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Category Archives: News
Disney shuts doors on Miramax
The Walt Disney Company, which bought Miramax from the Weinstein brothers in 2005, has closed down the studio after 30 years in business.
It was the independent, art-house studio that became a major industry player in the 1990s, courtesy of such Oscar-winning hits as Pulp Fiction and The English Patient. But there was no Hollywood-style happy ending for Miramax studios, which shut up shop today with the loss of 80 jobs.
Founded by producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein back in 1979, Miramax flourished as an independent distribution and production outfit, before becoming part of the Disney empire in 1993. The company scored with low-budget hits such as Clerks and sex, lies and videotape, helped launch the career of Quentin Tarantino, and scooped Oscars with the likes of The English Patient and Shakespeare in Love. The Weinstein brothers – who named the company after their parents Max and Miriam – quit to form the Weinstein Company in 2005.
During its heyday, Miramax was regarded as arguably the industry’s most respected and influential production company. But in recent years its output has been downscaled by Disney, and its demise was predicted long before today’s closure of its offices in LA. The six Miramax pictures that are currently awaiting distribution – including John Madden’s The Debt and Last Night, starring Keira Knightley – now face an uncertain future.
“I’m feeling very nostalgic right now,” Harvey Weinstein said today. “I know the movies made on my and my brother Bob’s watch will live on … Miramax has some brilliant people working within the organisation and I know they will go on to do great things in the industry.”
Florida’s High Speed Rail to stop at Disney World
The Disney Blog is reporting about the proposed High Speed rail that is being built between Orlando & Tampa. Will there possibly be a stop somewhere near one of the greatest places on earth??
President Obama mentioned the high speed rail project that will run from Tampa to the Orlando International Airport in the State Of The Union tonight. The project will get about 50% of the funding it needs from the federal stimulus package, with the rest, it’s assumed, coming in future budgets. So we don’t know if they’ll use that 50% to just build the northern part of the line (from MCO to Disneyland) or to start preparing the whole line. But we do know they’re planning a stop at Walt Disney World, because Meg Crofton has previous said Disney is willing to give up some land for the station.
The Orange area is the proposed location for the station. The High Speed Rail line will go right up the middle of I-4 (highlighted in yellow) until it reaches the 528 (just north of SeaWorld). That puts the proposed station right between Osceola Parkway and ESPN Wide World of Sports, on Disney property. The former Disney owned town of Celebration is right on the other side of the I-4.
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Photo from The Disney Blog
Miley Cyrus Looks To Join Demi Moore In ‘LOL’ Remake
Disney star is considering a role in the remake of the French mother-daughter comedy.
Miley Cyrus might just have found her next big-screen project in “LOL: Laughing Out Loud.” According to a report in Variety, the 17-year-old Disney star is in talks to join the English-language remake of the French original, with Demi Moore likely to play her mother.
The film will follow Cyrus as a 15-year-old who is cast off by her boyfriend and decides to pursue his best friend. Meanwhile, the teen’s 40-year-old mother (the 47-year-old Moore) is divorced and finding it difficult to restart her life as a single woman struggling to maintain a civil relationship with her daughter.
The original “LOL,” starring Sophie Marceau, hit theaters in 2008 and went on to gross over $20 million, according to Variety. Lisa Azuelos, who wrote and directed the original, will also write and direct the new version.
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Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Disney taps new executive to lead Animal Kingdom
For the second time in less than a year, Walt Disney World is shuffling top executives at Disneys Animal Kingdom.
Disney has appointed Michael Colglazier to the post of vice president in charge of Animal Kingdom. Colglazier was previously vice president of business development and has also held positions within strategic planning, Disneyland Resort, Epcot and operations labor management, among others, during a 20-year career with Disney.
Colglazier replaces Kevin Lansberry who had been vice president in charge of Animal Kingdom for just six months. Lansberry is being bumped up to senior vice president of worldwide travel operations, where he will over reservation-center operations for all of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
Photo from Chip & his most recent Disneyworld Vacation 
Disney Cruise Line unveils more new features for Disney Dream
The top of Disney Cruise Line’s next ship will feature a miniature golf course themed around Goofy and a water play area for kids that has Nemo as its inspiration.
The 2,500-passenger Disney Dream, currently under construction at a shipyard in Germany, also will boast an adults-only decktop pool area with a swim-up bar.
The new decktop features, unveiled today, are in addition to a previously announced high-speed flume ride that will wrap around the top of the vessel — a cruise industry first.
The Dream is Disney’s first new cruise ship in more than a decade. It’s scheduled to debut on Jan. 26, 2011 — exactly one year from today.
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Photo courtesy Disney Cruise Line
