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D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also known as Disney D23 or simply D23, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company.
History[]
D23 was introduced on March 10, 2009 by Robert Iger during the company's annual meeting in Oakland, California. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, the year when Walt Disney arrived in Hollywood and the company was founded. Walt only came with a little amount of money and no job, as he is quoted as saying: "I came to Hollywood and arrived here in August 1923 with forty dollars in my pocket and a coat and a pair of trousers that didn't match. And one half of my suitcase had my shirts and underwear and things and the other half had my drawing materials..." The goal of D23 is to communicate with Disney fans by "placing them in the middle of the magic."
D23 Expo 2009[]
The first D23 Expo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on September 10-13, 2009. It featured pavilions from Walt Disney Imagineering, showcasing models and tests for future attractions, as well as costumes and props from the Walt Disney Archives, and more. At the second day of the D23 Expo on September 11, the Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook took the stage and began presentations chock-full of breaking news and never-before-seen trailers from the newest Disney films. There had been two hours of non-stop film clips, announcements, and celebrity guest appearances. This was before the final message in an incredible presentation made to Disney fans.
When thousands of die-hard Disney fans were sitting at the D23 Expo, to their surprise, Johnny Depp—in full Captain Jack Sparrow regalia—emerged onto the stage. After greeting Disney chairman Dick Cook, in swaggering character, Depp asked about a "talking frog", referencing either Disney's previously announced The Princess and the Frog or The Muppets.[1] Together, with a logo banner above them, Depp and Cook officially announced Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and that it was going to be released in Summer 2011.[2][3] This announcement was the first the public had officially heard of a fourth Pirates film, after being confirmed in development a year prior during a Disney event at the Kodak Theater, and it was eventually confirmed that it would be based upon Tim Powers' novel of the same name.[4]
D23 Expo 2015[]
The fourth D23 Expo was held on August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. It featured various presentations from Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm presented a look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Walt Disney Pictures showcased their films, including Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Pete's Dragon, and The Finest Hours.[5][6]
On August 14, actor Johnny Depp was honored as a Disney Legend, the studio's highest award, given to individuals who have contributed to the world of entertainment. "So I don’t know why I'm here," Depp joked. During his speech, Depp broke into his Captain Jack Sparrow voice after an audience member shouted out the word "parlay." The actor also took issue with the word "fan" saying, "I never really liked that word, because it sort of implies that someone is above and someone is beneath in a weird way. So I would say that you are in fact my 'employer.' Thank you for giving me this great opportunity to basically do stupid stuff for a living. For watching me."[7][8]
On August 15, at the Walt Disney Studios panel, Sean Bailey talked about the fifth installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, set for release on July 2017. As the cast list appeared behind him, Bailey talked about the film's cast, including Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar, Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa, Brenton Thwaites as Henry, Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth. While the latter cast were already announced beforehand, Bailey officially announced in D23 that Orlando Bloom would return as Will Turner. Afterwards, like in D23 Expo in 2009, the presentation ended with a surprise visit by Johnny Depp, who showed up on stage completely decked out as Captain Jack Sparrow to help announce the film.[9]
Trivia[]
- During the D23 2015 presentation for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Sean Bailey was quoted in saying, "There's another character in this tale, in this franchise, that we think the audience particularly cares to see Jack Sparrow interact with. It's official — Orlando Bloom's Will Turner is back!" However, Jack and Will never interact with each other in the film.
See also[]
External links[]
- Disney D23 - Official website
- Disney D23 on Wikipedia
- Disney D23 on Facebook
- Disney D23 (@disneyd23) on Instagram
- DisneyD23 on YouTube
- Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) on Twitter
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Stars and Surprises « Disney D23
- ↑ D23 Expo: Walt Disney Studios announces Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides due out in 2011 - Orlando Attractions Magazine
- ↑ D23: New Pirates Film Announced - IGN
- ↑ Disney Second Screen: Pirates Of The Caribbean On Stranger Tides
- ↑ Beauty and the Beast, Pirates, Jungle Book, Alice 2 and Pete's Dragon at Disney's D23 Expo | EW.com
- ↑ Disney Shows off 'Pirates 5,' 'Beauty and the Beast' at D23 - The Hollywood Reporter
- ↑ Johnny Depp makes surprise appearance at Disney's D23 expo | EW.com
- ↑ Johnny Depp - D23
- ↑ D23 Expo 2015: Orlando Bloom to reprise Will Turner for "Pirates 5," Johnny Depp appears on stage as Jack Sparrow - again - Inside the Magic