Animation
There was a time when there was only one name on the block when it came to feature cartoons. Yet it’s been 25 years since Pixar changed the landscape forever, sending several studios into battle for animation domination. Of course, now Pixar and Blue Sky Studios are all under the Disney umbrella, pushing back planned 2020 releases like Nimona to 2022.
Yet rather than release catalogue classics, 2020 looks set to be a great year for original animation at Disney. All but one of the last five Pixar films have been sequels, so it is nice to see that they have two original concepts lined up this year with Onward and Soul. Similarly, Walt Disney Animation is pursuing Raya and the Last Dragon, a deep cultural dive in the tradition of Moana.
In the face of this, non-Disney offerings are largely around existing properties: Tom & Jerry, The Croods 2, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Scoob! and Trolls World Tour to name a few.
Onward
The first of two original Pixar films set for 2020, director Dan Scanlon (Monsters University) is delivering a major stylistic and tonal departure for the studio. With a screenplay co-written by playwright Keith Bunin and Jason Headley, they populate a contemporary world where magic and creatures have advanced along with technology. The voice game is on point as well: Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Octavia Spencer, Ali Wong, Lena Waithe and Mel Rodriguez
Soul
The other Pixar film comes from studio legend Pete Docter (Monsters Inc, Up, Inside Out). The script comes with the formidable writing team of Docter, Pixar senior creative team-member Mike Jones (EvenHand), Kemp Powers (Star Trek: Discovery) and Tina Fey (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt). Taking a similar path to Inside Out, it concerns a man who has lost his passion for music transported out of his body and joined by a fledgling soul. Get the tissues ready.
Raya and the Last Dragon
With a screenplay by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), and starring the voice of self-admitted genius Awkwafina (The Farewell), Disney Animation is making a film inspired by the stories of South-East Asia. It will be the directorial debut of Paul Briggs (who has been a Disney animator since 1997’s Hercules, including Head of Story on Zootopia) and fellow Disney vet Dean Wellins.
Bob’s Burgers: The Movie
The second feature film based on a Fox TV series, the first being 2007’s The Simpsons Movie, even the acquisition of the studio by Disney couldn’t stop this burger from making its way into our gut holes.
