It’s no secret that all of us here at GeekDad are huge fans of Phineas and Ferb. It’s easily the most intelligent cartoon show aimed at kids on TV now, and one of the top few of all time, managing to be funny in a way that doesn’t appeal (like so many kids’ shows) only to the crude side of humor. So we couldn’t be more excited to join Disney in announcing the specifics of the first Phineas and Ferb TV movie, as well as some of the awesome promotional events related to it.
Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension will premiere on the Disney Channel on Friday, August 5 at 8:00pm ET/PT, with a sneak On Demand preview beginning on August 1. Not all the plot details have been revealed (and it wouldn’t be fun to know too much about it beforehand anyway, right?), but it seems clear that some of the main characters meet alternate-dimension versions of themselves, and that Phineas and Ferb finally discover that Perry is a secret agent. Be sure to watch the trailer and movie clip below to see what other clues you can pick up, and to whet your appetite for more. As a GeekDad, I have to add how completely awesome I think it is that the movie’s title references an excellent 27-year-old cult science fiction film that relatively few adults, let alone kids, are likely to have seen.
Now, as for the promotional side of things: Disney is never a slouch when it comes to marketing, as anyone who pays even the slightest attention to the media knows. But they’re really pulling out the stops on this one. Not only will there be a new soundtrack album, “Phineas and Ferb: Across the 1st and 2nd Dimensions” coming out on August 2, a DVD set containing the movie and tons of awesome extras coming out on August 23, and a Wii and DS game based on the film coming out on a date to be announced, but they are also launching a U.S. coast-to-coast promotional bus tour called, and I swear we’re not making this up, “Perry the Platy-bus.” According to the official press release:
During “Perry the Platy-bus On Tour,” fans are invited to marvel at nearly 4000 pounds of Perry (complete with a bill, tail and googly eyes), come aboard, play the exciting new Unity 3D video game, “The Movie Game: The Dimension of Doooom!” and video console games, sing Perry-oke and more. During “Perry the Platy-bus On Tour,” fans are invited to marvel at nearly 4000 pounds of Perry (complete with a bill, tail and googly eyes), come aboard, play theexciting new Unity 3D video game, “The Movie Game: The Dimension of Doooom!” andvideo console games, sing Perry-oke and more.
Yes, it says “Perry-oke.” Really. The bus tour will begin July 11 in New York City and move steadily westward, arriving in San Diego just in time for Comic-Con on July 21 (where yours truly will be moderating the Phineas and Ferb panel). It will also make an appearance at Disney’s D23 Expo in Anaheim in late August. The specific schedule will be announced shortly.
There will also be a new Phineas and Ferb “interactive live entertainment experience” debuting later this month at Disney’s California Adventure and Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios called “Phineas and Ferb: We’re Making a Movie.” And, in case neither Anaheim nor Orlando is convenient for you, Disney Theatrical Group will also, in late August, kick off a live touring stage show visiting more than 80 venues in the U.S. called “Disney’s Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour EVER!”
So I think it’s safe to say this is going to be a summer in which Phineas and Ferb really do make the most of their vacation. Be sure to check back here on GeekDad for more awesome news — and some exclusive content! — about the movie leading up to its release. Check out page 2 of the original article for two choice pictures from the movie.
All pictures and videos copyright by, and courtesy of, Disney Channel / The Walt Disney Company.
[Read the rest of Matt Blum’s article, originally published on Tuesday. Please leave any comments you may have on the original.]
