Coco Represents a Big First for Pixar

The movie is first with minority lead, is already setting records in Mexico

By Newser Editors and Wire Services

Posted Nov 20, 2017 8:15 PM CST

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Coco Represents a Big First for Pixar — In this image released by Disney-Pixar, character Hector, voiced by Gael Garcia Bernal, right, and Miguel, voiced by Anthony Gonzalez, appear in a scene from the animated film, "Coco." (Disney-Pixar via AP)

The Mexico-set Coco is Pixar's first feature film with a minority lead character, and one of the largest American productions ever to feature an almost entirely Latino cast, the AP reports. That makes it something of a landmark event, one that has already set box-office records in Mexico, where it opened several weeks early.

But it also took a lot of homework and a lot of outreach for Pixar to convince Latinos that the production wasn't just big-budget cultural appropriation. Such fears spiked when Disney tried to trademark "Dia de los Muertos" in 2013, only to abandon the effort after a backlash. Charting a different path, Pixar brought in cultural consultants to create an authentic celebration of Mexican folklore, traditions, and music.

(Read more Pixar stories.)

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