First Look At Star Wars-themed Park, Avengers And More At D23

Disney has given Star Wars fans one platform to engage on as Walt Disney Parks and Resorts unveils the first look of the park themed around the franchise. The unveiling included an appearance of the cast of the next Avengers film as well, as Disney begins the aggressive marketing of the last installment in the Marvel series.

The model of the Star Wars theme park,  which is being developed in Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida, was revealed at D23 Expo, the ongoing fan event in Anaheim.

"To say we are excited for the Star Wars-themed lands to open in 2019 is an understatement," said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "All along, we have said this will be game-changing, and through the model, we can begin to see how truly epic these immersive new worlds will be."

D23 also saw more around Avengers. Titled Avengers: Infinity War, the latest part of the franchise is scheduled to release on May 2018.  The fans also got an early look at footage from the movie, introduced by Joe Russo, one of the directors.

However, this was only the part of the "surprise" that Disney had in store for the attendees of the three-day expo that caters to the fans of Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilms and Marvel - the four brands under the Disney umbrella.

As part of the session, the company also announced the slate of films to release between 2017-19. These include of animation and live action films, including The Star wars: The Last Jedi; John Favreau's live action take of the 1994 classic animation, The Lion King; live action rendition of Dumbo; Guy Ritchie's reimagination of Aladdin with Will Smith as the Genie; Mary Poppins Returns with Emily Blunt in the lead, among other titles.  

The upcoming titles by Disney reiterate the entertainment studio's recent attempt at reinventing classic content to stay with the current times. In the recent past, one has witnessed that with the modern reinterpretation of The Beauty and the Beast and Maleficent, a subversive take on The Sleeping Beauty by telling the story from the point of view of the perceived antagonist.

India is one of the key growth markets for Disney, alongside China. This is driven by the rising popularity of characters and content from the Disney umbrella, especially propelled by the success of the first Iron Man film in 2008 and the rising fandom of the Star Wars franchise. Two years ago, in order to expand its footprint, Disney took over the local popular studio UTV. It has since witnessed growth with the nine TV channels that are part of the Disney UTV group and recently with the Aamir Khan-starrer, the massive blockbuster Dangal.

The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger had announced at the D23 Expo 2015 that one of the Star Wars project will give guests the chance to pilot the Millennium Falcon on a customised secret mission, and other will put them right in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance.

The Star Wars-themed lands, which is be spread across 14 acres each, will open in 2019. As of now, fans can enjoy special character encounters to favourite attractions like Star Tours The Adventures Continue, and interactive entertainment like Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple at all Disney parks and resorts around the world.