Pixar's 'Coco' Release Date, Plot News: How Did Animated Film Overcome Its Day of the Dead Controversy?
Pixar and Disney's latest animated film "Coco" will finally hit theaters in November. Before the movie came to be, however, it had its share of controversy.
In 2013, Disney applied for a trademark on Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), a long-observed holiday in Latino communities. The studio wanted a legal acquisition as it tied with the plot of "Coco" including its subsequent merchandise.
Latinos in America took offense and protested against the studio for commercializing what has been part of their culture. Disney did not pursue its application because of the uproar.
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Latinos also did not appreciate that "Coco" would be co-directed by a non-Latino. Lee Unkrich pitched his idea for the movie to Pixar and the studio hired Adrian Molina to work with him.
Unkrich revealed that he knew he had to take the job seriously knowing there was a cultural group expecting a lot from the movie.
"I'm not Latino and I never will be Latino," he said. "I comforted myself in knowing that there had been a lot of great films made over time by filmmakers that were not of the cultures that they made films about."
In order to get it right, Unkrich and Molina enlisted consultants and cultural advisors. Once in a while, the co-directors would also screen rough cuts of "Coco" to selected Latinos for their feedback and suggestions. They also experienced Dia de los Muertos for themselves during a visit to Mexico.
"Coco" centers on a 12-year-old boy named Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) who dreams of becoming a musician. But music has been banned in his family for reasons he will eventually uncover in the course of the movie.
"Coco" touches on the after-life, heritage and ancestry. Unkrich said that he initially wanted to do the film because of his fascination with the festive and colorful holiday but the story written by Molina became even better as it focused on family.
The film also features the voices of Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Edward James Olmos, Jaime Camil, Alanna Ubach, Cheech Marin, Renee Victor and Sofia Espinosa.
"Coco" will officially debut on Nov. 22 in the United States. It will, however, be screened at Mexico's Morella Festival on Oct. 20.
