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Flight of Fantasy Over the Moon, Disney veteran Glen Keane’s feature directorial debut, centers on a delightful young heroine and her imaginative journey. By Ramin Zahed
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ver since it was announced that beloved and Artt Butler, and includes memorable songs producer Peilin took us on a little tour in China, Disney veteran Glen Keane was set to di- by Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield and and we visited this wonderful little water town rect his first animated feature, Over the Helen Park and a score by Steven Price (Gravity). that became the town for Fei Fei. People would “I love characters that believe the impossi- invite us into their homes and we got to have Moon, animation lovers have been eagerly following the development and production of the ble is possible,” said Keane during a recent in- dinner with a Chinese family in their home. I project. Produced by Shanghai-based Pearl terview. “I like that in my own life. We all face had never known what it was really like in ChiStudio and Netflix, this beautifully conceived impossible odds in our life, now more than na, and the people were so warm and friendly. CG-animated feature follows the adventures of ever, and nothing can stop a character that sees And what was, I guess the most inspiring to me, a young girl named Fei Fei who builds a rocket the goal. For Ariel, it was to live out of the sea was how everything happens around food and ship to the Moon to the dinner table.” ‘It’s something that I learned from the Nine Old Men at Disney. It’s so much about sincerity prove the existence of a legendary Moon GodA Final Gift in the eyes of the characters. So much of the performance is about animating the moment dess. Once she arrives at Chou mentions that of discovery when an idea happens, and you can truly see it in their eyes.’ her destination, she the film was Audrey — Director Glen Keane ends up on an unexpectWells’ final project beed quest, and discovers a whimsical land of somehow, and for Fei Fei it’s to build a rocket to fore she passed away from cancer in 2018. “She the Moon. I felt like I had to do this movie. I get was so excited about that idea, about a strong fantastical creatures. The film, which is premiering on Netflix this that girl.” girl that loves science and was interested in Keane, who received an Oscar for directing doing that,” says the producer. “But beyond that, month, is produced by Gennie Rim (Dear Basketball) and Peilin Chou (Abominable), co-directed the late Kobe Bryant’s short Dear Basketball, she really connected with the story thematicalby John Kahrs (Paperman) and written by the adds that there was something very exciting ly because she was going through her own late Audrey Wells (The Hate U Give, Under the about discovering a country like China through journey in her life. We didn’t find out until a Tuscan Sun). The film features the voices of the perspective of this young protagonist. “I year or so of developing the project with her newcomer Cathy Ang (Fei Fei), Phillipa Soo, think there’s something wonderful about tell- that she was sick and didn’t have a lot of time Robert G. Chiu, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann ing a story from the point of discovery where left. And so she really, really wanted to leave Miles, Sandra Oh, Margaret Cho, Kimiko Glenn you are learning something new,” he said. “Our this movie behind as a love letter for her own www.animationmagazine.net
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november20
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