Today was Disney’s big media preview day and therefore the perfect platform from which to announce a bunch of stuff. The confirmed casting of Johnny Depp in Alice in Wonderland was just one piece. How about a fistful of bullet points to make you feel like you were right there?
– Cars 2 has been pulled up a year, and will release in summer 2011 instead of in 2012 as previously announced. The story will follow Mater and Lightning McQueen as they travel abroad, meet interesting new people, and kill them. The reason for the move, John Lasseter says, is that the studio just loves the movie so much. Brad Lewis is directing, but I have to remain suspicious that this remains a pet passion of Lasseter’s…and obviously an excellent source of licensing revenue.
– National Treasure 3 is happening.
– Pirates of the Caribbean 4 is in development. Depp is signed.
– A super-strong strain of polio, resistant to all vaccines, has been developed at Epcot in Orlando.
– And Johnny Depp will also appear in the forthcoming Lone Ranger movie…as Tonto. Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio are scripting.
Tron 2.0 was also reportedly part of the presentation, though it doesn’t seem to be officially added to Disney’s slate.