Disney Files Construction Permit for New Villains Show at Hollywood Studios, Set for Summer 2025

Gallery / 5 Photos
Villains Show concept art

Posted: Tuesday October 1, 2024 2:45pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Disney has filed a construction permit for work on the new Villains-themed live entertainment show set to debut at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the summer of 2025.

The permit for "General Construction" is assigned to the long-term Disney construction partner, Whiting-Turner Contracting Company, valid through September 27, 2025.

Villains Show concept art

This new show will take over the Sunset Showcase on Sunset Boulevard, replacing the current Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy, which is set to close on October 7, 2024. Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy, which opened in March 2019, features a life-sized animatronic Lightning McQueen and high-energy racing sequences from the Cars franchise.

Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is scheduled to close on October 7, 2024

The upcoming villains-themed show is set in the Magic Mirror's mysterious realm, where iconic Disney villains will break through the glass and come to life on stage. Characters such as Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent are already confirmed to make appearances, with live production numbers and immersive special effects promising to bring these notorious figures to life.

Villains Show concept art

Sunset Showcase, which first opened in 2015, has previously hosted a variety of entertainment experiences, including the short-lived Club Disney and special events like Club Villain, a cabaret-style show featuring Disney villains.

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jrhwdw2 days ago

This Commercial has both forms of Mal...... If This ends up with a real F! like Dragon......This might be more popular than we're expecting......

Gusey2 days ago

The new Summer advert shows the Villains show with a dragon. Do you think the show's actually going to have a dragon or it's just to say Maleficent is in the show?

HauntedMansionFLA3 days ago

Cost too much money for Josh to okay it 😉

EagleScout6104 days ago

Its a joke.... I do that

Mr. Sullivan4 days ago

Is there like a cash prize involved for how many threads can get turned into Splash Mountain discourse because you all are hungry for it

Giss Neric4 days ago

Aint this villain show on a limited time? They could move Muppets 3D there after knowing they would improve the seats and its right next door to another Muppets themed ride 😉

EagleScout6105 days ago

If being banished by the company counts as being "Treated unfairly" we have our winners -

Animaniac93-985 days ago

Glad the show will have comfortable seats as apposed to uncomfortable seats as originally rumored ;)

lazyboy97o5 days ago

Part of the appeal of theme parks is that they are highly designed and ordered experiences. People assume that their creation must be similarly ordered. The idea that the park operators thinks and cares as much as oneself is comforting and common narrative in the fan community. This isn’t the only thread where people are trying divine decisions that won’t be made for years by entirely different people.

Agent H5 days ago

This seems like statire of that trope.

James Alucobond5 days ago

I agree that Muppet*Vision probably wouldn't get ported in. It requires a purpose-built space. However, I could definitely see them wanting to convert it back to something with fewer live entertainment roles at some point, and I wouldn't immediately discount something Muppets-related if the RNRC retheme goes over well.

BrianLo5 days ago

It’s the jump of logic that they already know what they are going to do “afterwards”. I realize it is sort of a black box theatre. Though Disney rarely carries through. And we have very mild precedent of popular things moving like the Lion King Show. Still, it’s too much foresight for a company that loves to fly by the seat of its pants in decisions sometimes.

donaldtoo5 days ago

I don’t even understand the concept of “unfairly treated villains”…WTH does that even mean…they’re freakin’ villains…?!?!?! :cyclops:

James Alucobond5 days ago

Lightning McQueen lasted five or so years. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume this might have a similar lifespan unless it becomes unexpectedly popular.