DISNEYNATURE’S BIG-SCREEN
ADVENTURE “MONKEY KINGDOM” SUPPORTS CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL AND ITS EFFORTS
TO PROTECT MONKEYS AND ENDANGERED SPECIES ACROSS SRI LANKA, CAMBODIA, AND
INDONESIA
BURBANK,
Calif. (April 24, 2015) – Thanks to support from moviegoers nationwide, Disneynature and
Conservation International are pleased to announce the results of their
conservation initiative tied to the new movie “Monkey Kingdom,” in theaters now. As part of the
program, Disneynature committed a portion of opening week ticket sales (April
17-23, 2015) through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund in support of
conservation projects in Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Indonesia, including:
· Programs working across 1
million acres of some of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems
· Protection of important
habitats for thousands of species, including 29 different types of primates and
other wildlife such as Asian elephants, Javan leopards, sun bears and the giant
ibis
· Planting thousands of
trees to create a “green wall” that protects two major national parks and a
watershed that provides fresh water to more than 30 million people
· Educating visitors,
community members and school children about the importance of local
conservation of nearby endangered habitat
· Ranger training and
patrols to monitor and protect 185 acres of endangered forests
· Operation of a gibbon
rescue-and-rehabilitation center
“Disneynature’s
films help the audience care about and understand nature,” said Peter
Seligmann, Chairman and CEO of Conservation International. “That alone is an
incredibly important contribution to conservation. But Disneynature does more
than tell a powerful, emotional story. It is committed to supporting programs
in the field that directly benefit at-risk ecosystems, as well as the animals
and people that depend upon them. This kind of support helps organizations like
Conservation International create lasting impact on the ground.”
“Disneynature
films are created to entertain and engage audiences while contributing in a
meaningful way to the planet, and Monkey Kingdom succeeds in both,” said Paul Baribault, Vice
President, Marketing, The Walt Disney Studios. “With these films, Disney is
proud to support the work of leading organizations like Conservation International
in preserving our natural world for future generations.”
The
Disneynature conservation efforts surrounding “Monkey Kingdom” attracted
support from within Disney and beyond.
·
Young fans unlocked an exclusive monkey costume on Disney Club Penguin to
support Conservation International: www.clubpenguin.com
·
The Disney Music Group will contribute 20% of the purchase price of each single
track download of Jacquie Lee’s “It’s Our World” song from the film to
Conservation International
·
The Disney Store committed a portion of the sale of Maya and Kip character
plush to Conservation International: www.disneystore.com
·
Disney Cruise Line made a contribution in celebration of the movie, which also
premiered on the high seas
·
Regal Entertainment Group supported a gift card program in conjunction with
“Monkey Kingdom” that resulted in a contribution to Conservation International:
www.regmovies.com
New York jewelry designer
Alex Woo designed eco-friendly pendants inspired by the film, available in
Sterling Silver & 14kt Gold—a portion of each sale benefits Conservation
International: www.alexwoo.com
ABOUT
THE MOVIE
Life
is an adventure for Maya, the clever and resourceful blonde-bobbed monkey in
“Monkey Kingdom,” Disneynature’s new feature film set among ancient ruins in
the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya’s world is forever changed when she
welcomes her son, Kip, into her complicated extended family. Like all families,
Maya’s has more than its share of colorful personalities—and she’s determined
to give her son a leg up in the world. When their longtime home at Castle Rock
is taken over by powerful neighboring monkeys, Maya's whole family retreats,
and she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to uncover untapped resources
amidst strange new creatures and unsettling surroundings. Ultimately, they will
all have to work together to reclaim Castle Rock, where Maya can hopefully
realize her dreams for her son’s future.
Featuring
a rich variety of characters, including a mischievous mongoose, simple-minded
langur monkeys, predatory leopards and monitor lizards, “Monkey Kingdom” is
narrated by Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), directed by Mark Linfield (“Chimpanzee,”
“Earth”) and co-directed by Alastair Fothergill (“Chimpanzee,” “Bears”). With
music from award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams ("The Chronicles
of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," “Shrek” movies),
Disneynature’s eighth True Life Adventure—the follow-up to 2014’s
“Bears”—swings into theaters April 17, 2015.
ABOUT
DISNEYNATURE
Disneynature
was launched in April 2008. Its mission is to bring the world’s top nature
filmmakers together to share a wide variety of wildlife stories on the big
screen in order to engage, inspire and educate theatrical audiences everywhere.
Walt Disney was a pioneer in wildlife filmmaking, producing 13 True-Life
Adventure motion pictures between 1948 and 1960, which earned eight Academy
Awards®. The first five Disneynature films, “Earth,” “Oceans,” “African Cats,”
“Chimpanzee,” and “Bears” are five of the top six highest overall grossing
feature-length nature films to date, with “Chimpanzee” garnering a record-breaking
opening weekend for the genre. Disneynature’s commitment to conservation is a
key pillar of the label and the films empower the audience to help make a
difference. Through donations tied to opening-week attendance for all five
films, Disneynature, through the Disney Worldwide Conservation
Fund, has planted three million trees in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest,
established 40,000 acres of marine protected area in The Bahamas, protected
65,000 acres of savanna in Kenya, protected nearly 130,000 acres of wild
chimpanzee habitat, cared for chimpanzees, educated 60,000 school children
about chimpanzee conservation and funded research and restoration grants
in U.S. National Parks, supporting conservation projects across U.S. National
Parks and protecting endangered species. For more information about
Disneynature, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/Disneynature and
follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/Disneynature.
ABOUT
DISNEY WORLDWIDE CONSERVATION FUND (DWCF)
For
20 years, the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has worked to save species and
habitats and to connect kids to the wonder of nature. To date, DWCF has
granted more than $27 million to support conservation programs in 114
countries. DWCF is a Disney initiative to conserve nature for future
generations and is not a US 501(c)(3) public charity. More information about
DWCF's efforts for wildlife, wild places and the people linked to their
survival, is available at www.disney.com/conservation.
ABOUT
CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
Since
1987, Conservation International has been working to improve human well-being
through the care of nature. With the guiding principle that nature doesn't need
people, but people need nature for food, water, health and livelihoods—CI works
with more than 1,000 partners around the world to ensure a healthy, more
prosperous planet that supports the well-being of people.
Learn more about CI and the "
Nature Is Speaking " campaign, and
follow CI's work on
Facebook,
Twitter and
YouTube .
