Journey to Oz Balloon Tour Takes To The Skies To Promote “Oz The Great and Powerful”

Oz The Great and Powerful, Disney’s prequel/retelling of the classic novel “The Wizard of Oz”, opens in theaters on March 8th, but with the world premiere tonight, they are kicking off a high flying marketing campaign that includes fan screenings. Get the details in the press release after the break.

BURBANK, CALIF. (February 12, 2013)–Disney announced today the launch of the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour,” sponsored by leading multichannel retailer HSN and IMAX Corporation, in support of its upcoming fantastical adventure “Oz The Great and Powerful,” opening in U.S. theaters and IMAX® on March 8, 2013. The colorful, “Oz The Great and Powerful”–emblazoned hot-air balloon began its tour this morning from the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, Calif.

Stops for the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour” to date include:

• “Oz The Great and Powerful” premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood  (February 13)
• Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. (February 17)
• Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.  (February 20)
• Central Park in New York City (March 5 & 6)

On February 15, the “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour” app will go live on the official Facebook page for the film (facebook.com/OzTheGreatAndPowerful). Starting then, fans will have the opportunity to unlock screenings in cities near them. Users will vote by Tweeting with a custom hashtag for their city (e.g. #DisneyOzSeattle) or by sharing on Facebook.

“Oz The Great and Powerful,” directed by Sam Raimi, imagines the origins of L. Frank Baum’s beloved wizard character. When Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz, he thinks he’s hit the jackpot—fame and fortune are his for the taking—that is until he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity—and even a bit of wizardry—Oscar transforms himself not only into the great wizard but into a better man as well.

“Oz The Great and Powerful” is produced by Joe Roth, with screen story by Mitchell Kapner and screenplay by Mitchell Kapner and David Lindsay-Abaire. Grant Curtis, Palak Patel, Josh Donen and Philip Steuer are serving as executive producers.

ABOUT HSN:

HSN is a leading interactive multichannel retailer, offering a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates entertainment, inspiration, personalities and industry experts to provide an entirely unique shopping experience. At HSN, customers find exceptional selections in Health & Beauty, Jewelry, Home/Lifestyle, Fashion/Accessories, and Electronics.  HSN broadcasts live to 96 million households in the US in HD 24/7 and its website — HSN.com – is a top 10 most trafficked e-commerce site, featuring more than 16,000 product videos. Mobile applications include HSN apps for iPad, iPhone and Android. HSN, founded 35 years ago as the first shopping network, is an operating segment of HSN, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSNI). For more information, please visit HSN.com, or follow @HSN on Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT IMAX CORPORATION:

IMAX, an innovator in entertainment technology, combines proprietary software, architecture and equipment to create experiences that take you beyond the edge of your seat to a world you’ve never imagined. Top filmmakers and studios are utilizing IMAX theatres to connect with audiences in extraordinary ways, and, as such, IMAX’s network is among the most important and successful theatrical distribution platforms for major event films around the globe.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.  As of Sept. 30, 2012, there were 689 IMAX theatres (556 commercial multiplex, 20 commercial destination and 113 institutional) in 52 countries.

IMAX®, IMAX® 3D, IMAX DMR®, Experience It In IMAX®, An IMAX 3D Experience®, The IMAX Experience® and IMAX Is Believing® are trademarks of IMAX Corporation. More information about the Company can be found at www.imax.com. You may also connect with IMAX on Facebook (www.facebook.com/imax), Twitter (www.twitter.com/imax) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/imaxmovies).