STACK #186 Apr 2020

CINEMA FEATURE

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love between two brothers which is not something we often see on the screen, more often relying on caricatures of contentious brotherhood,” says Pratt, who portrays a big, burly and boisterous 19-year-old elf who loves magic and immerses himself in role-playing fantasy games. Likewise, Pratt can relate to Barley’s passion. “I loved fantasy growing up,” he says. “I had a book on dwarf culture, their weapons and societies. There were beautiful illustrations, and I was all about drawing as a kid, so I loved to copy the drawings. I loved the look of fantasy characters – elves, dwarves, massive ogres and wizards.” Set in a suburban fantasy world, Onward is populated by elves, sprites, satyrs, centaurs, gnomes, trolls and a Cyclops cop, amongst other folklore creatures. But the magic, it turns out, has been disappearing from the world for years. “Only certain people could do it,” explains producer Kori Rae. “It was difficult, and you had to really practice. As technology was introduced, everyone found easier ways to do things. Magic is possible, it’s just that nobody really does it anymore.” Onward introduces Pratt’s Barley as a boisterous slacker who tears round their

always wondered about who he was and how we were like him. That question became the seed of Onward – what if you could have your parent back for one day?” says Scanlon, who sends his protagonist brothers on

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suburban hamlet in a beater named Guinevere, while Holland’s Ian is

an epic quest to bring their late father back to life for one day.

an introverted elf, sorrowful over losing his father before he was born. Longing to be confident and strong, he’s sure that if he’d grown up with his father, he would be both. “He’s a little shy and awkward,” says director and co-writer Dan Scanlon, who

If you were into the incredible inventiveness and humanity of Inside Out , then it looks like Soul could deliver the knockout punch of out-there-ness. The movie stars Jamie Foxx as the voice of jazz man Joe Gardner. He’s a high school band teacher who dreams of getting a gig in a band. His dream comes true one day, but it all turns turtle when he kind of falls down a manhole and things go full Pixar. He finds himself in a world of souls, accompanied by 22 (voiced by Tina Fey)… Musos Questlove and Daveed Diggs join Phylicia Rashad among the supporting voice cast, and the soundtrack is set to be interesting too, coming from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross – who aren’t normally go-to guys when you think jazz.

“Sadly a lot of kids have to deal with these themes of losing a parent and I think our hope is that

Onward really celebrates a love between two brothers

the movie can walk them through it in a way that is honest but also funny,” says Scanlon, who interpreted his own experience into a scene in Onward where Ian’s mother

drew inspiration for this heartfelt fantasy from the death of his own father when he was a baby.

presents him with a letter from his

father on his 16th birthday. “When the boys’ dad got sick, he wanted to find a way he could see how his sons grew up. He left a letter for both of them along with a mysterious spell, staff and a special gem that will give them one day with him,” explains Scanlon, proud to have helmed Disney’s first-ever movie to make audiences cry over a disembodied pair of legs.

“We paired Ian with a wild and chaotic big brother, Barley, who is constantly causing problems for Ian. Barley wants to teach his younger brother about life, but Ian isn’t exactly sure Barley knows what he’s talking about,” adds Scanlon, recalling how he and his older brother discovered a recording of their father’s voice when they were teens. “My own father passed away when I was about a year old and my brother was three, so we don’t remember him at all but we

Soul is currently scheduled for a June release in Australian cinemas.

For more information on the release of Disney and Pixar’s Onward visit www.disney.com.au

16 APRIL 2020

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