Disney Animation Update: Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel, and......"Prep and Landing"

Today, a special Disney Animation update, and we will begin with some pictures of the Disney Animation Panel at San Diego's Comicon on July 24.



Legendary director Hayao Miyazaki was there too - his last movie "Ponyo" will be released soon in the U.S - and here he is with John Lasseter who consider Miyazaki as his "master".





On the next picture: Director Ron Clements, Director John Musker, Director Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Director Kirk Wise and Director Lee Unkrich at the Disney Animation Panel.



On this last one John Musker, John Lasseter and Ron Clements at the San Diego Convention Center.



And talking about John Musker and Ron Clements, the two directors of Princess and the Frog, here is a great "pencil test" video that was shown during the Comicon.




Also, a series of - for some of them new - pictures from this awaited movie.























Let's talk now about another 2D animated feature, Rapunzel, as new pictures were released recently, and all this looks pretty interesting as you will see. Here they are.









A good surprise may also come from another new Walt Disney Animation project called "Prep and Landing" directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers. Here is the pitch: "After working tirelessly on Prep and Landing for 227 years, an Elf named Wayne is upset when he doesn't receive an expected promotion to be the "director of naughty list intelligence".
Instead Magee the North Pole Christmas Eve command center coordinator partners Wayne with Lanny, an idealistic rookie who has an undying unthusiasm for Christmas. during their Christmas Eve mission, Wayne and Larry encounter unexpected challenges that push them to their limits.
Will the elves be able to guide Dasher, Dancer and the rest of the reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh through a raging snowstorm to ensure a Merry Christmas for all?"

Don't need to be a genius to guess that this new movie will be released more than probably on Christmas!

Here are some pictures of "Prep and Landing" and apparently this one seems to be done in 3D animation.







Okay, that's all for today, have all a great week-end!


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All pictures and video: copyright Disney - Getty images

Islands of Adventure Original Artwork and video tribute

As Islands of Adventure is now under works for the awaited Harry Potter land, i thought it was a good time to look back to the original concept of the park, including some areas that will disappear forever.

When Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park opened, everybody was stunned: So, Universal was able to build a theme park with a theming as good and detailed as Disney?
Yes, and there were good reasons for that : some of the creators of the park were former Disney Imagineers, and they did a real good job on IOA.

Anyway, the park is indeed beautiful, and here is a "portfolio" of some of the art-work done for each land of the park. As always, click on each picture to see them in bigger size.

These two first renderings show an overview of the park and the entrance.





The artworks below is for Seuss Landing and the Cat with a Hat attraction.







At the entrance of Lost Continent, the giant arm of the broken statue.



The entrance of the eight voyages of Sindbad stunt show.



This next artwork was created for a scene of Dueling Dragons queue.



Below, two other renderings for Dueling Dragons, the second one show the queue decor. The coaster will be transformed in a Harry Potter coaster ride.





Three artwork for the Jurassic Park land, including the Jurassic Park attraction and the Pteranodon Flyers. A Disney and more reader who worked on the park's creation just left in the comments an interesting story about the first rendering below. Here it is: "Regarding the rendering you have featuring the overview of Jurassic Park, you can see an attraction in the background which was designed and put on hold, which still has not been realized in the park. It is the building with the helicopter perched on a rooftop landing pad. This attraction was to be called Helicoptours and was a simulator attraction, which flew visitors over the world of Jurassic Park ending in a crash landing in a dinosaur filled jungle. It was a great attraction, but one which is doubtful will ever be constructed now that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is encroaching on some of the real estate planned for the attractions footprint."







In Toon Lagoon, the Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls attraction.



An artwork for the Popeye and Bluto's Blige-Rat Barges raft ride.



A night overview of Marvel Super Hero Island.



A rare early concept for the Incredible Hulk coaster.



Without any doubt, one of the best ride in the world: The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman.



And, to do things perfectly, you'll find below you tube videos of the Cat in the hat attraction, as well as those of "Poseidon's fury " attraction - that probably will be removed for their future Harry Potter's land - , Jurassic park river adventure, and the not-to-be-missed Spiderman ride.













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Artwork: copyright Universal Studios

Meet Peter Sohn, Director of Pixar's " Partly Cloudy "

Peter Sohn - above and below - is the director of Pixar's Partly Cloudy, this wonderful short movie released wih Up!. He's here at Pixar Animation Studios during the making of Partly Cloudy.

Animator at Pixar Animation Studios, he worked on Finding Nemo as story artist. On the Incredibles he was animator, story artist and did additional voices. On Ratatouille he was also animator and the voice of Emile. Before his Pixar career he worked on the Iron Giant and Osmosis Jones. And in UP! Russell, the Asian-American character, looks somewhat similar to Peter Sohn, who has a Korean surname.



Pixar also released these two Partly Cloudy preliminary sketches of the storks flying and of Gus and Peck.





Pictures: copyright Disney-Pixar