Captain EO

Captain EO
General Information
Directed by	Francis Ford Coppola
Written by	George Lucas Rusty Lemorande Francis Coppola
Produced by	Rusty Lemorande George Lucas (executive producer)
Starring	Michael Jackson Anjelica Huston Dick Shawn
Cinematography	Peter Anderson
Edited by	James Horner
Production companies	Lucasfilm Walt Disney Pictures
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures
Release date	September 12, 1986 (Florida)
Run time	17 minutes
Budget	$23.7 million

Captain EO is a 1986 American 3D science fiction short film starring American singer-songwriter Michael Jackson, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The film was shown as part of an attraction with in-theater effects. It was shown at several Disney theme parks from 1986 until 1998, with the attraction returning to the Disney theme parks in 2010 as a tribute following Jackson's death. The film was shown for the final time at Epcot on December 6, 2015.

Captain EO was a co-production between Walt Disney Studios and Lucasfilm, in collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering. The film's executive producer was George Lucas. It was choreographed by Jeffrey Hornaday and Jackson, photographed by Peter Anderson, produced by Rusty Lemorande, and written by Lemorande, Lucas, and Coppola, from a story idea by the artists of Imagineering. Lemorande also initially designed and created two of the creatures and was an editor of the film. The score was written by James Horner and featured two songs ("We Are Here to Change the World" and "Another Part of Me"), both written and performed by Jackson.

Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was the lighting director during much of the principal photography. Captain EO is regarded as one of the first "4D" films (a 3D film that incorporates in-theater effects, such as lasers, smoke, etc., synchronized to the film).

Plot

The film tells the story of Captain EO and the ragtag crew of his spaceship on a mission to deliver a gift to a witch known as The Supreme Leader, who lives on a world of rotting, twisted metal and steaming vents. Captain EO's alien crew consists of his small flying cat-like sidekick Fuzzball, the double-headed navigator and pilot Geek (Idy and Ody), robotic security officer Major Domo, a small robot, Minor Domo (who fits like a module into Major Domo), and the clumsy elephant-like shipmate Hooter, who always manages to upset the crew's missions.

Upon arriving on the planet, the crew is captured by the henchmen of the Supreme Leader and brought before her. She sentences the crew to be turned into trash cans, and Captain EO to 100 years of torture in her deepest dungeon. Before being sent away, Captain EO tells the Supreme Leader that he sees the beauty hidden within her, and that he brings her the key to unlock it: his song, "We Are Here to Change the World".

The two robot crew members transform into musical instruments, and the crew members begin to play the various instruments. As Hooter runs toward his instrument, he trips over EO's cape and breaks it, stopping the music. The spell broken, the Supreme Leader orders her guards to capture Captain EO and his crew.

Hooter manages to repair his instrument and sends out a blast of music, providing EO with the power to throw off the guards. He uses his power to transform the dark, hulking guards into agile dancers who fall into step behind him for a dance number, which leads into "We Are Here to Change the World". The Supreme Leader unleashes her Whip Warriors, two cybernetic defenders each with a whip and shield that can deflect EO's power.

The others all run away, leaving Captain EO to fight the Whip Warriors alone. EO is trapped by a closing gate and prepares for a last stand as both the whip warriors draw their whips back for a final blow. Fuzzball drops his instrument and speedily flies over to tie the two whips together, causing the Whip Warriors to be thrown off balance and allowing EO to transform them as well. With no further obstacles, EO uses his power to transform the remaining four henchmen (not yet unleashed), and they, the transformed whip warriors and the other dancers, press forward in dance. Captain EO then flies up to the Supreme Leader and transforms her into a beautiful woman, her lair into a peaceful Greek temple, and the planet into a paradise.

A celebration breaks out to "Another Part of Me" as Captain EO and his crew triumphantly exit and fly off into space, ending the film.

Songs

• "We Are Here to Change the World"
• "Another Part of Me"

Cast

• Michael Jackson as Captain EO
• Anjelica Huston as The Supreme Leader
• Dick Shawn as Commander Bog
• Tony Cox as Hooter
• Debbie Lee Carrington as Geek (Idy)
• Cindy Sorensen as Geek (Ody)
• Gary DePew as Major Domo
• Percy Rodriguez as Narrator
• Dancers - Kahea Bright, Donald Devoux, Cameron English, Bruno Falcon III, Eric Henderson, Hugo Huizar, Evelyn Jezek, Ben Lokey, Lezlie Mogell, Stephen Nicholas, Mary Oedy, Beverly Shofner, Timothy Solomon, Kevin Bender, Janeen Best, Derrick Brice, Bill Burns, Alex Cole, Dennis Daniels, Felix Montano, Tony Fields, Forrest Gardner, Barry Lather, Reggie O'Gwin, Smith Osborne, Michelle Rudy, Darrel Wright, Tim Scott, James Everett, Bobby Walker, Paul Scott Adamo

Production

1/6

Captain EO, which began filming on July 15, 1985, made full use of its 3D effects. The action on the screen extended into the audience, including asteroids, lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects, and starfields that filled the theater. These effects resulted in the seventeen-minute film costing an estimated $30 million to produce. At the time, it was the most expensive film ever made on a per-minute basis, averaging out at $1.76 million per minute. Walt Disney Imagineering and Eastman Kodak used 70mm 3-D photography to shoot the film, which was completed in considerable secrecy at Jackson's and Lucas' request.

The 2010 version didn't include the in-theater laser and starfield effects. It utilized hydraulics previously used in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience to make the seats shake, along with Captain EO's spaceship, as well as LED floodlighting, which was new to the theater. They were also used for the bass-heavy musical numbers. The seats also bounced to the beat of Jackson's song. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience's seat-back misters were employed when Hooter sneezed. The leg ticklers from Honey, I Shrunk the Audience were also reused.

Music

The show's orchestral score was composed by James Horner, while Richard Bellis wrote the area and pre-show music.

Two new songs appeared in the film: the first, "We Are Here to Change the World", wasn't officially released until 2004 as part of The Ultimate Collection, but this version was a shorter edit of the full-length song; the second was an early mix of "Another Part of Me", which later appeared on Jackson's Bad album in remixed form and was subsequently released as a single in 1988.

Merchandising

Concurrent with the attraction's opening, a behind-the-scenes documentary special entitled Captain EO: Backstage was produced for television by MKD Productions. The piece was directed by Muffett Kaufman and was hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. It featured interviews with the cast, writers and director.

The story was adapted with art by Tom Yeates in the comic book Eclipse 3D Special #18 and issued in two formats: regular-sized for distribution to the national network of comic book stores and tabloid-sized sold at Disneyland as a souvenir. Toys available included plush versions of Idey and Ody, Hooter, and the "Fuzzball" character. Other merchandise included trading cards, pins, keychains, a T-shirt of the film's logo, and a glow-in-the-dark T-shirt with the same three-color pattern painted across it that Captain EO wore in the film.

Gallery

Trivia

Fuzzball in the Skeleton Crew trailer (2024)

• Ever since Captain EO's release, people have always pointed out the possibility that the short film could take place in the Star Wars universe, as Lucas produced the film, and it simply seemed to be connected in one way or another. On August 10, 2024, an official trailer for the Disney+ show Skeleton Crew was released, which featured Fuzzball. It is currently unknown if it is pointing to Captain EO taking place in a galaxy far, far away, or just a reference.
• Along with the two new tracks on Captain EO, there was one more planned, "Starlight Sun". It was made in 1985 for the film, but it ultimately didn't make the cut.