Trailer for the Disney Pixar animation Coco, which stars Gael García Bernal, Anthony Gonzalez, Benjamin Bratt and Renée Victor.
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.
Though the conception of Coco supposedly took place in 2010, back when Lee Unkrich was working on Toy Story 3, the official announcement didn't come until 2012. Though they didn't give much in terms of plot, Pixar did acknowledge that they had an animation in the works that was at least inspired by Dia de Muertos. A holiday those who no hablas espanol better know as the Day of the Dead.
But, things immediately went downhill. Disney, showing a bit of Mickey greed, attempted to put a trademark on the phrase "Dia de los Muertos" so that they can better merchandise the film. The response was almost immediate with outcry coming from everywhere, including Change.org. 21,000 people signed a petition not only asking Disney to back off, but accusing the studio of exploiting a culture. So Disney responded by backing off the trademark and therefore backing off possible related titles.
Coco was obviously the final decision, leaving Conan O'Brien to criticize Disney for trademarking a nickname that is already associated with him and his show. Hashtag sigh.
When the teaser trailer arrived for Coco I couldn't help but think The Book of Life. Not only do both films cover the same subject matter, but the animation looks strangely similar. With the new, but still short, look at the film, we get a better idea of what to expect. So, does it still feel like a copy of what's come before?
Sort of, yes. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, as both films are beautiful to look at. And, speaking of visuals, this new trailer is definitely more about them then giving much in terms of story. Sure, we know that Miguel has somehow made his way to the Land of the Dead, and his family has to help him find his way back. In-between all that we are sure to here a mix-tape of guitar-based songs. Sounds great! But they must not be done just yet, as Disney didn't feel the need to showcase any of them.