BURBANK, Calif. – From Never Land to flying carpets to the forested domain of an Indian princess, stars travel to their very own Fantasylands in a new round of celebrity images from famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.
The new images continue the “Disney Dream Portrait Series” of celebrity photography produced by Leibovitz as Disney Parks extends, through 2008, its “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration on both coasts. Leibovitz’s images capture the transformational power of Disney dreams during a celebration that invites visitors to live out their own Disney dreams as never before at California’s Disneyland and Florida’s Walt Disney World resorts.
The latest installment of Leibovitz photography spotlights more celebrities living out their fantasies by starring in Disney dream scenes:
“Where a whole new world awaits”: Aboard their genie-powered magic carpet, Jennifer Lopez (Jasmine) and husband Marc Anthony (Aladdin) soar through the Arabian night. Complete with Whoopi Goldberg (Genie) pushing them among the stars, the two images comprise a dream scene straight from a magic lantern in a scene entitled “Where a whole new world awaits.”
For Lopez, the Leibovitz shoot was both transformational and inspirational: “It’s unbelievable,” she said, “a modern princess and the guy with the flying carpet…and the idea of maybe in the future my children seeing me and Marc as Jasmine and Aladdin…I think that would be pretty cool.”
Added Goldberg: “I think those genie-like qualities worked best for me. For me to come out of a bottle and give somebody three wishes seems like a pretty good bargain.”
“Where you never have to grow up”: Surprise marks the “you can fly” moment as a mesmerized Gisele Bündchen (Wendy Darling) is beckoned by Mikhail Baryshnikov (Peter Pan) and Tina Fey (Tinker Bell) to fly off over the rooftops of London to Never Land – “Where you never have to grow up.” From the dazzle of fashion runways, Bündchen was draped in a simple white nightgown as Wendy for the Leibovitz shoot.
“Coming onto this whole set, it feels like you are living the whole Peter Pan story,” said Bündchen. “When I think of all the Disney stories, it actually is my favorite. It isn’t just like a princess finding her prince; Peter was more about finding a true adventure and a different thing, you know?”
“Where dreams run free”: In an image entitled “Where dreams run free,” Jessica Biel (Pocahontas) is depicted sprinting, deer-like, through an autumnal forest as a masted English ship sits offshore.
“I was a huge Disney fan growing up as a kid and Cinderella, Snow White, Pocahontas, Ariel – all those characters were huge for me, so I definitely did dream,” said Biel. “I never actually thought I would make it! So this is pretty exciting.”
Great stars and rich scenes enabled Leibovitz to again work magic with her lens.
“We were going deeper and deeper into fantasy with these new pictures,” Leibovitz explained. “Digital tools make it possible to play with the elements of the photographs to a degree that is amazing. And a lot of fun.”
Special inserts with the images will appear in select Condé Nast publications in March. Since January 2007, Leibovitz has featured Beyoncé, David Beckham, Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz, Roger Federer, Julie Andrews and Abigail Breslin in scenes playing out their Disney fantasies.