Into The Unknown will be a Disney+ exclusive documentary series, which explores the creative and production of one of the brand’s biggest animated movies, Frozen 2. The series will focus on every part of the film making process, from the animation department to the voice over booth.
Fans are currently exploring many Disney classics on the streaming service right now, but this documentary marks a brand new way to interact with these famous films. With so many other incredible movies to document, it seems only fitting that Disney delve into their archive and produce documentaries on other animated projects.
Moana (2016)
One of the most visually stunning animated movies of recent times has to be Disney’s Moana. The gorgeous animation of the seas and the amazing cultural influences over the film make this a truly special watch.
The Oscar nominated film saw a star studded cast portray some truly memorable characters, as Moana sought to discover both her heritage and her destiny. The movie making process has to be just as magical as the film; with special interest in both the cultural research and use of technology.
Zootopia (2016)
Zootopia stood out in comparison to many of Disney’s other projects as it held a much larger thematic message about race relations, the way the police deals with these big issues and about prejudice in society.
The story and script-writing processes must be incredible interesting for this project and a behind the scenes documentary could look into this further, alongside the breakthroughs in fur animation.
Raya And The Last Dragon (2021)
No one knows much about one of Disney’s upcoming animated features. Raya and the Last Dragon follows a lone warrior and her ragtag crew who go on a quest to find one of the last dragons in existence.
This fantasy based adventure is sure to have some incredible animation, with early concept art suggesting a brand new visual style for the brand. To capitalize on the movie it’s logical for Disney to produce an accompanying documentary series.
Tangled (2010)
Tangled came at an incredibly interesting period of time in the animation department’s history. With a changeover of the creative team, the Rapunzel adventure marked a change in strategy from the studio.
The movie saw Disney develop their new style of computer animation further as they became a true partner to PIXAR and its team. This movie highlighted a renascence for the brand as audiences were swept away by the animation and story.
Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
The first ever feature length animated movie was produced by Walt Disney. There’s a lot of smaller documentaries about Walt’s start in the business but it would be fascinating to do a deep dive into this production process.
The team really had to invent as they went along, with the technology and techniques being developed at each stage of the project. Snow White is a classic and one that could be celebrated in this format on Disney+.
Wreck-It-Ralph Franchise (2012, 2018)
The Wreck-It-Ralph franchise is one of the most inventive Disney projects in recent memory. With a whole host of original characters and stories set in both the video game world and the internet, these movies explores themes of friendship, acceptance and belonging.
With so many different points of investigation here, from getting access to characters such as Sonic, to the development of original video game heroes and villains, there’s plenty for a documentary to explore.
Big Hero 6 (2014)
Big Hero 6 was quite a big departure for the studio, as it took a Marvel Comic and developed it into something quite different. The visual style reflects the city of San Fransokyo, combining both American and Japanese architecture.
While the city development and the character designs are both crucial to this story, the way in which the film was adapted from the comics also marks an interesting point of exploration.
Frozen (2013)
If Frozen 2 gets a documentary looking at its development then Frozen also deserves the same opportunity to shine. The original Frozen film marks the new heights Disney could reach with a changed animation strategy.
The incredibly popular movie should have the same exploration in terms of its song writing process and why in fact it became such a cultural phenomenon.
Princess And The Frog (2009)
Disney revisited their classic animation techniques and combined them with the modern storytelling processes they had developed on previous films.
The result was Princess and the Frog, a revival of the Disney spirit that saw a new princess and original songs join the Walt Disney archives. It would be fascinating to see how this project unfolded.
Aladdin (1992)
Aladdin is currently in the public eye thanks to the live action reboot of the animated classic, an upcoming sequel with the same cast and spin-off series potentially heading for Disney+.
With so much focus on the franchise it feels appropriate to revisit the original movie and what made it so popular, from the song writing to the kinetic energy built within the animation style. Not to mention of course the groundbreaking voice acting of Robin Williams.
