March 9th, 2021 
Jackson Murphy 
Pixar’s Onward, from director Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae, was released in theaters just over a year ago, on March 6th, 2020. It’s been quite a year for the comedy adventure, from a brief theatrical run and quick transition to Disney+ to awards season nominations from the Golden Globes, Annie, Critics Choice and Grammy Awards. Is an Oscar nom for Best Animated Feature next? Scanlon and Rae surely hope so. They discuss their film’s journey over the past year and what they look forward to in the days and years to come.
Jackson Murphy: We are doing this interview on the one-year anniversary of the release of Onward in theaters. Dan, take me back to a year ago. What were you thinking about on this day a year ago?
Dan Scanlon: That’s a great question. I’m trying to remember the day. It’s funny: you work on these movies for so long and then you have a wrap party and a premiere. And then the day actually comes when the movie comes out and you don’t really have anything to do that day. You might do a few interviews but then suddenly you find yourself just sitting and eating pizza in a dirty, old pizza place going, “Hey! My movie came out today! I wonder how it’s going!” (laughs) I tend to be too weirdly superstitious to go the night of. Also, I’ve seen the movie so many times at that point. I probably should still go. It was very fun though to get the social media coming in the week the movie was coming out and hearing people react to it and hearing people share their personal stories of people they had lost. People in their lives who have gone above and beyond, like Barley did for Ian. So that was really wonderful.
Dan Scanlon: However, that was also on the verge of impending lockdown. There was certainly something in the air at that point of, “I don’t know how long this movie’s gonna be in theaters.” It turns out it was only a week or two more. So then that pivoted certainly all of our attention towards the safety of our families and making sense of what was happening.
JM: No question about it. And just before the film came out, there were nationwide preview screenings on Leap Day, Saturday February 29th. And I went to that screening at a theater near me and I still have the Onward pin! Kori, were you involved at all in helping to make the decision on doing the screening on Leap Day?
Kori Rae: Yeah. I think it was part of a brainstorm session we were having. I kind of vaguely remember a few months [earlier]… we were excited about the possibility of it being such a special connection to the film. What if you have this extra day that you don’t normally have? To create a buzz around that. My recollection is that it was a brainstorm with the Disney and Pixar marketing and PR folks.
DS: One of the PR folks came up with it and pitched it. We loved it.
KR: We loved it – thought it was brilliant. And it goes so well with the message and theme of the film. So we thought it was really fun and… it’s so awesome that you were there – that you went on that day.
DS: And who knew we would all need that extra day so much?
KR: Exactly.
JM: Yeah.
DS: I think the other thing is: the movie’s a little unique, and therefore a little tricky to sell people on and market. You can’t really capture it in one name, clearly… and it’s a movie that I think benefited from having an early audience watch it and let buzz go around and let people explain the movie that way.
JM: The word of mouth was very strong. And yeah, it was so fun being there that day to see the movie, to see the Maggie Simpson short [“Playdate with Destiny”] beforehand… and also… every seat was filled in the theater. And that was the last time I was in a theater where EVERY single seat was filled. Kids and families and Pixar fans loved being there. Dan, what do you miss most about the moviegoing experience?
DS: Well that. Watching a movie with a bunch of strangers and hearing the laughter and feeling that sort of unexplainable connection in different moments of the film. I love that. I love seeing a film on the big screen instead of my phone. I miss it a lot, and I look forward to when we can go back.
JM: Definitely. Kori, how quickly were you informed and involved in the movie going to Disney+ as quickly as it did for families to be able to watch it during the spring?
KR: I was definitely in the loop. Disney responded so quickly and so deftly to the word [Dan] used before: pivot and look at how quickly they could get it on Disney+ and streaming and out to audiences. We had a shared understanding of how important it would be to get it streaming as soon as possible because of the message of the film and the themes of looking to those around you when you can’t necessarily be with other people. Look around you and see who’s there that you can be with and you can share experiences with. They did an amazing job of turning that around. There are a ton of mechanics in figuring out the normal release of how those things go with VOD and then streaming. All of that had to kind of change on a dime. But they did a phenomenal job, and it was so exciting to see it released on Disney+. It was great.
JM: All those old rules are thrown out the window and it’s all completely different now! I think the word of mouth built and here in Upstate NY when the Drive-Ins were open in May – during the first and second weekends, they had Onward and families were coming. Kori, did you see as the weeks were going by in the summer, “Hey! The momentum’s still going and we’re still making a little money here…!”
KR: It was so crazy what was happening in those first weeks and as things were starting to unfold, we started to get a glimpse of how long this was going to happen and affect us all. Every time it had a new way of being seen by anybody, it was like, “Okay. Great. We’ll take it.” Drive-Ins: I was thrilled. I’m a huge Drive-In fan, and I’m hoping this is one step in resurrecting Drive-Ins around the country because I think it’s a fabulous way… The first movie I ever saw was at a Drive-In. When I was a kid, my family used to do that whole thing: pile the four kids in the car, back it up and open the station wagon and we would all lay in the back and watch [movies at the] Drive-Ins. I’m nostalgic and I hope they make a comeback.
JM: That’s beautiful. Yes, here in Upstate NY near Albany, we’ve got five or six of them that have been going for decades.
KR: Awesome.
JM: It’s a hub. Dan, you’re also an executive producer on Soul, so you’ve got a stake in both of these Pixar movies this year when it comes to awards season. This would be the first time (potentially) that two Pixar movies would be in the [same] Best Animated Feature Oscar category. What does that mean to you?
DS: I love working at Pixar. Kori and I both do, and I’m so proud of every film that comes out of there. Even the ones that we don’t work on, we always feel a connection to because we do give notes on every film that comes out. All the filmmakers are very open to hear from the other filmmakers. There is always a sense of ownership and pride but obviously this year is very exciting. Especially to be in the same company as Pete Docter, who’s made so many great films at Pixar and some of my favorite films at Pixar. And it’s funny that Pete executive produced Onward and I was one of the executive producers on Soul, so we would switch hats as we discussed each other’s films throughout the week. We learned so much, I think, from one another doing that. It would be a tremendous honor. It has already been a tremendous honor to be nominated with Soul, and I hope that continues as awards season goes on.
JM: Yes. That’s so funny how you would talk with Pete about your movie and he’d say, “Hey! Let’s talk about your movie!”
DS: That literally did happen once. We were eating and he said, “I gotta tell you that I’ve got some concerns about the opening of the film.” And I thought, “The opening of the film? We’re in animation.” And then I realized, “Oh, you mean YOUR film. Oh okay: what are your problems with your film? Be more specific.” Scared the life out of me.
JM: (laughs) That’s very funny. Now, it’s great that you two are a team again after doing Monsters University. Kori, you produced that film, which earned Critics Choice, BAFTA and Annie nominations. Frankly, I think it should’ve gone all the way but at least you got those! I love the film. What have you noticed about this awards season that’s different than the last time you went through all of this with MU?
KR: Hmm. That’s a great question. I think just experiencing so much of it via the computer and via all of the trades. And more of it happening virtually. I definitely miss, to be honest… one of the beautiful and fun upsides of being asked to this particular dance for a film is that you kind of get to know the other filmmakers that have come out that year. While we’ve been doing interviews and press virtually, I kind of miss hanging out at some of the receptions with all the other filmmakers. It might be a selfish thing, but I just really, really enjoyed talking with other filmmakers about their projects. I miss a little bit of that. Just watching everyone try to figure out how to do it – how to organize it – how to televise things – how to deal with the circumstances that we’re in – has been very interesting. And seeing what works and doesn’t work. It’s still awards. I still get excited. But it’s definitely a little bit more removed. It feels a little like, “Oh right. That’s happening.” And so much has happened in this calendar year that it feels like both shorter and longer that we’ve been talking about Onward this time around. It’s been a unique experience. One I will never forget. That’s for sure.
JM: Yes, and you’re right because you’ve been talking about the movie for the past year! When I saw the film, Chris Pratt’s voice performance [as Barley] blew me away. Dan, what did you see in him as he was recording his dialogue. It felt emotional just listening to him and watching the character. Could you really feel that?
DS: Chris is the big brother that everybody wants. He’s just so fun and supportive and joyous. He can also get away with being playfully and comically inept or what would be annoying if other people did it, which is important. Barley has to annoy you and be someone that Ian doesn’t want to be – but not in a way that would be off-putting to the audience. Chris does that really well. He’s also a very sensitive, loving person. We knew that he would be able to pull off the emotional stuff. And a lot of times when he and I talked about the character, I’d suggest that he would talk to Ian as if he was talking to his son, not his brother. My brother treated me… which was really the revolution of the movie for me… my brother treated me like a son. He was unconditionally loving and supportive of me, but he didn’t pick on me or give me a hard time. That was something Chris really responded to and did a lot when he was talking to Ian. Sadly, the two of them weren’t able to be scheduled at the same time, except for one time. But that’s animation. A lot of times you’re talking in an empty room to yourself.
JM: But hey – you got the two of them together at least once to get the powers of Star-Lord and Spider-Man together! That had to be a highlight for sure.
DS: I know. It made me feel a little like Professor Xavier. It was great, and they do have a sort of brotherly quality. Chris is really supportive of Tom and teaches him a lot, I think. So it was important to at least have that one day.
JM: That one special day. It keeps being a meaning of this! I also love the Brandi Carlile song at the end, “Carried Me with You”. I’m glad it’s nominated for a Grammy. Kori, how does that song speak to you?
KR: I’m such a huge fan and was so thrilled when Brendi and the [Hanseroth] twins agreed to do the song. I just knew that they got it. I knew that they understood the film and the themes. They just nailed the song. What Dan and I wanted to do is continue the story of the film through the credits with a song. I think that’s what they did. They elevated it. It was so perfectly written and beautifully performed. It was way more than I even anticipated in terms of how it summed up the film and wrapped it up with this perfect mini story that encapsulated the feeling of the film. I think it’s incredible. And it was a joy to work with them. They’re really, really wonderful human beings.
DS: And it was really Kori’s doing. I didn’t really think about putting a song on, and I think she knew the importance of emotionally continuing the story. Kori, you really found Brandi. I hadn’t heard of her ’cause I don’t listen to anything. (laughs) And I just love what she does and what they do as songwriters who tell a story. I love the song and I’m so glad that you really championed it.
JM: Now do you two think after doing these two movies together that you want to team-up on a third movie?
DS: Yeah.
KR: Yep. We’re already at work.
DS: We’re knee deep in development… trying to come-up with ideas. We spend our days, like with Onward, thinking about both of our lives, trying to find that human universal question that we all have that we can hopefully build a story off of for the next six to seven years or whatever it takes. We love working together and I feel like with every movie we learn a lot creatively. It’s exciting to get to spring off of Onward, which we’re both super proud of, to stretch ourselves to see what else is in there.
KR: Yeah. For sure.
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