We’re coco for Pixar’s COCO!

One of the bigger surprises at the giant D23 animation panel was the unveiling of the new Disney•Pixar film Coco. Now some of you might remember this project as being the previously untitled animated feature that centers on the Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos. This new film is directed by longtime Toy Story 3’s Lee Unkrich and produced by Darla Anderson. The main character is a 12-year-old boy named Miguel, who somehow finds himself in the fantastical realm of dead. After the brief explanation, Unkrich and Anderson treated the D23 attendees with a “diorama,” meant to express the general feeling of Coco. This “diorama” was incredible and visualized as a single shot moving through the mortal version of Dia de los Muertos, with people celebrating and lighting candles for the family members who have passed on, and moving into the uproarious landscape of the dead. This is where things really take off, with skeleton mariachi bands, colorful designs, and lots and lots of fun. John Lasseter described it as “breathtaking, beautiful and fun,” and based on the diorama presented, we couldn’t agree more.