It Was Never Just About the Screening: D23 Members Treated to Suprises at "Paradise" Season Premiere Event at El Capitan
“It was never just about the bunker.”
That line may define Paradise Season Two, but on Thursday, it was also a metaphor for our evening at El Capitan Theatre. What was advertised as a D23 Gold Member screening of the first episode, happily, ended up being a lot more.
It was never just about the episode.
The event kicked off at 7:00 p.m. to a full house of excited fans ready for the Season 2 premiere. The El Capitan’s marquee had been updated for the occasion, giving the evening a premiere-like atmosphere (interestingly enough, what appeared to be an actual premiere for what appeared to be Season 2 of the Apple+ show Monarch was taking place across the street at the Chinese Theater at the same time).
Digital posters lined the theater entrance, and once in the lobby, the details continued. The concession stand menu boards featured Paradise-themed graphics, and popcorn and a drink were included with admission. Two themed photo backdrops were also available.
As is tradition at El Capitan, the night opened with a Wurlitzer organ concert from Rob Richards. The 30-minute performance included a mix of Disney favorites and other familiar tunes, concluding with a Wurlitzer rendition of the Paradise theme.
After the concert came the biggest surprise of the event as five members of the cast stepped onto the stage:
- Sterling K. Brown (Xavier)
- Julianne Nicholson (Sinatra)
- Thomas Doherty (Link, a new character for season 2)
- Nicole Brydon Bloom (Jane)
- Krys Marshall (Robinson)
The cast remained on stage for about two minutes, expressing their gratitude for the fans’ support and their excitement for Season 2. They also introduced Thomas Doherty, who joins the cast for season 2 (Scottish accent in person, not on the show). The appearance was brief but really got the crowd excited for what was to come. The lights went down and a very unexpected season 2, episode 1 began... but no spoilers here.
But I will say the crowd loved it and gave it a huge ovation. As we exited, we were handed a Hulu-branded lantern just in case we faced an apocalypse of our own — an appropriate close to a memorable event.
Paradise, Season 2 premieres Tuesday, February 23, with a three-episode drop, followed by weekly installments on Hulu.