The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original “X-Men” film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from the past, “X-Men: First Class,” in order to change a major historical event and fight in an epic battle that could save our future.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Action-adventure
Release: May 23, 2014, in 3D
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenplay by: Simon Kinberg; Story by Simon Kinberg and Matthew Vaughn & Jane Goldman
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Evan Peters, Omar Sy
Disney is giving amateur baseball pitchers in the nation a chance to compete for a $1 million prize in the Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest. The Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest is being held to celebrate the opening of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm,” an incredible true story about two young men who went from never throwing a baseball to getting a Major League tryout.
Amateur baseball pitchers—male or female, who are legal United States residents at least 18 years of age or older—are invited to qualify to compete in the preliminary rounds of the Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest at either Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Resort in California or at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day at the Tribeca Family Festival in New York City. The three contestants from each location who throw the fastest pitches will advance to the finals and have a chance to compete for a $1 million prize at the world premiere of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” in Hollywood, California. Official rules are available on Disney.com’s “Million Dollar Arm” homepage at http://disney.com/PitchingContest.
Presented by SUBWAY® restaurants, the three qualifying events will take place on April 25 and 26, from 7 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., at both Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, Calif. and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World® and on April 26 only, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day during the Tribeca Family Festival in New York City. Contestants will throw three pitches, each tracked by a radar gun, in an attempt to throw the fastest pitch. All participants will receive tickets for themselves and a guest to see an advance screening of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” at an AMC Theatres location later that evening.
Nine finalists chosen during these qualifying events will have a chance to compete for the $1 million prize at the world premiere of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm.” The top three eligible pitchers with the fastest pitches from each qualifying round location will be flown with his or her guest to the final contest, which will take place at the world premiere of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” in Hollywood, Calif., on May 6. Each of these finalists will throw three pitches on Hollywood Boulevard. Any eligible finalist who throws one 100 mph strike (out of three pitches) will become a potential winner of the $1 million grand prize.
The nine finalists and their guests will be VIPs at the film’s premiere along with stars, filmmakers, major league players, coaches, scouts and celebrities.
In Disney Magical World, players pick from a selection of characters and can customize with Disney-themed outfits and accessories. The personalized character explores the world by managing a café, planting crops, and collecting Disney character cards in a new magical world. Favorite Disney characters also join in the fun to find missing items and solve problems.
After creating a personalized avatar and a customized dream life, players embark on a 3D fantasy adventure featuring more than 60 iconic Disney characters across a main central plaza and its four surrounding worlds inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Aladdin and Winnie the Pooh. It’s all Disney, all the time as players design their own outfits, interact with beloved characters, manage a café to earn in-game coins, set off on ghost-hunting quests and even visit friends’ towns via StreetPass.
The game also leverages unique features of the Nintendo 3DS system. By scanning AR Cards – which will be distributed online, in stores and at special events – using the Nintendo 3DS camera, players can unlock new clothes, accessories and furniture items for a limited time. The game also offers additional paid downloadable content, including one free monthly Disney-themed avatar T-shirt, via Wi-Fi to players using a broadband Internet connection. Players also can opt in to receive free downloadable items like clothing and furniture every season, starting today.
The Disney Magical World game is now available in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS for $29.99. For more information about the game, visit http://disneymagicalworld.nintendo.com.
The second annual Knott’s Berry Bloom returns this spring season with larger-than-life displays of beautiful spring colors, interactive family-friendly activities, expanded gourmet food and wine tasting opportunities, and more! New for 2014, celebrate the nostalgic history of Knott’s roots (literally!) at the Ghost Town Boysenberry Festival. This immersive festival honors the delectable berry that started it all in inventive and delicious ways.
This spring, the historic theme park will host the inaugural Ghost Town Boysenberry Festival where guests can wine, dine, and buy boysenberry inspired products throughout the windings streets of the Old West. Festival entrances feature rustic banners and oversized boysenberries, just ripe for taking that special photo. Walter & Cordelia Knott’s Original Roadside Boysenberry Stand will be recreated for the special event, from which guests can purchase authentic boysenberry plants. The Knott family sold freshly picked boysenberries from the original stand, and the rest, as they say, is history!
As part of the festival, inside Wilderness Dance Hall guests will find a variety of boysenberry inspired gourmet food and wine offerings from around the world. Just outside of the Dance Hall, towering sculpted topiaries provide shade during warm April days and twinkle brighter than stars at night. Ghost Town will be filled with the mouthwatering aroma of ribs, chicken, alligator and other charbroiled treats smothered with boysenberry glaze and cooked on open-air barbeques throughout the streets of the festival.
On School House Road, guests can try their hand at western themed games with a boysenberry twist! Winners can take home an exclusive Boysenberry Festival prize. And what’s a festival without a pie eating contest? Daily boysenberry pie eating contests will also take place in front of the Bird Cage Theatre. It’s almost too much fun to stomach.
While strolling the streets of Ghost Town, guests can capture the moment and the memories at boysenberry themed stand-in cutouts, each featuring fun historical facts and special moments from Knott’s history. Some will resemble original photo ops from the historic Pitchur Gallery on Main Street. While enjoying the festival, guests may meet Logan Berry, the mayor of Ghost Town, presiding over the Boysenberry Festival. But watch out for bandits hankerin’ to steal a piece of boysenberry pie. From day to night, Ghost Town has never looked so deliciously fun.
When the sun sets, things get krazy when Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies mount their toe tappin’, knee-slappin’, gut-bustin’ country comedy show in front of the Bird Cage Theatre that has Knott’s audiences clamoring for more! It’s the perfectly krazy end to a day at Knott’s Berry Bloom.
Knott’s Berry Bloom also features an extensive line up of live and interactive entertainment. The iconic Charleston Circle fountain transforms into a beautiful floral fountain, adorned with colorful flowers creating an iconic centerpiece for Bloom. Located in the Boardwalk area, the stunning monument will serve as a dramatic backdrop for two spectacular interactive shows. Peanuts Party in the Park returns bigger and more interactive than ever with an all-new rockin’ set list, more Peanuts characters, and tons of fun surprises in Charleston Circle. And this year Knott’s debuts a new nighttime dance party, Bloomination! After sundown, larger-than-life flowers and vines affixed to the Charleston fountain light the night with LED lighting effects; butterfly stilt walkers prance among the crowd, and a DJ spins the hottest dance music for all ages.
Last year’s guest favorite, the Search for the Easter Beagle returns this year as the Easter Beagle’s ENORMOUS Egg Hunt. This year, all five of the interactive Easter Beagle locations will also be prize locations for kids 3-11 years old who are on the hunt for spring time fun. The path will lead explorers to a grand finale meet and greet location with the one and only Snoopy, himself in an area of Camp Snoopy created just for this experience!
Near Xcelerator, challenge one another to an oversized game of shuffle board, giant tic tac toe, larger than life bowling, and more at Big Boardwalk Games. This season, Big Boardwalk Games has sprouted new and exciting games, and throughout the day, Sally and Peppermint Patty come out to play along and challenge park guests to some friendly competition. Let the good times roll!
In the Camp Snoopy Theatre, Lucy’s Really BIG Show, will showcase the Peanuts pals singing, dancing, and celebrating springtime to cheerful tunes – and they just might invite little ones on stage to celebrate with them! As part of the 30th celebration of Camp Snoopy and renovation of the entire land dedicated to kids, guests will enjoy the show in the comfort of the new audience shade structure!
Guests don’t have to be experts at the cha-cha-cha to enjoy Salsa Dancing in Fiesta Village, where everyone can to take to the floor with some of their favorite dance music.
Most of the exciting Knott’s Berry Bloom activities are included with admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, which also offers a full day of thrilling coasters and family fun rides, like the all-new Boardwalk attractions and the beautifully restored Timber Mountain Log Ride.
Knott’s is open extended hours from 10am to 10pm during Knott’s Berry Bloom, April 12 – 27, 2014 allowing guests extra time to take advantage of all of the limited-time offerings.
“Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” an original 3D Ultra-HD adventure, and “Super Silly Fun Land,” an immersive carnival setting – both based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster “Despicable Me” franchise – celebrated their dynamic grand opening on Friday April 11, 2014 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Among the many surprises inspired by the beloved films, guests will be “turned into” an army of iconic Minions and embark on a secret training mission.
“Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” officially opens to the public at Universal Studios Hollywood on Saturday, April 12, 2014.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/91744660[/vimeo]
The world premiere was attended by many Minions parading along the yellow carpet, who were joined by Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment; Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal; Tom Williams, Chairman & CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts; and Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti made a special guest appearance to show support for the theme park’s newest addition, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd about Universal Studios Hollywood’s long-term impact on tourism in the region.
Also in attendance were “Despicable Me” series stars, including Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), Dana Gaier (Edith) and Elsie Fisher (Agnes), who were joined by versatile entertainer and host of EXTRA, Mario Lopez; the cast from NBC’s “Crisis,” including Stevie Lynn Jones, Lance Gross, Joshua Erenberg, Max Martini and Max Schneider; TGT recording artist, Tank; HBO’s “Band of Brothers” star Neal McDonough; Syfy’s “Face Off” host, McKenzie Westmore; and Ultimate Fighting Champion Chuck Lidell.
“The irreverent humor, endearing characters and storyline that have captivated movie-goers worldwide makes ‘Despicable Me’ a perfect match for our theme park,” said Kurzweil. “This imaginative new attraction will not only take guests on a hilarious and heartwarming adventure that captures the spirit of the film, but will also invite them to embrace their ‘inner Minion’ – that mischievous alter-ego that hides within all of us. As the film franchise continues to break new ground as a modern day classic, so too will ‘Despicable Me Minion Mayhem’ as yet another marquee Universal Studios Hollywood attraction.”
Voiced by the film’s original stars, the fully immersive motion-simulator ride features the lovable cast of characters who have resonated with audiences across the globe: (former?) super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), his adorable girls – Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) – and an army of unpredictable Minions, voiced by Pierre Coffin.
“Despicable Me Minion Mayhem’ and ‘Super Silly Fun Land’ bring our movies to life, with all of the gorgeous artistry, humor and the heart – and of course the thrills – that the team at Universal Studios are known for,” said Chris Meledandri. “In addition to the state-of-the-art 3D ride, we’ve built out an immersive environment with many other attractions – shops, restaurants, countless water features, a round ride, and even the arcade games featured in the first ‘Despicable Me’ movie. Who wouldn’t want to spend a day as a Minion?”
As if lifted from the world of “Despicable Me” and placed within Universal Studios Hollywood, the “Despicable Me” ride welcomes guests to ‘Minion Mayhem’ via Gru and the girls’ idyllic suburban neighborhood, re-created with precision to mirror their ominous house and Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls. Whimsically themed queues, clever preshow videos and comedic dialogue set up Gru’s nefarious plot: to create an army of Minions from guest recruits.
As guests enter Gru’s living room, they will encounter many memorable artifacts from the series, including his notorious SR6 Shrink Ray and rhinoceros chair, and then make their way into Gru’s super-villain laboratory. The exciting journey will send guests, who wear wearing specially-designed 3D “Minion Goggles,” on an excursion through the humorous Minion training mission. Soon, guests will actually become Minions themselves. A post-show Minion dance party invites everyone to join in the impromptu fun and celebrate the anniversary of Gru and the girls becoming a family.
“Super Silly Fun Land,” an all-new elaborate carnival setting and play zone unique to Universal Studios Hollywood, is just adjacent to “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem”. Who doesn’t remember when Gru took the girls to the seaside resort in the first film and “won” Agnes the iconic fluffy unicorn? Now, guests can win a unicorn of their own and roam this uniquely stylized environment, which until now could only be enjoyed on the big screen.
The colorfully themed, interactive Minion-inspired outdoor venue will entertain guests of all ages with more than 80 different water play features. A nearby dry zone will invite guests to climb, jump and slide – while a Minion-themed ride, “Silly Swirly Fun Ride,” will soar and spin guests around for a 360-degree view of “Super Silly Fun Land” aboard a fleet of uniquely-designed ride vehicles.
Together, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” represent a distinct, immersive environment within the theme park – reimagined to fully engage guests in the world of Gru, his girls and the Minions, – joining Universal Studios Hollywood’s dynamic roster of award-winning themed attractions.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Disney’s “it’s a small world” theme park attraction, thousands of guests and cast members at Disney Parks around the globe united on April 10th in a historic “It’s a Small World” sing-along. Fans everywhere joined in online at SmallWorld50.com, a “global hub” of music and harmony created for the Golden Anniversary of the iconic attraction that opened as a tribute to peace and hope, saluting UNICEF, at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Here is a video of the cavalcade that Robert Sherman led at Disneyland Park.
” ‘it’s a small world’ has inspired hundreds of millions of people through its timeless theme,” said Tom Staggs, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Every moment of every day there are Disney guests enjoying ‘it’s a small world’ somewhere around the globe. The 50th anniversary of this attraction represents a celebration of the shared optimism, hope, and humanity of people throughout the world.”
Throughout the day, Disney Parks guests participated in events in all five resorts around the world, including in-park sing-alongs, cavalcades and special musical performances. Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar®-winning songwriter who composed “It’s a Small World” with his late brother, Robert, led a sing-along at Disneyland Park in California and participated in a Google Hangout that can be seen at SmallWorld50.com.
Check out our photo gallery from the April 10th event at Disneyland Park.
In the attraction, hundreds of dolls “sing” the familiar song, “It’s a Small World,” in five languages (English, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Swedish). Academy Award®-winning composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who won two Oscars® for their work on Disney’s feature film “Mary Poppins,” were asked by Walt Disney to create a simple, yet catchy piece that could be sung in many different languages while guests traveled by boat through the attraction. The resulting song, “It’s a Small World (After All),” became one of the most well known and happiest of all Disney tunes.
Travel away to a quaint Greek island for a destination wedding of Sophie Sheridan (Chelsea Williams) and Sky (Chris Stevens). Chaos ensues when the day before the wedding guests are arriving and Sophie has invited her father to the wedding to walk her down the aisle but she does not know who it its.
The three potential fathers are: Harry Bright (Mark A. Harmon), Bill Austin (Michael Colavolpe) or Sam Carmichael (Jeff Drushal). To add to the comedy Donna Sheridan (Georgia Kate Haege) use to perform with her best friends Tanya (Gabrielle Mirabella) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove) in a singing group called Danna and the Dynamos and have come back to the island to help Donna and see Sophie tie the knot.
This evening’s opening night performance of Mamma Mia! was delightful and very energetic. Director Phyllida Lloyd did an amazing job bringing this show to life and I have to thank all the hard work that both the cast and crew worked effortlessly to make everything seamless. No doubt this tour is like a family working well together. The music of ABBA is very iconic like “Dancing Queen”, “Does Your Mother Know”, “Lay All Your Love On Me” and “Mamma Mia” just to name a few. I bet you that by the end of the night you will be out of your seat singing and clapping along to the music. This is a great show for a date night, girls night out, or even grab your friends and family and rock out to Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! has delighted audiences all over the world. The original West End production has celebrated more than 6,000 performances in London and the international tour has stopped at over 74 foreign cities in 35 countries and has been seen by more than 4.3 million people. We are honored to have this tour stop here at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
This floating Greek island will have a short engagement of now until April 13th 2014. Take a mini vacation and treat yourself to a wedding, here your all family. Tickets are starting at $29.00 are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling a friendly operator at (714) 556-2787. For groups of 10 or more please contact the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, April 12th will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.
WARNING: The use of tight colored spandex and platform boots are utilized. You have been warned. Enjoy the show!
Reaffirming its position as the #1 tourist destination in Los Angeles with one of the most progressive and exciting theme park experiences anywhere, Universal Studios Hollywood, is making an unprecedented five-year investment in revolutionary new thrill rides and expansive themed environments that will radically alter the familiar footprint and landscape of The Entertainment Capital of L.A.
This monumental transformation, the most significant undertaking in the theme park’s storied 50 year history, will have substantial impacts across all facets of L.A.’s economic spectrum from job creation to tourism. Representing the single largest investment ever made, this sweeping makeover began in 2012 with the introduction of the award-winning mega-attraction, “Transformers: The Ride—3D” and will culminate in 2016 with the much-anticipated Los Angeles debut of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™.”
“This is a pivotal time in the history of Universal Studios Hollywood as we build upon our extraordinary success and expand our vision for the future of our world-class destination,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “This broad investment in our five-year transformation will further strengthen Universal Studios Hollywood as an economic leader, significantly contributing to long-term employment opportunities and tourism throughout L.A.”
“This amazing investment by Universal Studios Hollywood represents a dramatic boost for Los Angeles tourism, creating new world class entertainment that will add new jobs, stimulate hospitality revenues and contribute to the economic prosperity of our city,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
From its humble beginnings 50 years ago, Universal Studios Hollywood has remained true to its roots of immersing guests in the awe-inspiring world of movie-making magic, providing remarkable access to movie sets on a real working studio lot. Its once celebrated “Glamour Trams” have evolved to become the now world-famous Studio Tour and a hallmark attraction, bringing millions of guests onto areas of an authentic movie and television studio typically restricted to authorized movie production personnel and into that elusive world motivated by three compelling words: lights, camera, action.
The evolution of breakthrough, next-generation thrill rides has continued to revolutionize the theme park renowned for its innovative collaborations with top Hollywood filmmakers and the greatest creative minds in entertainment – Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Michael Bay, Chris Meledandri – whose credibility contribute immensely to a ride’s authenticity.
Working in collaboration with Universal Creative, the visionary design and development division of Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios Hollywood has crafted an ambitious blueprint for the future of the theme park detailing its expansive redesign and mega-attraction introductions.
“Transformers: The Ride—3D” set the stage for this epic transformation in 2012 and raised the bar for immersive, technologically advanced entertainment offered at Universal Studios Hollywood or elsewhere. Working in partnership with award-winning filmmaker Michael Bay and the technical luminaries at Industrial Light & Magic, the ride infused an adrenalized multi-level ride-track and visceral special effects with one of the most elaborate flight simulation ride systems ever created. Housed within a newly built 60,000 square foot structure, the ride utilized the highest, most sophisticated resolution of 3D-HD technology available to virtually launch guests into the dynamic, action-packed robotic world of the Transformers.
In summer 2013, the interior focal point of the theme park profoundly changed with the installation of Universal Plaza, a visually aesthetic 37,000 square foot art deco styled piazza. This impressive and versatile polygon-shaped entertainment venue sits at the heart of the theme park as a welcoming open air courtyard, architecturally reminiscent of classic Hollywood glamour. Featuring a soaring 70 foot tall tower emblazoned with the word Universal, the venue is large in scope, yet provides a warm and inviting environment to host an array of special events and entertainment.
On April 12, 2014, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” will open at Universal Studios Hollywood. Based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award-nominated film franchise, and created in collaboration with Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” will resonate with the same endearing qualities and characters that catapulted the franchise to international blockbuster fame.
The footprint for “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land,” however, will serve as a crucial turning point for the theme park, as the adventure represents its first foray into fully expansive themed environments aimed at immersing visitors from the moment they enter the space. From experiencing Gru’s neighborhood to Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls and the imaginative seaside carnival, this all-encompassing approach is a decisive departure from the park’s more commonly used vignette ride exteriors to create holistic experiences and transport guests to that imaginary place.
2015 will be a momentous year for the theme park with two spectacular attractions debuting as part of the 50th anniversary. “Springfield” an immersive land surrounding “The Simpsons Ride” will open in Spring 2015 and in Summer 2015, “Fast & Furious—Supercharged,” based on the blockbuster film series, will be introduced as the grand finale to the celebrated Studio Tour.
The former layout of the park will become unrecognizable when “Springfield” hometown of America’s favorite family, The Simpsons, breathes new life to the sprawling and vibrant space surrounding “The Simpsons Ride.” “Springfield” will capture the spirit of the town and engage visitors and fans of the show in the intensely absorbing and colorful world made famous throughout the series’ 25 seasons.
“Springfield” is being designed to make guests feel as if they are being propelled through their television sets into the accurately depicted city, complete with signature eateries from Krusty Burger to Luigi’s Pizza and Phineas Q. Butterfat’s 5600 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor to iconic watering holes like Moe’s Tavern and Duff’s Brewery.
“Fast & Furious—Supercharged” will be a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled finale to the world-famous Studio Tour. This technologically advanced thrill ride, will catapult guests into the high-stakes underground world of fast cars where they’ll join the cast in a harrowing escapade. The ride will be situated within a newly constructed 50,000 square foot building on the legendary backlot and will reunite stars from the Fast & Furious series in a groundbreaking mega-attraction, conceived as a new installment to the dynamic film series that can only be experienced at The Entertainment Capital of L.A.
The dynamic hydraulic-motion based ride will tell an original Fast & Furious story, incorporating hyper-realistic special effects and state-of-the-art 3D-HD imagery projected onto the world’s longest and most expansive 360-degree screen spanning nearly 400 feet in length to encircle Studio Tour guests in the Fast & Furious universe.
2016 will be a magical year for Universal Studios Hollywood as the theme park’s epic transformation becomes fully realized with the highly-anticipated arrival of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”
Inspired by the magical world created by J.K. Rowling and brought to life in the Warner Bros. films, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood will be a fully immersive land designed for the entire family that brings the Harry Potter fiction and films to life with impeccable detail and authenticity. Similar to the dynamic Universal Orlando Resort themed land that opened in 2010, the Hollywood experience will be faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including Hogwarts castle that will serve as the iconic focal point of the impressively themed environment. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is a collaboration between J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Universal Parks and Resorts.
This evolution of Universal Studios Hollywood will also include the addition of two newly constructed parking structures that, combined, will accommodate thousands of additional vehicles. Construction on the second parking structure will be completed in late 2015.
Pulse-pounding, adrenaline-inducing action will become the finale of Universal Studios Hollywood’s world-famous “Studio Tour” with the summer 2015 introduction of the gripping, high speed, 3D-HD thrill ride, “Fast & Furious—Supercharged,” inspired by Universal Pictures’ most successful film franchise of all time and featuring original cast members from the series.
This technologically advanced, epic ride will reunite stars from the Fast & Furious series in a groundbreaking mega-attraction, conceived as a new installment to the dynamic film franchise that can only be experienced at The Entertainment Capital of L.A. “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” will catapult guests into the high-stakes underground world of fast cars, where—after their identity is exposed—they’ll join the cast in a harrowing escapade to save one of their own from an international crime cartel.
“Fast & Furious is an exhilarating global film phenomenon that has been consistently characterized as a thrill ride,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “As Universal Studios Hollywood marks its 50th anniversary, this definitive and quite literal Fast & Furious thrill ride will propel guests into the action alongside many of the series’ heroes, just as the theme park itself is thrust into high gear as part of an epic five-year transformation.”
The dynamic hydraulic motion-based ride will tell an original Fast & Furious story that fuses sophisticated hyper-realistic special effects with a state-of-the-art 3D audio system and 3D-HD imagery, projected onto the world’s longest and most expansive 360-degree screen. Spanning nearly 400 feet in length to encircle Studio Tour guests within a newly constructed 50,000-square-foot structure on the legendary backlot, the sprawling custom-built screen will employ 18, 4K projectors and a never-before-used front-projection system to fully envelope guests in unprecedented realism.
Coupled with an intense blend of thrilling visceral effects, “Fast & Furious—Supercharged” will take guests on a wild ride that begins the moment they board the Studio Tour. Exclusive interstitial content, filmed with the cast members, will be featured on the tram monitors highlighting interactions with their interactions as they engage guests en route to the ride’s climatic scenes. Along the tram route, sightings of numerous prop cars from the Fast & Furious series, including Dom’s iconic Dodge Charger, will enhance the story.
The adventure will culminate with spectacular action sequences that send guests spiraling through the streets of Los Angeles—at perceived speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour—aided by the elite team of unforgettable heroes.
“We’ve embarked on a new medium of immersive entertainment that brings to life the characters, hyper-realistic action adventure and custom-made effects to transport guests into the exciting world of Fast & Furious,” said Mark Woodbury, President of Universal Creative. “Our collaboration with Universal Pictures to bring this franchise to life through epic storytelling and technological breakthroughs continues to be a hallmark of Universal Studios Hollywood.
About Universal Pictures’ Fast & Furious Franchise: Across six high-octane installments, the Fast & Furious franchise has enjoyed an incredible ride around the globe, earning more than $2 billion at the worldwide box office. Last year, Fast & Furious 6 had the biggest opening weekend in Universal Pictures’ history, globally and internationally, setting new records for Universal and the franchise at almost every turn. The next installment of the series built on speed, Fast & Furious 7, will be released by Universal on April 10, 2015. James Wan directs this chapter, and Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel and Michael Fottrell return to produce the film written by Chris Morgan.
Segerstrom Center audiences will have the time of their lives during the audience engagement activities planned for the long-awaited return of MAMMA MIA! The popular photo opportunity will be available where patrons can show their best “Dancing Queen” pose against a most dazzling cut-out display. Guests are encouraged to post photos on their social media sites and use hashtag #MammaMiaOC. Performances run APRIL 8 – 13, 2014.
There will also be a disco dance floor complete with songs and music videos featuring ABBA.
The MAMMA MIA! timeline banner makes its debut, featuring fun and historical facts and figures about ABBA, MAMMA MIA! and Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Also, following Thursday evening’s performance on April 10, audience members are invited to stay after the show and enjoy a Q&A session with cast members from MAMMA MIA!
Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs from “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S.” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” MAMMA MIA! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found. Seen by more than 54 million people around the world, MAMMA MIA!, is celebrating more than 5,000 performances on Broadway and is the tenth longest-running show in Broadway history. The original West End production of MAMMA MIA! is now in its fifteenth year and has celebrated more than 6,000 performances in London, and the international tour has visited over 74 foreign cities in 35 countries and has been seen by more than 4.3 million people. For more information, please visit www.Mamma-Mia.com.
Sony Pictures is working on building up its own overarching comic book universe, much like what Marvel is doing with their Marvel Studios films. The difference here, is the only have one property to do that with, which happens to be the Spider-Man universe, which they started placing early building blocks for with Marc Webb’s film, The Amazing Spider-Man, the reboot of the series that came out in 2012. But Sony’s plan is to make a living, breathing, fully lived in Spider-Man universe, and with The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opening in just a few short weeks, and the third and fourth films in the series already held with locked in release dates, it seems that the studio is now moving forward to with one of its two spin-offs as well.
The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Drew Goddard, the man behind the horror/comedy, Cabin in the Woods, as well as the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Netflix TV series, DareDevil, has been hired to direct and write The Sinister Six, s film that will follow six of Spider-Man’s greatest villains. But at this stage, we don’t exactly know who, or even what, the series will be about, and whether Spider-Man will even be a part of it. But we can make an educated guess that Jamie Foxx, who plays Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, will probably be a part of it. Also, as the trailer teases, we can see Doc Ock’s mechanical arms and the Vulture’s wings in the Oscorp building, so there’s a good chance that they’ll be in the film as well.
While this is just one spin-off film currently being worked on, the other is a standalone Venom film, which is currently being written by Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Ed Solomon, which Kurtzman is inline to direct. It’s a rather ambitious plan, and it’s very interesting to see Sony trying to make two standalone spin-off films that are based around villains. Are they going to be antiheroes, or just straight villains? We don’t know, but I’m certainly interested to find out. In the meantime, we get to look forward to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which will be released on May 2, 2014.
Are you ready to make reservations for another trip to the Bates Motel? I sure hope so, because A&E has announced that they’ve just renewed the series, which is nearing the end of its second season, for a third season. The show, which has been lauded by fans and critics alike, explores the beginning the bloody history of the infamous Bates Motel, which audiences were first introduced to in the 1960’s Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho, starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh, and would go on to spawn three sequels, another TV pilot in the 1990s, and a remake. Freddy Highmore picks up the mantle of the young Norman Bates, who is a troubled teenager dealing with his overprotective mother, Norma Bates, played by Vera Farmiga. A&E released this press release, announcing the show’s renewal:
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 7, 2014 – A&E Network has picked up a third season of the critically acclaimed original series “Bates Motel,” it was announced today by David McKillop, Executive Vice President and General Manager, A&E Network.
“The incredible writing team and talented ‘Bates Motel’ cast has made this series one of the most compelling original dramas on television,” said McKillop. “The brilliant twists and turns of the past two seasons keep its loyal fan base coming back for more. We are so proud of the show.”
Season two premiered on March 3rd with 4.6 million total viewers and delivered 2.6 million adults 18-49 and 2.2 million adults 25-54 (based on Live+7 viewing). “Bates Motel” continues to be A&E’s #1 drama series of all time among adults 18-49.
Season three of “Bates Motel” will begin production this fall on 10 episodes.
“Bates Motel” is a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film Psycho, and gives viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ psyche unravels through his teenage years. Series stars Vera Farmiga in her Emmy-nominated role as Norma Bates and Freddie Highmore as Norman.
New episodes of season two of “Bates Motel” currently air every Monday at 10PM/ET.
“Bates Motel” is produced by Universal Television for A&E Network. Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin serve as executive producers for Carlton Cuse Productions and Kerry Ehrin Productions respectively.
As a huge fan of the film series, Bates Motel has hit the right note between honoring the original film’s legacy, and doing something new. While we all know where the series is eventually headed, the mystery and intrigue that surrounds the show, as well as Norman’s relationship with his mother, are incredibly interesting, and it’s been a joy to watch. Carlton Cuse, who many will recognize for his work on LOST, has aimed to make a contemporary prequel, that is a bit in the vein of the series Twin Peaks, and it really works. Vera Farmiga and Freddy Highmore are excellent together, and they both bring their characters exceptionally to life. I can’t wait to see where the series continues to go, and I’m hoping we eventually see the series get to the events of the original film, so I’m glad A&E has renewed the show for another season.
In an exciting new collaboration with Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group, the Winchester Mystery House is launching "Festival Fright Nights." This all-new Halloween event will...
