We Are Here To Change The World:
An Oral History of Captain Eo

Captain EO is a 1986 3D science-fiction musical short film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, produced by George Lucas, and created as a collaboration between Disney and Lucasfilm. Starring Michael Jackson in the title role, the film was conceived as an ambitious theme-park experience that blended cinema, music video, fantasy, and immersive in-theatre effects. At approximately 17 minutes in length, it became one of the most expensive films ever made on a per-minute basis and was a landmark in the development of the “4D” attraction format.

The film follows Captain EO, a cosmic hero leading a small and eccentric crew on a mission to bring a gift to the Supreme Leader, played by Anjelica Huston. What begins as a perilous confrontation on a dark, industrial world transforms into a spectacle of music, dance, and visual metamorphosis, as EO uses song and performance to convert a realm of decay into one of light, beauty, and celebration. Featuring the songs “We Are Here to Change the World” and “Another Part of Me,” the film fused Jackson’s star power with the stylistic sensibilities of fantasy cinema, special-effects filmmaking, and Disney spectacle.

Long regarded as one of the most unusual and technically ambitious projects of Michael Jackson’s career, Captain EO occupies a unique place in his body of work: neither a conventional short film nor simply a theme-park attraction, but a hybrid creation that brought together some of the most significant entertainment figures of the era. Its combination of choreography, creature effects, production design, 3D photography, and themed environmental effects made it a pioneering audience experience, and it remains a key title in understanding Jackson’s expansion beyond music video into immersive fantasy storytelling.

Nick is currently in the process of speaking with those who were involved in the creation of Captain EO, with a view to crafting an in-depth oral history on the making of this extraordinary production.

Members of the cast and crew who have been interviewed so far include: