The figure is expected to ship in 4th quarter of 2010 and is now available for pre-order for $320 with a limit of two per customer. Subscribers to Sideshow’s newsletter already had an opportunity to order a special edition of the figure with a switch out hand holding a pistol. That figure, selling for $325, is currently available on a waitlist basis only.

Below is a video which looks more into the creation process of the Jack Sparrow Premium Format Figure as well as a special announcement regarding an upcoming figure from Sideshow Collectibles.

Before she was ever introduced to Wendy and the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell met Lizzy, a girl with a steadfast belief in fairies.  Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue begins in summertime in the beautiful English countryside. An enchanting encounter unfolds when Tinker Bell is discovered by Lizzy, and as their different worlds unite, Tink develops a special bond with the curious girl in need of a friend.

In the following sneak peek, an interesting mainlander invention piques Tink’s curiosity as we are introduced to Lizzy:

As her fellow fairies launch a daring rescue, Tinker Bell takes a huge risk, putting her own safety and the future of the fairies in jeopardy.  This action-packed adventure takes the fairies of Pixie Hollow on a daring flight to London to save Tinker Bell and all of fairy kind.

Produced by DisneyToon Studios, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is a captivating and exciting adventure for all the family.

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue will be available to own on September 21 for a list price of $29.99 DVD and $39.99 for Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack.

For the third year in a row, Walt Disney Signature joins the DIFFA exhibition, this time teaming up with renown Italian designer Cappellini to bring a touch of Disney to haute design, allowing attendees to indulge in a delectable combination of dining and Disney.

The exhibit features a 10-foot tall polyurethane sculpture of Mickey Mouse who hovers over the installation which contains elements such as seating and a throw offering Mickey Mouse accents. The Cappellini ribbon stool (designed by Nendo), featuring Mickey ears as a backing, will be available as a limited edition at the Milan Furniture Fair in April.

Below we have several photos from the Disney-Cappellini installation courtesy of Disney Consumer Products. For additional information on the DIFFA Dining By Design event and tour, please visit their official website.

[View with PicLens]

 

So if it won’t be called Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, what might we see the film billed as in theaters? To their credit, Disney did register DBAOTD.COM (although that in itself would be a marketing nightmare) and DONTBEAFRAID-THEMOVIE.COM but they also recently registered domain names for They Are Waiting (THEYAREWAITING.COM), They Wait in the Dark (THEYWAITINTHEDARK.COM) and What Lurks in the Dark (WHATLURKSINTHEDARK.COM).

As previously reported, the 2 pack, which also includes a Jedi Mickey action figure, will retail for $18.95.

[source]

Also, we now have some excellent footage of the ‘TRONorail’ in action courtesy of Ricky from Inside the Magic:

Although it had just re-opened from a refurb, our source informs us that the Ranchos quiet pool at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort will be closed again beginning April 5 and re-opening on April 17.

Also, the Fast Forward arcade located at Pop Century will be closed from May 10 through May 12.

Planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be the first to know when changes that potentially affect your trip occur by signing up with ReSearch!

Filed on March 9 in the US District Court in the Central District of California, the complaint filed by Lisa, Barbara, Neal and Susan Kirby as well as the estate of Kirby’s wife, Rosalind, rebquests a trial by jury, seeking unspecified damages against previous and current earnings on these properties of which Disney/Marvel has current control.

Making a very persuasive argument, particularly if it’s all true, the complaint inks a portrait in which a financially strapped Marvel purchased the comics from freelancer Jack Kirby ad hoc — sans contracts and that Kirby created everything on his own time in his own place of residence with his own tools so that he was at no time able to be considered ‘work for hire’ as Disney/Marvel has contended.

Where things get a bit clouded, however, is that Kirby did assign his copyrights over to a predecessor of Marvel (then Magazine Management Co., Inc.) in 1972 in exchange for compensation, but the Kirbys maintain that the United States Copyright Act has now allowed the rights to revert back to the original author and therefore had served dozens of termination notices and the intent to not renew the agreement to Disney, Marvel and many licensees in 2009. If anything, this agreement does imply that even Marvel admitted at one time that Kirby was the original copyright holder.

The complaint then goes on to what the Kirbys are seeking in damages and restitution. For works that Jack Kirby had co-authored, the Kirbys are demanding a pro rata ownership of the properties and thus claim they are owed an equal amount of the profits of any new projects (derivative works) featuring the claimed characters, going back to the purported contract termination date which includes any projects completed since that time.

The Kirbys also claim that as equal owners in the properties, they too would be free to exploit the properties any way they see fit, a move not likely to sit well with the ever image-conscious Disney.

The lawsuit also claims that Marvel had taken possession of much of Kirby’s original art over the years and while Marvel has returned some of the art (after a reported investigation by the New York State Board of Equalization had been launched over a question of sales tax), there is art not yet returned and as Marvel, who denies being in any possession of additional art, is the only party that knows the truth of that statement, the Kirbys want financial restitution in an amount to be determined at trial.

In yet another claim in the lawsuit, the Kirbys, who consider themselves in direct retail competition with Marvel, claim damages against Marvel for its promotion of The Incredible Hulk and X-Men Origins: Wolverine for not naming Kirby as (co-)creator in the marketing materials, thus misleading the public and hurting sales for the Kirby family.

As we have reported earlier, what the Kirbys are seeking is not without precedent. In 2008, the heirs of Superman creator Jerome Siegel successfully sued Time Warner over the rights of Superman and, as a result, Time Warner/DC will stand to lose ownership completely of the man of steel in 2013.

For interested parties, we have made the court documents in the Kirby vs Disney/Marvel available to our readers below.

Kirby vs. Marvel (Docket #SACV10-00289-CJC (ANx)) (Adobe Acrobat Required)

Billed as part of the ‘Night of Joy Weekend,’ the Disney Gospel Choir Fest will take place at the American Gardens Theatre across from the American Adventure pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase on Saturday, September 11.

The lively competition of gospel choirs from around the country will be emceed by Grammy Award winner Smokie Norful and feature judge: Myron Butler, record producer and Grammy Award winner; Ken Pennell, President of EMI Gospel; and Larry Blackwell, Vice President of EMI Gospel.

All competing choirs will receive an exclusive Disney Gospel Choir Fest Award while the winning ensemble will receive a contract with EMI Gospel to produce a downloadable single and the opportunity to perform that evening during the Night of Joy event at the Magic Kingdom.

Ticket packages for participating groups are inclusive of all competition and event fees and includes admission to the Night of Joy event at the Magic Kingdom on September 11.

For additional information and to pre-register your group (space is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis), visit DISNEYGOSPELCHOIRFEST.COM