Three new films have debuted today at Epcot as part of the start of the 2020 Epcot International Festival of the Arts. While the films debuted with the festival, they will be permanent additions to the pavilions they are located in, beyond the end of the festival.
Awesome Planet takes over the former Circle of Life theater in The Land Pavilion and it showcases Earth’s beauty and diversity. Awesome Planet is a 10-minute film featuring stunning imagery, in-theater effects, and an original score from Oscar-winning composer Steven Price. Scents and water effects are very, very subtle, not even rising to the level of what you’d experience on Soarin’. As a matter of fact, you might even miss it if you aren’t paying attention. Lighting effects in the theater are more noticeable, but not overused. We even get to travel to space thanks to sequences created by Industrial Light & Magic!
Awesome Planet is narrated by Ty Burrell (Phil Dunphy from ABC’s Modern Family) and he essentially “sells” us on Earth, a fun tie in to his role as a realtor on Modern Family. The film is pitch-perfect for The Land Pavilion and a worthy replacement for the Circle of Life film. It hits all the right marks in terms of edutainment and seems like a natural companion to the Living with the Land boat ride that explores some of the same environments looked at in Awesome Planet. While the repeatability of the film is probably close to zero, it will be well worth your 10 minutes next time you’re in The Land pavilion.