Disney's CEO Tells More about the Star Wars Land Plans

By Robert Niles: Variety got Disney CEO Bob Iger to go on the record to confirm what's been leaking from Walt Disney Imagineering about Star Wars Land for months now & #8212; that the project's been stalled while J.J. Abrams and his team create the new films.

Disney had given the green light for a Star Wars Land in Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, to be built around the characters and locations from the original three films (and maybe, a bit from the prequel trilogy, too.) The development was code-named "Project Orange Harvest," and Disney even teased the plans at 2013's D23 Expo in Anaheim. But with Disney banking on Abrams' new film becoming a worldwide phenomenon, Disney CEO Bon Iger said the he pulled the approval for Star Wars Land until new characters and locations from the new films could be included.

And with Abrams not sharing any of that information during development, work on Star Wars Land stopped.

Not mentioned in the Variety reporting, but also having an effect on Star Wars Land? Diagon Alley. Disney's Imagineers have toured Universal Orlando's project, and they came back with a fresh perspective on what they will need to do accomplish with Star Wars Land to come out ahead of Universal, creatively. We've mentioned the inherent problems with creative an immersive environment based on an IP that's spread across a galaxy. Perhaps there might be some iconic new location in the upcoming films that will solve that problem for Walt Disney Imagineering, and provide a compelling setting for Star Wars Land that will satisfy both dedicated and casual fans of the franchise?

Iger might be suggesting just that, having told Variety, "what we come forward with will have a blend of the past, present and maybe the future."

Previously:

• The empire strikes back: Disney readies a major Hollywood Studios expansion at Walt Disney World


• Disney's Imagineers tease Star Wars, Avatar projects at D23 convention


• Disney's Hollywood Studios expansion update: Cars Land parked


• Grokking Star Wars Land: How will Disney bring more 'Star Wars' to its theme parks?

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