Star Wars tease set to steal show at D23 Expo
45,000 fans expected for three-day event to hype new movies, games
ANAHEIM, Calif . — Will the Force be with Disney fans this weekend?
The Walt Disney Co. is cracking open the vault, rolling out the red carpet and pulling back the curtain for more than 45,000 expected fans at this weekend’s D23 Expo, a three-day celebration of all things Disney.
The extravaganza across the street from Disneyland at the Anaheim Convention Center will include special musical performances, presentations and previews of upcoming projects.
However, a possible peek at what’s to come from the Star Wars galaxy could steal the show. Disney bought the George Lucas Lucasfilm empire last year for $4.06 billion and plans to unleash a new Star Wars trilogy and two spinoff films beginning in 2015 with Star Wars: Episode VII, which is being directed by J.J. Abrams and written by Michael Arndt.
Among the live-action films expected to be teased during a Saturday presentation are Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Saving Mr. Banks and Tomorrowland. There might also be glimpses at Maleficent, which stars Angelina Jolie as the Sleeping Beauty baddie, and new intergalactic and superheroic exploits from Marvel.
On the animation front, the studio will showcase Walt Disney Animation Studios’ computer-generated adventure Frozen and Pixar’s prehistoric comedy The Good Dinosaur during a Friday presentation, as well as the Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory, the manga-style Marvel adaptation Big Hero 6 and the new Mickey Mouse short film Get a Horse!
Patterned after San Diego’s wildly successful Comic-Con, the biannual D23 Expo, which Disney launched in 2009, isn’t just about movies. On the show floor, attendees can snap up exclusive merchandise, trade collectible pins and meet stars from Disney Channel properties.
“I can’t wait to see the look on the crowd’s face when we show them what we’ve got to show them,” said Disney Infinity executive producer John Vignocchi, who will be presenting the upcoming Disney game that combines a virtual world with figurines of popular Disney characters.
The event could also offer an update on Avatar land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Orlando, Florida. The company said in 2011 it had struck a deal with filmmaker James Cameron to build attractions based on the film, which is set on the lush alien world of Pandora.