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See full gallery on TechnoBuffaloThe Dark Side recently descended upon Epcot’s Spaceship Earth, as the famed landmark was made to look like one of cinema’s most iconic weapons.
To celebrate the release of Lucasfilm’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Spaceship Earth briefly resembled the Death Star, the famed super weapon used by the Empire.
While it’s a nice bit of cross-marketing, what’s ironic is Spaceship Earth was built to be a monument of peace. Here’s what the dedication plaque says upon entering Epcot:
To all who come to this Place of Joy, Hope and Friendship, Welcome. Epcot is inspired by Walt Disney’s creative vision. Here, human achievements are celebrated through imagination, wonders of enterprise and concepts of a future that promises new and exciting benefits for all. May Epcot Center entertain, inform and inspire and above all, may it install a new sense of belief and pride in man’s ability to shape a world that offers hope to people everywhere.
Turning one of the world’s most iconic structures into a symbol of oppression is certainly an odd choice. But it’s not everyday a Star Wars spinoff comes out, so you can’t be too critical of Disney. And, come on, the kiddies probably loved it.
The star of Rogue One is the Death Star
With Rogue One: A Star Wars Story only about a week away from release, Disney is taking advantage of every possible avenue in an effort to promote the new film. And because the Death Star is central to the spinoff’s plot, turning Spaceship Earth into the iconic super weapon was easy to do.
The event kicked off new Rogue One additions to Star Wars Launch Bay headed to Disney Parks at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida and at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.
Considering what Epcot represents, however, transforming Spaceship Earth into an Imperial weapon certainly wasn’t the best idea. But good always trumps evil, and—spoiler alert—the Death Star doesn’t survive.
Source: Disney