Michael Jackson Star of Disney's Captain EO Attraction Dies at Age 50

Los Angeles — Pop star Michael Jackson died in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon shortly after going into cardiac arrest.

Michael Jackson in the starring role of Captain EO, a former 3-D film attraction at Disney theme parks worldwide.

The "King of Pop" died at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center after being rushed by ambulance from his rented Holmby Hills home. A team of doctors tried to resuscitate Jackson for more than an hour before he was pronounced dead at 2:26 pm.

Jackson was age 50.

Theme park fans may remember the recording legend for his starring role in the Disney theme park attraction − Captain EO.

Directed by George Lucas and starring Jackson, Captain EO opened at EPCOT on September 12, 1986 and Disneyland Park on September 18, 1986. The attraction was also added to Tokyo Disneyland in 1987 and Disneyland Paris in 1992.

The $30 million Captain EO was the first Disney attraction to use 3-D special effects and it was also at the time the most costly film produced on a per-minute basis. The on-screen action was brought into the auditorium with laser effects, smoke, strobes and other off-screen effects.

Jackson recorded two original songs for the attraction − "Another Part of Me" and "We Are Here to Change the World".

The attraction was eventually replaced at both Disneyland and EPCOT by the Honey I Shrunk The Audience 3D film. Its final showings were at the Disneyland Paris park on August 17, 1998.

Jackson was scheduled to resume his music performing career on July 13 with 50 "sold out" concerts at London's O2 Arena and had been staying in Los Angeles to rehearse for the upcoming shows.