Yahoo Lifestyle Disney’s Alan Bergman, Josh D’Amaro On World Building Across Film & Parks In High-Wattage Event With Surprise Appearance By Robert Downey Jr. – SXSW
Disney’s famous flywheel came to life for the general public Saturday as studio executives, Imagineers and talent gathered on a SXSW stage to illustrate world building of beloved franchises as they move from TV and film to theme parks and back.
Robert Downey Jr., aka Tony Stark, joined Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and Bruce Vaughn, president and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, to talk Avengers, to highlight new attractions but also how they’re conceived and constructed step by step. The actor has been invited in to advise the Imagineers on the Stark Flight Disneyland ride.
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Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman, both in casual black, kicked off the event, which was called “The Future of World Building At Disney,” as dozens of cute droids wandered the stage.
“A Disney story doesn’t end when the credits roll, or when you walk out the park’s front gate. They keep growing and evolving,” said D’Amaro.
“We’re really proud of the creative collaboration we have at Disney, and it starts with great storytelling. We truly have something for everyone, with so many ways to experience it,” said Bergman to a packed ballroom at the Austin Convention Center. “The key to all of this is the partnership we have between our teams.”
After the event, the pair told Deadline that it’s one of the few times they’ve publicly showcased the creative collaboration that takes play day in and day out.
Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar Animation Studios, Jon Favreau, director and producer of The Mandalorian & Grogu, were also on hand. They talked through the thought process, technical specs and some new concept art behind attractions from Star Wars to The Avengers to the racetrack for Pixar’s Cars to Monstropolis from Monsters Inc. — with detailed explanations, illustrations and mechanical drawings flashing on two big screens.
“Only Disney can bring this caliber of artists together to give fans richer and deeper experiences with the stories they love,” said D’Amaro. “We’re so excited about the boundless future in front of us as we use new technology to tell the next generation of Disney stories.”
Disney’s unique ability to make connections with fans through world building, said Bergman, is “a powerful legacy that we’re fortunate to be a part of.”
In fall of 2023, Disney unveiled plans to accelerate investment in U.S. and international theme parks and cruise lines to about $60 billion over 10 years.
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