Strange World

[Prince Kido]

A name that's floating around for a role in Searcher Clade, not the main kid, but I assume Captain Calypso Kahn, is Timothée Chalamet. I don't know if that's that role; I just know his name is floating around the studio.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkGPqAY54s8

Isn't the name Calypso supposed to be female?

[Jules]

Isn't the name Calypso supposed to be female?

I believe so. I am familiar with it through Greek mythology and the fact that the relevant legend has links to my country (though I imagine the latter is up for dispute.) There are plenty of establishments in Malta that exploit the name Calypso, and an actual cave called "Calypso's Cave" on the sister island, which I've never visited but it has some lovely views.

Perhaps we're talking about a female character here, and Chalamet employs a falsetto? I don't think this is going to be Disney's first trans character.

[Sotiris]

We've had plenty of female-leaning films these last ten years, so a little testosterone is welcome, lol.

The Revival era is almost evenly split between male-led and female-led films. And if you count the ones that were canceled during this time or the ones that changed protagonists from male to female mid-development like Moana and Zootopia, it becomes clear that the studio is more invested in telling male-centric stories than female-centric ones.

Female-led
The Princess and the Frog
Tangled
Frozen
Zootopia
Moana
Frozen II
Raya and the Last Dragon
Encanto

Male-led
Meet the Robinsons
Bolt
Winnie the Pooh
Wreck-It Ralph
Big Hero 6
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Searcher Clade
Mort
Cosmic 3000
Gigantic

Furthermore, I do not like the idea of the WDAS canon being thought of as simply "girly princess films." Yuk.

Even though that perception is inaccurate, there's nothing wrong with making "girly princess films". Just because society looks down on media targeted towards women, doesn't make it right. The way you phrased it here makes it seem you agree with the popular belief that "girly" films are of lower value, status, quality or importance than "manly" ones.

Isn't the name Calypso supposed to be female?

He said he assumes that (probably because he's unaware the character is female.) But he admitted he doesn't know which role Timothée is up for.

[Disney's Divinity]

I would totally be up for a male-lead film that was along lines with Aladdin, TLK, Hercules, Tarzan, etc. I'd particularly like a male-lead musical again. But, while most of the female-driven films often seem to imitate the formula of TLM, B&tB, Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. to some degree, the male-lead films are always these extremely juvenile concepts lately that wouldn't be interesting no matter what studio was making them. I mean, I wouldn't want a Marvel animated film from Disney even if it was lead by a female character. And WIR sounded like it could have had potential in the very early stages, but as soon as the first stills came out, we knew it was Dreamworks-like dreck. If that's the best they can do, I'd rather they just stick with female-driven films.

And you're correct all-around there, Sotiris, particularly about the disdain for female-driven media. Also, I really hope Timothee Chalamet is involved. That would be one of the only things that might get me interested right now. Love him.

[Sotiris]

I would totally be up for a male-lead film that was along lines with Aladdin, TLK, Hercules, Tarzan, etc. I'd particularly like a male-lead musical again. But, while most of the female-driven films often seem to imitate the formula of TLM, B&tB, Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. to some degree, the male-lead films are always these extremely juvenile concepts lately that wouldn't be interesting no matter what studio was making them.

Adding to what you said, it's not only a problem with concept, but with execution as well. Disney of yesteryear could very well pull off a male-led musical or action-adventure film. I'm highly doubtful that Disney of today can, given how the male-driven films of the Revival era turned out. I simply don't trust in the current creative leadership at the studio to accomplish that (to my liking).

[Jules]

The Revival era is almost evenly split between male-led and female-led films. And if you count the ones that were canceled during this time or the ones that changed protagonists from male to female mid-development like Moana and Zootopia, it becomes clear that the studio is more invested in telling male-centric stories than female-centric ones.

I'll admit that the Revival films are more evenly balanced than I thought. However, I tend not to include Robinsons and Bolt in my head for whatever reason - I think they may seem a little bit too distant now, and tied more closely to the Stainton era of WDAS rather than Lasseter's reign. However, you cheated a bit by including the cancelled projects! Even if they were male-centric, the truth is they never actually materialised, so for the general public, they do not really exist at all.

As for Zootopia and Moana switching leads - I would say that the fact that the film-makers made the switch indicates that they do care.

Weird fact: While Zootopia is a female-led film I have always perceived it as a "boy's film", like Wreck-It Ralph, Toy Story or The Lion King. Also, I haven't yet watched Raya, but from the trailers I got the impression that it was the type of film that will probably appeal more to a male audience than a female one, despite a predominantly female character roster.

Even though that perception is inaccurate, there's nothing wrong with making "girly princess films". Just because society looks down on media targeted towards women, doesn't make it right. The way you phrased it here makes it seem you agree with the popular belief that "girly" films are of lower value, status, quality or importance than "manly" ones.

I should have phrased that better.

No, I have no problem with so-called "girly films." It's just that it seems to me WDAS has made quite a lot recently, and I think they need to take a break and also prove their storytelling versatility by tackling something different, even if it has much less female presence or appeal. I like to have a balance. I am not sure when the princess-label started to be applied to WDAS in general, but I think it's ridiculous, because with 60 films in the canon, it is easy to see that there's incredible variety, and princessy fairy tales are just a small part of it.

Lately, it seems like there has been a push to feature more female characters in their films, and that's fine as long as it serves the film-makers' vision, and is not a forced inclusion for politically correct or woke reasons. It's just that we seem to have gone from one extreme to another. It shouldn't be a sin to create a movie like Predator in 2021, with a practically all-male cast and the celluloid itself simply reeking of ball sweat. (I'm not asking for a movie like that from WDAS, just to be clear. )

[unprincess]

I dont mind male lead films but why do all the revival male lead films have to be set in the present? And the two that would have been set in the past(Gigantic and Mort) were cancelled. Its like they think boys wont be interested in something set in the past b/c it wont be "hip" enough.

[Jules]

I dont mind male lead films but why do all the revival male lead films have to be set in the present? And the two that would have been set in the past(Gigantic and Mort) were cancelled. Its like they think boys wont be interested in something set in the past b/c it wont be "hip" enough.

I wanted Mort so badly. I've never read a Terry Pratchett novel and barely knew what the film was about, but I just felt it would be fantastic had it been made.

I recall concept art by Claire Keane of one of the female characters at a huge concert grand piano playing Rachmaninoff. I know we already have Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 as two WDAS movies fully dedicated to classical music, but seeing an animated Disney character actually performing a complex classical piece would have been unique (assuming that concept art related to a scene that would have been in the actual film, and wasn't just Claire making stuff up.)

I think I can only think of Penny in Oliver & Company being animated while playing the piano, but she was only playing technical exercises which eventually morphed into an original song. It's not the same.

Oh yes! And there's Roger in Dalmatians, but we never see a proper performance from him either!

EDIT: And Grumpy playing the organ, and Lady Tremaine suffering Drizella's singing at the keyboard, and Captain Hook doodling on his upright piano, and the Church Mouse supplying organ music in Robin Hood, and the drunk mouse pianist in Great Mouse Detective, and Hermes jamming on the synth, and an unnamed pianist tickling the ivories in the saloon in Home on the Range! They don't count, people! Call me again when they're performing a piano miniature, a sonata, or a full-blown piano concerto with orchestra.

Lol, I just hijacked the thread. You guys can only talk about animated musical performances from now on. Anybody who dares mention Searcher Clade gets shot.

[Farerb]

Also, I haven't yet watched Raya, but from the trailers I got the impression that it was the type of film that will probably appeal more to a male audience than a female one, despite a predominantly female character roster.

It kind of is, they introduce a little boy early on and a big manly man probably to attract the male demographics, plus Raya and Namaari are as tomboyish as you can get. IMO the movie felt less "feminine" than The Princess and the Frog, Tangled and Moana, despite them having a more prominent male lead, probably because The Princess and the Frog and Tangled are romantic comedies, and Moana has the female empowerment message and that whole women helping women fix the mess men made with Tala, Sina, Moana and Te Fiti.

[Disney's Divinity]

Raya, Zootopia, and Frozen II are all films that are action-adventure, unless the last one being a musical alone makes it too "girly"... Anna at one point sings a song of grief, thinking her sister is dead... It's a recurring thing, but I'm just amazed how this forum thinks wearing pants is considered the antithesis of femininity. I guess if that's the case, a male character would have to be in a dress to exhibit the same breadth of dynamics the female characters are able to showcase these days.

I believe there are only four male characters in Raya (Boun, Tong, Benja, and one of the other tribe leaders). All the other characters are women, the most in any Disney feature. The fact that it's not "girly" while doing so is quite the achievement.

[Farerb]

Except nowhere did I say that tomboyish = wearing pants, but I guess that's how you view it. I don't think Jasmine, Mulan or Elsa are tomboyish despite them wearing pants and I suspect that Luisa, who wears a skirt, will be a little bit tomboyish. In addition, I never said that a woman being tomboyish is a bad thing.

[Disney's Divinity]

Well, tbh, I think the only female-driven film lately with a big manly man there for male audience-members is probably Moana , and thinking about it further, it's probably more true of Moana than Raya in both the marketing and actuality. Tong doesn't come into the film until nearly the end, plays the smallest role of all of the main group, and wasn't any more dominant in advertisements than Raya, Boun, the baby, or Sisu. I think it only comes across less feminine or girly if your idea of feminine or girly is colorful clothes, music, and romance. And even if we were thinking of the word stereotypically, Sisu fills that void for the film. I remember thinking they might've changed the character's design over time and her magic to be more like Elsa in the first Frozen for that reason.

[DisneyFan09]

Well, regarding the issue of the delineation between the features with each genders: The difference between those from the Revival era is how the female ones (who`ve been actual Princess movies) were the ones who were steeped in what is known as the Disney formula. They were the ones who were musicals and had their stock trademarks. The male-centric movies have followed a different rut and haven`t been influenced by that formula in that regard. But I would`ve liked to have a male-centric musical that followed the formula of Aladdin, Hunchback and Hercules. But I know that I`m repeating myself.

[thedisneyspirit]

Pray that Disney doesn't forget that little boys need music in their lives as well. By becoming too woke we are turning them into the enemy and I fear for a world where a little boy is hated for his gender and race.

[Sotiris]

However, you cheated a bit by including the cancelled projects! Even if they were male-centric, the truth is they never actually materialised, so for the general public, they do not really exist at all.

Even without them, the ratio of female-led to male-led films is 8 to 7.

While Zootopia is a female-led film I have always perceived it as a "boy's film", like Wreck-It Ralph, Toy Story or The Lion King. Also, I haven't yet watched Raya, but from the trailers I got the impression that it was the type of film that will probably appeal more to a male audience than a female one, despite a predominantly female character roster.

I agree it's not always clear-cut going by the gender of the lead alone. Some female-led films like Zootopia skew more male while some male-led films like Ralph Breaks the Internet skew more female.

I dont mind male lead films but why do all the revival male lead films have to be set in the present? And the two that would have been set in the past(Gigantic and Mort) were cancelled. Its like they think boys wont be interested in something set in the past b/c it wont be "hip" enough.

I hadn't noticed that. Maybe it is a consideration and not just a coincidence. It seems Searcher Clade will also be set in the present.

[Sotiris]

Skyler Shuler said Searcher Clade is not the film's title, but he wouldn't reveal what is.

[Farerb]

This is a link to a Spiderman: No Way Home tweet with spoilers

[Sotiris]

Sorry about that. I've corrected the link. He talks about it at the 37:00 video mark.

[Farerb]

I think the actual title will be announced on Friday, they'll probably do something like they did with Encanto last December.

[D82]

I think the actual title will be announced on Friday, they'll probably do something like they did with Encanto last December.

It would be great if they did that, but since the celebration is all about Disney+ and there's not even a WDAS special scheduled; just a Pixar and a Marvel one, I'm not sure if they will. I hope I'm wrong, though.