Category: Movies

Disney Offers $1 million if You Can Pitch Like a Star

Million Dollar Arm

This may be one of Hollywood’s biggest pitches yet.

For a feel-good sports film called Million Dollar Arm, Disney hatched a publicity event that could land the average Joe a cool $1 million bucks.

It just depends how hard you can hurl.

The Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest will launch April 25 at Disneyland and Disney World and on April 26 in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood for amateur baseball enthusiasts who think they can pitch like a MLB pitcher.

The stunt is in the spirit of the sports flick (in theaters May 16), which chronicles hard-on-his-luck sports agent JB Bernstein (Jon Hamm) and his American Idol-style attempt to discover the next great MLB pitcher among young cricket players in India. The film is based on a true story.

So here’s how the Disney contest works (official rules here): Any U.S. residents 18 or older can compete in preliminary pitching rounds at Disney World in Orlando, Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., or Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day at the Tribeca Family Festival.

The three hardest-throwing contestants from each location will win tickets to Million Dollar Arm‘s May 6 Hollywood premiere, and on the big night, all nine will have a chance to nab a cool $1 million — provided he or she can land a smokin’ 100 mph strike.

Even when the pros cross the 100 mph threshold, it’s remarkable. In 1974, Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan made the Guinness Book of World Records when his fastball clocked in at 100.9 mph. In 2011, Reds reliever Aroldis Chapman threw the hardest pitch ever recorded, a rocking 105.1-mph fastball.

Could a mere mortal be next to win big out of left field? In two words: Start throwing.

 

Wreck It Ralph 2 Currently in the Works

wreck-it-ralph-sequel

Wreck-It Ralph composer Henry Jackman says that Disney is currently working on the story for a planned sequel.

In an interview with Collider, Jackman was hesitant to say more because he considers Wreck-It Ralph 2 to be a project already in development.

“I can’t tell you more, not because I’m being coy, but I believe that it is officially on the cards,” he said. “I don’t know any more other than a story is indeed being written. I’d be very surprised not to. I’m not blowing my own trumpet. Forget about the music. Just the movie itself I thought was a fantastically imaginative and creative piece of work. Rich [Moore], the director, actually got involved in the writing. There was another writer and I can’t remember his name (Editor’s note: it’s Phil Johnston). Just as a concept, it would be almost remiss of them not to write another one. It’s a great idea and it’s a great character.”

In February 2013 director Rich Moore said that the idea for the sequel that he and Reilly intrigued them.

“Are there other Ralphs [in this world we were introduced to in the original]? What would happen if another Fix It Felix, Jr. game was plugged in?” he asked. “Are there other Ralphs that are more contemporary? Is there another version of the game that was made for mobile? Are there those kind of Super Smash Bros types games where all the characters are gathered in a fighting game? What would that be like for Ralph to come face to face with those different iterations of himself?”

 

 

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