Disney Animation legend Glen Keane (who drew Ariel, The Beast and Aladdin) won an Oscar in 2018 with the late Kobe Bryant for the short Dear Basketball. Now after decades in the world of animation, Keane is finally directing his first feature-length film. Over the Moon is an original animated musical adventure that will debut on Netflix this Fall.

I recently had the chance to see a special “first look” presentation of OTM, including the trailer (which is now available online) and a Q&A with Keane and fellow crew and cast members. First, here’s the official synopsis provided by Netflix:

Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl (12-year-old Fei Fei) builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures.

OVER THE MOON – (L-R) “Bungee the rabbit” and “Fei Fei” (voiced by Cathy Ang). © 2020 Netflix, Inc.

Over the Moon was written by the late Audrey Wells (Under the Tuscan Sun, The Hate U Give). Wells passed away in 2018. “The heart of the story comes from Audrey,” producer Peilin Chou said. Chou pitched Wells the story. “She was so excited about [the idea], about a strong girl that loves science…” About a year into production, Wells let Chou know that she was sick and didn’t know how much time she had left. Wells was able to attend the first screening of the film before her passing. “She really, really wanted to leave this movie behind as a love letter for her own daughter and her husband to talk about what happens when people pass on, that love still really lasts forever.”

For Keane, “There’s something wonderful about telling a story from the point of discovery where you are learning something new.” He went to China for visual and character development inspiration, including the look of Fei Fei’s town. Themes of family and togetherness blossomed. “People would invite us into their homes and we got to have dinner with a Chinese family in their home. I had never known what it was really like in China, and the people were so warm and friendly.” [Keane teased that being around the dinner table bookends the film.] He’s also a proponent of stories where characters “believe the impossible is possible. Sometimes our dreams seem crazy but [they] can happen.”

(From top Left, clockwise): Director Glen Keane, producer Gennie Rim, voice actress Cathy Ang, producer Peilin Chou

Keane says the film’s main lesson is “to embrace change.” That really comes through in Fei Fei, who Keane had a pleasure bringing to the screen. “She’s real to me. [Characters] exist before you even start drawing them. Every character you animate becomes like one of your children, in a way.”

Like the rest of the entertainment industry, the OTM team was stunned to have to shut down in-studio work. Keane said the place was empty within an hour. But a sense of warmth and unity emerged through at home ZOOM chats to complete post-production. “We did this film in amazing speed. We didn’t skip a beat. Unstoppable all the way through.”

Producer Gennie Rim complements her friend and collaborator: “I think it’s definitely a Glen Keane film through and through…” And Rim was amazed with Wells’s screenplay: “20 pages in I was just floored.” She’s proud of being able to represent Asian families. “We can be all different types of families that come together and just learn about love and giving love and sharing love in our own way, within our culture, and to be able to present that to the world is such a gift.”

The full-Asian voice cast includes John Cho as Father. Cho is thrilled that “this story is about an Asian family that is rooted in love.” Ruthie Ann Miles (the voice of Mother) thinks the film will impact her new daughter when she’s old enough to see it. “It’s something that will be able to influence her and inspire her and challenge her and teach her as she grows.”

OVER THE MOON – (L-R) “Father” (voiced by John Cho), “Fei Fei” (voiced by Cathy Ang) and “Mother” (voiced by Ruthie Ann Miles). © 2020 Netflix, Inc.

Phillippa Soo (Hamilton) voices Chang’e, the Moon Goddess. Soo was excited to “bring a modern twist to this very traditional story.” And for Sandra Oh (the voice of Mrs. Zhong), it’s her fourth time being part of a Wells picture. Oh became emotional during the ZOOM press conference: “There’s a lot of meaning in this for all of us.”

Cathy Ang (Fei Fei) previously worked with Over the Moon co-director John Kahrs on the excellent 2018 VR short Age of Sail. To close-out the special presentation, Ang performed one of OTM’s eight original songs, “Rocket to the Moon”. Ang’s first take that was recorded in the studio is the one used in the movie. She calls the film, “A huge collaborative effort.”

When Over the Moon premieres on Netflix later this year, it will no doubt drum-up Oscar buzz. Though The Academy has extended the entire awards season two months (by moving the Oscars to April 25th), OTM could have a lot of legs in the animation and film communities. Chou believes this film will be seen as a universal and “globally relatable” story. “And to see that Chinese family as real people, real characters with depth and the same longings and desires and hopes for their children and themselves, that all around the world, it’s really the same, right? We’re all just people and connected in that same way.”

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Jackson Murphy

Jackson Murphy is a movie critic and entertainment columnist. He is the creator of the website Lights-Camera-Jackson.com, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio.

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