There’s less than a week to go now until the first trailer for Pixar’s Coco, and the studio is stoking our appetites with the release of a fresh poster for the film. It doesn’t give too much away, but shows off some of the studio’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) aesthetics, together with a cute mongrel named Dante.
Given that the film is about exploring the Land of the Dead, Dante is all too appropriate. According to Pixar, the film follows the young Miguel (voiced by newcomer Anthony Gonzalez), who has high ambitions of following in the footsteps of his hero Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt) as a top musician. Unfortunately, he’s stymied by his family’s mysterious generations-old ban on members becoming musicians.
Why they’re so strict remains a mystery – but as a consequence, Miguel is soon plunged into the “stunning and colorful” Land of the Dead. The stage is set for adventure then, with Miguel teaming up with prankster Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal) for an extraordinary quest to solve the mystery of his family’s music ban.
It’s intriguing stuff – more intriguing than Cars 3, at any rate. But wait, isn’t this all a bit familiar? It’s only been two years since 20th Century Fox released The Book of Life, an animated film about a musician suffering the disapproval of his family and going on an adventure through the Land of the Dead. Personally, I quite liked The Book of Life – any film that concludes with the hero saving the day through Radiohead is fine by me – and it’ll be interesting to see how Coco sets itself apart. Though if any studio can manage it, it’s Pixar (anyone remember Antz vs. A Bug’s Life)?
