Author - Jerry Paxton

The Gallery: Call of the Starseed HTC Vive Demo at PAX Prime

The Gallery: Call of the Starseed screenshot

The Gallery: Call of the Starseed screenshot

Vancouver Island, August 19, 2015  –  Attendees of PAX Prime 2015 will get an exclusive look at The Gallery: Call of the Starseed, a launch title for the HTC Vive.

Channeling inspiration from magical 1980s fantasy adventures, Call of the Starseed is the first step in the episodic journey of The Gallery, a VR adventure that takes place through both realistic and fantastical environments as you set out in search of your sister, Elsie. As Alex, you must walk through Elsie’s footsteps in order to unravel the mystery of her unexpected disappearance, all the while uncovering a much greater narrative.

Watch the PAX Teaser trailer here: 

Through partnerships with industry giants Intel, HTC, Nvidia and Maingear, a very special demonstration of The Gallery will be shown by Cloudhead Games at PAX Prime at the spacious Portland Room of the Grand Hyatt Hotel — located just across from the Washington State Convention Center. Players will have the opportunity to test out one of the first full-experiences for HTC’s Vive VR technology.

This will also mark the first time that developer’s exciting new Blink locomotion technology will be available to the public; an innovative, nausea-free locomotive technology that scales spatially, and offers a play experience catered to your environment. Once relegated to science fiction, experience this immersive consumer technology with the HTC Vive at PAX Prime.

In addition to being available during the duration of the show, Cloudhead Games is offering 8 lucky winners a pass to Jump the Q at Pax Prime, putting winners on the fast track to the future of VR media.

Just Follow or Like Cloudhead Games on Twitter or Facebook to be entered to win. 2 winners will be announced each day.

Official Website: www.cloudheadgames.com
Game Site: www.thegallerygame.com

King’s Quest Update News to Reveal at PAX Prime

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SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Aug. 20, 2015 – Sierra™ and independent developer The Odd Gentlemen are excited to announce today that the initial details for the second chapter of the newKing’s Quest™ will be revealed to the world public at a special panel event at PAX Prime.

The “Adventure Games Revival: King’s Quest Rebirth and Reveal” panel will take place on Friday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. in the Wyvern Theatre. In a discussion moderated by gaming journalist Geoff Keighley, Creative Director Matt Korba and Producer Lindsey Rostal of The Odd Gentlemen will explore the cherished origins and modern renaissance of adventure games. Actress Zelda Williams*, voice of Amaya Blackstone, will also be present as a special guest panelist. The group will delve into the highlights and challenges of reimagining one of the genre’s most treasured names before pulling the curtain back on King’s Quest’s next chapter, launching later this year.

The Odd Gentlemen will also be joined by indie developer FuturLab, creators of Velocity 2X, coming Aug. 19 to Xbox One and PC, to chat with fans at Sierra’s Booth #6015 during PAX Prime.

Sierra released a new gameplay trailer today celebrating the enthusiastic reception King’s Quest’s debut chapter – titled “A Knight to Remember” – has received since it arrived late last month. As an old King Graham shares tales from his youth with his curious granddaughter Gwendolyn, the game transports players back in time to experience the charming characters, puzzles and wit behind Graham’s greatest untold stories.

The first chapter of King’s Quest is now available as a digital title on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems through the PlayStation®Store, Xbox One and Xbox 360 on the Xbox Games Store, and Windows PC via Steam for $9.99. It is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and Up) by the ESRB. To keep up with the latest news as the second chapter approaches, please visit www.sierra.com, and follow Sierra on Facebook and Twitter.

*Panelists subject to change.

Ash vs Evil Dead Key Art Released

Ash vs evil dead key art promo image

Ash vs evil dead key art promo image

August 19, 2015 – “Ash vs Evil Dead” is the long-awaited follow-up to the classic horror films The Evil Dead.  The 10-episode half-hour series is executive produced by Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, the original filmmakers, and Craig DiGregorio who serves as executive producer and showrunner.

Campbell reprises his role as Ash, the stock boy, aging lothario, and chainsaw-handed monster hunter who has spent the last 30 years avoiding responsibility, maturity and the terrors of the Evil Dead.  When a Deadite plague threatens to destroy all of mankind, Ash is finally forced to face his demons –personal and literal.  Destiny, it turns out, has no plans to release the unlikely hero from its “Evil” grip.

The cast is led by Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”) in the role of Ash Williams, Lucy Lawless (“Salem,” “Spartacus,” “Xena”) as Ruby, a mysterious figure who believes Ash is the cause of the Evil outbreaks, Ray Santiago (“Touch,” Meet the Fockers) as Pablo Simon Bolivar, an idealistic immigrant who becomes Ash’s loyal sidekick, Dana DeLorenzo (A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas) as Kelly Maxwell, a moody wild child trying to outrun her past, and Jill Marie Jones (“Sleepy Hollow”) as Amanda Fisher, a disgraced Michigan State Trooper set to find our anti-hero Ash and prove his responsibility in the grisly murder of her partner.

“Ash vs Evil Dead” premieres Saturday, October 31st at 9:00pm ET/PT exclusively on STARZ with a 10-episode season.

For more information visit our Facebook Page and follow @AshvsEvilDead on Twitter.

Join the conversation with #AshvsEvilDead and #STARZ.

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Tickets Now On Sale

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Universal City, CA, August 18, 2015 – Tickets are now on sale for “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood as Southern California’s premier Halloween event unveils a slate of new mazes, an exciting hip-hop dance show, a new cutthroat Terror Tram experience and terrifying Scare Zones, beginning Friday, September 18, 2015.

Tickets to this year’s event are available for purchase at www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/hollywood, including a “Killer Deal Nights” ticket option with discounts of up to $25 on select dates as well as a Front of Line ticket option which enables guests to enjoy priority access to each “Halloween Horror Nights” maze, “Terror Tram,” Jabbawockeez show and theme park attractions.  Advance purchase is recommended as event nights will sell out.

“Halloween Horror Nights” dates are: September 18, 19, 25, 26, 27, October 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31, and November 1, 2015.

“Halloween Horror Nights” brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror inspired by TV and film’s most compelling horror properties.  This year’s line-up includes:

 

All-New Mazes and Show:

  • “Guillermo del Toro Presents Crimson Peak: Maze of Madness” is inspired by the visionary filmmaker who directed, co-wrote and produced the upcoming October 16Legendary and Universal Pictures feature film. The three-dimensional living replica of the film is designed to send guests spiraling through the chilling world and into the footsteps ofCrimson Peak’s lead character, Edith Cushing, first as they venture from her home in America, then to the decaying and haunted Allerdale Hall mansion in a remote English countryside. With a foreboding “Beware of Crimson Peak” message that echos from Edith’s past, guests will navigate a labyrinth of paranormal tortured souls who have born witness to the estate’s dark history of unspeakable acts…and who continue to reside in vengeful, ghostly forms.
  • Bringing together the most sinister of scenes from all three films, “Insidious: Return to the Further,” investigates unexplained phenomena in the Lambert family’s eerie Victorian home as guests find themselves at a séance that unleashes chaos and horror. They’ll journey into “The Further” – a supernatural realm that houses tormented spirits – and face deadly ghosts and demons like the Woman in Black and Oxygen Mask Demon, that will stop at nothing to infiltrate the world of the living.
  • “The Walking Dead: Wolves Not Far,” inspired by season 5 of AMC’s critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award®-winning television series, this all-new maze will feature twice as many walkers in the longest and most gruesome maze ever built at Universal Studios Hollywood.  Following in the footsteps of “The Walking Dead” cast, guests will begin their journey at the Terminus safe-haven compound, where an unspeakable hunger has consumed the demented souls of those dwelling within. As the chaos ensues, guests will encounter even greater atrocities as they stumble upon dismembered “W” walkers, witness the horror of victims besieged by the living dead, and step onto the loading dock of the Del Arno Food warehouse to face hordes of “W” walkers.
  • The hilarity of this genre-defying blockbuster movie, This is the End, will take a dark turn in this all-new maze experience, “This is the End 3D,” that will come to life in hypnotic 3D. The end of the world will begin as guests head to the ultimate A-list party at James Franco’s new Hollywood Hills home before the Apocalypse strikes, and they find themselves trapped in a life-or-death struggle against the demons of the underworld.  With the fate of humanity at the crossroads of heaven and hell, “This is the End 3D” will offer defining moments for those guests brave enough to tempt the devil as their destiny hangs in the balance to be damned for eternity or raptured to heaven engulfed in a sea of blue light.
  • Halloween, hailed as one of the greatest horror films of all time and starring Jamie Lee Curtis in her acting debut, will come to life in the demented new experience, “Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home.” The haunted maze will take guests through the tormented town of Haddonfield, where on one fateful Halloween night in 1963, a six-year-old child by the name of Michael Myers inexplicably and brutally stabbed his sister to death with a kitchen knife. Guests will relive the terror that a maniacal Michael Myers inflicted upon the once quiet town after his escape from a psychiatric hospital to take bloody revenge on new and unsuspecting victims.
  • The visually stunning, yet terrifying “AVP: Alien vs. Predator” maze is back by popular demand to entangle guests in the middle of an epic and primal war between the universe’s most deadly species in a horrifying haunted attraction inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox cult sci-fi franchise.  This menacing maze will bring to life the violent creatures cohabitating our world as it pits two rival alien species in a fight to the death with Earth as their battleground.  “AVP:  Alien vs Predator” will uncover a dangerous alien spaceship carrying a race of hunter aliens known as Predators and a threatening new alien life form that uses human hosts to propagate its species.  After crash landing in a remote section of America and escaping to the countryside, the Alien and Predator become hunter and prey with guests caught in the crossfire.
  • The all-new “Terror Tram: Survive the Purge” experience, inspired by Universal Pictures’ blockbuster film series, invites guests to a disturbing “Purge Party,” luring them with exclusive access to the world-famous backlot and thrusting them into the film’s depraved world in which all crime is declared legal as part of the government’s annually sanctioned 12-hour Purge, and where citizens take to the streets to dispose of the country’s less desirable humans without fear of retribution. Recognizing that not all citizens choose to hunt during The Purge, the newly endorsed “Purge Party” welcomes guests to honor this proud national tradition by watching the night’s dramatic events unfold on large video screens set up around the famed Universal backlot – until the experience quickly turns into an unforgettable living nightmare.
  • Jabbawockeez, the highly-accomplished, award-winning hip hop dance group and universally recognized as America’s best dance crew, will bring their innovative choreography, intricate synchronized style and signature white masks to Universal Studios Hollywood in an electrifying all-new show created exclusively for “Halloween Horror Nights.” Currently starring in the acclaimed “PRiSM” show at the Luxor in Las Vegas, and following up with a newly reimagined performance at MGM Grand Las Vegas this fall, the Jabbawockeez are considered dance movement pioneers, having shattered the glass ceiling for dance groups worldwide as the first dance crew to ever headline their own show in Las Vegas.

Scare Zones:

  • “The Purge: Urban Nightmare,” inspired by Universal Pictures’ disturbing blockbuster films, will greet guests with pure unadulterated fear, bringing to life the turmoil and pandemonium that awaits those vulnerable to masked vigilantes in search of new victims during the government’s annually sanctioned killing spree.
  • “Exterminatorz” introduces hideous hybrid creatures—part pests, part human—spawned from years of dangerous chemicals recklessly dumped down the drains by irresponsible humans. These now persecuted pests arise from the cesspools to turn the tables and retaliate on their human oppressors.
  • “Corpz” features an army of decaying World War I soldiers known as “The Lost Generation,” who have risen from their dank, muddy graves to haunt the streets of old Paris.
  • Krampus, the demonic Christmas Devil, returns in “Dark Christmas,” a Pagan-themed scare zone where demonic creatures hunt disobedient children and drag them to hell.

As a complement to the nighttime event, Universal’s most popular rides and attractions will also be open to guests.

Razer Working With Intel on RealSense VR Camera

Razer Intel RealSense Announcement image

Razer Intel RealSense Announcement image

SAN FRANCISCO (Intel Developer Forum) – Razer, a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers, is working with Intel to deliver a consumer-ready desktop and VR-enabled camera based on Intel RealSense technology for a wide range of experiential applications.

With Intel RealSense technology incorporated into a new Razer product design, users can expect to enjoy significantly enhanced game broadcasting and VR gaming capabilities.  Among the novel features of this technology is automatic background removal, which allows game streamers and video conferencing users to remove or replace backgrounds for a more entertaining and immersive experience.  Intel RealSense Cameras are also capable of 3D scanning, motion and gesture recognition, allowing product designers to bring real-world objects and bodies into virtual spaces easily. Many more features and related applications are anticipated for the Intel RealSense technology-enabled Razer device.

“Razer is excited to be working with Intel, using Intel RealSense technology to help pioneer work for game broadcasting, as well as with VR, with support from the growing OSVR movement,” said Min-Liang Tan, co-founder and CEO of Razer.  “Gamers will, we expect, be able to enhance their broadcasting and VR experience in unprecedented ways.”

“This is a great opportunity to make Intel RealSense technology easily accessible to the gaming and VR communities. We are proud of the beautiful design of Razer’s Intel RealSense Camera peripheral and we look forward to enabling innovation in the gaming world together.” – Dr. Achin Bhowmik, general manager of Perceptual Computing

Razer at the Intel Developer Forum:

At the Intel Developer Forum 2015 held in San Francisco, Intel and Razer have teamed up to showcase multiple broadcasting and OSVR demos using Intel RealSense technology, a modified OSVR Hacker Dev Kit by Razer, powered by computers using Intel processors

The demos will include both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality applications running on PCs.

Learn more about Razer and Intel RealSense technology at www.razerzone.com/realsense and www.intel.com/RealSense

Aquanox Deep Descent Now on Kickstarter

aquanox-deep-descent-on-kickstarter

August 18, 2015 – Nordic Games and Digital Arrow announce the Kickstarter of Aquanox Deep Descent. Backers can vote on which stretch goals should be prioritized.

In addition to that, assets and research from an unreleased THQ underwater action game called Deep Six have been integrated into the pre-production of the game.

More in-depth information, which would go beyond the scope of this press release, can be found on the Kickstarter Page: http://bit.ly/AQNX-Kickstarter

“Reaching the main funding goal of the Kickstarter campaign will allow us to create a new Aquanox game of the size and complexity it deserves, for gamers around the globe. At the same time, it also allows us to make its future players an integral part in development decisions surrounding the game at its earliest stages,” comments Norbert Varga, project lead at Digital Arrow.

“We’ve had long discussions with Digital Arrow about the scope of the game and the transition to Unreal Engine 4. Based on our positive previous experience with Kickstarter (The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 together with the developer KING ART), we firmly believe it is the right platform to help us achieve our joint vision for the future of Aquanox”, adds Martin Kreuch, producer at Nordic Games.

About Aquanox Deep Descent
Aquanox Deep Descent is a re-imagining of both the gameplay and world of the original AquaNox-series, taking into account the scientific advances made since the first game. Like its predecessors, the game will be an underwater vehicle shooter, in which players control a variety of customizable ships to engage in submarine battles in the dystopian deep sea world of Aqua.

  • Fight – Action-packed vehicle shooter combat that supports a wide variety of play styles
  • Co-op – 4 player drop-in co-op, with four unique pilots who are all involved in the game story
  • Customize – Create your ship from an extensive range of ship pieces and various customization options
  • Explore – Discover the deepest corners of the ocean
  • RPG Elements – Mining, salvaging, trading and looting
  • PVP – Classic multiplayer modes, including Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch Dogfighting

The 2015 D23 Expo Round-Up Article

d23-expo-2015-171 copy

This past weekend saw the annual D23 Expo come to Anaheim, California. D23, for those of you who don’t know, is the official convention of Disney. Attendees include Marvel, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Pictures, and a huge array of exhibitors, vendors, and more. Some of those “and more”s included the likes of Harrison Ford, James Cameron, Stan Lee, Daisy Ridley, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson – the list was impressive.

Around the show floor, attendees could find an amazing exhibit gallery full of Disneyland memorabilia. Items of note included the first Disneyland admission ticket, the first Disneyland cast-member badge, and even the whole dragon head from the park’s Fantasmic show. Also on display was one of the RX-24 pilot droids from the original Star Tours attraction, Annette Funicello’s Mickey Mouse Club costume, and a lot more.

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On the movie front, there were costumes and displays from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the space pod from Guardians of the Galaxy, costumes and props from Ant-Man and The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and more. Disney’s acquisition of Marvel and Lucasfilm has really sent some serious power to the D23 Expo. What was once simply a convention for Disney fans is now an expo with IPs with worth in the billions. There were even cast appearances by the stars of various ABC Family and Disney Channel shows like the recent Descendants, about the children of various Disney characters.

Disney theme parks were also in the spotlight, with news on both the Star Wars themed lands coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World as well as the Avatar themed land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. Also from the Awesome Dept. was word that Star Tours would be getting a new destination, based on the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, added to its mix of possibilities. There were also a ton of displays set up showing off various aspects of Shanghai Disneyland, which looks to be a really cool park, with a TRON light-cycle rollercoaster and more.

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The Anaheim convention center was, once again, a great spot to host the D23 Expo. Not only does it have a large amount of floor space and huge number of smaller rooms for panels, screenings, and more – but it is also right across the street from Disneyland. This means that many attendees get whole weekend vacation plans in check, with stays at Disneyland hotels, tickets to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, and tickets to the D23 Expo itself.

Of course, the worst part of the D23 Expo experience, as is the case with MOST conventions, is the food. Convention center food is never that great. Although, here is a tip: If you go to the neighboring Hilton Anaheim hotel, you will find some good eats. Stay away from the small food court in that hotel as it gets overrun with attendees and the lines are atrocious.  Past the food court, deeper inside the huge hotel lobby, you will find Mix – an actual, sit-down restaurant. This restaurant costs from $12 to $19 dollars a plate and the quality is way better than the food court or the convention center. Even better is that it seems like most attendees never find this place so there is usually NO wait time to get a seat.

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Also in full force at the D23 Expo were the cosplayers – most cosplaying characters from Disney related properties, like the pictured above Sgt Calhoun cosplayer (AmberSkies Cosplay). Surprisingly, I didn’t see that many Star Wars inspired cosplayers, despite Disney’s acquisition of Lucasfilm. I had at least expected some of the 501st Legion to show up. That being said, there were a lot of people present and I could have just missed them in passing.

Overall, the 2015 D23 Expo was a great time. No matter if you were a fan of Disney movies, theme parks, or memorabilia – it had something for everyone.

You can find more out about the D23 Expo at its official website.

Image Gallery

The Purge Hits the Halloween Horror Nights Terror Tram

halloween-horror-nights-the-purge-terror-tram

Universal City, Ca, August 17, 2015 – Beginning Friday, September 18, the annual Purge will commence at “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort as both parks debut all-new disturbingly-real experiences, inspired by Universal’s popular franchise film series created by writer and director James DeMonaco and produced by Blumhouse Productions and Platinum Dunes.

Guests will attempt to survive the night as they are immersed in the film’s depraved world, where all crime is declared legal as part of the government’s annually sanctioned 12-hour Purge.

The “Terror Tram: Survive the Purge” experience at Universal Studios Hollywood will pit  guests against morally-compromised citizens, who take to the streets to cleanse the country of those deemed as less desirable, without fear of retribution. Recognizing that not all citizens choose to hunt during The Purge, a newly endorsed “Purge Party” will welcome guests to honor this proud national tradition by watching the night’s dramatic events unfold on large video screens set up around the famed Universal backlot – until the experience quickly turns into an unforgettable living nightmare.

Once aboard the “Terror Tram,” guests will find themselves at the mercy of affected vigilantes looking to annihilate people by the thousands. Strolling about the famed studio backlot – the very place where the horror film genre first took root – guests will need to rely on cunning wit, luck and speed to outsmart and outlive the anarchy unleashed by once average citizens now transformed into sadistic felons.

“This year’s ‘Terror Tram’ preys upon the vulnerability of our guests as they wander the darkness of our world-famous backlot surrounded by iconic horror sets and consider the theoretic possibility of a real Purge experience,’” said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of “Halloween Horror Nights.” “We consistently strive to raise the bar in delivering ideal scares, and the backlot at night infested with reprehensible characters is one way of truly scaring the living daylights out of our guests.”

To learn more about the all-new “Terror Tram: Survive the Purge” at “Halloween Horror Nights,” click here.

Universal Orlando’s horrifying “Purge” maze will expand upon the incredibly popular and terrifying films and place guests in the midst of a chaotic Purge night where the tradition has commenced. As they navigate the maze, they will quickly realize that they are the targets for this year’s Purge. Guests will be hunted by dozens of masked vigilantes who will stop at nothing to purge as they are entitled.

“Building on the success of last year’s scare zone, this time our guests will live their very own ‘Purge Night’ within the confines of an all-new house experience,” said Michael Aiello, Director of Entertainment Creative Development.  “Just like in the film, guests will find themselves within arm’s reach of the most sadistic collection of killers imaginable. Their only want and need is to express their right to purge and purge they will.”

To learn more about the Purge maze at Universal Orlando’s “Halloween Horror Nights” click here.

Universal’s “Halloween Horror Nights” is the ultimate in extreme Halloween events. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited “Halloween Horror Nights” in Hollywood and Orlando to become victims in their own horror movie. Multiple movie-quality mazes are constructed throughout the event, inspired by iconic slasher films, hit horror movies and television series or hauntingly real original stories. Numerous scare zones also infiltrate “Halloween Horror Nights,” designed to provoke an unrelenting sense of fear and terrorize guests as they navigate the darkness from one frightening maze to another.

For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Join the “Halloween Horror Nights” conversation using #UniversalHHN on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood and Instagram, Twitter and Periscope @HorrorNights.  Add username HorrorNights on Snapchat for nightly live content and watch the terror come to life on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube.

Tickets and vacation packages for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando are on sale now at HalloweenHorrorNights.com\Orlando. Updates on Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights are available on Facebook at Halloween Horror Nights – Universal Orlando and on Instagram at @HorrorNightsORL. Plus, fans can get exclusive updates from Director of Entertainment Creative Development, Mike Aiello, on Twitter at @HorrorNightsORL.  Join the conversation using #HHN25.

Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Disney Parks

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 15, 2015) – Today at the D23 EXPO 2015, The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced to an audience of more than 7,500 fans that Star Wars-themed lands will be coming to Disneyland park in Anaheim, Calif., and Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., allowing Star Wars fans to step into the stories from a galaxy far, far away.

Ambitious plans to bring Star Wars to life in the two parks include creating Disney’s largest single themed land expansions ever at 14 acres each, transporting guests to a never-before-seen planet, a remote trading port and one of the last stops before wild space where Star Wars characters and their stories come to life.

“I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars,” said Iger.  “We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever.  These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance.”

These authentic lands will have two signature attractions.  Along with the thrilling battle experience, another attraction puts guests behind the controls of one of the most recognizable ships in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, as they take on a customized secret mission.

star wars land 2

Iger also shared concept images of the Star Wars-themed lands, giving fans a glimpse at what is to come for Disney parks.

The partnership between Disney and Lucasfilm dates back to 1987, when the successful Star Tours attraction, inspired by George Lucas’s legendary Star Wars film series, opened at Disneyland.  The attraction was then redesigned, emerging as “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” in 2011 and featuring more than 50 different story outcomes and the possibility to visit five different planets.

For 60 years, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has been delighting millions of people with fantastic storytelling, exceptional entertainment and extraordinary experiences, creating places where guests can make life-long memories with their friends and families.  This announcement marks an unprecedented time of growth with exciting developments happening around the world – from Disneyland Resort’s Diamond Celebration to the anticipated opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in China.

star wars land 1

Star Wars: Rogue One Begins Principal Shooting

Star Wars: Rogue One cast photo

Star Wars: Rogue One cast photo

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. (August 15, 2015) – Lucasfilm announced today that their first film in the new standalone Star Wars stories series, “Rogue One,” has begun principal photography. Gareth Edwards (“Godzilla,” “Monsters”) is directing “Rogue One,” which tells the story of resistance fighters who have united to steal plans to the dreaded Death Star. The film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and is slated for a December 16, 2016 release.

The filmmakers have assembled a stellar cast, including Felicity Jones, nominated for an Academy Award® for her leading role in “The Theory of Everything”; Diego Luna, who was featured in 2008’s Oscar®-winning “Milk” and the critically acclaimed “Killing Them Softly”; Ben Mendelsohn, recently nominated for an Emmy® for his leading role in “Bloodline” and co-starring  in the upcoming “Mississippi Grind”; Donnie Yen, Hong Kong action star and martial artist who starred in “Ip Man” and “Blade II”; Jiang Wen, who co-wrote, produced , directed and starred in the award-winning “Let the Bullets Fly” and “Devils on the Doorstep”; Forest Whitaker, recently featured in the critically-acclaimed Lee Daniels’ “The Butler” and winner of an Academy Award® for his leading role in 2006’s “The Last King of Scotland; Mads Mikkelsen, who starred in “The Hunt” and was the memorable villain from 2006’s “Casino Royale”;  Alan Tudyk,  who plays a performance-capture character in “Rogue One,” stars in the soon-to-be-released “Con Man” series and “Trumbo,” which releases this November; and Riz Ahmed, who was recently featured in “Nightcrawler” and starred in the BAFTA-winning film “Four Lions.”

“‘Rogue One’ takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy. “It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for ‘Rogue One.’”

Veteran ILM visual effects supervisor John Knoll, who shares a long history with the Star Wars movies, dating back to the mid-1990s, originated the idea for the movie. Allison Shearmur (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” “Cinderella”), John Knoll, Simon Emanuel (“The Dark Knight Rises,” “Fast & Furious 6”) and Jason McGatlin (“Tintin,” “War of the Worlds”) are executive producers. Kiri Hart and John Swartz (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) are co-producers.

To create the lived-in, realistic feel of “Rogue One,” Edwards chose Greig Fraser (“Zero Dark Thirty,” “Foxcatcher”) to be his director of photography and Neil Corbould (“Black Hawk Down,” “Gladiator,” “Saving Private Ryan”) to be his special effects supervisor.  Star Wars and Lucasfilm veteran Doug Chiang (“Star Wars: Episodes I-II,” “Forrest Gump”) and Neil Lamont (supervising art director for the “Harry Potter” series, “Edge of Tomorrow”) will be the production designers. Additional crew members will include stunt coordinator Rob Inch (“World War Z,” Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger”), creature effects supervisor Neal Scanlan (“Prometheus”) and co-costume designers Dave Crossman (costume supervisor for the “Harry Potter” series, “Saving Private Ryan”) and Glyn Dillon (costume concept artist for “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” “Jupiter Ascending”).