Latest news with #FreeWilly
Associated Press
5 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Rare 'Free Willy' Orca Model Among 400+ Planet Hollywood Memorabilia Items in Upcoming Propstore Auction
Planet Hollywood props resurface with 'Free Willy' orca leading the wave. 'This orca core is a rare behind-the-scenes piece from Free Willy, created by effects supervisor Walt Conti and his team.'— Brandon Alinger, COO of Propstore LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, May 29, 2025 / / -- A rare orca model from the beloved 1993 family classic 'Free Willy' is making waves in Propstore 's upcoming auction of more than 400 iconic memorabilia items from the archives of Planet Hollywood. Created by renowned whale effects supervisor Walt Conti and his team, the foam rubber miniature core was used in scenes featuring the film's hero whale, Willy, making it a standout piece for film fans and collectors alike. The highly anticipated online auction, running now through June 11, 2025, features items that once adorned the walls of Planet Hollywood's famed restaurants. Many of these pieces have been out of public view for decades and are now up for grabs, with bidding starting as low as $100—an accessible entry point for new and seasoned collectors. 'As the founder of Planet Hollywood, I've had the privilege of curating one of the most iconic collections of movie memorabilia in the world—pieces that celebrate the films that made us laugh, cry, and fall in love with cinema,' said Robert Earl, Founder of Planet Hollywood. 'Whether you're just beginning your journey as a collector, or looking to add something truly unique to an already impressive archive, this auction offers an incredible opportunity. This specific offering was designed to be surprisingly accessible, making them perfect for the passionate fan or the seasoned collector alike.' Featuring hand-marked notes like 'No Zip' and 'No Zipper,' along with red tape and a protruding metal rod, the 44-inch-long model (112 cm) showcases the craftsmanship that brought the heartwarming story of Jesse and Willy to life. This behind-the-scenes treasure highlights the mix of practical effects and animatronics that defined the pre-digital era of filmmaking. 'This orca core is a rare behind-the-scenes piece from Free Willy, created by effects supervisor Walt Conti and his team. Used beneath more detailed outer skins, it served as part of the film's practical animatronic work,' said Brandon Alinger, COO of Propstore. 'Items like this were never meant for display and rarely survive, making their preservation through the Planet Hollywood archives especially significant.' This auction offers collectors a rare and affordable opportunity to own a piece of cinematic history. Online bidding will take place until June 11, 2025, and registration is open now at # # # Notes to Editors: For further information, catalogue images, case studies and interviews please contact: Bethany Willetts | [email protected] Bidding is live until June 11, 2025, at: Dropbox link to images: Please credit: Propstore About Propstore In 1998, Propstore founder Stephen Lane's love for movies led him to hunt for the same props and costumes used to create his favorite films. He found that he could provide collectors with access to their most coveted pieces and establish archival standards for this new, pop-culture hybrid of fine art and memorabilia collecting—prop art. Since 2014, Propstore has regularly hosted live auctions featuring some of the world's greatest Entertainment Memorabilia treasures. Propstore specializes in film and television props and costumes, production materials, and artwork, as well as music memorabilia, posters, and collectible toys. Propstore also holds regular online auctions in association with many of the industry's major production materials and has over 5,000 items available for sale via Buy Now on Following our 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade, Propstore was thrilled to receive the honor again in 2024, this time as the prestigious King's Award for Enterprise. Widely regarded as the highest accolade for business success in the UK, the King's Award for Enterprise recognizes British companies that have excelled in innovation, international trade, sustainable development, and promoting opportunity through social mobility. Social Media: Facebook: @PropStore Twitter: @propstore_com Instagram/ Threads: prop_store YouTube: thepropstore TikTok: @.propstore Matthew Kovacs Propstore email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Vancouver Sun
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Scenic Route to Alaska, Orcas at RAM, Hairspray and more to do this weekend
Scenic Route to Alaska : Hopefully you lassoed tickets to the sold-out Corb Lund mini-fest at Starlite Friday night and on the street Saturday afternoon — but that's the just beginning of a brilliant weekend at the 35-year-old, birthday-celebrating venue. Saturday night, the grunge-country vibe continues with Skinny Dyck and Bobby Tenderloin at 9:30 p.m., so no wardrobe change if you're knee-deep in Lund, y'all. Then, the marvellous and dreamy pop of 'Prairie Beatles' Scenic Route to Alaska has a 3:30 p.m. show Sunday, with the irresistible combo of Lucette and Billie Zizi opening the afternoon up — seriously, what a huge weekend! Details : 9:30 p.m. Sat./3:30 p.m. Sun. at Starlite Room (10030 102 St.), $20.80 Sat./ $31.08 Sun. at Orcas : Our Shared Future : Speaking of big things, Royal Alberta Museum's latest exhibition opening Friday swims through the world of 4000 kg., ocean-apex-predator orcas. Swirling together scientific research, pop-culture riffs and Indigenous art and beliefs, this killer whale of a show dives deep into the animals' complex social behaviour, intelligence and consequences of captivity. Free pins and posters for pass-holders are all yours opening day, with an appropriately free screening of Free Willy 3 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Square's Splash Day, then a lecture by marine mammal researcher Joshua McInnes 6 p.m. May 29. Details : 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. May 16 – Oct. 19 at Royal Alberta Museum (9810 103A Ave.), including museum admission $21 adults, $14 65+, $10 youth 7-17 at Friends and the Love of Art : While legendary sculptor Joe Fafard and meditative suburban landscape painter Wilf Perreault never shared a show together in the former's lifetime, Peter Robertson Gallery brings together the work of these two Saskatchewan abstract-representational artists to celebrate their long friendship. You probably recognize Fafard's work in his various horse, bull and bison sculptures around town, including on jasper Avenue, and Perrault's paintings feel utterly familiar to anyone who's ever walked a winter alley on the Prairies. Both artists capture a strong sense of western identity, nostalgia and home — most fitting as PRG celebrates its new-yet-familiar digs in the former Udell Gallery space. Details : reception 2 p.m. Sat., running through June 7 at Peter Robertson Gallery (10332 124 St.), no charge Vending Machines / Wake Up Sleepy Anna : Jumping back to Edmonton music, two of our city's most notable talents have released new videos. First up, it's sweet-voiced self-harmonizing Mariel Buckley's latest heart-scraper Vending Machines, shot on Super8 by Laura LaFrance. 'Ultimately this song is about choices,' says Buckley, 'accepting the snack that falls when we push the button. I'm partial to Hawkins Cheezies — a fine Canadian product — and exploiting collective/personal pain for sad songs. Enjoy!' Next, Joe Nolan's dreamy Wake Up Sleepy Anna was inspired by a fictional Russian princess, 'who symbolizes hope in a time of darkness and despair,' explains the singer. 'This song serves as a universal cry for the betterment of humankind. 'We all pray for love in the new world.' Details : Now streaming on the YouTube channels of Mariel Buckley and Joe Nolan , free Hairspray (2007) : This now-classic musical about a 1962 Baltimore TV dance show is so star-studded it practically bursts, featuring a heavily made up John Travolta, Queen Latifah, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken and many more. Based on the Broadway musical, itself based on John Waters' 1988 cult classic, this has almost as many onion layers as Wicked with music as infectious. Part of Rainbow Visions Film festival running through Sunday, full program at . Details : noon Sat. at Metro Cinema (8712 109 St.), $10 fgriwkowsky@ @ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Calgary Herald
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Scenic Route to Alaska, Orcas at RAM, Hairspray and more to do this weekend
Article content Scenic Route to Alaska: Hopefully you lassoed tickets to the sold-out Corb Lund mini-fest at Starlite Friday night and on the street Saturday afternoon — but that's the just beginning of a brilliant weekend at the 35-year-old, birthday-celebrating venue. Article content Saturday night, the grunge-country vibe continues with Skinny Dyck and Bobby Tenderloin at 9:30 p.m., so no wardrobe change if you're knee-deep in Lund, y'all. Article content Article content Then, the marvellous and dreamy pop of 'Prairie Beatles' Scenic Route to Alaska has a 3:30 p.m. show Sunday, with the irresistible combo of Lucette and Billie Zizi opening the afternoon up — seriously, what a huge weekend! Article content Article content Article content Swirling together scientific research, pop-culture riffs and Indigenous art and beliefs, this killer whale of a show dives deep into the animals' complex social behaviour, intelligence and consequences of captivity. Article content Free pins and posters for pass-holders are all yours opening day, with an appropriately free screening of Free Willy 3 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Square's Splash Day, then a lecture by marine mammal researcher Joshua McInnes 6 p.m. May 29.
Edmonton Journal
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Scenic Route to Alaska, Orcas at RAM, Hairspray and more to do this weekend
Article content Free pins and posters for pass-holders are all yours opening day, with an appropriately free screening of Free Willy 3 p.m. Saturday at Churchill Square's Splash Day, then a lecture by marine mammal researcher Joshua McInnes 6 p.m. May 29.
New York Post
15-05-2025
- General
- New York Post
Orcas abandoned in shuttered marine park filmed in algae-infested pool months after closure: ‘Must leave now'
France's last two captive orcas were filmed stranded in an algae-infested marine park near Cannes months after closing, leaving the fate of the marine mammals uncertain. Animal activists have circulated footage of the killer whales' plight with the hopes that the French government will rehome them before it's too late. 'The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety,' pleaded Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of the animal advocacy group TideBreakers, which shared the heartbreaking video, South West News Service reported. Advertisement 4 Drone footage shows Wikie and Keijo trapped in Marineland. TideBreakers / SWNS Marineland Antibes had reportedly shuttered on January 5th in line with French bans on dolphin and whale shows enacted in 2021, leaving the two orcas Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo trapped inside their pens along with 12 dolphins. Heartrending aerial footage shows the cetaceans languishing in algae-choked pools in a derelict stadium like a scene out of a post-apocalyptic Sea World. Advertisement 'The situation in Marineland Antibes is an emergency and needs worldwide attention,' lamented Schusterova. 'These are the last two remaining orcas in captivity in France and they should be moved quickly.' 4 Managers at Marineland (pictured), which is still legally responsible for the animals until they can be rehomed, stressed that Wikie and Keijo 'must leave now' for their own welfare. Anadolu via Getty Images Unfortunately, campaigns to rehouse the majestic beasts have so far fallen flat with French authorities blocking efforts to transfer the animals to a marine zoo in Japan. Meanwhile, Spanish authorities rejected a proposal to move the animals to Loro Parque marine park in Tenerife, Spain, claiming that the facility — which is already home to four orcas — did have enough space to 'house the specimens in optimal conditions,' BBC reported. Advertisement 4 'The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety,' pleaded Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of the animal advocacy group TideBreakers, which shared the heartbreaking video. TideBreakers / SWNS Lori Marino, president of The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP), is currently campaigning to have Wikie and Keijo rehomed to their site in Nova Scotia, Canada, which she feels could be the 'only option left.' While their previous rehoming plea was rejected by the French Ministry for Ecology earlier this year, the group has re-upped the bid to move them to said sanctuary, which they claim will give them more space to roam than the usual pool. 4 A few of the 12 dolphins are also stranded at the park. TideBreakers / SWNS Advertisement The team reportedly has experts from a whale sanctuary that was designed to house Keiko — the orca that starred in the 1993 family movie 'Free Willy.' 'If you don't even have a site, you're years away from being a viable sanctuary,' said Marino while arguing why the Novia Scotia location might be the only viable choice. 'We have a whole crew who know how to build and run a sanctuary.' She added, 'They have done it before and I think we are the only team who has any experience in doing this.' Time is reportedly running out for the stranded mammals. Managers at Marineland, which is still legally responsible for the animals until they can be rehomed, stressed that Wikie and Keijo 'must leave now' for their own welfare. 'Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination,' they declared. Advertisement Unfortunately, releasing Wikie and her son into the wild is not an option as they were 'both born in captivity' and therefore would likely not survive long, according to Schusterova. 'After entertaining the public for years, we should still provide them with a clean and safe environment to live out their remaining years,' she said.
