Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 10, 1995 TAG: 9506130037
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ELIZABETH SANGER NEWSDAY
DATELINE: NEW YORK LENGTH: Medium
It will start in earnest today, when Walt Disney Pictures unveils its 33rd animated movie for 100,000 viewers in Central Park. Trying to create an event akin to a ``Family Woodstock,'' Disney will present live entertainment from 3 p.m. until dusk when the film rolls on four giant screens on the Great Lawn, said Richard Cook, president of distribution and marketing for the Walt Disney Motion Picture Group.
Hoping to propel Pocahontas from mere legend into American pop culture, Disney retells the story, based on historical writings, of an American Indian girl who forms a strong friendship in 1607 with British settler John Smith in Jamestown, Va., and bravely saves him from death at the hands of her father.
Of course, ``Pocahontas'' is but one of many movies opening in coming weeks, but the studio considers its animated films more than just movies. They are handmade works of art, Cook says, in this case four years in the making. And unlike once-seen, quickly-forgotten flicks, these are timeless.
And therein lies the hoopla.
Some observers think that ``Pocahontas,'' with a strong female lead, may not be that popular with boys and don't expect it to overtake last year's ``The Lion King'' blockbuster. ``Lion King'' took in $313 million at the U.S. box office and boosted Disney's music and publishing divisions, thanks to the best-selling ``Lion King'' sound track and 96-page storybook.
Disney hopes for a ``Pocahontas'' powerhouse, and some early signs are strong.
The sound track's first-day sales at three major retail chains were two to four times that of ``The Lion King's'' entrance, according to Barry Hafft, Walt Disney Records' vice president of sales. He said those chains expected ``Pocahontas'' to be the No. 1 selling album last week, an event he called ``hugely significant.'' ``Lion King,'' the No. 1 album of 1994, with 9 million copies sold to date, hit No. 13 overall after its first week.
``We're just thrilled,'' Hafft said. ``We expected ["Pocahontas"] to do well at the very beginning, but not blow out in the first day.''
Disney movies help support other companies' sales, too. Worldwide sales of ``Lion King'' merchandise topped $1 billion six months after the movie was released - an unprecedented amount for an animated film - and the figure continues to climb.
Disney has awarded more than 50 ``Pocahontas'' licenses domestically and hundreds worldwide.
Expect to see watches, bedspreads, girls' clothing and accessories, paper plates, novelties and more than 50 playthings from Mattel Toys, including River Rowing Pocahontas, a $35 battery-operated doll that paddles a canoe, perfect for a bathtub trip.
Mattel, which rang up $400 million in sales last year from Disney-related toys, expects Pocahontas and her friends to fly off store shelves.
Unlike ``The Lion King'' movie, which only had animals as characters, ``Pocahontas'' features people, providing more toy opportunities. And the American Indian theme lends itself to crafts, including a weaving set where paper towels are used to make baskets.
Other companies jumping into Pocahontas' canoe include Burger King, Chrysler, Nestle, Payless ShoeSource and General Mills.
Burger King's long-running promotion, which will be advertised heavily on TV, is its seventh with Disney. Order a $1.99 Kids Club meal and tots will get a burger, fries, soda and one of eight plastic figurines from the movie, including a willow tree.
The nearly 6,500 restaurants have stocked more than 50 million characters. Burger King's 30 million ``Lion King'' figures were snatched up so quickly last summer it had to add 20 million sets of trading cards to keep its littlest customers happy.
Disney promoted ``Pocahontas'' with a 31/2-minute trailer at the start of the ``Lion King'' video - and more than 26 million are sitting in kids' living rooms.
The 100,000 guests at today's Central Park premiere were selected from more than 500,000 people who filled out coupons in April. Disney also is staging an interactive mall tour in 24 cities that talks about the animation used in ``Pocahontas.''
``Pocahontas'' opens in six cities on Friday - preceded by a live stage show - and in more than 2,000 theaters nationally a week later.
Next year, after ``Pocahontas'' fades, the Disney machine will be back for ``The Hunchback of Notre Dame.'' In 1997, ``Hercules'' muscles in.
by CNB