Disney leadership just shifted in a major way. Josh D’Amaro has officially been named the new CEO of The Walt Disney Company, with his tenure set to begin on March 18. While this is corporate news on the surface, D’Amaro’s background makes this especially interesting for Star Wars fans — because his fingerprints are already all over some of the franchise’s most ambitious real-world experiences. From Parks Chief to Disney CEO Before stepping into the top role, D’Amaro served as Chairman of Disney Experiences, overseeing parks, resorts, cruise lines, and consumer products. Under his leadership, Disney leaned heavily into immersive, tech-forward environments rather than just traditional attractions. That approach had a direct impact on how Star Wars moved from screen to physical space. His Biggest Star Wars Contributions Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Walt Disney World D’Amaro helped lead development on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the massive Star Wars lands…
Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
How Unreal Engine Is Changing Star Wars, Theme Parks, and the Future of Movies
Lightsabers? Old news. Space battles? Expected. What’s truly transforming the Star Wars galaxy today isn’t some Force power—it’s Unreal Engine. Yep, the same tech that powers Fortnite, Jedi Survivor, and a thousand modded saber duels is now the backbone of Disney’s real-world Star Wars experiences—and it’s quietly rewriting the rules of filmmaking and theme park design while it’s at it. Forget green screens and foam backdrops. We’re entering a new era where real-time rendering, interactive environments, and video game engines are powering the galaxy far, far away—in ways that’ll blow the thermal exhaust port off your expectations. The Rise of Virtual Production: From Game Engine to Movie Magic Unreal Engine, developed by Epic Games, isn’t just for gamers anymore. In recent years, it’s become the Hollywood go-to for virtual production, most famously through ILM’s StageCraft system—aka “The Volume.” If that rings a bell, it’s because that’s what brought the environments…