*HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (February 14, 2017) ? In anticipation of the upcoming release of Disney?s ?Beauty and the Beast,? the latest live-action adaption of a classic animated film, the legendary El Capitan Theatre presents a series of films, FESTIVAL OF FAIRY TALES: Disney?s Live Action Adventures, from March 3 ? 12, 2017.
The Festival of Fairytales will kick off with Disney?s ?Maleficent? (2014) directed by Robert Stromberg, March 3-4, followed by Disney?s ?The Jungle Book? (2016) directed by Jon Favreau, March 5-6;? ?Pete?s Dragon? (2016) directed by David Lowery, March 7-8,? ?Cinderella? (2015) directed by Kenneth Branagh, March 9-10, and concluding with ?Alice in Wonderland?(2010) directed by Tim Burton, March 11-12.
?Recently Disney has taken some of its most beloved stories and made them into new films for new audiences ? of which ?Beauty and the Beast? opening March 17 here at The El Capitan Theatre is the latest,? said Ed Collins, General Manager of The El Capitan Theatre.? ?Many of these new films which have been very popular with audiences and critics alike have become classics in their own right.? They have given a whole new generation a way to have a unique experience with these characters. We know that our El Capitan Guests will welcome a chance to see these films again on the big screen as they were meant to be seen and we are thrilled to present them now.?
The El Capitan Theatre is offering a special FESTIVAL OF FAIRYTALES Package; for $50 per person, guests receive a Reserved Ticket, small box of popcorn & 12 oz. fountain drink to each of the five films, tickets for this package must be reserved in advance by calling 818-845-3110.? Guests will choose show date & seats for all five films at the time of purchase.? A $20 VIP preferred ticket is also available for each film individually, which includes a VIP Preferred Seat, popcorn in a souvenir tub and 20 oz. drink.
Showtimes for all five films are 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now, and available at The El Capitan Theatre (6838 Hollywood Blvd.), online at www.elcapitantickets.com, or by calling 1-800-DISNEY6. Special group rates for parties of 20 or more are available by calling 1-818-845-3110. Showtimes are subject to change.
ABOUT MALEFICENT (2014)
?Maleficent? explores the untold story of Disney?s most iconic villain from the classic ?Sleeping Beauty? and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king?s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.
The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville. ?Maleficent? is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with Angelina Jolie, Michael Vieira, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. Rated PG.
ABOUT THE JUNGLE BOOK (2016)
Directed by Jon Favreau (?Iron Man?), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, ?The Jungle Book? is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.
The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. ?The Jungle Book? seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. Rated PG.
ABOUT PETE?S DRAGON (2016)
A reimagining of Disney?s cherished family film, ?Pete?s Dragon? is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliot, who just so happens to be a dragon. ?Pete?s Dragon? stars Bryce Dallas Howard (?Jurassic World?), Oakes Fegley (?This is Where I Leave You?), Wes Bentley (?The Hunger Games?), Karl Urban (?Star Trek?), Oona Laurence (?Southpaw?), Isiah Whitlock, Jr. (?Cedar Rapids?) and Oscar? winner Robert Redford (?Captain America: The Winter Soldier?). The film, which is directed by David Lowery (?Ain?t Them Bodies Saints?), is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a screenplay by Malcolm Marmorstein and produced by Jim Whitaker (?The Finest Hours,? ?Friday Night Lights?), with Barrie M. Osborne (?The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,? ?The Great Gatsby?) serving as executive producer.
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales?until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliot. And from Pete?s descriptions, Elliot seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham?s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon. Rated PG.
ABOUT CINDERELLA (2015)
The story of ?Cinderella? follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new Stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella?s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Soon, she is forced to become their servant, disrespected, covered in ashes and spitefully renamed Cinderella. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her, and she continues to remain positive, determined to honor her mother?s dying words and to ?have courage and be kind.?
When Ella meets a dashing stranger in the woods, unaware that he is really the Prince (Richard Madden) and not merely Kit, an apprentice at the palace, she believes she has finally found a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change when the King (Derek Jacobi) summons all maidens in the kingdom to attend a royal ball at the palace, raising Ella?s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit. Alas, her Stepmother forbids her to attend and callously destroys her dress. Meanwhile, the calculating Grand Duke (Stellan Skarsg?rd) devises a plan to thwart the Prince?s hopes of reuniting with Ella and enlists the support of the devious Stepmother. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand. Soon, a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham Carter) steps forward and, armed with a pumpkin, a few mice and a magic wand, changes Cinderella?s life forever.
Directed by Academy Award? nominee Kenneth Branagh (?Thor,? ?Hamlet?) and starring Academy Award?
winner Cate Blanchett (?Blue Jasmine,? ?Elizabeth?), Lily James (?Downton Abbey?), Richard Madden
(?Game of Thrones?) and Academy Award? nominee Helena Bonham Carter (?The King?s Speech,? ?Alice
in Wonderland?), ?Cinderella? is produced by Simon Kinberg (?X-Men: Days of Future Past,? ?Elysium?),
Allison Shearmur (?The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1?) and David Barron (?Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1?) with Tim Lewis (?Edge of Tomorrow?) serving as executive producer. The screenplay is by Chris Weitz (?About a Boy,? ?The Golden Compass?). Rated PG.
ABOUT ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010)
?Alice in Wonderland? stars Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter and Mia Wasikowska as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: ?the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. ?Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen?s reign of terror. ?The all-star cast also includes Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, and Crispin Glover.? The screenplay is by Linda Woolverton.? Rated PG.
ABOUT THE EL CAPITAN THEATRE
Declared a Historic Cultural Monument by the City of Los Angeles and restored to showcase its original lavish architecture, The El Capitan Theatre has been since 1991 an exclusive first run theatre, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, for The Walt Disney Studios. The theatre also hosts live stage shows, world premieres, special events, and screenings of classic Disney films.
In the 1920s, real estate developer Charles Toberman and Sid Grauman built the Egyptian, Chinese and El Capitan theatres.? Los Angeles based Stiles O. Clements designed the elaborate cast-concrete Spanish Colonial style exterior; San Francisco architect G. Albert Lansburgh, known for his design of over 50 West Coast theatres and luxury cinema houses, designed the lavish East Indian inspired interior.? Originally a legitimate theatre (over 120 plays and musicals were staged), it was converted for film for the world premiere of Orson Welles? ?Citizen Kane.?? The theatre then was renovated, reopening in March 1942 as the Hollywood Paramount, a streamlined “art moderne” first run movie house.
In 1989, the Walt Disney Company joined forces with Pacific Theatres and launched a two-year, museum quality restoration of The El Capitan Theatre, led by renowned theatre designer Joseph J. Musil. Musil with the supervision of the National Park Service’s Department of the Interior, and guidance from conservator Martin Weil and architect Ed Fields, achieved the goal recreating the original 1926 look and feel — including original design elements such as the ornate plasterwork found hidden behind walls and the opera boxes in the main auditorium.
