12:33pm ET
Coco is on-deck as far as original animated features go. Pixar will be rolling out Cars 3 and this new animated latin-music-filled film in 2017.
Initially announced in 2012, details were slim for the first few years.. but now Pixar is opening up with details on the film featuring an all-latino cast.
The movie takes place in Mexico and revolves around a 12-year old Mexican boy, Miguel, and the local holiday "Dia de los Muertos".. or others know it as "Day of the Dead." According to Entertainment Weekly, Coco follows the secret musical ambitions of Miguel as he lives his life in a loud Mexican village, growing up in a family of shoemakers who unprecedentedly dislike music. The family believes they have been cursed by the tunes due to Miguel's great grandfather abandoning his wife to follow his own dreams of performing years prior.
The twist, Miguel secretly desires to find his musical niche and shine just like his favorite singer, Ernesto De la Cruz. After discovering a connection between himself and the famous singer, Miguel then takes action to follow in his footsteps.. accidentally sending him into the Land of the Dead.
In the underworld, Miguel finds the souls of his own family. The ambitious young boy also finds Imelda, his great grandmother who was left decades ago because her husband was pursuing his rockstar dreams; he also finds De la Cruz with the help from his new spirit (skeleton) friend, Hector. Miguel then must return to his family and receive a blessing to perform and return to the Land of the Living before time runs out.
Director Lee Unkrich on casting an authentic crew:
“It was important to us from day one that we had an all-Latino cast, it focused us, and we ended up with a fantastic mix of people — some from Mexico and some from Los Angeles.”
Cast: Benjamin Bratt - Ernesto de la Cruz
Gael Garcia Bernal - Hector
Anthony Gonzalez - Miguel Rivera
Renée Victor - Abuelita (Miguel's Grandmother)
Coco waltzes into theaters on November 22, 2017.
