New animated song sequences from “Encanto,” “Frozen 2,” and “Moana 2” are headed to Disney+.
Disney Animation announced Wednesday that “Songs in Sign Language,” composed of three musical numbers from recent Disney films newly reimagined in American Sign Language, will debut April 27 in honor of National Deaf History Month.
Directed by veteran Disney animator Hyrum Osmond, “Songs in Sign Language” will feature new animation for “We Don't Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto,” the moving “Frozen 2” ballad “The Next Right Thing” and the “Moana 2” anthem “Beyond.” Produced by Heather Blodget and Christina Chen, the new versions of these songs were created in collaboration with Los Angeles-based theater company Deaf West Theatre.
“In most cases, we create completely new animations,” Osmond said in a press release. “We had to make a lot of adjustments to the animation to be faithful to the original intention.”
Deaf West Theater artistic director DJ Kurs, leading sign language choreographer Catalene Sacchetti and a group of eight Deaf West artists worked together to create and choreograph the ASL version of the musical numbers from “Songs in Sign Language.” The creatives focused on being faithful to the concepts and emotions of the songs rather than direct translations of the lyrics.
Kurs said his team jumped at the opportunity to collaborate and integrate ASL into “the fabric of Disney storytelling.”
“Disney stories are the universal language of childhood,” Kurs said in a statement. “The opportunity to bring our language to that world was a historic opportunity to reach a global audience. Working on this project was very emotional. For a long time, we have known and loved the artistic medium of Disney animation. Here, the art form was adapting to us. I hope this opens up possibilities in the minds and hearts of deaf children, and that it all leads to more in the future.”
Osmond, who led a team of more than 20 animators on this project, said animation was the perfect medium to showcase sign language, which he described as “one of the most beautiful forms of communication on Earth.” The director, whose father is deaf, also saw this project as an opportunity to connect with the deaf community.
“Growing up, I never learned sign language and that barrier kept me from really connecting with my dad,” Osmond said. “This reimagining of Disney Animation's musical numbers helps break down barriers and allows us to connect in a special way with our audiences in the deaf community. I am grateful that the studio has supported the creation of something so impactful.”
