.
James Cameron, the director of that science-fiction film, will collaborate with Disney on the attraction. “Avatar” sold $2.8 billion at the global box office and two sequels are in the works.
A Disney spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Disney Plans ‘Avatar’ Theme Park Attractions
By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor
Deadline New York
Tuesday September 20, 2011 @ 10:22am PDT
Disney has licensed the rights from Fox, and the movie’s director, James Cameron, will help to develop the attractions, CEO Bob Iger says. The first will be at Animal Kingdom in Orlando. The goal, he says, is to enable visitors to “enter the Avatar universe and explore it first hand.” Cameron adds that “to bring that to life at Animal Kingdom is fantastic because it’s so thematically aligned….We want to do things that maybe they haven’t even thought of.”
Tom Staggs, who runs Disney’s theme parks, says the company is “just beginning the development phase” for a complex that will begin construction in 2013 and include Avatar-themed shops and food destinations to “bring that world to life.” Although he wouldn’t say how much the company has budgeted, he compared the scope to the 12-acre Cars Land site at Disney California Adventure Park.