Michael Jackson’s “Captain EO” movie is jumping overseas to Tokyo Disneyland this summer, building off the popularity of the 3-D film’s return to the Anaheim park.

The Oriental Land Co., which operates Disney’s Japan theme park, announced Monday that the 3-D film would begin playing at Tokyo Disneyland starting July 1 and run a full year until June 30, 2011, according to an online press release. The 17-minute movie previously ran from 1987 to 1996, according to the release.

The Tokyo premiere at a 369-seat theater will come five days after the first anniversary of Jackson’s death.

“Captain EO,” the 1986 film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, was revived at Anaheim’s Disneyland in February following the singer’s surge in popularity after his June passing.

Disney brought back the movie to Anaheim as a limited engagement, but no end date has been announced. Now, the film is scheduled to stay at least through summer and fall, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman.

“It’s been popular enough that it will continue to run,” McClintock said.

Some online bloggers, including the Theme Park Tourist website, speculated that “Captain EO” soon could be added to other parks, as well. Disney has yet to make other announcements.

“Captain EO” took over the Tomorrowland theater where “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” used to play in Disneyland. Disney has yet to reveal what will go in the theater when “Captain EO” ends, McClintock said.

Source: http://ocresort.freedomblogging.com/2010/04/27/captain-eo-expands-to-another-disney-park/42365/