This Christopher Robin Special Feature is presented in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company…
The Walt Disney Studios lot in sunny Burbank, California is a magical place as-is… a place where the power of imagination has been harnessed to shape and realize timeless stories that will continue to inspire audiences until the end of time. But on Monday night, something truly unique happened as that magic manifested itself in new ways. To celebrate the release of Disney’s Christopher Robin, the lot was transformed into a wondrous place that had not only been ripped from the pages, but had leaped from the screen. For the World Premiere and red carpet, cast, crew and invited guests were welcomed not just onto the Studio lot, but into The Hundred Acre Wood.
A red carpet on the Disney lot is a rare thing, as most of their World Premiere experiences take place on Hollywood Blvd, usually closing down the street as audiences filter into the El Capitan, Dolby Theatre, Chinese or in some cases, all three. This was a special occasion, however, as Disney was dedicating the Sherman Brothers Stage – named in honor of Disney Legends Richard and Robert Sherman, the musical forces behind the famous songs from The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, and many other productions for stage and screen, including Winnie the Pooh. While Robert passed in 2012, Richard continues to pen new songs for Disney, including three created for Christopher Robin. Complete with a “greatest hits” performance by the Disneyland Band (led by Mickey and Minnie Mouse), the dedication gave way to the red carpet experience.
The journey into The Hundred Acre Wood began with Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger sunning themselves in beach chairs beneath banners that spelled out “Welcome Cristofer Roben” (spelling is a bit simplified in The Hundred Acre Wood), while signs warned of the impending danger of Heffalumps and Woozles.
Beyond the entrance, the carpet was tented as members of the press and paparazzi angled for position to get the perfect shot or soundbite. As a guest of The Walt Disney Company, I took my place on the carpet for a few photo opps alongside the team of 25 writers/bloggers/online personalities assembled to work on features for the film’s theatrical release.
The National Honey Board found the perfect promotional partner in Christopher Robin, serving-up fresh samples of Hunny (in Pooh-speak) in several varieties, while the folks at Nissan showed off their first-ever Nissan KICKS crossover. Additional photo ops featuring props from and inspired by the film were bountiful, and while celebrities such as John Stamos, Alison Sweeney, Jason Schwartzman, Tori Spelling and a couple of The Real Housewives (Kyle Richards, Teddi Mellencamp Arroyave) mingled among the crowd, by far the most famous couple on the red carpet were true Disney royalty. Everyone wanted a photo with Mickey and Minnie!
Having seen Christopher Robin twice now (it’s a magical film that will make you re-think your life… but more on that in my formal review!), I encourage kids of all ages to see it in theaters beginning August 3, 2018!
In Disney’s heartwarming live action adventure, the young boy who shared countless adventures with his stuffed animal friends in the Hundred Acre Wood has grown up and lost sight of what’s important in life. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin rediscover the joys of family life, the value of friendship and to appreciate the simple pleasure in life once again.
Christopher Robin is directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Alex Ross Perry and Allison Schroeder and a story by Perry based on characters created by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard. The producers are Brigham Taylor and Kristin Burr, with Renée Wolfe and Jeremy Johns serving as executive producers. The film stars Ewan McGregor as Christopher Robin; Hayley Atwell as his wife Evelyn; Bronte Carmichael as his daughter Madeline; and Mark Gatiss as Keith Winslow, Robin’s boss. The film also features the voices of: Jim Cummings as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger; Brad Garrett as Eeyore; Toby Jones as Owl; Nick Mohammed as Piglet; Peter Capaldi as Rabbit; and Sophie Okonedo as Kanga. Get tickets now via my affiliate, Fandango.
Bonus: While I didn’t go full-on Winnie the Pooh in the Beastie Boys’ sense (“I’m a freaky streaker like Winnie-the-Pooh/T-shirt and no pants and I dance the boogaloo”), I was able to show that my outfit could go from red carpet to casual with just a few after-party tweaks!
