Animated musicals have been the domain of Disney for decades, but this fall, Pixar is bringing out a musical of its own with Coco. And unlike its parent studio, Pixar isn’t adding music to a retelling of a classic fairy tale. Instead, Coco is a modern film in which music is the driving force of the story and a true part of the world inhabited by its characters.
“More so than any other film we've made here at Pixar, [Coco’s] music [is] so much a crucial part of the storytelling,” related Adrian Molina, the screenwriter and co-director of Coco. “We're all storytellers here. And to be able to weave music into the story, just from the very beginning, has been really fun for us. I think it has created a really great chemistry among the artists and among the musicians.”
IGN recently visited Pixar’s headquarters for a preview of Coco, and it quickly became apparent that the creative team lives and breathes this project. Coco storyboards, paintings, character designs, and sculptures were on display throughout the multi-story building...including a few images that may have given away the ending of the movie. The members of the press were also allowed to watch an unfinished cut of Coco’s first act, which introduced us to a young boy named Miguel, and his idol, the late Ernesto de la Cruz.
Miguel comes from a family of shoemakers who shun music, for reasons that will be explained within the movie. However, Miguel’s only ambition is to become a musician himself, and that desire to break free to pursue his dream is what will lead him into the Land of the Dead. As explained by Molina, the score by Michael Giacchino, the traditional Mexican folk music, and the new songs created for the movie work together to paint a musical picture just as vivid as the imagery on the screen.
Molina spoke briefly about how Miguel and the people of his hometown, Santa Cecilia, are influenced by de la Cruz’s musical legacy long after he’s gone. “All of these musicians who are inspired by this guy come and they play in this plaza,” said Molina. “And we really wanted the world that Miguel lives in to be inspiring to him and to be full of music. As such we wanted to lean very much into the broad tapestry of Mexican music and the kind of diversity therein.”
To capture the authentic flavor of Mexico’s music, Coco’s musical consultant Camilo Lara recalled Pixar’s trips to the country to soak up the local music and record songs with the musicians who lived there. “We did some sessions in Mexico recording with really amazing, very talented musicians,” said Lara. “And I think the result [is] is you can hear it. The whole idea was to make music with a sonic landscape that smells like Mexico. That was the main goal though.”
Molina went on to share footage they shot of the musicians in Mexico, which were in turn used to inform the animation of Miguel so that the artists can convince the audience that he is a true musician. With those clips in hand, the animation team studied the movements and gestures to lend Miguel’s performances an even greater authenticity. One of the songs played for the press was an original creation that will be heard well into the film, and it would give away too much information to say how and why it fits into the story. However, this piece of music was apparently created by the citizens of the land of the dead who had no family left to remember them. Therefore, they’ve created their own family and culture in the afterlife.
Giacchino briefly shared his own exposure to Mexican music as a child before expressing his enthusiasm for learning more about the music while working alongside Lara and songwriter Jermaine Franco. “I learned so much more about Mexican music that went far beyond my original album that I listened to and learned how many different styles there were,” said Giacchino. “It was incredible.”
Additionally, Giacchino spoke about his inspiration for Miguel’s theme, which was demonstrated on stage by a musician live on stage using a guitar. As Giacchino later noted, everything that he wrote for the film was first tested on a guitar to ensure that it would fit into the musical identity of the rest of the music. Giacchino shared a few additional selections from the score, before adding that he would begin recording the music just a few days after our visit.
Near the end of the presentation, Molina spoke about the original songs created by the film. In particular, he singled out “Remember Me,” a song written by Robert Lopez, and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, which was arranged by Franco. Within the movie, “Remember Me” is the signature theme of Ernesto de la Cruz, and the version we heard sounded like a true showstopping number. The song is played very early in Coco, and it leads to one of the funniest and darkest moments of the first act. But again, we can’t spoil it for you! All we can tell you is that we were very impressed. You’ll just have to watch the movie to see it play out.
Coco will be released on November 22.
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