The Women of "Disney's Planes" Fly High

Two of American television's most loved actresses – Teri Hatcher (“Desperate Housewives”) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) – breath life to animated characters in “Disney's Planes,” an all-new big-screen adventure from above the world of “Cars.”

“Disney’s Planes” is an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

Filmmakers cast Teri Hatcher as the voice of the pragmatic Dottie, a forklift who co-owns and operates Chug and Dottie’s Fill ’n Fly service station. As Dusty’s practical and say-it-like-it-is friend—not to mention his ace mechanic—Dottie hopes to keep his high-flying hopes grounded in reality: Dusty isn’t built to race and chasing his dream is downright dangerous. No matter what he decides, however, Dottie will always have his back.

“I love Dottie; she’s such a loyal friend to Dusty,” says producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn. “She’s strong and intelligent and she’s not afraid to show it. We have such a powerful female presence in this film.”

“This story is very relatable and incredibly charming,” says Hatcher. “It’s an everyman's story: you have a certain set of skills, but you dream of something bigger. Do you have the guts to go out and follow that dream or will you let your fears stand in your way? Dottie wants to support her friend in his pursuits, but she’s concerned about him and worried he’ll get hurt. I think she grows and eventually accepts that holding back is probably not the way to live life, and that Dusty should just go for it and follow his dreams.”

Meanwhile, Julia Louis-Dreyfus provides the voice of Rochelle, a tough racer and the pride of the Great White North. Always confident and capable, she got her start running mail to small towns in Quebec, picking up home remedies for mechanical maladies along the way. She also developed a knack for fast travel that ultimately inspired her to give air racing a try. Rochelle never looked back (this competitive contender doesn’t need to). She is relentlessly pursued by charmer El Chupacabra, but steadfast Rochelle is much too focused on winning the race to return his affections.

“Julia Louis-Dreyfus does a lovely French Canadian accent for Rochelle,” says Dan Abraham, head of story for “Disney’s Planes.” “Normally the ladies go crazy for El Chu, but not Rochelle. She sees through his cheesy come-ons and just keeps shooting him down. Then there’s this really funny, sweet moment when he stops being insincere and serenades her. It changes everything.”

Ryan Carlson, art director for “Disney’s Planes,” spearheaded the look of Rochelle, which presented a few challenges. “How do you make an airplane feminine?” Carlson asks. “How do you make her sexy and appealing?”
He says it often boils down to a quarter of a line to achieve just the right curve. “It’s something I learned when I was in feature animation with a woman who worked on characters like Jasmine and Pocahontas. She taught me how just the right shape, with a little finesse, can make a character beautiful. Rochelle is a sweet airplane who is definitely beautiful.”

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International, “Planes” takes off across the Philippines in 3D and regular theaters on Aug. 21.

Top Gun" Legends Kilmer, Edwards Lend Voices to "Disney's Planes" (Opens Aug 21)

Top Gun" stars Val Kilmer and Anthony Edwards are voicing fighter jets named Bravo and Echo in "Disney's Planes," the "Cars" spinoff from Disney Animation. The two F-18s are called upon to help out Dusty (Dane Cook), a crop-dusting single-prop who signs up for a high-flying rally around the world.

"When you think of movies with planes, 'Top Gun' usually comes up, so it is fun to be part of this," Edwards says. "Our naval aviators are some of the best pilots in the world, and Val and I were lucky enough to get to play them twice."

Armed with stellar instincts, incredible aerial abilities and outstanding service records, Bravo and Echo are two of the Jolly Wrenches’ top troops. These fighter jets happen to be avid air-racing fans, too, with a special affinity for our hero Dusty, who’s adopted their Jolly Wrenches insignia. And as far as the racers are concerned, it doesn’t hurt to have a couple soldiers nearby should any plane falter under the immense pressure of the world’s most rigorous rally.

“Dusty gets lost in the air space of an aircraft carrier that Bravo and Echo are patrolling,” says Edwards. “So we escort him back to the carrier to make sure he’s safe. I know if I were ever in trouble, I’d want these guys to have my back.”

“Anthony and I were such great rivals in ‘Top Gun,’ we always had so much fun on set,” says Kilmer. “And I've always thought so highly of Anthony, especially with his success on ‘ER.’ So it was really great to find out that we would both being working together on ‘Disney’s Planes.’”

Edwards is probably best known as Dr. Mark Greene on the hit series “ER.” For his portrayal of the overworked, but dedicated emergency room doctor, Edwards received four Emmy® nominations, won three Screen Actors Guild Awards®, and won a Golden Globe® Award. Edwards made his return to series television in 2013 with ABC’s adventure-drama “Zero Hour.”

Edwards has starred in more than 20 features, including his memorable turn as Goose in the blockbuster feature “Top Gun.” Other feature film credits include David Fincher’s “Zodiac,” “Flipped” and “The Client.” He will be seen on the big screen in Michael Polish’s “Big Sur,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Meanwhile, Kilmer is one of the most prolific actors of his generation. From his more recent work as a career military officer in David Mamet’s “Spartan,” back through his work with Oliver Stone in “The Doors” and Michael Mann in “Heat,” to his early work in “Top Gun,” Kilmer has worked with many of film’s most respected directors and actors. He adds to that impressive list two new films: Millennium’s “Bad Lieutenant,” with Nicolas Cage and directed by Werner Herzog; and “Streets of Blood,” with Sharon Stone and Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson. Kilmer recently completed principal photography on the new Francis Ford Coppola movie “Twixt Now and Sunrise.”

Other recent projects include “Déjà Vu,” an action-thriller produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films for Touchstone Pictures in which Kilmer stars with Denzel Washington and Jim Caviezel; and “Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang,” written and directed by Shane Black, and co-starring Robert Downey Jr.

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International, “Planes” takes off in Philippine theaters in 3D on Aug. 21, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select cinemas.

Comic Actor Dane Cook Shares Voice to Dusty in "Disney's Planes" (Opens Aug 21)

Actor and stand-up comedian Dane Cook (“Dan in Real Life”) brings the lead character Dusty to life in “Disney's Planes,” showcases an airplane’s desire to do more than what he was designed to do.

Dusty is a plane with high hopes—literally. Crop duster by trade, this single-prop plane sees himself soaring alongside his high-flying heroes in an international race. The fact that he’s not really built for competitive racing doesn’t deter him from pursuing his dream—but his fear of heights just might. With a little help from his friends—and a WWII vet with wisdom to spare—Dusty takes off on an adventure of a lifetime, going prop-to-prop with champions while daring to reach heights he never imagined possible.

Director Klay Hall says he relates to the crop duster that could. “This whole movie and my experience working on it parallels Dusty’s story in a lot of ways. We started small, worked really hard, and through a series of fortunate events have been able to go farther than we imagined.”

Dane Cook, who was called on to provide the voice of Dusty, also sees a connection with his character. “As a kid, it took me a lot of years to find my place, my voice,” says Cook. “I couldn’t even speak in class—I was afraid to put my hand up and yet I wanted to entertain the world. My journey—much like Dusty’s—was one of digging down deep and finding something inside myself that would help me to exceed my own expectations.”

According to Hall, Cook helped give Dusty the kind of edge he’d need to tackle the racing circuit. “Once we saw Dane do some of his stand-up and watched a couple of his movies, it just clicked. His voice is on the deeper side with a bit of sarcasm—dry wit—to it. We liked how that supported the character’s intense passion for racing as well as his sense of humor.”

When asked how exciting is it doing a Disney animated film and with a part like Dusty, Cook answers, “Would you believe me if I said it's like you really want to jump up and down and it's like being a kid again. I've known [Pixar legend] John Lasseter for several years. John has been a fan of my stand-up comedy. From time to time I would see him and he would say, `Oh, I was on a road trip listening to your comedy.' And my heart would always race hoping that someday he might be like, `I've got an idea for something.' And I went to an evening at Pixar… They had an evening at the Hollywood Bowl, and they played all Pixar music. I brought a date and we're sitting, and we're looking at the beautiful visuals, and the L.A. Philharmonic is playing. I'm saying to her like, `Can you imagine being a part of one of these films. It's so wonderful, the music, and the attention to detail.'

“I go back stage after to say thank you to John for inviting me, and he said, `You know, I'm thinking about something for you.' And two months later he called me up and we had dinner and he told me what was needed, and he told me about `Planes.' I'm not even kidding like it took everything in me to just be cool, and to not at that table just want to just up. Like this is a lifelong dream of mine. Like I grew up loving, loving animation and musicals and things of that nature. So I feel like I'm at home.”

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International, “Planes” takes off in Philippine theaters in 3D on Aug. 21, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select cinemas.

From Above the World of "Cars" Comes "Disney's Planes"

Audiences worldwide are fastening their seatbelts as “Disney’s Planes” prepares to take off this August!

From above the world of “Cars” comes “Disney’s Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar.

Joining Dane Cook are Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Teri Hatcher, Cedric the Entertainer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Cleese, Carlos Alazraqui, Priyanka Chopra, Gabriel Iglesias, Roger Craig Smith, Colin Cowherd, Sinbad, Oliver Kalkofe and Brent Musburger.

Adding some high-flying flair from a classic feature film (“Top Gun”) are Anthony Edwards and Val Kilmer.

The film is directed by Disneytoon Studios veteran and aviation enthusiast Klay Hall (“King of the Hill,” “The Simpsons”). Klay Hall was into airplanes long before “Disney’s Planes” ever got off the ground. So when executive producer John Lasseter asked the Disneytoon Studios veteran if he’d be interested in directing a feature film set in the skies, it was a no-brainer. “I’ve always loved airplanes,” says Hall. “My dad was in the Navy and his dad was also a pilot. They flew all their lives and passed that love of aviation to me.

“When I was a kid here in California,” continues Hall, “my dad and I would grab some burgers and Cokes and go to the local runway to watch the planes take off and land. I’d sit there and sketch as he talked about the characteristics of the airplanes. I still have a couple of those drawings. So when this project came up, I was able to really jump into this universe.”

“Disney’s Planes” tells the tale of a crop duster—aptly named Dusty—who’s sure he’s capable of more than taking care of crops. Says Hall, “I think people will really relate to the film because it’s a great underdog story. It has a lot of heart and a message we can all use: If we can believe in ourselves, step out of our comfort zones and get past whatever fear is holding us back, we’d be surprised with the results. And that’s exactly what happens to Dusty in this movie. He’s a crop duster who’s never flown above 1,000 feet, but he dreams of being the fastest air racer in the world. He has a lot of obstacles to overcome and needs to dig pretty deep to find the courage to become more than what he was built for.”

Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International, “Planes” takes off in Philippine theaters in 3D on Aug. 21, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select cinemas.

Meet Team Dusty of Disney's Planes

Walt Disney Studios has just announced the voice cast comprising Team Dusty, the hero group in “Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure that's hitting Philippine theaters this August.

The cast is led by Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Cedric The Entertainer, Teri Hatcher and Brad Garrett. Below are the first-look images of the characters, with corresponding descriptions.