"Disney Worldbuilders" director explains theme park strategy
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Leslie Iwerks and Kevin Feige. Photo: Mike Taing
Disney's new documentary goes behind the scenes of a strategy the company has spent decades perfecting — translating its films for theme parks.
Why it matters: That business is becoming even more important to Disney as it aims to build higher-margin flywheels, just as consumer demand for in-person experiences is booming.
- "We have so many choices at our fingertips in the world, technologically with media and social media," director Leslie Iwerks tells Axios. "But I think what's important is that you can get away from all that, and you can step into a world that is wondrous."
Zoom in: "Disney Worldbuilders" is Iwerks' latest deep dive into Disney's creative history, following projects including "The Pixar Story," "The Imagineering Story" and "Disneyland Handcrafted."
- For the documentary, Iwerks interviewed "Avatar" director James Cameron, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, "The Mandalorian" creator Jon Favreau, Pixar chief creative officer Pete Docter and "Frozen" filmmaker Jennifer Lee.
- Iwerks also interviewed Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro and his predecessor Bob Iger. Across those conversations, she says she learned that authenticity and detail are key to making those experiences work.
- "At the end of the day, it has to be a believable world," Iwerks says. "As Jon Favreau says certainly in the world of Star Wars, it has history. It has it has texture. It has layers to it."
Yes, but: Not every movie lends itself to a theme park attraction.
- "I don't think every story can be a world, and I don't think every story can be an attraction," Iwerks says. "I think where it really starts is creating something on film that feels like an experience."
- Iwerks pointed to the door-vault sequence from the 2001 film "Monsters, Inc." as a fun, adventurous scene that naturally translates to a ride, which Disney is now building as a suspended roller coaster.
The big picture: More companies are trying to turn audiences into active participants, enticing them to spend their time and money in person. Disney has been pursuing that strategy for decades.
- Iwerks says one of her biggest surprises making the documentary was discovering that the creators she interviewed were Disney park fans long before they were making movies for the company.
- "They would always reflect back on how Disneyland or the experiences of these parks got them through hard times or inspired them," Iwerks says. "It was a seed to their creative inspiration."
Fun fact: Iwerks' connection to Disney is also personal.
- Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, co-created Mickey Mouse, and her father, Don Iwerks, was a camera technician and inventor at Walt Disney Studios.
What's next: "Disney Worldbuilders" premieres Aug. 16 at fan convention D23 before streaming on Disney+ Aug. 20.
