- Disney-Pixar’s Coco had a deleted opening scene explaining the significance of the Day of the Dead holiday
- This musical number was the original opening scene for several years
- Coco won a 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Motion Picture and broke box office records
Disney Pixar’s Coco, a film about the Day of the Dead, once featured an opening scene that explained the importance of the holiday. The film tells the story of Miguel, a young musician who goes on a journey in the Land of the Dead to discover his family’s history. Coco received critical acclaim, winning awards like the 2018 Golden Globe for Best Animated Motion Picture and breaking box office records worldwide.
The deleted scene is introduced by directors Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina, who reveal that the original opening was a musical number showcasing the Day of the Dead, or el Día de los Muertos. The scene, which takes place in Mexico City around 1953, served as the opening for several years before it was ultimately changed. In the final version of Coco, Miguel (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming a musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz (voiced by Benjamin Bratt), and goes on an adventure in the Land of the Dead to uncover his family’s mysterious history.
Coco features an original score by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, a song by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and additional songs co-written by Germaine Franco and Molina. The film’s team also includes musical consultant Camilo Lara of the Mexican Institute of Sound and cultural consultants Lalo Alcaraz, Marcela Davison Avilés, and Octavio Solis. Coco went on to win a 2018 Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Motion Picture and to become the highest-grossing film of all time in Mexico at the time, as well as breaking records in China. The film is currently available to stream on Disney+ and for rent on all digital platforms.
Happy Day of the Dead!