Pixar’s first foray into fantasy, Onward, may inspire a whole new generation of Dungeons & Dragon enthusiasts when it arrives in theaters on March 6. Director and screenwriter Dan Scanlon reunited with his Monsters University producer Kori Rae to bring viewers a magical tale of two brothers on a one-day family reunion. Guided only by the bottom half of their father’s body and cards from a Quests of Yore game, Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt) set off on a quest of their own to bring back all of their father for at least one day.
There’s no doubt that Onward is a deeply personal story, as it’s based on Scanlon’s feelings about his own dad’s demise and his relationship with his brother. But there is also a whole host of characters outside of the core three who help drive home its themes about family and fantasy, including the elves’ mother Laurel Lightfoot (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her quest partner, the Manticore (Octavia Spencer). Every element of the film comes together to paint a portrait of the magic of everyday life, whether it be the pet dragon or the trash unicorns that have been fan-favorites from the trailer.
At a recent Disney and Pixar press day for the film, Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae spoke to Screen Rant about their own deep dive into the world of fantasy in preparation for the 6-year production of the film. They also shared some insights into the supporting cast and how they each add to the narrative of family bonds and magic in the modern world.
What I love about the fantasy element of Onward is that it’s literally, “What if your Dungeons & Dragons game was historically accurate?” Barley is the historian that’s guiding Ian in that fact-finding mission. Was that similar to your own research process for the film? Since I know you weren’t fantasy people in the first place.
Were there any aspects of the magic that changed after the script was already done, or during the midst of production? Or had you already written out all the rules and come up with the different creatures before you went to the animation phase?
Dan Scanlon: Yeah. We kind of had folks at work who knew more than us as far as the research went. Research is a tricky one for this movie, because there’s nowhere you can go.
Kori Rae: You can’t go on a research trip. The [Renaissance] Faire, maybe?
Dan Scanlon: Yeah, we tried to go. I went to one Ren Faire. And then we tried to go twice, and it rained both times. And then we just went, “Ah, forget it.” Because it is a made-up world, so it was tricky. We read books, we watched movies, we learned what we could learn about Norse mythology and this type of stuff. But beyond that, it’s hard to do the research.
I know that Onward is very personal story for you, in terms of the father and son dynamic. But it’s also a really beautiful story of brotherly love, with a sibling bond that is not often seen onscreen. How important was it to convey that supportive dynamic, and was it also based on your own experience?
Kori Rae: The script is never done. It’s literally conformed at the very end, and there are dialogue changes and character changes up until the very, very last sequence is done.
Dan Scanlon: But as far as the rules of magic, they evolved with the story. There was certainly a distinct point where we realized, “Okay, these are our rules.”
We used to have a lot of scenes where Ian would say, “I’m going to try to do that spell,” and then he would just strain and make a face. And you just think, “What is he doing? How am I in his shoes?” And it wasn’t until then that we realized that the magic decrees are the rules. Like, in order for this bridge to be there, you have to trust that it’s there and step out in front of it.
Because right away, as an audience member, I can go, “I would not do that” or “I would do that.” And as obvious as that sounds, that took a long time for us to get to that point. Magic always has to be a gauntlet thrown down about a different thing, challenging a quality in Ian that he’s scared of.
I know that Chris and Tom said they were in the booth little bit together just to explore their dynamic, but how much did their interactions and behaviors in that session influence later line readings and animations?
Dan Scanlon: Yes and yes. My brother and I are great friends; have always been great friends. To the point where our relationship was so friendly, it wouldn’t have been believable at all in the movie, or interesting. There would have been zero drama.
Kori Rae: He would tell us stories, and we were like, “Ehh… That can’t possibly be true.”
Dan Scanlon: And there was a little pressure from folks at times to make them hate each other and fight all the time. And we said, “I don’t want to do that. I’ve seen that a million times, and it’s not true to this experience.”
So, I think we found a fine line, which was a general sense that they do care for each other. But then, in more of a Midwestern way, there’s a lot of feelings and thoughts about the other person that haven’t been hashed out; that are going to be said and need to be said. It was almost a movie about brothers who needed conflict, and that was super important to all of us.
Kori Rae: Yeah. We could have them bug each other, and have Ian say, “I don’t really want to be like my brother” in the early part of the movie. But we know that they still love each other. And that they really respect and believe in their three-person family.
How did you establish the aesthetic of the film with the creative team? What kinds of conversations led to what the magical world looks like and which creatures were included?
Dan Scanlon: We recorded them only once together. But, I mean, we used some stuff.
Kori Rae: Yeah, we recorded a number of scenes when they were together.
Dan Scanlon: I’m sure the animators watched reference of them, because it was recorded.
Kori Rae: They absolutely did. I think even just watching them embody the characters and having the animators get to see that - once you have one or two sessions, the actors do start to kind of have an influence on the writing. Because we’re always writing and rewriting and rewriting, so it’s kind of like, “Oh, yeah, Tom’s bringing this to him. Let’s add a little bit more of this.” And same with Chris. So, they definitely influenced who the characters become over the over the course of those recordings.
I love the parallel adventure with Laurel and the Manticore as they’re searching for the boys, and especially the Manticore’s character as a whole. She’s the embodiment of magic that’s still there, but we’re not using it right now. What was the inspiration behind including her, and how did you work her into the larger theme?
Kori Rae: They are hugely collaborative. And they start early on, once we’ve been in story for a bit. The production designers and the art department really start just exploring. Like, “What if it was this? What if it was a quaint small town? What if it was a big sprawling town like LA?” It’s a lot of kind of “what ifs” at the beginning. It’s just a whole lot of exploring.
Dan Scanlon: And we might kick off with general things.
Kori Rae: Exactly. Like, “What do we need? What does the story need?”
Dan Scanlon: One that was mentioned was, “I’d like this to be a movie that’s fun to animate. Don’t give me super, super realistic characters,” and then dialing in on that. There are broad things brought up earlier, and then and then it is about showing work and making choices.
This may be a minor spoiler, but I noticed that Officer Spector (Lena Waithe) mentioned the adjustment of taking care of her girlfriend’s child. I was very happy to hear that, and was wondering how purposeful an inclusion it was. Where do you think Pixar and Disney are heading in terms of being able to tell more open and diverse stories?
Dan Scanlon: I think you kind of said it there. It’s a movie about getting comfortable, or even fear. The Manticore is someone who’s at the top of her game, and sometimes there’s a fear to that. Why take a risk if you don’t have to anymore? She’s someone who is probably most afraid of all of them and started to just give people what they want in fear of losing what she has. And I think that that’s a really interesting thing about her character.
Beyond that, her role with Laurel is just the two of them going on this adventure. She’s getting her mojo back a little bit and getting to battle again and to be a hero and take those risks. It’s interesting that with Laurel, she doesn’t really have an arc so much as she just puts her money where her mouth is. She’s taking care of her family, and she’ll do anything for them. If anything, she starts to recognize that maybe Ian is a little more capable than she thought and she’s surprised to see him come out of his shell.
We can’t say too much of this stuff without giving away the story, but it’s really about Barley’s emotional support. Ian had all the support in the world, but Barley continued to try to give him everything.
Speaking of modern families, I also loved how Officer Colt Bronco (Mel Rodriguez) isn’t villainized. Classic Disney and other kids’ films often portrayed stepparents as almost evil, but in this he’s just a man trying his best for his new family.
Kori Rae: Yeah, that really came from us just wanting to reflect the modern world that we live in. It was a huge part of the film, that it’s a modern fantasy, and so we wanted it to be diverse. We wanted it to kind of reflect our own modern world. And so that was literally how that came to be.
More: Onward’s Director and Producer Talk Delving Into The Fantasy Genre
Dan Scanlon: I think that’s a huge thing. And I think probably, to be honest, he maybe was a little more arch in earlier versions. And then we found that it’s about seeing the other person’s side of things, and Ian learning that this is hard for him too. He’s trying, and his intentions are always because he loves Laurel. And if he does anything wrong, it’s that he doesn’t realize that she’s got it under control, or that being frustrated with your boys is part of being a parent. He just desperately wants to relieve her of that frustration. You know, it happens.
Kori Rae: He was kind of new at it, so we had to watch him struggle to figure out how to handle those situations. And that was also kind of cool. He didn’t come in and try to take over. He was just there to really support Laurel.
- Onward Release Date: 2020-03-06
