In collaboration with ‘Immersive Van Gogh’ exhibit creators Lighthouse Immersive Studios, the experiential exhibit will deliver music and artistry from Disney Animation’s iconic canon of films to live audiences as never experienced before.
Walt Disney Animation Studios has teamed up with Lighthouse Immersive Studios, the producers of the popular Immersive Van Gogh exhibit, to launch a touring immersive exhibition unprecedented in Disney history. The North American creator of experiential projection exhibitions will harness the music and artistry of Disney Animation’s iconic canon of films, including the more recent Encanto, Zootopia, and Frozen, along with classics like The Lion King, Peter Pan, and Pinocchio, to create the Disney Animation Immersive Experience.
The Disney Animation Immersive Experience will debut at Lighthouse ArtSpace Toronto in December 2022. It will follow in Cleveland, Nashville, Detroit, Denver, Boston, San Antonio, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and Columbus in the first four months of 2023. After that, other North American cities will follow, with Tokyo set as the first city outside North America.
“The collaboration with Lighthouse Immersive is a first for Disney Animation,” said Clark Spencer, president, Walt Disney Animation Studios and two-time Academy Award winner (Encanto, Zootopia). “It’s a dream to bring the best of animated storytelling together with the top experts in the immersive art experience. We can’t wait for audiences around the world, of all ages, to experience the great moments from our legacy of feature films in this incredible way.”
“Like so many of us, I have a life-long love of Disney films,” said Lighthouse Immersive founder Corey Ross. “I’ve grown up with them since childhood, and so has my family. The work lends itself brilliantly to the immersive experience, and I am confident this program will give our guests the opportunity to be engulfed in the world of Disney, making them feel like they’re standing next to their favorite characters and seeing the world through their eyes.”
Oscar-winning producer J. Miles Dale (Best Picture 2018, The Shape of Water) leads Disney Animation Immersive Experience’s creative team. He commented, “Trailblazing in a new medium is always exciting, and this is truly going to be the most challenging and rewarding project of my career. Being entrusted with Disney’s rich archive of animation is a great honor but also a tremendous responsibility. With such a wealth of material and a treasure trove of memorable characters, it will be a thrill to bring the work of all the great Disney animators and performers to life in a 360-degree immersive environment.”
Mexico City-based Cocolab is working with Dale and the Creative Legacy team at Walt Disney Animation Studios to develop the program for Lighthouse Immersive Studios. Special Projects Producer Dorothy McKim (Oscar-nominated, Get A Horse!) is spearheading the project for Disney Animation.
Lighthouse Immersive’s Global Creative Director David Korins (Tony Award-nominee whose credits include Hamilton and an Emmy Award for Grease Live) will develop never-before-seen interactive lobby elements that guests can enjoy before or after entering the gallery.
“Just imagine journeying through Zootopia with Judy Hopps, diving to the ocean floor with Ariel, flying on a magic carpet with Aladdin, and stepping into Casita with Mirabel and the family Madrigal,” reflects Ross. “This is where the Disney Animation: Immersive Experience will take you.”
Source: Walt Disney Studios
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
