A new version of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s “Encanto” is part of “Songs in Sign Language,” which debuts this month on Disney+. (Disney)
Disney is releasing new versions of musical sequences from “Frozen 2,” “Encanto” and “Moana 2” in an effort to better connect with the disability community.
The sequences from some of Disney’s most popular recent animated films have been reimagined and animated to incorporate American Sign Language within the choreography and performances in honor of National Deaf History Month.
“Songs in Sign Language” will feature “The Next Right Thing” from “Frozen 2,” the “Encanto” hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Beyond” from “Moana 2.”
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Hyrum Osmond, a Disney director and animator, was inspired to create the new versions by his father who is deaf.
“If ever there was a medium to showcase sign language, it was animation,” Osmond said. “This project, in a way, helps bring down barriers and allows us to connect in a special way with our Deaf community audience.”
Osmond and more than 20 animators at Walt Disney Animation Studios worked with the artistic director and performers from Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles as well as a sign language reference choreographer to relay the concepts and emotion of the lyrics in each song. Most of the animation is entirely new.
“Disney stories are the universal language of childhood. The chance to bring our language into that world was a historic opportunity to reach a global audience,” said DJ Kurs, artistic director for Deaf West Theatre. “For so long, we have known and loved the artistic medium of Disney Animation. Here, the art form was adapting to us.”
“Songs in Sign Language” will be available on Disney+ beginning April 27 alongside a behind-the-scenes look at how the re-envisioned songs were made.
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