An iconic scene from Captain Eo. Click here for more Captain Eo photos.
The Disney Parks blog announced today that Captain Eo, the classic musical spectacular that thrilled Disneyland park guests from 1986-1997, will return for an exclusive, limited engagement at Disneyland park beginning in February 2010!
The 3D musical science-fiction adventure film, shown in Journey Into Imagination at Epcot from September 12, 1986 to July 6, 1994 and in Tomorrowland at Disneyland from September 18, 1986 through April 6, 1997, starred Michael Jackson, Anjelica Huston and Dick Shawn and was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive produced by George Lucas. It featured Captain Eo and his crew of mythical space creatures — Hooter, Fuzzball, the Geex and Major and Minor Domo — who discover a colorless planet where they are confronted by the Supreme Leader and her force of darkness. Using the powers of music, dance and light, Eo and his crew are able to turn the black-and-white land into a magical world of color and happiness.
Disney archivist Rob Klein admires the similarities between the origins of Captain Eo and other famous Disney projects from the past. “Michael Eisner [then Disney president and CEO] approached Michael Jackson in the mid-’80s and said, ‘Do you want to do something for the Parks?’ And Michael’s response was ‘Definitely.’ Which isn’t surprising because Michael was such a fan of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It reminds me of other milestone Disney projects such as the Monorail, which was approved by Walt in less than 30 seconds after a brief discussion with [Disney Legend] Bob Gurr. Can you think of another multi-million-dollar project that got off the ground so quickly?”
Work began on the film almost immediately, Rob says. Michael requested George Lucas’ involvement, and no doubt it was Lucas who recruited Coppola to direct. This was good news to Michael Jackson, a big admirer of Coppola’s work.
Captain Eo was filmed primarily at American Zoetrope Studios in Hollywood, but some segments were shot on the Disney Studio Lot. According to Rob, Jackson visited the Walt Disney Archives during his lunch breaks in his full Captain Eo regalia. As you might imagine, Jackson’s live appearances in the Archives created quite a sensation even for Walt Disney Studios employees, who see their fair share of celebrities. Attendees at the D23 Expo saw Jackson’s Captain Eo costume at the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit, courtesy of Lucasfilm Archives.
Coppola recently remembered working with Michael Jackson on this Star Wars-influenced classic: “He was very sweet, but also very deliberate. He loved to learn and during rehearsal he had fun learning how to properly salute and do an about face. He got a kick out of being military. He reminded me of a kid — innocent, eager and joyful.”
What makes Captain Eo so historically significant is the way it brought together for the first time four of the biggest names in the entertainment industry — Disney, Jackson, Coppola and Lucas. “Can you think of any other short film that boasts such all-star talent?” Rob laughs.
