Disney-Pixar is offering us a much-needed pick me up, thanks to its musical Day of the Dead feature Coco (Nov. 22). Check out a trio of new videos related to the upcoming adventure below!
First, check out a new clip from the film which takes us in the heart of the action in “Mariachi Plaza” which imparts an important lesson: don’t ever cross anyone’s abuelita!
Next, go behind the scenes with the informative “Crafting Coco” featurette, which offers insights on the film’s development from co-director Adrian Molina, director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla K. Anderson, voice star Gael García Bernal (“Hector” the skeleton), composer Michael Giacchino, songwriter Germaine Franco, cultural music consultant Camilo Lara, and Anthony Gonzalez (“Miguel”).
Pixar Animation Studios also announced at last week’s Oculus Connect that it would be embarking on its first-ever VR project tied to the new film. Directed by Ross Haldane Stevenson and produced by Oscar winner Marc Sondheimer (Piper), Coco VR allows users to explore the dual worlds of the film with their friends in a next-level social VR experience, available on Oculus Rift on Nov. 15 and Samsung Gear VR on Nov. 22.
Coco VR is a co-production of Disney-Pixar and Oculus, with VR creative development and execution by Magnopus. Supervising TD John Halstead spearheaded technical efforts for Pixar. The experience will be available to try out ahead of launch at Día de los Muertos festivals in Los Angeles, New York City, Houston, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, Oakland and Chicago (Oct. 28 and on); Camp Flog Gnaw Music Festival in LA (Oct. 28-29); and select Disney Stores and movie theaters across the US (through Nov. 22).
Read more about the making of Coco in the December issue of Animation Magazine (No. 275) available soon!
The highly anticipated 2D follow-up to the Oscar winning Disney/Marvel feature will be blasting off next month, as Big Hero 6: The Series launches with a one-hour special “Baymax Returns” on Monday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. EST. The TV movie will premiere simultaneously on Disney XD and Disney Channel, and will be available on the DisneyNOW app and Disney XD VOD.
Set in the fictional city of San Fransokyo, “Baymax Returns” explores the moment in the 2014 feature film when Hiro believes that his compassionate, cutting-edge robot Baymax is lost in the portal forever, and discovers the chip his brother Tadashi designed to create Baymax. The 14-year-old tech genius Hiro begins school as the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology and sets off to rebuild Baymax, but his overconfidence and penchant for taking shortcuts leads him and the newly minted Big Hero 6 team – Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Go Go and Fred – into trouble.
A customizable, interactive virtual assistant called Pocket Baymax launches on DisneyNOW the same day. Need more digital incentive? Two full-length episodes of Big Hero 6: The Series will debut exclusively on DisneyNOW and Disney XD VOD immediately after the movie airs, ahead of its official broadcast premiere in early 2018. Starting Nov. 24, a series of shorts will rollout each Friday for six weeks on Disney XD, the app and the network’s YouTube channel. An international TV rollout for the whole lot will occur throughout 2018.
Reprising their roles from the film are Maya Rudolph as Aunt Cass, Ryan Potter as Hiro, Scott Adsit as Baymax, Jamie Chung as Go Go, Alan Tudyk as Alistair Krei, Genesis Rodriguez as Honey Lemon, David Shaughnessy as Heathcliff and Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee as Fred’s dad. Joining the main voice cast are Khary Payton as Wasabi and Brooks Wheelan as Fred. Recurring guests include Jenifer Lewis as Professor Granville, Haley Tju as Karmi, Andrew Scott as Obake and Andy Richter as Globby.
Produced by Disney Television Animation, Big Hero 6: The Series is executive produced by Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley and Nick Filippi — the team behind Emmy-winning hit Kim Possible. Filippi is also supervising director.
You can read more about the creation of the series in the December issue of Animation Magazine (No. 275), available soon.
What do you do after creating one of the most popular, trail-blazing animated preschool shows in recent memory? If you’re Doc McStuffins creator and exec producer Chris Nee, you embark on a whole new adventure with another awesome toon that pushes the creative envelope.
Nee’s brand new animated series Vampirina, which debuts Oct. 1 on Disney Junior and Disney Channel, centers on a delightful family of, um, bloodsuckers, who have recently moved from Transylvania to a Pennsylvania neighborhood. Each episode centers on the adventures of Vampirina (voiced by Isabella Crovetti) and her parents (voiced by Lauren Graham and James Van Der Beek) as she learns to adjust to the normal human world around her.
Speaking from the Disney studios in Burbank, Nee tells us that the whole journey began when she saw a tiny visual development clip of what Disney and Irish studio Brown Bag Films had put together. “Disney Junior had found this book property [by author Anne Marie Pace and illustrator LeUyen Pham] and thought that it would be cool to develop into a series for a preschool audience,” Nee recalls. “The second I saw this character, I just knew I had to help bring her to life. I was just so excited by what she looked like and everything that she represented.”
Finding another property to fall in love with after the amazingly dynamic Doc McStuffins wasn’t going to be easy. “I knew Doc had set the bar really high, but I was really excited by what Vampirina had to say. She represents a kid who is really different, and she can be sometimes hard to be friends with, because she is so unusual, but it’s definitely worth it. She’s a total spark plug, and doesn’t do everything the right way, but her spirit is truly infectious.”
The Awesome Irish Connection
The show’s preschool-friendly CG animation is co-produced by Brown Bag Films in Dublin (in conjunction with Infinite Studios in Indonesia), which also produces Doc McStuffins. Co-exec producer is another McStuffins alum, Norton Virgien (Rugrats, Henry Hugglemonster). Brown Bag’s Nicky Phelan (Octonauts), who was nominated for an Oscar for his 2010 short Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty, is the director.
“It made a huge amount of sense to work with Brown Bag,” says Nee. “They are such a gem of studio. The amount of talent that comes out of that tiny country is unbelievable. They are a company that always says: Yes, let’s figure out a way to do this. That’s not something that we usually see in this business.”
While the writing staff is based in Los Angeles, and the voice recording, music and sound mixes are all done in L.A., Nee often travels to Dublin to get hands-on interactions with the team at Brown Bag. “We’re on the phone every morning,” she explains. “I think it’s really important for us to have face-to-face time and know each other as human beings. We really wanted to make sure that human contact is part of our process, because at the end of the day we should be connected to humanity, if we’re doing our jobs right. It’s so easy these days to become separate prods. We want to feel like we are all part of one team that is working on this wonderful project.”
As Nee and her team are also working on the fifth season of Doc McStuffins, she says she is applying many lessons that she learned from her first big series to Vampirina. “We are now people who know each other very well,” Nee explains. “The lessons have been absorbed into our creative process. We know our strengths and weaknesses, and the idiosyncratic ways we like to work together. As we are embarking on something new and fresh, we are much further down the road than we were when we were launching Doc.”
A Taste for Eyeball Soup
Of course, one of the biggest challenges about the new project was how to make the world of vampires friendly, without the usual fear quotient tied to the supernatural creatures. “Well, we never actually show them drinking blood,” explains Nee. “But the food that they eat is always left of the center. They have Yeti Spaghetti, blood orange juice, and love to eat things like eyeball soup or bone soup.”
Yet, the writers were always aware of their special balancing act. Nee notes, “In the beginning, we asked ourselves, was there going to be a day when we all turned around and said, ‘Oh my God, we are doing vampires for preschool!’ How do we honor what is so cool about this world without being in a place where kids might come in scared? At the end of the day, what happens is that you see this character who is so instantly lovable and such a great entry into this space. You know you’re in a comforting place. Her parents, who are played by Lauren Graham and James Van Der Beek, I think they are going to become one of these classic TV families. They are so warm and funny, and their performances are so nuanced. So, you kind of want to move into this house with these guys.”
In addition to Van Der Beek, Graham and Crovetti, the star-studded cast includes: Mitchell Whitfield as playful ghost, Demi; Jordan Alexa Davis as Vampirina’s — a.k.a. Vee — best friend and next-door neighbor, Poppy; ViviAnn Yee as another one of Vee’s close friends, Bridget; Dee Bradley Baker as Vee’s teacher and the Hauntley’s dog, Wolfie; Benji Risley as Poppy’s twin brother, Edgar; Cree Summer as Poppy and Edgar’s mom, Edna; and Ian James Corlett as Chef Remy Bones, the Scare B&B’s resident skeleton chef. Guest stars include none other than Broadway veterans Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Vee’s grandparents, Nanpire and Grandpop; and Wanda Sykes as Vee’s grumpy gargoyle sidekick, Gregoria.
When asked about what she loves about the show so far, Nee says the work really speaks for itself. “I think the animation is absolutely stunning, and our writing staff feels comfortable taking our stories to the next level and pushing the character as far as we can go,” she adds. “We’re working on the fifth season of Doc now, and we are very excited that we can explore the world of the hospital further throughout the upcoming season, which will probably be next year.”
Nee, who has worked on many acclaimed children’s TV shows including Little Bill, Maya & Miguel, Blue’s Clues, Wonder Pets! and The Backyardigans over the past two decades, believes we are experiencing a new golden age of preschool television. “I think we have found our voice again,” she comments. “We found a sense of joyful and full storytelling and bringing kids along on that journey. We are also in a place that we recognize that all kinds of kids need to see themselves on TV. The process of seeing someone who doesn’t represent you makes you feel like you’re not important in any way. I believe we are doing a really good job of making every kid has something that they can look at and aspire to.”
Vampirina premieres October 1 at 11 a.m. with two back-to-back episodes on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. The episodes will also be available on Disney Junior VOD and YouTube, and the new DisneyNOW app. New episodes will air every Monday and Friday in October on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Special screenings of Vampirina are planned for movie theaters across the U.S. on Saturday, October 21; Thursday, October 26; and Saturday, October 28, as part of Disney Junior at the Movies – HalloVeen Party!, presented by Fathom Events. The events will include a never-before-seen episode of the show, a costume party for kids and families. For more info, visit FathomEvents.com/DisneyJunior. Vampirina will also be available on DVD on October 17.
This story originally appeared in the November issue of Animation Magazine, No. 274.
The new, cutely blood-curdling kids’ show Vampirina has been slated for its broadcast premiere on Sunday, October 1 at 11 a.m. ET, with two back-to-back episodes simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. The opening adventures will also be available on Disney Junior’s VOD and YouTube platforms as well as the DisneyNOW app. New episodes will roll out every Monday and Friday on the channels through October.
To make the most of its monstrous debut, special screenings of Vampirina will take place at theaters across the US on Sat., Oct. 21; Thurs., Oct. 26; and Sat., Oct. 28 as part of Disney Junior at the Movies – HalloVeen Party!, presented by Fathom Events. The cinema events will include a never-before-seen Vampirina episode, costume party for kids and families, and other festive surprises. Tickets go on sale Sept. 22 through FathomEvents.com/DisneyJunior.
Set in a Pennsylvania neighborhood, the series stars Lauren Graham, James Van Der Beek and Isabella Crovetti as the Hauntley family; friendly vampires who have recently moved from their home in Transylvania. The stories follow Vampirina (aka “Vee”) as she faces the joys and trials of being the new kid in town including making friends and attending a new school in the human world. Along the way, Vee learns that it may be easier to blend in with her peers, but it’s more valuable to celebrate the qualities that make each individual unique.
Inspired by the popular Vampirina Ballerina books by author Anne Marie Pace and illustrator LeUyen Pham (Disney Publishing), the series is made by the creative team behind Doc McStuffins, including creator/EP Chris Nee and co-EP Norton Virgien. Nicky Phelan (Octonauts) is director. Vampirina is produced by Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Junior.
The undead are anything but unfriendly in the animated family comedy series Vampirina, premiering this fall on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and the new Disney NOW app. The CG-animated kids’ book adaptation stars James Van Der Beek (What Would Diplo Do?) and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) as parents Boris and Oxana Hauntley, with 12-year-old Isabella Crovetti (Colony) voicing lovable little bloodsucker Vampirina (a.k.a. Vee).
Inspired by Disney Publishing’s book series Vampirina Ballerina, the TV show centers on Vee as she settles into her new urban surroundings, after her family relocates from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. Excited to experience everything that the human world has to offer, Vee will learn that while it may be easier to blend in with her peers, it’s important to celebrate the differences that make everyone unique. Always by her side, Vee’ mom and dad are also adapting to their new life as proprietors of the local Scare B&B, a bed and breakfast for visiting ghouls and goblins.
The recurring guest voice cast includes Tony-award winning Broadway performers Patti LuPone (Evita) and Brian Stokes Mitchell (Kiss Me, Kate) as Vee’s grandparents, Nanpire and Grandpop, and Wanda Sykes (Black-ish) as Vee’s cantankerous yet loyal gargoyle sidekick, Gregoria.
Rounding out the voice cast are: Mitchell Whitfield as playful ghost, Demi; Jordan Alexa Davis as Vee’s best friend and next-door neighbor, Poppy; ViviAnn Yee as another close friend, Bridget; Dee Bradley Baker as teacher, Mr. Gore, and the Hauntleys’ dog, Wolfie; Benji Risley as Poppy’s twin brother, Edgar; Cree Summer as Poppy and Edgar’s mom, Edna; and Ian James Corlett as Chef Remy Bones, the Scare B&B’s comedic skeleton chef.
Disney Junior’s Vampirina will feature music by Broadway composers Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond (The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes), with original songs performed by the voice cast (Van De Beek, Graham and Crovetti belt out the theme song). The series creative team reunites many of the key players from Peabody winner Doc McStuffins, including executive producer Chris Nee and co-exec producer Norton Virgien. Nicky Phelan (Octonauts) serves as director.
Vampirina is produced by Brown Bag Films in association with Disney Junior.
Vampirina
Vampirina
James Van Der Beek, Lauren Graham & Isabella Crovetti Star in Vampirina
JENNA ORTEGA, the 14-year-old star of DISNEY CHANNEL's "Stuck In The Middle," will host an all-new RADIO DISNEY program, "What's Good" with JENNA ORTEGA, premiering TODAY at 4p (PT)/ 7p (ET) and will air weekly across multiple platforms, including the RADIO DISNEY app, SIRIUSXM 79, TUNEIN, iHEARTRADIO and AHA RADIO digital streaming services.
The hour-long show will follow ORTEGA as she spotlights weekly inspirational stories, shares positive news, reveals her favorite trends, and interviews co-stars and friends from other DISNEY CHANNEL shows.
ORTEGA stars as Harley Diaz, a creative and engineering whiz kid and the middle child in a family of seven children, in DISNEY CHANNEL's family comedy series "Stuck In The Middle." She is also known for her role in the GOLDEN GLOBE-winning series "Jane The Virgin," and voices Princess Isabel, Elena's younger sister, in DISNEY's animated "Elena Of Avalor." She was a host of the 2017 RADIO DISNEY MUSIC AWARDS.
Disney XD’s new take on the classic animated series DuckTales will kick off its run with an hour-long premiere movie airing on the channel for 24 consecutive hours Aug. 12, with the series debuting with two episodes premiering Sept. 23.
The premiere date of the movie — titled “Woo-oo!” — was announced on Facebook today along with the series’ title sequence and a new version of the classic theme song. The theme is written by Mark C. Mueller, the song is performed by singer/songwriter Felicia Barton (Dancing with the Stars) and produced by Emmy Award-winning Michael ‘Smidi’ Smith (Coldplay, Sia, Britney Spears) and composer Dominic Lewis (Rough Night, Fist Fight). It will be released June 23 by Walt Disney Records.
Here’s a look at the sequence:
Featuring animation inspired by the classic Carl Barks’ comic book stories, DuckTales chronicles the high-flying adventures of Duckburg’s most famous trillionaire Scrooge McDuck, his mischief-making triplet grandnephews – Huey, Dewey and Louie, temperamental nephew Donald Duck and the trusted McDuck Manor team: big-hearted, fearless chauffer/pilot Launchpad McQuack, no-nonsense housekeeper Mrs. Beakley and Mrs. Beakley’s granddaughter, Webby Vanderquack, resident adventurer and the triplet’s newfound fierce friend.
The voice cast is: David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Scrooge McDuck, Danny Pudi (Community) as Huey, Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) as Dewey, Bobby Moynihan (Saturday Night Live) as Louie, Kate Micucci (Garfunkel and Oates) as Webby Vanderquack, Beck Bennett (Saturday Night Live) as Launchpad McQuack, Toks Olagundoye (Castle) as Mrs. Beakley and Tony Anselmo (Mickey Mouse) as Donald Duck.
DuckTales is executive-produced by Annie Award-nominee Matt Youngberg (Ben 10: Omniverse), with Francisco Angones (Disney XD’s Emmy Award-nominated Wander Over Yonder) serving as co-producer and story editor and Sean Jimenez (Disney XD’s Annie Award-winning Gravity Falls) as art director. The series is a production of Disney Television Animation and carries a TV-Y7 parental guideline.
