For the first time since 2019, Walt Disney Animation Studios returned in person to the Annecy International Animated Film Festival, showcasing the Studios’ latest projects, including the worldwide debut of over 10 minutes of footage from its Strange World movie presented by Oscar-winning producer Roy Conli (Big Hero 6, Tangled).
Releasing this November, the original action-adventure journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades, a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest — and by far — most crucial mission.
The studio revealed key members of the Strange World movie voice cast, joining previously announced actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal lends his voice to Searcher Clade, a farmer who finds himself thrust into an adventure in a strange world.
He is joined by an all-star cast, including Dennis Quaid as Jaeger Clade, Searcher’s larger-than-life explorer father, and Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan Clade, Searcher’s 16-year-old son who longs for adventure beyond his father’s farm while also navigating a school crush.
Also on board are Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade, a pilot and natural leader, mom to Ethan, and wife of Searcher; and Lucy Liu as Callisto Mal, the head of the land of Avalonia and the leader of the exploration into the strange world.
During the Disney Animation presentation, Oscar-winning filmmaker and Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee received the Festival’s Honorary Cristal Award from Annecy Festival Artistic Director Marcel Jean.
In her remarks to the audience, Lee thanked the festival and all of those at Disney Animation. “We look ahead together,” she said. “The ‘we’ is more important than ever as our studio can only truly shine when everyone feels welcome, feels the pride and responsibility of our legacy, and feels inspired to create together.”
Lastly, two-time Academy Award winner and President of Disney Animation, Clark Spencer, surprised the audience with world premieres of episodes from Disney Animation’s first-ever series, Baymax!, which releases June 29 on Disney+, and Zootopia+, which Spencer announced would debut on Disney+ November 9, 2022.
Baymax! returns to the fantastical city of San Fransokyo, where the affable, inflatable, inimitable healthcare companion, Baymax (voice of Scott Adsit), sets out to do what he was programmed to do: help others.
Zootopia+ heads back to the fast-paced mammal metropolis of Zootopia in a short-form series that dives deeper into the lives of some of the feature film’s most intriguing characters, including Fru Fru, the newly married arctic shrew; Gazelle’s talented tiger dancers; and the sloth full of surprises, Flash.
The Strange World movie, for which you can watch the teaser trailer below, is directed by Don Hall (Oscar-winning Big Hero 6, Raya and the Last Dragon) and co-director/writer Qui Nguyen (co-writer Raya and the Last Dragon).
Produced by Roy Conli (Oscar-winning Big Hero 6, Tangled), Strange World releases on November 23, 2022.
According to director Don Hall, Strange World is a nod to pulp magazines – popular fiction from the first half of the 20th century that was printed on inexpensive wood pulp paper.
“I loved reading the old issues of pulps growing up,” Hall said previously. “They were big adventures in which a group of explorers might discover a hidden world of ancient creatures. They’ve been a huge inspiration for ‘Strange World.’”
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills to cover the latest streaming, movie, TV, and game news.