Strange World (film)

Last updated

Strange World
Strange World poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Don Hall
Written by Qui Nguyen
Produced by Roy Conli
Starring
CinematographyTracy Scott Beattie (layout)
Brian Leach (lighting)
Edited bySarah K. Reimers
Music by Henry Jackman
Production
companies
Distributed by Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
  • November 15, 2022 (2022-11-15)(El Capitan Theatre)
  • November 23, 2022 (2022-11-23)(United States)
Running time
102 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$135–180 million [lower-alpha 1]
Box office$73.6 million [4] [5]

Strange World is a 2022 American animated science-fiction adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It was directed by Don Hall, co-directed and written by Qui Nguyen, and produced by Roy Conli. The film stars the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, and Lucy Liu. Strange World follows a legendary family of explorers called the Clades (Gyllenhaal, Quaid, Young-White, and Union), who must set aside their differences as they embark on a journey to a mysterious subterranean land inhabited by surreal lifeforms, in order to save a miracle plant Pando that is their society's source of energy.

Contents

Hall conceived Strange World in 2017 while finishing co-directing Moana (2016). Strange World draws inspiration from pulp magazines, Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Jurassic Park (1993) and King Kong (1933). To communicate non-verbally, several animators worked to create the movement of the character Splat. While the film is predominantly CGI, the film does incorporate 2D animation from Randy Haycock, with additional 2D animation by Eric Goldberg and Mark Henn in certain scenes. Henry Jackman provided the musical score. The film was noted for introducing Walt Disney Animation Studios' first openly LGBTQ lead character, leading to the film being pulled out for a theatrical release in some regions.

Strange World premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 15, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 23. The film received generally positive reviews from critics but grossed only $73.6 million with a projected loss of $197 million for Disney, making it one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time. Following its streaming release on Disney+, however, Strange World ranked as the top streaming film on Disney+ for 19 days.

Plot

In Avalonia, a land surrounded by an endless wall of mountains, adventurers Jaeger Clade and his teenage son Searcher brave the wilderness to explore new worlds. While trying to traverse the mountains, Searcher discovers a green plant that gives off energy. He and the rest of the expedition team decide to return to Avalonia with the plant while Jaeger angrily continues his mission alone.

25 years later, Searcher has made a name for himself by introducing the miracle plant, dubbed Pando, as a fuel source for Avalonia. He and his wife Meridian are Pando farmers, while their son, Ethan, has a crush on his friend Diazo and chafes at his father's expectation of becoming a farmer like him. One night, Callisto Mal, the president of Avalonia and one of Jaeger's former expedition teammates, shows up in her airship, the Venture, to inform the Clades that Pando is losing its power and asks Searcher to help find the cause. He joins an expedition to travel into a giant sinkhole, in which the roots of Pando have been located. On the way down, Meridian tries catching up in her crop-duster when Ethan and their three-legged dog Legend stows away on the Venture. The Venture, attacked by red wyvern-like creatures, crash-lands in a subterranean world, where Searcher and Legend are separated from the group. They are attacked by a creature called a "Reaper", but are rescued by Jaeger, who has been living underground all these years. He has been trying to cross the mountains from below, but is blocked by an acidic ocean, and states his intention to board the Venture to attempt to cross it.

Meanwhile, Ethan sneaks away from the Venture to find Searcher. He befriends an amorphous blue creature, naming it Splat, before being reunited with Searcher, Legend and Jaeger. They are attacked by more Reapers, but are rescued by Meridian and Callisto and return to the Venture. Searcher insists on completing their mission, while Jaeger wants to continue journeying across the Strange World. Ethan becomes frustrated with them and their opposing worldviews. After another wild encounter, Searcher and Jaeger finally have a heart-to-heart talk and realize that they do respect each other's goals in life. They eventually find a cluster of Pando's roots, which is being attacked by the Strange World's creatures. When Searcher learns that Ethan wants to explore more of the Strange World, he blames Jaeger's influence on him. Ethan angrily jumps off the Venture and on to one of the Reapers. Searcher follows him aboard a small flying vehicle, but as they are reconciling, they realize that they have passed through the mountains to the ocean beyond, where they see the eye of a giant turtle-like creature. The two realize that Avalonia is on the creature's back, and that they have been traveling through its body, meaning that the Reapers and all the other creatures are its immune system.

Seeing that Pando is an infection attacking the creature's heart, they head back to inform the expedition team that Pando must be destroyed, but Callisto has them locked up to prevent them from stopping the mission, while Jaeger furiously sails off to see for himself. After Legend and Splat free the family, Searcher and Ethan head to the creature's heart to clear a path for the Reapers, while Meridian takes over the ship and convinces Callisto to help. Jaeger returns, and with his help, they break through Pando, and the creatures appear and destroy it, bringing the heart back to life and saving the land.

One year later, Ethan is in a relationship with Diazo as they and their friends collect resources from the Strange World. Avalonia has shifted from Pando energy to wind turbines. Jaeger revisits his ex-wife Penelope who has remarried during his absence, and Searcher and Jaeger's relationship has improved. The camera zooms away from Avalonia to show the giant turtle-like creature on an ocean-covered planet.

Voice cast

Additional voice cast for Strange World include Terri Douglas, Liza Del Mundo, Shondalia White, Melanie Minichino, Michael Ralph, Shane Sweet, Arthur Ortiz, and Matt Yang King. [12]

Non-speaking roles in the film include Legend, the Clades' three-legged dog who resembles an Old English Sheepdog; Splat, the blue creature from the Strange World; the other Avalonia creatures; and Penelope Clade, Jaeger's ex-wife and Searcher's mother who retired from adventuring and remarried to a man named Sheldon. In the end credits, Legend and Splat are listed as playing "themselves".

Production

Development

Development of Strange World began in 2017, after Don Hall finished co-directing Moana (2016). His frequent creative partner Chris Williams also involved the project before leaving Disney in November 2018 to direct the Netflix Animation film The Sea Beast (2022). Hall pondered the origins of a generational family with the concept of "environmental overtones", which was described as " Indiana Jones meets National Lampoon's Vacation ". Shortly after the announcement of Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) at the D23 Expo in August 2019, a major redone happened, with the creative leadership on the film were being swapped, while some cast members were replaced. [13] Hall reteams with Qui Nguyen, who serves as co-director and writer. [12] During a story meeting, Disney artist Burny Mattinson suggested adding a dog character for the Clades, which ultimately became the character Legend in the final film. [14] Overall, the budget of Strange World was approximately between $135–180 million. [lower-alpha 1]

Writing

Nguyen adds that filmmakers wanted to make sure that, at the end of the film, viewers "could go backward and — like watching The Sixth Sense — be able to track all those moments and go, 'They told us all along what this was, and only now have we realized we got that last puzzle piece.'" [15]

Casting

On June 6, 2022, following the release of the teaser trailer, Jake Gyllenhaal was announced as the voice of Searcher Clade. [6] Eleven days later, the rest of the main cast for the film was announced at France's Annecy Animation Festival , including Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan Clade, Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade, Lucy Liu as Callisto Mal, and Dennis Quaid as Jaeger Clade. [7] The inclusion of Young-White voicing a gay character named Ethan marks Walt Disney Animation Studios' first openly LGBTQ main character. [8]

Animation, design, and influences

According to Hall, Strange World takes heavy influence from pulp magazines—popular fiction from the first half of the 20th century that was printed on inexpensive wood pulp papers, in addition to science fiction works such as Journey to the Center of the Earth , Fantastic Voyage and King Kong . [9] He also said "[he] loved reading the old issues of pulps growing up. They were big adventures in which a group of explorers might discover a hidden world or ancient creatures. They've been a huge inspiration for Strange World." [16]

The miracle plant Pando is named after a forest in Utah in America. [17] The land of Avalonia was given a "warm, nostalgic" color scheme to contrast with the titular strange world inside the creature, for which the filmmakers "avoided earth tones and leaned into reds and magentas." They also created a way for the character Splat to communicate non-verbally, similar to the magic carpet in Aladdin . [9]

The production team for the film conducted research on climatologists, paleontologists and biologists, as well as a farmer, while filmmakers visited National Geographic for research, which is reflected not just in the film's setting, but in its inhabitants. [15]

Music

Henry Jackman was announced to compose the score for the film on September 5, 2022, marking his third collaboration with Don Hall, after Winnie the Pooh and Big Hero 6 , and his fifth overall feature-length scoring work with Walt Disney Animation Studios, which includes the Wreck-It Ralph films. [18] Walt Disney Records released the score album on November 23, 2022, in addition to the song "They're The Clades!" performed by James Hayden, also having a reprised version of the tracks, the same day as the theatrical release. [19]

Release

Theatrical

Strange World premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, on November 15, 2022, [20] and was theatrically released in the United States on November 23, 2022. [21]

Despite being theatrically released in most regions, Strange World was not released theatrically in some regions; due to Disney's opposition to local regulations regarding theatrical windows, the company announced on June 8, 2022, that Strange World would not see a theatrical release in France and would instead go straight to Disney+ in the region following its theatrical release in other regions. [22] Deadline Hollywood reported that Disney pulled out for a theatrical release in 20 countries, mainly the Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Russia and China; a Russian release had already been pulled due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, [23] while Disney opted to exclude release in other regions due to the inclusion of a gay main character, Ethan Clade. This was done to prevent those regions' censorship of LGBTQ+ references, as a main storyline in the film revolves around Ethan having a crush on another boy called Diazo. [23]

This was the first film to feature the commemorative 100th anniversary Disney logo in celebration of the company's centennial in 2023, created by Disney Studios Content and Industrial Light & Magic, which was revealed at the 2022 D23 Expo. Christophe Beck composed a new arrangement of "When You Wish Upon a Star", while Tim Davies conducted it. [24]

Marketing

Following the project announcement, the first look concept art of the film was released on December 9, 2021. [21] Max Evry of /Film said the image "[looked] a lot like Avatar , or at the very least the Pandora section of Disney World's Animal Kingdom." [25] The marketing campaign for Strange World began on June 6, 2022, with the release of a teaser trailer. Petrana Radulovic for Polygon felt it was "an homage to retro sci-fi flicks" and similar to Raya and the Last Dragon , it "definitely seems to lean more into the action than Disney's typical musical fantasies." [26] A new trailer was shown at the 2022 D23 Expo and the official trailer was released on September 21, 2022, [27] followed by a cast reaction video a day later. Lex Briscuso of /Film says it "honestly looks like a breath of fresh air when it comes to animated family stories." [28] A "special look" trailer was released on October 19, 2022. Rafael Motamayor of /Film said "Though the upbeat song and the focus on laughs kind of sells this as a more formulaic Disney film in terms of tone, the prominent use of monsters and big action hopefully makes this more of an inventive film from the studio." [29] Two featurettes "Welcome To Strange World" and "100 Years of Amazing Characters", which showcased the characters of Splat and Legend, were released on November 3, 2022, and November 8, 2022, respectively.

Streaming and home media

Strange World began streaming on Disney+ on December 23, 2022. [30]

According to Flix Patrol, Strange World was the most streamed film on Disney+ upon its release on the streaming service. [31] [32] According Whip Media's TV Time, Strange World was the 8th most streamed film across all platforms in the United States, during the week ending December 25, 2022, [33] and the 6th during the week of December 30, 2022. [34] Strange World was the 6th most popular film on Fandango’s transactional digital service Vudu, during the week ending January 1, 2023. [35] [36] [37] [38]

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released Strange World on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 14, 2023. [39]

Reception

Box office

Strange World grossed $38 million in the United States and Canada, and $35.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $73.6 million. [4] [5] Following its poor opening weekend, Variety and Deadline Hollywood estimated the film would lose the studio $100–197 million. [3] [40] [41]

In the United States and Canada, Strange World was released alongside Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery [42] and Devotion , as well as the wide expansions of The Fabelmans and Bones and All , and was initially projected to gross $30–40 million from 4,174 theaters over its five-day opening weekend. [2] [43] The film made $4.2 million on its first day (including $800,000 from Tuesday night previews), which led to less optimism about it meeting initial box office projections and could debut to as low as $23 million. [44] The film ended up debuting even lower than initial re-adjustments, making $11.9 million in its opening weekend (a five-day total of $18.6 million). Overall, it ranked in second place at the box office behind Disney's own Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . [45] [46] Several publications labeled the film a box office bomb, with The Hollywood Reporter saying was "the worst opening for a Disney Animation Thanksgiving title in modern times" and Variety calling it a "catastrophic result for Disney". The poor box-office opening was attributed to poor word-of-mouth, large budget overall, the lack of movie theater attendance, the expectation of its streaming release on Disney+ as the result of COVID-19 pandemic, rocky company politics, conservative backlash over inclusion of gay characters, mediocre critical reviews, a vague and unremarkable premise, and lackluster marketing compared to other Disney animated films. [lower-alpha 2] Some analysts believe that then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek's decision to send three films produced by Pixar, Soul , Luca and Turning Red , straight to Disney+ so that Disney could focus on building its streaming service caused consumer confusion for families. When Bob Iger returned as Disney CEO prior its release, the distribution division - which was formerly led by Kareem Daniel - was quickly dismantled. [51] Strange World completed its theatrical run in the United States and Canada on February 2, 2023. [52]

Streaming

Strange World was the most watched movie worldwide on Disney+ for the last week of 2022 and the first two weeks of 2023. It topped the Disney+ chart in almost every country where it was available. [53] [54] [55]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 72% of 169 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.The website's consensus reads: "Strange World is a Disney milestone in terms of representation – but as a storytelling experience, this dazzlingly animated adventure offers little audiences haven't already seen." [56] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100, based on 35 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. [57] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it an overall positive score of 82%, including an average four out of five stars. Strange World was the first film from Walt Disney Animation to earn lower than "A–" and is considered the lowest CinemaScore rating of all Disney animated films since 1991. [47] [58]

Peter Debruge of Variety wrote "it's the characters as much as the environment that make this vibrant, Journey to the Center of the Earth-style adventure movie colorful and diverse in all the best ways. Great as the people and places they explore may be, however, the relatively unimaginative story consigns this gorgeous toon to second-tier status ... instead of cracking the pantheon of Disney classics." [59] Lovia Gyarke of The Hollywood Reporter praised the visuals, writing it was "meticulously and wondrously rendered by the Strange World animators, who drew much of their inspiration from pulp magazines of the 30s and 40s. There's a painterly feel to the landscape, which, combined with the film's sci-fi bent, might trigger memories of Disney's Treasure Planet ." [60] Tracy Brown of the Los Angeles Times also praised the visuals as "vibrant, weird, visually stunning... From its lush palette to its cute and deadly flora and fauna, this strange, mysterious world is very much deserving of its status as the film's title character." [61]

Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote while the film is not in the same category as " Frozen , Zootopia and Encanto , it's a family-friendly fun fest with the expected ingredients of fast-paced action, ingenious visuals, terrific voice performances and, yes, some heaping spoonfuls of upbeat messaging about family ties, the importance of being true to oneself and how we should all take great measures to take care of not only each other but the world in which we live, no matter how STRANGE that world might be." [62] Brian Truitt of USA Today gave the film three stars out of four, stating Strange World is "an enjoyable piece of vibrant world building that steps away from the musical bent of recent non-Pixar efforts like Encanto and the Frozen flicks." [63] Odie Henderson of The Boston Globe praised the film's environmental and father-son messages, as well as the "excellent voice-over work plus the score by Henry Jackman make the preachiness palatable and the film fun. The look of Avalonia's underworld is a lovely distraction; its garish and bright pinks, reds, and greens look lifted from the colored roofs of a suburban New Jersey neighborhood in the 1970s." [64]

For The Washington Post , Kristen Page-Kirby found "the story is too basic and the characters too slight for Strange World to pack a punch. The visual beauty of the film isn't enough. After all, pretty is as pretty does — and in Strange World, pretty doesn't do much." [65] Jacob Stoller of Paste Magazine admitted that while the film "can be arresting—especially with its inventive setting and bulbous creatures—and its attempts at deconstructing the sweaty, macho-man ethos hawked by its inspiration are admirable. But with muddled themes and slight characters, remnants of the old dime magazines coordinate to bring Strange World down on the wrong side of familiar." [66] Cath Clarke of The Guardian felt the characters "aren't half-bad", but the "clunky script feels like it's been re-drafted and re-drafted to the point of incomprehension – blowing any chance of conveying a message. However well-meaning, it makes for a surprisingly dull watch." [67]

Accolades

Accolades received by Strange World (film)
AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)ResultRef.
Annie Awards February 25, 2023 Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in a Feature Production Jeff SnowNominated [68]
Javier Ledesma BarbollaNominated
Black Reel Awards February 6, 2023 Outstanding Voice Performance Gabrielle Union Nominated [69]
[70]
GLAAD Media Awards March 30, 2023 Outstanding Film – Wide Release Strange WorldNominated [71]
International Film Music Critics Association Awards February 23, 2023 Best Original Score for an Animated Film Henry Jackman Nominated [72]
[73]
Visual Effects Society Awards February 15, 2023 Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature Steve Goldberg, Laurie Au, Mark Hammel, and Mehrdad IsvandiNominated [74]
Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Leticia Gillett, Cameron Black, Dan Lipson, and Louis Jones for "Splat"Nominated
Outstanding Created Environment in an Animated Feature Ki Jong Hong, Ryan Smith, Jesse Erickson, and Benjamin Fiske for "The Windy Jungle"Nominated
Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Animated FeatureDeborah Carlson, Scott Townsend, Stuart Griese, and Yasser HamedNominated

Notes

  1. 1 2 Deadline Hollywood reported the film's budget to be $135 million, while Variety reported the budget to be $180 million. [2] [3]
  2. Attributed to multiple references. [3] [47] [48] [49] [50]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Walt Disney Company</span> American multinational mass media company

The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that is headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney as Disney Brothers Studio; it also operated under the names Walt Disney Studio and Walt Disney Productions before changing its name to the Walt Disney Company in 1986. In 1928, Disney established itself as a leader in the animation industry with the short film Steamboat Willie. The film used synchronized sound to become the first post-produced sound cartoon, and popularized Mickey Mouse, who became Disney's mascot and corporate icon.

<i>Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs</i> (1937 film) Animated Disney film

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, it is the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel animated feature film. The production was supervised by David Hand, and the film's sequences were directed by Perce Pearce, William Cottrell, Larry Morey, Wilfred Jackson, and Ben Sharpsteen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pixar</span> American computer animation studio

Pixar Animation Studios is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Since 2006, Pixar has been a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, a segment of the Walt Disney Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Pictures</span> American film studio and a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios

Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit, and is based at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Animated films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios are also released under the studio banner. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributes and markets the films produced by Walt Disney Pictures.

<i>The Little Mermaid</i> (1989 film) Animated Disney film

The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation in association with Silver Screen Partners IV and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman, who also wrote the film's songs with Alan Menken. Menken also composed the film's score. Featuring the voices of René Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Paddi Edwards, Buddy Hackett, Jason Marin, Kenneth Mars, Ben Wright and Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid tells the story of a teenage mermaid princess named Ariel, who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric, which leads her to make a magic deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human and be with him.

<i>The Jungle Book</i> (1967 film) 1967 animated Disney film

The Jungle Book is a 1967 American animated musical comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Based very loosely on the "Mowgli" stories from Rudyard Kipling's 1894 book of the same title, it is the final animated feature film to be produced by Walt Disney, who died during its production. It was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and written by Larry Clemmons, Ralph Wright, Ken Anderson, and Vance Gerry. Featuring the voices of Phil Harris, Sebastian Cabot, Louis Prima, George Sanders, Sterling Holloway, J. Pat O'Malley, and Bruce Reitherman, the film's plot follows Mowgli, a feral child raised in the Indian jungle by wolves, as his friends, Bagheera the panther and Baloo the bear, try to convince him to leave the jungle before the ruthless tiger Shere Khan arrives.

<i>The Black Cauldron</i> (film) 1985 film by Ted Berman and Richard Rich

The Black Cauldron is a 1985 American animated dark fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions in association with Silver Screen Partners II and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the first two books in The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander, a series of five novels that are in turn based on Welsh mythology.

Marvel Studios, LLC is an American film and television production company. It is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and series, based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walt Disney Animation Studios</span> American animation studio

Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene from its first synchronized sound cartoon, Steamboat Willie (1928). Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney, it is the oldest-running animation studio in the world. It is currently organized as a division of Walt Disney Studios and is headquartered at the Roy E. Disney Animation Building at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California. Since its foundation, the studio has produced 62 feature films, from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to Wish (2023), and hundreds of short films.

<i>The Princess and the Frog</i> 2009 Disney animated film

The Princess and the Frog is a 2009 American animated musical romantic fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is inspired in part by the 2002 novel The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, which in turn is based on the German folk tale "The Frog Prince" as collected by the Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Peter Del Vecho, from a screenplay that Clements and Musker co-wrote with Rob Edwards. The directors also co-wrote the story with the writing team of Greg Erb and Jason Oremland. The film stars the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley, Jim Cummings, Jennifer Cody, John Goodman, Keith David, Peter Bartlett, Jenifer Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, and Terrence Howard. Set in New Orleans during the 1920s, the film tells the story of a hardworking waitress named Tiana who dreams of opening her own restaurant. After kissing a prince who has been turned into a frog by an evil voodoo witch doctor, Tiana becomes a frog herself and must find a way to turn back into a human before it is too late.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disney Renaissance</span> Period of Disney animated films, 1989–1999

The Disney Renaissance was a period from 1989 to 1999 during which Walt Disney Feature Animation returned to producing critically and commercially successful animated films. These were mostly musical adaptations of well-known stories, similar to the films produced during the era of Walt Disney from the 1930s to 1960s. The resurgence allowed Disney's animated films to become a powerhouse of successes at the domestic and foreign box office, earning much greater profits than most of the Disney films of previous eras.

<i>Wreck-It Ralph</i> 2012 animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios

Wreck-It Ralph is a 2012 American animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Rich Moore and produced by Clark Spencer, from a screenplay written by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee, and a story by Moore, Johnston, and Jim Reardon. John Lasseter served as the film’s executive producer. Featuring the voices of John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, and Jane Lynch, the film tells the story of the eponymous arcade game villain who rebels against his "bad guy" role and dreams of becoming a hero.

<i>Zootopia</i> 2016 film by Byron Howard & Rich Moore

Zootopia is a 2016 American animated buddy cop action comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, co-directed by Jared Bush, and produced by Clark Spencer, from a screenplay written by Bush and Phil Johnston, and a story by Howard, Moore, Bush, Johnston, Jim Reardon, Josie Trinidad, and Jennifer Lee. The film stars the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, and Shakira. Taking place in the titular city where anthropomorphic mammals coexist, it tells a story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of predators.

<i>Moana</i> (2016 film) Animated film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios

Moana, also known as Vaiana or Oceania in some markets, is a 2016 American animated musical fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film was directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, co-directed by Chris Williams and Don Hall, and produced by Osnat Shurer, from a screenplay written by Jared Bush and a story by Clements, Musker, Williams, Hall, Pamela Ribon, and the writing team of Aaron and Jordan Kandell.

<i>Frozen II</i> 2019 Disney animated film

Frozen II is a 2019 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures as the sequel to Frozen (2013). Produced by Peter Del Vecho, the film was directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee from a screenplay by Lee. The directors co-wrote the story with Marc Smith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, and Robert Lopez. It stars the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, and Jonathan Groff. Set three years after the events of the first film, Frozen II follows sisters Anna and Elsa, and their companions Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf as they travel to an enchanted forest to unravel the origin of Elsa's magical power.

<i>Baymax!</i> American superhero streaming television series

Baymax! is an American animated superhero science fiction comedy television series created by Don Hall that premiered on Disney+ on June 29, 2022, featuring the Marvel Comics character of the same name. The series is a spinoff of the animated feature film Big Hero 6 (2014), and the second television series set in the film's continuity following Big Hero 6: The Series (2017–2021). The series is the first television series produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

This article features the history of the representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) characters in animated productions under The Walt Disney Company, including films from the studios Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar, and programming from the Disney Branded Television channels as well as the streaming service Disney+. From 1983 onward, Disney struggled with LGBTQ representation in their animated series, and their content often included LGBT stereotypes or the content was censored in series such as Blazing Dragons. Some creators have also criticized Disney studio executives of cutting LGBTQ scenes from their shows in the past, or criticized that their shows were not seen as part of the "Disney brand", like The Owl House.

References

  1. "Strange World (2022)". Australian Classification Board . Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  2. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 21, 2022). "Disregard The Corporate Noise: Disney Will Dominate Thanksgiving Box Office With 'Wakanda Forever' & 'Strange World'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 4, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 Rubin, Rebecca (November 27, 2022). "Thanksgiving Box Office: Disney's 'Strange World' Bombs With $18.6 Million as 'Wakanda Forever' Repeats No. 1". Variety. Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Strange World". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Strange World (2022) – Financial Information". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved January 30, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Welk, Brian (June 6, 2022). "Jake Gyllenhaal Explores an Alien Planet in 'Strange World' Teaser From Disney Animation (Video)". TheWrap . Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Croll, Ben; Hopewell, John (June 17, 2022). "Jake Gyllenhaal Joined by Dennis Quaid, Lucy Liu, Gabrielle Union in Disney's 'Strange World'". Variety. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  8. 1 2 McGuire, Jen (November 23, 2022). "Disney Introduced Its First Openly Gay Teen Character In Strange World". Romper. Archived from the original on November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 Giardina, Carolyn (September 21, 2022). "Behind Disney's Jules Verne-Inspired Strange World". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Strange World' Review: Disney Expands Its Horizons, and It's a Beautiful Thing to See". November 21, 2022. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  11. F. Silverio, Ben (November 28, 2022). "How A Character In Disney's Strange World Recalls The Late, Great Firefly". /Film . Retrieved May 1, 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Strange World" (Credits). Getty Images . November 16, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  13. Taylor, Drew (November 25, 2022). "Making Strange World: The Origin, Evolution and Progressive Representation of Disney Animation's Sci-Fi Adventure". TheWrap . Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  14. Stateman, Alison (March 3, 2023). "The Legacy of Burny Mattinson". D23. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  15. 1 2 Giardina, Carolyn (December 15, 2022). "Strange World Director on What Research Went Into Animated Film". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  16. Potter, Courtney (December 10, 2021). "First Look at Walt Disney Animation Studios' Strange World—Plus More in News Briefs". D23 . Archived from the original on July 16, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  17. "Strange World director breaks down the movie's surprising twist". November 23, 2022. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  18. "Henry Jackman Scoring Disney's Strange World| Film Music Reporter". Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  19. "Strange World Soundtrack Album Details | Film Music Reporter". Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  20. "D23 Gold Members – Attend Disney's Strange World Red Carpet Premiere in Hollywood!". D23. The Walt Disney Company. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved November 14, 2022.
  21. 1 2 Rubin, Rebecca (December 9, 2021). "Disney Unveils Animated Movie 'Strange World' With Thanksgiving 2022 Release Date". Variety . Archived from the original on June 21, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2021.
  22. Tartaglione, Nancy (June 8, 2022). "Disney Balks At "Anti-Consumer" French Windows: Will Bypass Theatrical On 'Strange World' In Market, Evaluate Future Films On Rolling Basis". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 19, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022.
  23. 1 2 Tartaglione, Nancy (November 21, 2022). "'Strange World' Eyes $25M Offshore Bow In Slimmed-Down Release As Disney Opts To Skip Middle East & More Over Potential Censorship". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  24. "New details about Disney 100 Years of Wonder revealed to fans during D23 Expo". abc7chicago.com. September 13, 2022. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  25. Evry, Max (December 9, 2021). "Strange World First Look: Disney Unveils Concept Art For Fantastical New Animated Film". /Film . Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  26. Radulovic, Petrana (June 6, 2022). "Disney's new animated movie follows a dysfunctional family of space explorers". Polygon . Archived from the original on June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  27. Lovett, Jamie (September 21, 2022). "Strange World: New Trailer Released for Disney Animated Movie". Comicbook.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  28. Briscuso, Lex (September 21, 2022). "Strange World Trailer: A Whole New (Pulp) World With A Fantastic Point Of View". /Film. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  29. Motamayor, Rafael (October 19, 2022). "Strange World Trailer: A Multigenerational Family Adventure Film With Wobbly Creatures". /Film. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
  30. Petski, Denise (December 12, 2022). "'Strange World' Gets Disney+ Release Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  31. Laudenbach, Sarah (January 1, 2023). "Huge Disney Box Office Flop Is Now Number 1 On Disney+". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  32. Dick, Jeremy (December 31, 2022). "Strange World Becomes No. 1 Movie on Disney+ After Bombing at Box Office". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  33. Prange, Stephanie (December 28, 2022). "'Glass Onion,' '1923' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  34. Prange, Stephanie (January 5, 2023). "'Glass Onion,' 'Jack Ryan' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts". Media Play News. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  35. Prange, Stephanie (January 3, 2023). "'Violent Night' Again Tops Weekly Vudu Chart". Media Play News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  36. "TOP 10 on Disney+ in the World in December, 2022 • FlixPatrol". FlixPatrol. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  37. Laudenbach, Sarah (January 1, 2023). "Huge Disney Box Office Flop Is Now Number 1 On Disney+". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 3, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  38. "Strange World TOP 10 • FlixPatrol". Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  39. Palmer, Roger (December 14, 2022). "Strange World Digital/4K/Blu-Ray/DVD Release Details Announced". What's On Disney Plus. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved January 21, 2023.
  40. Rubin, Rebecca (November 27, 2022). "Disney's 'Strange World' to Lose $100 Million in Theatrical Run". Variety . Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  41. D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 14, 2023). "The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of 2022: Deadline's Most Valuable Blockbuster Tournament". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  42. McClintock, Pamela (November 24, 2022). "Box Office: Thanksgiving Eve Sparks Worry as Disney Animation's 'Strange World' and Other New Movies Fight for Scraps". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  43. Rubin, Rebecca (November 22, 2022). "Disney to Dominate Thanksgiving Box Office With 'Strange World' and 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'". Variety. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  44. Lang, Brent (November 23, 2022). "Box Office: Disney's 'Strange World' Grosses Disappointing $800,000 in previews". Variety. Archived from the original on November 23, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  45. "Fans give thanks for 'Black Panther 2,' while Disney's 'Strange World' struggles at box office". USA Today .
  46. "Weekend Box Office: Glass Onion shocks, Strange World tanks and Black Panther tops". November 27, 2022.
  47. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony (November 27, 2022). "'Wakanda Forever' Settles At $64M 5-Day, 'Strange World' Crashes $18M+, 'Knives Out 2' Wows With $13M+ – Thanksgiving Box Office Sunday Update". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  48. McClintock, Pamela (November 27, 2022). "Thanksgiving Box Office: 'Black Panther 2' Feasts on $64M as 'Strange World' Flops With $18.6M". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
  49. Brady, Erin (November 29, 2022). "This Is Why Strange World Bombed At The Box Office". /Film . Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  50. Williams, Jordan (November 28, 2022). "Why Strange World Bombed At The Box Office (& What It Means For Disney)". Screen Rant . Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  51. McClintock, Pamela (November 30, 2022). "Strange World Box Office: Why the Disney Animated Pic Spun Out of Orbit". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 17, 2023.
  52. "Strange World (2022) - Domestic Release". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  53. "TOP 10 on Disney+ in the World on Week 02, 2023 • FlixPatrol". FlixPatrol. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  54. "TOP 10 on Disney+ in the World on Week 01, 2023 • FlixPatrol". FlixPatrol. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  55. "TOP 10 on Disney+ in the World on Week 52, 2022 • FlixPatrol". FlixPatrol. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  56. "Strange World". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  57. "Strange World". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  58. Manfredi, Lucas (November 24, 2022). "Strange World CinemaScore Might Be the Lowest Ever For a Walt Disney Animation Studio Film". TheWrap . Archived from the original on November 25, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  59. Debruge, Peter (November 21, 2022). "'Strange World' Review: Disney Expands Its Horizons, and It's a Beautiful Thing to See". Variety. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  60. Gyarke, Lovia (November 21, 2022). "'Strange World' Review: Jake Gyllenhaal and Gabrielle Union Lead Voice Cast in Disney Charmer". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  61. Brown, Tracy (November 21, 2022). "Review: 'Strange World' boasts a weird, vibrant world where fathers learn important lessons". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  62. Roeper, Richard (November 21, 2022). "'Strange World': Explorers discover a land of eye-popping color, exotic creatures in fast-paced Disney adventure". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  63. Truitt, Brian (November 21, 2022). "'Strange World' review: Disney tackles father-son dynamics with a pulpy, adventurous twist". USA Today. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  64. Henderson, Odie (November 22, 2022). "In 'Strange World,' saving the planet with some help from 'Splat'". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  65. Page-Kirby, Kristen (November 22, 2022). "'Strange World': Beautiful to look at, but not much below the surface". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  66. Stoller, Jacob (November 21, 2022). "Disney's Modern Take on a Retro Underground Adventure, Strange World Never Digs Deep Enough". Paste. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  67. Clarke, Cath (November 21, 2022). "Strange World review – Disney's tangled alt-family eco-drama means well". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 21, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  68. Giardina, Carolyn (February 26, 2023). "'Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio' Wins Five Trophies Including the Top Prize at the 50th Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  69. Complex, Valerie (December 15, 2022). "Black Reel Awards Nominations Announced For 23rd Annual Ceremony; The Woman King And Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Lead With 14 Nominations". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 16, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  70. Complex, Valerie (February 6, 2023). "The Woman King Wins Big At The 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  71. Iannucci, Rebecca (March 30, 2023). "GLAAD Media Awards: The White Lotus, A League of Their Own Among Winners". TVLine . Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  72. Anderson, Erik (February 9, 2023). "Bear McCreary, Michael Giacchino and Daniel Pemberton lead 2022 International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on February 9, 2023. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  73. "IFMCA Award Winners 2022". International Film Music Critics Association. February 23, 2023. Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  74. Giardina, Carolyn (February 16, 2023). "Avatar 2 Sweeps Visual Effects Society Awards Feature Competition". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2023.