Captain EO
Captain EO is an attraction located in the Imagination! pavilion in Epcot.
Attraction History
Captain EO got it's beginning when Michael Jackson's adviser, David Geffen called Disney. The pop singer was coming off the blockbuster album, Thriller and Geffen though that Jackson (a huge Disney fan) should make a movie for the company. Geffen called his longtime friend and the head of the Disney Studio, Jeffrey Katzenberg and pitched his idea. Although Disney was interested in the the idea, Katzenberg and Michael Eisner asked Jackson if he would make a movie/music video for Disneyland. Imagineer Rick Rothschild then drew up three different story lines. Both he and Jackson picked the same one to do: Captain EO.
As part of his agreement to do the attraction however, Jackson insisted that either George Lucas or Steven Spielberg be involved in the project. Since George Lucas was already working with Disney to create Star Tours, he was brought in to work on the movie. Joining him, was director Francis Ford Coppola, actress Angelica Houston and Rusty Lemorande (who wrote the screenplay with Lucas). Famed composer James Horner, wrote the score for the film, and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro worked the lighting and photography. Jackson also wrote two new songs for the attraction, "We Are Here To Change the World" and "Another Part of Me". The movie was shot in 3D, and in-theater effects were used to enhance guests experience. Because of these effects, many consider Captain EO to be the first 4D movie ever created.
On July, 6 1994, following a decrease in both the film and Jackson's popularity, Captain EO was replaced by a new 4D film, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. MTV showed the film (in regular 2D) on June 26, 1996, the only known time the film was shown outside of the Disney Parks. On July 2, 2010, following the death of Michael Jackson, the film returned to Epcot. It replaced Honey, I Shrunk the Audience almost exactly 16 years after it closed. Although the film has returned, many of the in-theater effects were removed when Honey, I Shrunk the Audience was built.
