Captain Eo

Back in 1986, everybody wanted a piece of the hottest pop star in the world. So it was with much fanfare that Disneyland introduced “Captain EO,” starring Jackson. It was an association the family-friendly amusement park would eventually come to regret as the bizarre pop star became increasingly embroiled in controversy. The 17-minute “Captain EO” cost an estimated $30 million and featured a star-studded list of credits, including executive producer George Lucas, director Francis Ford Coppola and Anjelica Huston as the evil Supreme Leader. The 3-D movie — featuring lasers, smoke and stars that extended into the audience — told the story of Captain EO’s mission to deliver a musical gift to a wicked alien queen on a dystopian planet. EO’s rag-tag crew included his sidekick Fuzzbucket, security officer Major Domo and blundering shipmate Hooter. “EO” used music — specifically the original song “We Are Here to Change the World” — to defeat the queen and her whip-wielding henchmen. “Captain EO” opened in Disneyland’s Magic Eye Theater in 1986 and ran for more than a decade, quietly closing in 1997. Identical versions of the film eventually opened at Epcot in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. All closed by 1998.