The biggest Disney fan event of the year, the D23 Expo, is almost here and as part of the celebration Disney has appointed a number of celebrities – including the late Chadwick Boseman – to receive the Disney Legends award.
This year’s celebration is extra special because it celebrates Disney 100 Years of Wonder, the company announced.
“For nearly a century, Disney has been entertaining and inspiring people around the world,” Disney CEO Bob Chapek said. “I can’t wait to give fans a first look at what we have in store for our hundredth anniversary, and how we’re using this occasion to celebrate all the fans and families who have welcomed Disney into their lives.”
In addition to Boseman, a number of other celebs are being honored, including: Anthony Anderson, Kristen Bell, Rob’t Coltrin, Patrick Dempsey, Robert Price “Bob” Foster, Jonathan Groff, Don Hahn, Josh Gad, Doris Hardoon, Idina Menzel, Chris Montan, Ellen Pompeo and Tracee Ellis Ross.
The Legends prize started 35 years ago when Fred MacMurray from The Absent-Minded Professor got the award in 1987. Disney said the Legends award is just a small part of the three-day expo. The honorees will receive a two-foot Disney Legends statue that represents the “imagination, creativity, and magic they have brought to the Company,” Disney said.
The D23 Expo will begin on September 9 with the opening ceremony inside Hall D23 at the Anaheim Convention Center. The opening event is going to be streamed live and will feature “musical performances, special guests, and surprises for the audience, including a special performance by cast members from Disney On Broadway’s productions of Aladdin and The Lion King, and The North American Tour of Frozen.”
Boseman was most recently posthumously honored with an Emmy nomination for his work on the Disney show What If…?.
