Disney Hosts Community Screenings at El Capitan Theatre for those Affected by LA Fires

Community Giving

January 27, 2025

In response to the devastating fires that destroyed thousands of structures and tens of thousands of acres across Los Angeles, The Walt Disney Company has been mobilizing its businesses to help support relief and recovery efforts, including the company’s flagship cinema in Hollywood — The El Capitan Theatre — a historic, restored 1920s movie palace.

“When you step into a movie, you’re transported to another world,” James Wood, the General Manager of The El Capitan, said.

This week, The El Capitan offered that escape into another world by hosting complimentary screenings of its latest hits, Moana 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King, to help bring a little happiness like only Disney can to kids and families in the LA community affected by the wildfires.

Opening Doors to the Community

Like many others across The Walt Disney Company, as fires broke out around the greater Los Angeles region, the team at The El Capitan asked themselves, “What can we do during this time?” Wood said.

“Well, the best thing we do is entertain,” he said.

As it happened, the Disney Corporate Social Responsibility team also had the idea to host complimentary screenings, and within 48 hours, those screenings went from idea to reality.

“We have opened our doors to the entire community,” Wood said. “We want people to have a sense of normalcy in a very challenging time.”

To get the word out, Disney extended invitations to local school districts and nonprofits supporting kids and families who have been directly impacted by the fires, including several Boys & Girls Clubs in the LA area. KABC — a Disney owned television station — also helped to spread news of the screenings.

To make a wonderful experience for these special guests, Disney and The El Capitan also provided free drinks, popcorn, collectibles and film posters. Ghirardelli Chocolate shop — which has a location next door to the El Capitan — also sweetened the experience with chocolate bars.

Families took photos next to images of some of Disney’s iconic films, often with the help of Disney employees who donate their time to their local communities. These employees are a part of a program at Disney called Disney VoluntEARS.

“Disney VoluntEARS greet all of the families as they come in, making sure that their experience is top notch, and really to that Disney standard,” Sarah Whitney, Senior Manager, CSR at Disney Entertainment, said.

Making New Memories

The goal has been “to provide new memories for these families,” Whitney noted. “We hope that this gives families the opportunity to have that safe space and be able to come back rejuvenated.”

Wood has been able to peek into the theatre during screenings and see how the guests are reacting. “It seems like a joyous, normal moviegoing experience, which is what we wanted it to be,” he said.

The history of Disney is inextricably linked to the LA area and the teams across the company have been working tirelessly to help our hometown community bounce back from these devastating fires.

That includes committing $15 million for initial and immediate response and rebuilding efforts; Disney Entertainment Television opening its wardrobe warehouse in North Hollywood to employees who lost their homes; assembling hundreds of comfort kits for kids impacted by the fires; hosting various donation drives across the company; ABC News Group expanding its SoCal Strong coverage across platforms; and much more.

The El Capitan is “Disney’s home on Hollywood Boulevard,” Wood explained.

Wood, who has worked at the theatre in various roles since 2001, added that having these screenings in the El Capitan Theatre, “a place that’s close to 100 years old, really showcases that we are going to keep going, that Los Angeles is a place that is strong, that will continue and will always continue.”

Community Giving