Miramax Films continued to benefit from its award-worthy 2006 releases - The Queen with its Oscar®-winning performance by Helen Mirren and Venus with Oscar®-nominated Peter O'Toole - and prestigious 2007 releases Becoming Jane, the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Miramax's 2008 slate includes such highly anticipated films as City of Men; Brideshead Revisited, starring Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon; Smart People, starring Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Jessica Parker; and Boy in the Striped Pajamas.
The Studios continue their commitment to producing local films that are culturally relevant and have great stories to tell. The most recent example is The Magic Gourd, the Studios' first full-length motion picture produced locally in China. Gourd proved to be a great success, becoming the No. 1 family Chinese language film of the past five years.
The Studios also leveraged Disney Channel's ever-popular High School Musical through CDs, stage plays, ice shows and DVDs. The soundtrack for High School Musical 2 became the first television movie release to enter the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, where it stayed for four consecutive weeks. Disney Theatrical Group added to its repertoire of hits with a United States tour of High School Musical featuring Broadway-caliber talent in a non-stop singing and dancing production. In 2008, international productions of High School Musical are scheduled to debut in the UK and Spain. A licensing program brought over 2,000 productions all over the world.
Additionally, the Theatrical Group teamed up with Feld Entertainment for High School Musical: The Ice Tour, featuring professional skaters from around the world and selling out shows both here and abroad. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment had one of the top-selling television titles of the year with the December release of High School Musical 2. Fans of the series will have even more to cheer about in 2008 as Walt Disney Pictures brings High School Musical 3: Senior Year to the big screen with all new songs, dance and drama.
Disney's motion picture lineup for 2008 includes a dazzling array of films that continues to emphasize family storytelling and innovative filmmaking.
The May 16 release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian will bring to life the next adventure in the beloved C. S. Lewis series, with director Andrew Adamson and the original cast reprising their roles from the first Narnia film, which grossed nearly $745 million at the worldwide box office. Already in pre-production for a 2010 release is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, from acclaimed director Michael Apted.
Top: Prince Caspian, the second film in the popular Chronicles of Narnia series, opens in theaters May 16, 2008.
Bottom: Disney is committed to providing the highest-quality home theater experience by releasing its films in both DVD and Blu-ray high definition format.
