Disney+ has released three musical sequences from Frozen 2, Encanto, and Moana 2 reimagined in American Sign Language (ASL). The project, created with Deaf West Theatre, reconstructs approximately 95% of the original animations to offer a distinct visual and narrative experience.
Eight deaf actors and twenty animators behind the new animation 🎬
For these clips, Disney hired eight deaf actors, a reference choreographer, and over twenty animators. The team captured the actors' movements and translated them into the animated scenes, adjusting facial expressions and body rhythm. The ASL choreography replaces the sung lyrics, maintaining the emotion of the original songs without altering the background music.
Animation that speaks with hands and silences the singers 🤫
Now Disney characters sing without opening their mouths, but move their hands as if in a very intense conversation. At least no one will complain that Let It Go is repeated too much. Next up will be seeing Olaf signing to ask for a hug without melting in the process.