March 2022 – Salon Mickey

The London Resort withdrawals Planning Application.

London Resort Company Holdings, the company behind the proposed £2.5bn “The London Resort” theme park project will be withdrawing its current Planning Application according to sources close to the matter.

First announced in 2012, the ambitious project earmarked for the Swanscombe Peninsula in North Kent, has been hit with numerous planning issues, spiralling start-up costs.

The discovery of a very rare jumping spider species, which resulted in the proposed location being designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Environmental campaigners have since raised more than £50,000 to protect the Swanscombe Peninsula from development, and cover legal bills to fight against the theme parks proposals.

Ten years on from the projects launch, which the ‘tabloid press’ dubbed – “London Disneyland” even though the proposed project has no connection whatsoever with The Walt Disney Company, and with key partners including ITV Studios, BBC Enterprises, and Paramount Pictures pulling out, the question remains – will ‘The London Resort’ ever be built?

A spokesman for London Resort recently said: “Nobody ever said major infrastructure projects were easy or quick.”

30 Years of Disneyland Paris with the Walt Disney Imagineers.

To celebrate Disneyland Paris’ 30th anniversary, the resort in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering, have announced the hosting of an exceptional panel that will reunite many Disney Imagineers, including several who will gather on stage for the first time since the 1990s!

Being held on 12 April 2022, at Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel Convention Center, several generations of Imagineers will gather at this special event to discuss on stage, the creation and development of Disneyland Paris in front of an audience of enthusiasts, Annual Pass members and Cast Members.

In order to allow as many people as possible to view the panel, a live streaming broadcast will also take place on the Disneyland Paris YouTube channel.

The presentation will be in English only, and simultaneous translation headsets will be provided on site for attendees needing a French translation.

From the first creative inspirations to the lasting legacy, and current transformation of the resort, including the transmission of know-how and experiences between the Imagineers over the years, the panel promises to be an exciting opportunity for Disneyland Paris fans.

The guests include:

• Tony Baxter, Former Executive Producer, Disneyland Paris

• Beth Clapperton, Art Director

• Tim Delaney, Former Show Producer, Discoveryland

• Tracy Eck, Art Director, Disneyland Park

• Björn Heerwagen, Director – Show Design & Production

• Sylvie Massara, Art Director, Portfolio Hotels

• Tom Morris, Former Show Producer, Fantasyland

Panel moderated will be by David Wilson, Vice President & Site Portfolio Executive, Disneyland Paris and Tom Fitzgerald, Portfolio Creative Executive, Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris will release registration details soon.

Fire rips through Snow White set at Pinewood Studios.

A fire broke out at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire on Monday during the filming of the Walt Disney Pictures live action Snow White movie.

Witnesses reported hearing explosions and cast members on the set of the Snow White live action movie had to rush for safety as the blaze took hold.

Photographs show the fire spreading through the set, which appears to include a thatched cottage, as well as lights and other equipment.

A source told the press: ‘A set made up of a lot of wood, and trees etc was currently being built in the Richard Attenborough sound stage.

‘Rumour is a piece of set has caught alight and spread across the rest of the set. Some crew in the studio were shaken but evacuated without injury apparently.’

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said 12 appliances and crews are on the scene, as well as five officers, and a Control Unit from Maidenhead.

The firefighters are using four sets of breathing apparatus, a hose reel and a hose reel jet.

A spokesperson added: “Thames Valley Police and South Central Ambulance Service are also in attendance, supporting the multi-agency response to the incident.”

Directed by Marc Webb, from a screenplay by Erin Cressida Wilson. Snow White is a live-action adaptation of the 1937 Disney film, which is based on the fairy tale Snow White, by the Grimm Brothers.

It will star Rachel Zegler in as Snow and Gal Gadot as the Queen.

Turning Red: Boy bands, puberty and embarrassing parents.

I had the pleasure of attending the U.K. premier of Pixar’s latest animated movie ’Turning Red’ on 21st February in London and watched it again yesterday afternoon on Disney+.

Well what can I say – Pixar does it again with another fantastic fury animation feature aimed at adolescent audiences, that really does belong on the big screen.

‘Turning Red’ is a light-hearted coming-of-age story of Mei’s, a Chinese-Canadian 13 year-old-girl dealing with the challenges of puberty.

Set in the Toronto Chinese community in the early 2000s, it is the first Pixar film to be directed by a woman, and the second to feature an Asian lead character since Up (2009).

The movie has a great voice cast lead by 16-year-old Rosalie Chiang, who didn’t think anything would come of her audition made using her mom’s iPhone 6 at 1:00 am in the morning. “the audio was really crappy,” she said.

Pixar’s base in northern California provided plenty of inspiration for the film. The Pixar animators made repeated visits to the SF Zoo to study the red pandas, with San Francisco’s Chinatown being used as a key reference point, with the Bok Kai Chinese Temple in Marysville providing the model for Mei’s family’s business.

Unfortunately it does feel that ‘Turning Red’ is a bit of a personal vanity project by first time Director Domee Shi, and that does come across in the storyline a bit. Maybe her all female production crew should have reeled her in a bit, but putting that aside, the film ticks lots of boxes that the more adult orientated Soul (2020) didn’t.

Unfortunately in its wisdom The Walt Disney Company has relegated ‘Turning Red’ to the second division by sending it straight to Disney+ for a ‘streaming only’ release, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic. Strange how ‘Encanto’ (2021) produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios received all the razzmatazz of a full blown worldwide cinematic release just a few months ago. Weren’t we in a global pandemic then too Disney….?

Maybe the subject matter of feminism, puberty and boy bands frightend the white, middle-aged male executives at TWDC?

So mums and dads – knock on that bedroom door of your tween / pre-teen / teen daughter and drag them and a few of her besties to the cinema to see ‘Turning Red’ you won’t regret it. But you might have to make a few TickTock videos along the way.

‘Turning Red’ is being screened in selected Showcase Cinemas de Lux around the U.K. and is available to stream on Disney+.

Turning Red 8/10

Disneyland Paris commits crimes against culinary excellence, as iconic American park favourite launches at French Disney park.

The iconic Disney Turkey Leg has finally launched at Disneyland Paris today, following days of anticipation by excited food loving French Disney Park fanatics, and the culinary reviews are flooding DLP influencers social media accounts, and on DLP Facebook fan groups.

Not unlike the Pineapple Whip controversy of 2016, disappointment is once again in the air following the French attempt of duplicating yet another of Disney’s iconic American food items the Giant Turkey Leg.

First reviews appear to indicate that French Turkeys are a bit on the wimpy side compared to their American cousins. More of a sparrow leg than an actual turkey leg, but unsurprisingly it tastes quite average, but not unlike barbecue smoked turkey.

The 9€ DLP Turkey Leg is a quarter of the size of it’s American counterpart and according to some reviews not as delicious tasting.

We will bring you more on Turkey Gate as the story develops.

‘Turning Red’ cast members offer support following damming review.

‘Turning Red’ cast members have lent their support to the new Pixar animated movie following a damming and controversial review published by CinemaBlend.

In the review by CinemaBlend Managing Director Sean O’Connell he said “..that the film’s appeal was limited because of it’s setting in the Asian community of Toronto”, and that “the film legitimately feels like it was made for [director] Domee Shi’s friends, and immediate family members.”

CinemaBlend has since pulled it’s review after it was called “sexist”, and “racist” by other members of the press.

‘Turning Red’ is released on 11 March 2022 exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service after The Walt Disney Company decided in January to pull the latest Pixar animated movie from cinema screens, following the path of ‘Soul’ and ‘Luca’ and only make it available on Disney+.

A number of Pixar staffers are unhappy with ‘Turning Red’ not getting a theatrical release. One anonymous Pixar employee has said that everyone was “extremely disappointed” by Disney’s announcement.

“Until today,” they explained, “We all thought Turning Red would be our return to the big screen, and everyone at the studio was so excited about it being this film in particular. It was quite a blow.”

Another anonymous employee said they were “shocked” by the announcement but was a bit more diplomatic, saying “it sucks but I get it.”

The frustration is certainly understandable, as Pixar Animation Studios has not had a theatrical release since ‘Onward’, which was a flop at the box office.

The once mighty Pixar does appear to be pulling the short straw recently with its new films being given the direct to DVD treatment, while Walt Disney Animated Studio films like ‘Encanto’ are receiving the full razzmatazz of a worldwide theatrical cinema release.

Are the days of the once mighty Pixar numbered since the controversial departure of one of its founders and Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter?

Oscar winning film producer Alan Ladd Jr who greenlit Star Wars dies aged 84.

We are sad to report the passing of legendary film producer and studio executive Alan Ladd Jr who died on Wednesday aged 84.

Ladd was responsible for green lighting Star Wars, Blade Runner, Alien, Chariots of Fire, Thelma & Louise, and Braveheart. Over the course of his career, the films he produced or greenlit won more than 50 Oscars and 150 nominations.

Ladd, the son of Shane star Alan Ladd, started in the film business as a stuntman and rose to become one of its leading –and most widely liked – executives.

As studio head at Fox and MGM was involved in at least 14 best-picture nominees, including Young Frankenstein (1974), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Chariots of Fire (1981) and Blade Runner (1982). As an independent producer, Ladd helped steer films including Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Right Stuff (1983) Gone Baby Gone (2007) and Mel Gibson’s Braveheart (1995), for which he won best picture.

Walt Disney halts all theatrical releases in Russia.

The Walt Disney Company has ceased all theatrical film releases in Russia, including the upcoming Pixar Animation Studios film ‘Turning Red’.

Disney citied the “unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the tragic humanitarian crisis”.

“We will make future business decisions based on the evolving situation.” A Disney spokesperson said on Monday. “In the meantime, given the scale of the emerging refugee crisis, we are working with our NGO partners to provide urgent aid and other humanitarian assistance.”

*Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ tells the story of a girl that turns into a Red Panda when embarrassed.*

Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ had been set to premiere in Russia on 10 March.

Warner Bros., Sony, Paramount Pictures, and Universal have all followed suit announcing they would be halting film releases in Russia.

Warner Bros. said it was pausing the release of “The Batman,” which was slated for release this week, and Sony said it is postponing all of its planned theatrical releases in the region, including the upcoming “Morbius.”

Paramount’s “The Lost City” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” will also be withheld from the Russian market.

Disneyland Paris Updates Mask Policy.

From 2nd March 2022 Disneyland Paris Guests are no longer required to wear face masks at the resort.

From 2nd March 2022, Guests at Disneyland Paris will no longer be required to wear a face mask at the resort.

Disneyland Paris released the following official statement this afternoon following rumours spread on social media this morning.

In line with French government guidance, face masks are no longer required at Disneyland Paris as of 2nd March 2022, but remain recommended for experiences such as our parade and nighttime spectacular “Disney Illuminations.”

Guests aged 16 and above need to present a Vaccine Pass to enter Disneyland Paris.

For guests between 12 and 15 years old, a Health Pass remains required to enter Disneyland Paris.