Disney will broaden Star Wars programming this year at
its Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida with a live stage show this spring
and a new fireworks/laser show this summer.
"Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away,"
will debut on April 4. Vignettes of classic moments from the Star Wars saga will
feature characters such as Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Darth Maul. The
show will take place multiple times each day at the Center Stage area near the
Great Movie Ride.
Also starting on April 4, there will be a stormtrooper
march at Hollywood Studios at various times each day. Captain Phasma, a
character from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," will lead a squad of
First Order stormtroopers as they march in formation from Star Wars Launch Bay
to the Center Stage area.
The fireworks show, "Star Wars: A Galactic
Spectacular," is a "reimagining" of the current show and will be
performed every night. Lights and lasers will be projected on the nearby
Chinese Theatre and other buildings, depicting the twin suns of Tatooine, a
field of battle droids, navigation through an asteroid field and the
destruction of Starkiller Base. The show will unfold through a series of
acts and will feature a tower of fire as well as spotlight beams that
create light sabers in the sky, Disney said.
The new programming follows up the park’s Star Wars
Launch Bay, which opened in December and features themed galleries, artifacts
and encounters with characters.
The new shows also preclude the build-out of Star
Wars-themed lands at Hollywood Studios and at Southern California’s Disneyland
Resort. Theme park visitors will be taken to a “never-before-seen planet" aboard
the Millennium Falcon, finding themselves in the middle of a battle between stormtroopers
and resistance fighters.
At the new Star Wars Land, guests will find themselves in the middle of a battle between stormtroopers and resistance fighters. Photo Credit: Disney Parks
Disney announced plans for the two 14-acre Star Wars lands
last August and said at the time that it would be the company’s largest
single-themed land expansion in its history, though the company hasn’t said when
the areas will open.
Disney acquired the Star wars film franchise when it
bought Lucasfilm in late 2012 for $4.06 billion.