DISNEY+’s “THIS IS ME: PRIDE CELEBRATION SPECTACULAR” TO PREMIERE ON YOUTUBE AND FACEBOOK ON JUNE 27

 BURBANK, Calif. (June 17, 2021) Disney+ will celebrate its community of LGBTQ+ creators, employees, and fans with its first-ever virtual variety show, “This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular” premiering on the Disney+ YouTube and Facebook on Sunday, June 27 at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT. The concert will feature one-of-a-kind musical performances of songs from the iconic movies and series available to stream on Disney+, reinterpreted through a LGBTQ+ lens. 

 

Hosted by Nina West (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), the performance lineup includes: Alex Newell (“Glee”), DCappella (Disney Music Group's premier a cappella singing sensation), Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Serafini (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”), Hayley Kiyoko (Recording Artist), Jackie Cox (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Jesse James Keitel (“Big Sky”), Kermit the Frog (“The Muppets”), Nina West, Michael James Scott (“Aladdin” on Broadway), and Todrick Hall (Recording Artist). 

 

“This is Me: A Virtual Pride Month Spectacular'' is directed by Ann Marie Pace who most recently directed Disney’s “LAUNCHPAD” short film “Growing Fangs” that is now streaming on the service. The goal of Disney’s “LAUNCHPAD” is to diversify the types of stories that are being told and to give access to those who have historically not had it. 

 

“At Disney+, we believe in the power of inclusive storytelling to bring us together and inspire us to live authentically,” said Joe Earley, global head of Marketing and Content Curation for Disney+. “We are committed to amplifying the voices of our LGBTQ+ creators and talent, and platforming content that reminds people to love loud - and sing louder - in this special event.” 

 

Produced in partnership with Disney Music Group and the Disney PRIDE Employee Resource Group, the assembled team of host, performers, director, and producers is predominantly comprised of members of the LGBTQ+ community, with the support of allies.  

 

The concert will raise awareness for GLSEN, a nonprofit that The Walt Disney Company is proud to support, that works to ensure that LGBTQ+ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. The Walt Disney Company proudly contributes towards organizations that support LGBTQ+ communities and people. 

Subscribers can discover LGBTQ+ characters and stories in the “Celebrate Pride Month'' content set now streaming on Disney+ and join in recognizing the community all month long with special spotlights, musical moments, laughter, and love. Also in honor of Pride Month, the Pixar SparkShort “OUT” is now available to watch on YouTube with a special introduction from writer and director Steven Hunter and producer Max Sachar. 

 

Fans can use #DisneyPlusPride and follow Disney+ on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to celebrate Pride month throughout June. 

Join The Countdown To Star Wars: The Force Awakens Global Epic Event for Force Friday on YouTube!

The Force Awakens Around the World: 

Star Wars Fans Invited to Join Epic Global Event on YouTube

Toy unboxing phenomenon goes live globally for the first time ahead of ‘Force Friday’

Online event featuring talent from the Maker Studios network gives fans first look at film-inspired toys ahead of midnightmadness at retail

Glendale, Calif. (Aug. 25, 2015) – Star Wars: The Force Awakens products are set to be unveiled in the world’s first-ever global live toy unboxing event. Unfolding over 18 hours in 15 cities and 12 countries, the event will see highlights from the range of epic merchandise revealed in a rolling New Year’s Eve style celebration featuring top digital stars from the Maker Studios network.  

“Star Wars toys have always played an important role in how our fans interact with the Saga,” says Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy. “They’ve inspired multiple generations to relive the experience of the movies and to create new adventures all their own. These spectacular Star Wars: The Force Awakens products will continue that tradition.” 

Kicking off in Sydney, Australia on the morning of September 3, and continuing through Asia,  Europe, Canada, and North & South America, selections from the new toy line will debut to global fanfare leading up to retailers around the globe opening their doors at midnight.

“Over the course of 18 hours, some of Maker Studios’ biggest stars will each be unboxing a new toy from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens product line in a different city around the world and sharing the experience live on YouTube.” said Leslie Ferraro, President, Disney Consumer Products. “We’ve seen tremendous excitement for these new products and can’t wait to see the global reaction from the Star Wars fan community.”  

The Star Wars YouTube channel will host the live stream, which kicks off with the first unboxing in Sydney, Australia at 7:45 a.m. local time on Thursday, Sept. 3 (5:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 2), with the grand finale at Lucasfilm in San Francisco at 8 a.m. PDT  (11 a.m. EDT) on Thursday, Sept. 3. Each of the 15 locations will reveal a new product inspired by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

These “unboxing” videos will feature online personalities sharing the excitement of opening the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys. Unboxing videos overall have captivated millions of Internet viewers and continue to grow in popularity. Eighteen of the top 100 most viewed YouTube Channels worldwide are dedicated to toys and toy unboxings. These 18 channels accounted for 8.1 billion views in Q1 2015.[1]

“We’re excited to be part of this first-of-its-kind initiative,” said Chris M. Williams, Chief Audience Officer, Maker Studios. “The unboxing world continues to expand rapidly as audiences around the world connect with digital creators who share their passions. This shared fandom helps attract billions of monthly views and consistently puts the genre at the top of the YouTube charts.”

The global unboxing event will incorporate traditional toy unboxers such as the popular EvanTubeHD, channels featuring families such as Bratayley, lifehack specialists such as ExpCaseros, gamers such as AlexBy11 and Star Wars fans from around the world, including Chris Pirillo, bringing with them a broad audience and appeal. The global line-up includes:

COUNTRY	CITY	MAKER TALENT	LOCAL TIME 9/3	EDT
Australia	Sydney	Bratayley	07:45	17:45 9/2
Japan	Tokyo	Einshine	11:00	22:00 9/2
Korea	Seoul	Dollastic	12:00	23:00 9/2
Hong Kong	Hong Kong	Dante Basco	12:00	00:00 9/3
France	Paris	AyPierre	09:00	03:00 9/3
Spain	Madrid	AlexBy11	11:00	05:00 9/3
Germany	Berlin	Reyst	12:00	06:00 9/3
England	London	GamingBeaver	11:30	06:30 9/3
Brazil	Rio de Janeiro	Malena010102	08:30	07:30 9/3
USA	New York	EvanTubeHD	08:30	08:30 9/3
Canada	Toronto	Quill18	09:00	09:00 9/3
USA	Chicago	HobbyKidsTV	08:30	09:30 9/3
Mexico	Mexico City	ExpCaseros	09:30	10:30 9/3
USA	San Francisco	Chris Pirillo	08:00	11:00 9/3

The full schedule also is available at www.StarWars.com.

Several countries will join the live stream from YouTube Spaces (Berlin, Tokyo, London), with Star Wars commentators Anthony Carboni and Andi Gutierrez hosting the event from the YouTube Space, Los Angeles.

Fans can tune in to watch live unboxings at home or on mobile devices, and also enjoy the latest trailers on the upcoming movie, commentary from special guests, fun product videos and demos, and footage from recent Star Wars events.

The global celebration culminates at midnight local time, when many retailers around the world will open their doors to fans to purchase Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys, collectibles, books, apparel and more. Visit starwars.com for more details on participating locations. Additionally, select Disney Store locations around the world will take part.  More details are available at www.DisneyStore.com/ForceFriday.

Fans are encouraged to document their experiences around the event on social media using the hashtag #ForceFriday.