But the 16 year-old, famous since the age of 12, said, despite the "crush", that she would never embark upon a romance with a fellow thespian.

She was speaking to the Telegraph's Mandrake column at the London premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie in London's Leicester Square.

"I refuse to date actors as a rule," she said. "They’re too good at lying – it’s their job."

Cyrus, who is the daughter of the country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, was asked who her "weirdest celebrity crush" was. She replied: "Maybe George Clooney."

No doubt, he will be flattered. Clooney, who turns 48 next month, is old enough to be her grandfather.

Montana, who wore a sparkling silver mini-dress and high heels, was greeted by screaming crowds outside the Odeon cinema. She was joined on the red carpet by her father, the country music star Billy Ray Cyrus.

The Hannah Montana character, a schoolgirl who leads a secret double life as a famous pop singer, began as a Disney Channel television series and has spawned a billion dollar industry.

The film enjoyed a record-breaking opening weekend in the US, scoring the biggest ever opening for a live-action children's movie, with takings of $34 million.

Cyrus had a squeaky-clean image until last year's infamous Vanity Fair photo shoot, in which she posed apparently topless with a satin sheet to protect her modesty. Parents were outraged and Disney issued a stern statement blaming the photographer, Annie Leibovitz, for "manipulating" their young charge.

The International Cheer Union (ICU) was developed in conjunction with more than 60 member countries. It is a non-profit governing entity for international cheerleading, with the goal of receiving membership applications from National Cheer Federations all around the world.

One of the key goals of the ICU is to promote and improve cheer programs worldwide, and this event will bring together the largest collection of international cheerleading groups ever assembled for one competition. The event is open to National or Provisional Cheer Federations.

"The United States is the birthplace of cheerleading but we have seen the sport blossom worldwide," said Karl Olson, secretary general of the International Cheer Union. "The ICU competition gives the world's best cheerleading and dance teams an incredible opportunity to serve as ambassadors for their countries in a sport that is grounded in pride, confidence and self esteem."

The United States has organized two National Cheerleading Teams, one coed and one all girl, as well as one National Dance Team, each featuring some of the best cheer and dance athletes in the country. The 60 American athletes that make up the USA Cheer Team were chosen at a tryout in December and announced in January. The USA Dance Team has 17 members

In addition to the teams from the United States, teams from as far away as Australia, Guatemala, Russia and China will be represented at the event, which will take place at the Wide World of Sports Complex.

The major parks conduct their own safety programs but are required to file quarterly reports of injuries with the Florida Bureau of Fair Rides Inspection.

From January through March at Disney's Magic Kingdom, a 56-year-old man complained of chest pain at the Haunted Mansion; a 46-year-old woman reported she lost consciousness after leaving a vehicle at Snow White's Scary Adventures; a 40-year-old woman fractured her left ankle leaving the Astro Orbiter; and a 75-year-old woman reported nausea and feeling light-headed at Space Mountain.

Disney also said a 59-year-old man reported chest pain at Epcot's Spaceship Earth, and a 67-year-old man reported a cervical injury after a collision near the end of a slide at Blizzard Beach's Toboggan Racer.

Universal Orlando said a 68-year-old man reported left-arm numbness at the E.T. Adventure.

Featuring the ultimate in high definition picture and sound, this 2-Disc set comes fully loaded with two cuts of the film plus eight hours of bonus material, including innovative special features created exclusively for the Blu-ray High Definition release. The interactive game "Kill 'em Good," lets viewers play Marv, the outcast misanthrope on a mission to avenge the death of his true love, Goldie. The "Cine-Explore" feature, a breakthrough interactive visual commentary lets viewers watch picture-in-picture footage of the film in its early green-screen stages original artwork synced with filmmaker commentary. Additional special features include Commentary with Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller, interviews with Robert Rodriguez and "guest director" Quentin Tarantino, Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes showcasing the cars, props, costumes and make-up of Sin City, and much more! One of the most eagerly awaited films to debut in the format, Sin City arrives on Blu-ray with both barrels blazing!

The film commission, which operates under the auspices of the Woodstock Film Festival, is searching for an abandoned train track, preferably with a platform, so a set can be built for "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice." Suggestions can be sent to filmcommission@mac.com.

The embassy was apparently unhappy with a "heavy-handed" propaganda film called "Two Cities" (nothing to do with Tales of Two Cities, from what I could uncover, and nothing memorable, judging from the utter disappearance of the movie since). It had a better idea: "The Embassy would like to suggest that if the Department is considering the production of films of more obvious propaganda type, that a short motion picture, probably pf ten minutes duration, that pokes fun at the communist system without mentioning it as such, would find an appreciative audience in Iran," went the confidential cable dated Jan. 18, 1950.

Where am I getting all this? From George Washington University's endlessly fascinating National Security Archives, the treasure trove of thousands upon thousands of declassified documents of U.S. foreign policy, bunches of them relating to the Middle East. Plenty of the material, some of it yet-to-be mined by scholars, documents key issues in American-Middle East policy over the past 60-odd years, from Israel's development of its nuclear-weapons facility at Dimona, in the Negev desert to the Iranian hostage crisis. I'll be revisiting many of these documents in the future. They're worth exploring, unfiltered and raw.

It's equally fun to uncover these minor gems about what, in retrospect, was the silliness of propaganda ventures such as the stab at Disney. The cable went on in hilariously straight language:

Further, if this film were done in the style of Disney using his technique with the familiar Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and so forth, the reception would be further enhanced. The Embassy wonders if, in the light of the increasing tempo of the cold war, Mr. Disney as a patriotic duty could be interested in preparing such a film that could be used to defend democracy where the communist system is being touted loudly. The Iranian people like clever satire and the Disney style is known and liked here, therefore the combination of the two would provide a very strong emdia for putting across our message."

Had the embassy forgotten that in 1942, Walt Disney had sent his "heartfelt greetings to the gallant people of the Soviet Union," and that he had signed an ad in the Daily Worker in support of Art Young, a left-wing cartoonist (his name appeared alongside those of Paul Robeson and Langston Hughes)? Well, yes, but let's not forget that Walt took his patriotism so seriously, or skewedly, that he was also an informant for the FBI. Like Mickey Mouse, he was a bit more complex than a one-dimensional figure.

Imagine what Walt would have thought these days as his beloved Mickey becomes the subject of unwelcome fatwas from nutty clerics, who consider the jolly mouse the incarnation of all things evil. Or worse: Hamas has been known to use a Mickey look-alike to to indoctrinate young people to "resist" the "oppressive invading Zionist occupation."

Roshini Bakshi, regional director, Disney Consumer Products, Asia and India said, "The comics offer a story of adventure and fun for every child, and for the child in us all. The launch of comic books in Hindi, reinforces our commitment to localize our stories and connect with the Indian consumers through content, that is appealing and relevant."

Featuring Disney's characters, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, the 32-page comic book will be priced at Rs 25. Disney is gunning to reach 10,000 points-of-interest within the first month of launch.

"Our association with Disney is an ideal fit, as we complement the strengths of both the groups. Disney stories carry positive values and inspire imagination in children. We are excited to promote fun reading through the launch of these Disney comics in India through our nationwide reach," said Manish Verma, director, Junior Diamond.

Disney also plans to launch comic books on its proprietary character of Princess, which includes titles such as Snowhite & Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella among others. Also on the cards are comic books in regional languages for the south India market.

Disney Publishing Worldwide, which publishes 274 million copies of children's magazines worldwide, sells nearly 120 million children's books annually. The New York-based Disney Publishing has over 340 regular titles available in more than 80 countries around the globe.

The company says the initiative is primarily about teaching language skills to children, not extending its brand in the world's most populous nation. But from the oversize Mickey Mouse sculpture in the foyer to diction lessons starring Lilo and Stitch, the company's flagship school here is filled with Disney references.

Classroom names recall Disney movies, such as "Andy's Bedroom," the setting of the "Toy Story" films. To hold the attention of children as young as two years old, there is the Disney Magic Theater, which combines functions of a computer, television and chalkboard and is the main teaching tool.

Disney's foray into English-language instruction in China comes as the niche industry is booming. McKinsey & Co. estimates that China's foreign-language business is worth $2.1 billion annually. More than 300 million Chinese are studying English, according to a speech delivered in January by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Last week Pearson PLC announced it would buy the Wall Street Institute chain of 39 English schools in seven Chinese cities from Carlyle Group for $145 million. Pearson predicted the operation, which focuses on adult education, would generate about $70 million in revenue this year and said it "expects English language teaching in China to remain a good growth market."

Disney, based in Burbank, Calif., already sells merchandise at shops nationwide and has produced two films in the country, including a live-action one due for release this year featuring China's beloved pandas. And in the boldest attempt to extend the brand, the company recently asked China's government for permission to build a $3.59 billion Shanghai Disneyland that could open in 2014.

Still, amid China's limits on foreign media, the company has been unable to start a television channel or distribute its full portfolio of movies in China, and teaching English is a way for Disney to expand its reach. The company plans to have four Shanghai centers by June, from the current two, and to launch in Beijing within a year. Disney declined to say how many students it has.

Disney executives say that if their efforts in China are successful, they'll likely roll out English schools in other countries around the world. But they stress the goal is authentic English learning, not a marketing push.

"We never saw this as an effort to teach the Disney brand and Disney characters," says Andy Mooney, chairman of Disney Consumer Products Worldwide. "We set out to teach Chinese kids English."

Nonetheless, classroom and homework exercises introduce the kind of Disney books, TV shows and movies that China's government otherwise tightly restricts. Students are introduced to as few as four words a week.

In class, a strong singing voice earns students "magic tokens" that are exchangeable into "reward gifts" like Disney pens and hats on display in the lobby. Students can also get Mickey Mouse book bags as well as bilingual books, flashcards and CDs that feature Disney characters, much of them otherwise unavailable in China.

Considered as a school only, Disney English will likely take years to offer meaningful heft to the entertainment giant, which recorded $37.8 billion in revenue last year. Disney declined to reveal the school's revenue.

English First SV, a Sweden-based company with the most extensive network of children's schools in China, says it uses the program as a loss leader to feed its lucrative adult schools and overseas study programs. "When we look at just the kids' business, it hasn't made a dime in 15 years," says English First President Philip Hult.

Regardless of its financial outlook, Disney English appears to be a hit with members of China's burgeoning middle class. After a recent Monday-evening class, 5-year-old Zang Siqi rushes toward her mother, eager to show off a white rocket she has made out of paper, a Snow White sticker in its nose cone.

The girl's mother, Li Ruchen, says she enrolled her daughter in twice-a-week Disney English classes for roughly $1,000 a year because she wants the girl to be "international" and Disney is a "familiar and trustworthy brand."

In the family's sport-utility vehicle on the way home, a Disney English CD plays over the sound system. Arriving at the family's 30th-floor apartment, young QiQi, as she is called by her parents, eagerly directs a visitor toward a notable decoration: a tiny Cinderella sticker on a glass cabinet in the dining room. Next to the girl's Disney English backpack, her mother sets down instruction books from the school featuring the Buzz Lightyear character from "Toy Story" on the cover, including one titled, "Whose Toy Is This?"

Soon, QiQi and her parents are gathered around a dining table -- her colorings of Ariel the Little Mermaid displayed underneath a plate of glass -- and gripping yellow Disney English playing cards.

Following the girl's daily diving lessons, her parents say they usually surf onto Disney's Internet "parent portal" with their daughter, where Piglet and other Winnie the Pooh characters help her brush up on vocabulary.

The Jerry Bruckheimer production, currently lensing in New York City, is based on the popular "Sorcerer's Apprentice" segment in Disney's animated classic "Fantasia." Story revolves around a college student who is recruited to work reluctantly for a sorcerer and given a crash course in magic to help him battle dark forces in Manhattan.

Nicolas Cage, Jay Baruchel and Teresa Palmer star in the pic, helmed by Jon Turteltaub.

Exec producing are Cage and his Saturn Films partner Norm Golightly as well as Todd Garner, Barry Waldman and Jerry Bruckheimer Films' Mike Stenson and Chad Oman.

Pic is scheduled for release on July 16, 2010.

Many consider the pool area of Stormalong Bay, a three-acre aquatic fun area, to be the best of any Disney resort. Disney's Beach Club shares a swimming pool area with sister resort, Disney's Yacht Club. You can frolic near a life-size shipwreck, zoom down water slides, go snorkeling in a sandy lagoon and swim in a meandering pool area that flows into the surrounding lake. 750,000 gallons of water make up an impressive complex of pools that range from swirling to calm, open to secluded, and cool to warm. Every member of the family can find a place to make a splash at Stormalong Bay.  

This initial entry from a team of British filmmakers tries to add an environmental slant to the animal footage that Disney favors, but the effort seems halfhearted compared with more politically charged documentaries like "An Inconvenient Truth." The film makes a few remarks about melting ice caps but spends most of its energy chronicling the exploits of polar bears, caribou, elephants, humpback whales and other exotic species.

Disney probably is hoping for another "March of the Penguins," but this film is too diffuse to match the boxoffice success of that film. It opens in theaters on Wednesday.

"Earth's" main virtue is its consistently spectacular cinematography. From the opening shots of white snow against a crisp blue sky, the images are rendered with dazzling, crystalline clarity. The camera gets remarkably close to polar bear cubs emerging from the ice and to birds in flight. But the verbal side of the film does not equal the visual eloquence. Although the narration is provided by James Earl Jones, the words he utters in his rich, stentorian tones rarely reach beyond platitudes about the "circle of life."

Another problem is that the film tries to cover too much ground. Just as we are getting absorbed in the story of the polar bears' struggle to survive, the film shifts to elephants trekking across the Kalahari and then surveys whales migrating thousands of miles. There are asides to birds of paradise in New Guinea, leopards and gazelles in Africa, even a brief visit to the penguins of Antarctica.

Directors Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield skim briskly across the globe, but their approach is too bland. While the film observes wolves stalking caribou and lions pursuing baby elephants, it discreetly cuts away from the actual kill. This obviously was meant to shield tots from any frightening images, but the fastidiousness undercuts the drama.

The Presidio is already home to the Letterman Digital Arts Center — where George Lucas relocated his Industrial Light & Magic in 2005 — and The Orphanage, a visual effects company. Pixar is in Emeryville and DreamWorks Animation is in Redwood City.

The Walt Disney Family Museum will have the unmistakable mark of his family foundation, the project's sponsor, which selected the location and in recent years has been on a mission to separate the public's image of the man from the company that he spawned.

How to Sell a Nanny, a Mermaid and a Lion

New York Times - With revenues down — in some weeks sharply — compared with 2008, Disney Theatrical Productions has been heavily discounting tickets to its three Broadway shows and preparing a new marketing plan to attract families and others during this economic climate, in which the three Disney musicals risk vying with one another.

Disney executives have long maintained that the shows attract distinct audiences. They have said “The Lion King” draws more foreign tourists, “Mary Poppins” does better with an older crowd, and “The Little Mermaid” has proved popular with New Yorkers. What the three musicals have in common, however, is a struggle to fill seats on weeknights, as well as competition with a growing number of Broadway shows — like “Shrek,” “Hair” and “West Side Story” — that appeal to parts of the core Disney audiences.

A comparison of ticket sales for the first 15 weeks of 2009 with the same period of 2008 shows that gross revenues for “The Little Mermaid” have declined 27 percent, partly because it opened to strong audiences in January 2008; the gross of “Mary Poppins,” meanwhile, has declined about 17 percent while “The Lion King” is off about 5 percent. By comparison, the gross of the Broadway musical “Wicked,” which also appeals strongly to families, is down 5 percent for the same period.

“Disney faces major questions in this economy. Can it sustain three shows at a time when the cost of going to Broadway is very high for a family of three or four, say, and can it differentiate its shows from ‘Shrek,’ ‘Wicked’ and other competitors?” said Stuart Oken, a theater producer who spent nine years at Disney Theatrical, where he served as executive vice president before leaving in 2003.

“Families used to see maybe three or four shows a year; now they can afford to see maybe two or one,” Mr. Oken said. “A bad economy is a bad time to be competing against yourself, which is a situation Disney inevitably faces.”

Disney Theatrical executives declined to cooperate with this article. Yet in an interview on April 1, announcing their latest discounting program, David Schrader, executive vice president of Disney Theatrical said the company was positioned to battle the recession, which he blamed for cutting into the shows’ grosses.

He said that Disney’s winter discount program, Kids Go Free, which covered performances from Jan. 6 to March 13, had sacrificed average-ticket-price sales in favor of larger audiences. He equated full theaters with a better theatergoing experience and argued that a positive experience would keep people coming back to Broadway.

He also said that later this spring Disney planned to “unbundle” its three musicals so each show can pursue its target audiences through its own advertising and marketing strategies. “Out of efficiency for the past two of three years, when we could, we bundled them together — with two shows buying TV or space in the paper, for instance, or discounting all three,” Mr. Schrader said. “Now we’ll try to let each show do what it wants to do to address its needs.”

As for his shows’ grosses, Mr. Schrader noted that “Mary Poppins” was facing competition with other Broadway “nostalgia shows” — productions that draw audience members who have an affinity for an earlier film or theater version of the show. He cited Lincoln Center Theater’s hit musical “South Pacific,” which opened in April 2008, as one example; “Hair” and “West Side Story,” which are both commercial hits, would also fall into this category.

Yet some producers and directors outside Disney rejected the idea that “Mary Poppins” had declining grosses because of other so-called nostalgia shows, noting that “Poppins” — as well as “The Little Mermaid” — received mixed reviews (and some notably negative ones) and may simply have a problem with quality.

“While ‘The Lion King’ has become an institution on Broadway, you don’t have anywhere near that same appeal with the other two Disney shows,” said Emanuel Azenberg, a longtime producer who is bringing two revivals to Broadway next season: Neil Simon’s autobiographical “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Broadway Bound.”

Diane Paulus, the director of “Hair,” expressed skepticism about the concept of nostalgia shows, saying that the best draw for potential theatergoers was a strong production.

“ ‘Hair,’ for instance, has songs that became part of the pop culture of the late ’60s and ’70s, that people heard in jukeboxes more than they heard in theater, and that dealt with serious subject matter,” she said. “Audiences are drawn first and foremost to a high-quality experience.”
Audiences now have 35 Broadway plays and musicals to choose from, and, like Disney, many of them are discounting tickets. But Disney was among the earliest and most aggressive in its discount strategy.

Kids Go Free, which was under way through December and marketed as a sort of holiday gift, offered a free kid’s ticket with a full-price ticket for mostly weeknight performances. Disney’s $15 for 15 discount program, which marked its 15 years on Broadway, concluded sales on Sunday. It covered select seats and performances from Tuesday to May 31.

Put another way, Disney has been heavily discounting weeknight shows during most weeks that aren’t school vacations in 2009. Mr. Oken and Mr. Azenberg, among others, said this strategy suggested that Disney executives have some concern about whether adults will come alone to its shows. Yet according to surveys conducted at Disney’s direction at its three shows in January, an average of 60 percent of the audiences was attending without a companion younger than 21. This data was shared by a theater industry veteran, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to provide it.

Disney has given no signal that it has plans to close a show: “Mary Poppins” runs in the company’s own theater, so it has the benefit of paying rent to itself, while “The Lion King” remains a huge hit, and “The Little Mermaid” is relatively new. But whether periodic discounting is enough to sustain three Disney shows on Broadway depends, in the end, on whether Disney sees enough value and profit in the endeavor.