Disney today announced that Star Wars creator George Lucas, and a group of people with long ties to Disney and Disney-owned properties, will be named an honored as official Disney legends this year at the biannual D23 Expo in Anaheim. In addition to Lucas, honorees will include All My Children star Susan Lucci, Disney Animator Andreas Deja, and composer Danny Elfman. The ceremony will be held on the first day of the gathering of Disney fans, in Hall D23 of the Anaheim Convention Center at 10 AM, August 14, 2015. Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger will be hosting.
Awarded since 1987 – the first-ever honoree was Fred MacMurray – The Disney Legends Awards pay tribute to individuals whose work has made a significant contribution to The Walt Disney Company.
The 2015 honorees are: George Bodenheimer, retired Executive Chairman of ESPN; animator Andreas Deja, known for his work on The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch, The Princess and the Frog, and Aladdin, among other films; Eyvind Earle, known for his backgrounds on films like Sleeping Beauty; Composer Danny Elfman; George Lucas; Susan Lucci; Julie Reihm Casaletto, the first-ever Disneyland Ambassador; and atist Carson Van Osten, who was with disney for thirty years and who created an enormous amount of the company’s tie-in marketing products, as well as the Walt Disney Studios logo and the iconic water tower design.
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The ceremony will be open to all attendees of D23 Expo 2015, on a first come, first served basis.
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This year’s D23 Expo is of particular interest for fans. Despite having several in production films, not to mention the recent Spider-Man casting news, Marvel Studios opted to skip San Diego Comic Con Hall H presentations entirely. Meanwhile, Lucasfilm’s Hall H presentation saw no new footage from the film, nor new (intentional) announcements related to it. It is therefore widely assumed that Disney is saving what could have been more robust Hall H presentations from both of its cash cows for its own conference.
D23 Expo 2015 happens in Anaheim from August 14-16.