""Fantasia 2000""
Mickey, the sorcererís apprentice in Disneyís animation classic Fantasia, is set to star in a newly created 90-minute full-length special edition theatrical release entitled Fantasia 2000. The animated film will have an exclusive four-month run in at least 100 Imax theatres around the world from January 1-April 30, 2000. Exhibition in Imax theatres will follow a five-city live-orchestra backed tour of the film in December 1999. That tour will hit Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris and Tokyo. The world premier release will be on December 17 at New Yorkís Carnegie Hall, where James Levine will conduct the 120-piece London Philharmonic Orchestra that will play the soundtrack live in sync with the filmís animated imagery. Thereafter, the film and orchestra travels to the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Theatres des Champs-Elysees in Paris and Orchard Hall in Tokyo. The concert tour concludes with a New Yearís Eve engagement at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. ""Fantasia 2000 is an animated feature like no other, and audiences will have the opportunity to see it all in its big-screen glory,"" said Dick Cook, Chairman of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, at the companyís annual animation presentation for exhibitors, press and promotional partners in New York City. ""Fantasia 2000 is exquisite eye candy, and Disney wants to show off the film in the worldís best projection technology,"" Imax co-CEO Brad Wechsler said. Fantasia 2000 will use three segments from Disneyís original 1940 production Fantasia, and six new segments and interstitials, which Disney animators have worked on for the past dozen years. The film will be the first theatrical full-length feature to be reformatted into Imaxís 15/70 70mm-film format with DTSÆ Digital Sound. ""Fantasia 2000 is a labor of love which expands upon a bold experiment in sight and sound that was started over six decades ago by my Uncle Walt and my father,"" Disney Vice Chairman Roy Disney said. ""With a theatre experience as majestic as Imaxís we can fully showcase the six new segments of Fantasia 2000, which have allowed a whole new generation of animators to push the boundaries of the medium and their imaginations.""