Most folks may recognize Tomorrowland as the theme park attraction from Disneyland. But for those following Disney Studios closely know that it’s their next live-action film under the direction of Brad Bird (The Incredibles; Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol). An original, sci-fi story co-written by Bird and Damon Lindelof (ABC’s LOST; Prometheus), the dynamic duo made an appearance at D23 Expo today to show attendees a sneak peek at some “found footage” that inspired the upcoming film. Learn more about what we discovered after the break.

On the D23 Expo show floor and throughout the convention, news has been spreading about a certain “mystery box” that hinted at the inception of Tomorrowland. Both Lindelof and Bird disclosed the contents from within the box during the Walt Disney Studios presentation today. Labeled “That Darn Cat,” a reference to the studio’s 1965 film, inside the box were an assortment of knick knacks – “authenticity” believed to be dated back from the good ol’ days of The House of Mouse.

Included was a photograph of Walt Disney and Amelia Earhart from 1945 – years after her disappearance and a clear fake; an August 1928 issue of “Amazing Stories”; a piece of cardboard with a unique insignia that also appears on the outside of the box; a piece of parchment with plans for the 1964 World’s Fair – under a black light revealed blueprints for a different structure, possibly under the Fair itself; but most importantly a record disc was found that dated back to November 1963.

This special disc was found to be made of metal and apparently the crack team at Disney were able to “extract” the data. What was “discovered” was animated footage that had to be “cleaned up” in order to show us during today’s presentation. Which again we take for being manufactured to provide some amusement for the audience rather than the filmmakers telling us they were going to show us a clip. Those magical folks at Disney sure know how to entertain a crowd.

What begins on the reel is somewhat of a history lesson through time, spanning from the dawn of man to ancient Greece and so forth. “There is no such thing as fate,” a narrator exclaims. We’re now at the World’s Fair in Paris 1989, where Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Jules Verne, and Gustave Eiffel are seen working together on a secretive project. Moving forward, technology begins to zip by with radios, cars, battleships, tanks, electricity, and the nuclear bomb. The video has become pretty bleak, hinting at the end of mankind, however it handles the future with revered optimism and hope. Ending with another voice over, the narrator states, “And fellow traveler, that’s why you were invited here. At long last we are building that tomorrow. A shrinking beacon of hope. In just 20 short years, we will share this extraordinary place with the entire world. Would you like to see it?”

And scene.

Since the Tomorrowland doesn’t come out until December 12, 2014, we’ll just have to wait to understand the video’s meaning. There hasn’t been much to identify what this film is about, but I can sense by the original theme park attraction and the abundant references of science within the video that the film will be fairly invested in some sort of unique future technology kerfuffle.

Follow the D23 Expo tag for more updates and first looks from the world’s most magical convention.

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