Disney fans are no stranger to saying goodbye to beloved park attractions. In recent years, Muppet Vision 3D was closed down, Splash Mountain became Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and many others have come and gone over the decades. Some, however, are particularly difficult losses because not only does the park attraction become part of history, but the media it’s centered around disappears as well. Now, however, more than a decade after its last appearance at Epcot, one beloved attraction is showing signs of life after more than a decade and fans think it might mean the return of a franchise beyond the parks as well.
The project to which we speak is Captain EO, the 1986 science-fiction musical starring Michael Jackson. Boardwalk Times shared the Disney reveal that a Fuzzball plush with interactive sound features will drop D23 convention floor. The return of Captain EO’s furry sidekick immediately prompted fan speculation that the parks could be preparing for a return of the attraction for a limited run during its 40th Anniversary in September.
What Was Captain EO?
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, executive produced by George Lucas, and scored by James Horner,Captain EO was a 17-min 3D sci-fi musical starring Michael Jackson as the commander of a spaceship. The film sent Jackson and his crew, including the aforementioned Fuzzball, on a mission to defeat an alien threat not unlike the borg with a Supreme Leader played by Oscar winner Anjelica Huston. How would they defeat her? Through the awesome power of song, dance, and historically expensive 80s visual effects. The theater-based experience is considered one of the first 4D films with lasers, smoke and shaking platforms. It featured two songs by Jackson, “We Are Here to Change the World” and “Another Part of Me”.
The attraction debuted in September of 1986 at both Disneyland’s Tomorrowland and Disney World’s Epcot. It was later introduced at both Tokyo Disney and Disneyland Paris. Captain EO was replaced in the 90’s by Honey I Shrunk The Audience, but returned after the death of Michael Jackson in 2009. The attraction went back into the vault once again after its final Epcot performance in 2015.
Why Captain EO Could Return
Obviously, the easiest explanation for Fuzzball’s return is to celebrate the 40th anniversary in September and D23 is the perfect place to launch that ship. However, the anniversary also comes on the heels of Michael, the Jackson biopic. That film became an incredible one billion dollar hit at the box office. Disney may have been reluctant to revisit a Jackson-fronted attraction in the past, but, as Hollywood history has proven, when studios see another making bank, they look in their archives to see how they can capitalize.
In this instance, the capitalization may only be a small piece of merch for a character that is now also technically a Star Wars creature thanks to Skeleton Crew. However, fans are speculating that this could be the start of something larger. Disney+ recently announced another Epcot ride is getting a TV pilot, and while there’s been no word on movement for a reboot of Captain EO, that hasn’t stopped fans online from wishing for a new version of the classic. Director Justin Simeon has said in the past he would love to make a Captain EO movie and some X users are suggesting Jafar Jackson, who starred in Michael, continue moonwalking in his uncle’s footsteps and take the mantle himself.
Whether this new merch is the sign of something bigger to come or just another Figment-like merch drop is yet to be seen. We’ll have to wait for D23 to give us a better view of the musical curio’s future. For now the strange, fascinating and ultimately fun experience remains tucked away, but fans have enough evidence to keep their sequin-gloved covered fingers crossed.