Next year Pixar will release Coco, directed by Toy Story 3 helmer Lee Unkrich and, currently, the studio’s only known original movie.
Coco’s voice cast (all of Latino descent from Los Angeles and Mexico) and synopsis were unveiled today by Entertainment Weekly and Disney, who each shared new details about the film’s story.
“Coco follows the secret musical ambitions of Miguel, who resides in a lively, loud Mexican village but comes from a family of shoemakers that may be the town’s only music-hating household,” writes EW. “For generations, the Riveras have banned music because they believe they’ve been cursed by it; as their family history goes, Miguel’s great-grandfather abandoned his wife decades earlier to follow his own dreams of performing, leaving Imelda (Miguel’s great-grandmother) to take control as the matriarch of the now-thriving Rivera line and declare music dead to the family forever.”
New concept art, above, depicts the titular character Coco and her great grandson Miguel.
As you can tell, Coco appears to have a heavy musical influence — something not seen very often in Pixar films. Disney’s synopsis further explains what Miguel will be up to:
Pixar ‘Coco’ official synopsis
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history. Character actress Renée Victor also joins the cast as Abuelita, Miguel’s grandmother.
Anthony Gonzalez, who’s 12 years old, will also be singing for the character.
Coco’s main character, Miguel, will be voiced by twelve-year-old newcomer Anthony Gonzales! #PixarCoco pic.twitter.com/sxv1eqYgRt
— Lee Unkrich (@leeunkrich) December 6, 2016
Disney and Pixar’s Coco opens in theaters November 22, 2017. It looks like a special story, and based on test footage I saw at D23 Expo last year, the film is set to be a visual treat. Can’t wait!
By the way: Pixar’s three other films in development are Toy Story 4, Cars 3, and The Incredibles 2.