In his own 80's style space suit Mickey Mouse cut the ribbon that officially re-opened the Captain EO attraction at Epcot's Futureworld at Walt Disney World this morning. the official opening comes after two days of guest previews and soft opening, you couldn't tell that this wasn't the first day. There were a lot die-hard Captain EO fans eager to see the return of this classic 1980's Michael Jackson science fiction experience to Walt Disney World.
The worldwide reception of the final installment of the Toy Story trilogy has been absolutely amazing for Disney & Pixar. All over the world, audiences have thrilled again, and again to the last tale of Woody and Buzz... except in Russia. According to an article in the L.A. Times, Toy Story 3 hasn't just under performed in the former Soviet Republic, it has essentially bombed. The article sites that while the Russian market has been know to be very fruitful for animated films like the latest offerings in the Shrek, and Ice Age franchises which grossed over $35 million a piece, Toy Story 3 has brought in only slightly less than $5 million. The article does go on to state a pretty good explanation for the disparity:
People familiar with the Russian movie market point to a variety of factors that have hurt the movie, including unseasonably warm weather that sent many children fleeing the oppressive heat of cities to stay with relatives in the cooler countryside. But perhaps the crucial reason, they say, is that Russians are unfamiliar with the story and characters because the first two "Toy Story" movies were released in the 1990s, before the country's recent explosion in theater growth.
"People here didn't grow up seeing the first two movies, so they think a film about toys is just for young children," said Paul Heth, chief executive of Russian theater chain Kinescope. "Everyone in the market here is a bit shocked at what the film has done, given its quality." from the L.A. Times
-Admiral Duke
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