David Beckham
plays a prince in a new Disney campaign--his first
showpiece endorsement since announcing his move to Los
Angeles.
Beckham was among
the celebrities photographed in roles of Disney movie
characters last month for a ''Year of a Million Dreams''
promotion for Walt Disney Co. theme parks.
The international
soccer star, marketing giant, and fashion icon was
photographed as the prince from Sleeping
Beauty, astride a white horse and fighting a
fire-breathing dragon.
''There were many
Disney characters I liked as a kid,'' Beckham said in a
statement released Friday by Disney. ''Now my sons love the
Disney characters, and it's a big part of their
lives--a big part of many children's lives
around the world. So to be part of that is an honor and
very exciting.''
The photo, shot
at a lake near Madrid, Spain, by famed photographer Annie
Leibovitz, will appear in magazines such as Vanity
Fair and Vogue in March.
The 31-year-old
midfielder with Real Madrid signed a recent five-year
deal with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy. He will
join the club this summer.
His wife, former
Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, has been spotted
house-hunting in Southern California.
Other photos for
the Disney campaign feature Beyonce Knowles as Alice in
Wonderland and Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella.
Leibovitz wanted
people who were ''globally iconic,'' and Beckham was
''an instinctive choice,'' Disney spokesman Duncan Wardle
said from Orlando, Fla.
The celebrities
helped decide which characters they would portray, and
Beckham liked the idea of ''a hero role,'' Wardle said.
''Each of the
celebrities had fun dressing up,'' he said. ''Disney allows
you to become a child again.... These guys had permission
for the day, and I think they thoroughly enjoyed it."
(AP)