‘Tomorrowland’ peek subs for ‘Captain EO’

Hello, George Clooney. See you later, Michael Jackson?

Change is in the air at Epcot as “Captain EO” is on hiatus, Disney says, so that auditorium can be used for guests to preview scenes from the film “Tomorrowland,” which debuts in theaters May 22.

“Tomorrowland,” starring George Clooney, has a futuristic bent that could play well in the theme park’s Future World. The film is directed by Brad Bird (“The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,” “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol”), who wrote the screenplay with Damon Lindelof (“Lost”).

Segments of the movie were filmed in Central Florida, although the bulk of the production was done in Canada. One of the promotional posters features a structure that resembles Space Mountain, the signature ride of Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland.

“Captain EO” originally ran at Epcot from 1986 to 1994. It returned to the park’s Imagination Pavilion in July 2010, the year after Jackson’s unexpected death. Its second run was described as “temporary” at the time.

“EO” is a 3-D film in which Jackson plays a singing, dancing, space warrior who has a crew of aliens and robots. He is challenged by the “supreme leader,” played by Anjelica Huston. The film, directed by Francis Coppola, has also been seen at Disneyland in California, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

The Disney Parks Blog has stated that “EO” will return to Epcot sometime after the premiere of “Tomorrowland.” A specific date has not been announced.