This week marked the 45th anniversary of the Walt Disney Archives, which has the honor and privilege of preserving Disney’s history and heritage, from before Walt was born, all the way through to new attractions, movies, and television shows being created today.
If you worked in the Walt Disney Archives, which period of Disney history would you most like to research?
THE SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED
Disney Kingdoms—the awesome monthly comic book series from Marvel and Walt Disney Imagineering—has announced their next installment: Figment 2, the sequel to the hugely popular Figment miniseries, which itself was based on the beloved Journey to Imagination attraction in Epcot at Walt Disney World. (And no, you’re not mistaken if you just heard shouts of delight from Figment fans around the world…)
Figment 2 will be written by Jim Zubkavich (aka “Jim Zub”) and penciled by Ramon Bachs, and it’ll pick up where the first series left off—but in a totally different time period. When last we left our intrepid hero Figment and his pal Dreamfinder, they’d saved the world and were awarded for their good deeds by being stuck out of time for a century. As Jim Zub explained to our pals at the Disney Parks Blog, “[The pair is] now in the modern world, and they’re going to discover that a lot of things have changed in their absence… Couple that with a young dreamer inspired by the Academy Scientifica-Lucidus and a dark threat from an unexpected source, and we’ve got all the ingredients for high adventure.”
Look for Figment 2 in stores this fall!
| D23 and Walt Disney Archives July 18 D23 Celebrates Disneyland, U.S.A. August 14-16 D23 Expo 2015 returns to Anaheim, California Fall 2015 D23 Member VIP Nights at The Lion King Studios July 17 Ant Man opens in theaters. November 25 The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters. December 18 Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters. |
Parks September 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27; October 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31; and November 1Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom Park November 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 29; and December 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park Television June 26 Teen Beach 2 Premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Disney Channel |
Can’t get enough Inside Out? We can’t either! Luckily, you can take Riley’s Emotions “on the go” with Disney Mobile Games’ latest offering!
Inside Out Thought Bubbles, created by the team behind Where’s My Water? and Disney Frozen Free Fall, is a new bubble-shooter mobile game based on Disney•Pixar’s latest hit. Take a journey with Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness to match and sort memory bubbles in Riley’s head as they travel through unique locations inspired by the film. Players will journey through Family Island, Dream Productions, Imagination Land, and more as they complete each puzzle and unlock new characters.
Download Inside Out Thought Bubbles from the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, the Windows Phone Store, and the Amazon Appstore.
Hot off the frying pan comes Disney XD’s latest animated series, Two More Eggs—an ultra-wacky set of 40 animated shorts from the Brothers Chapman, the brains behind Internet favorite Homestar Runner. The series launches today on Disney XD’s YouTube channel and the Watch Disney XD app with three shorts, followed by a new episode every Tuesday throughout the summer.
The Chapmans are no strangers to Disney animation; Matt wrote for the Emmy® Award-winning Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts and Gravity Falls, and voiced some characters for the latter and Star vs. The Forces of Evil… and both Matt and brother Mike wrote for Disney XD’s Wander Over Yonder.
Take a look at the hilarious premiere short, “Dooble – Dooblie Doo,” above—and don’t blame us when you can’t get the song out of your head!
Can you believe it’s been 15 years since Tokyo DisneySea opened at the Tokyo Disney Resort? The park delights guests with adventure, romance, discovery, and (of course!) fun throughout its seven totally unique “ports of call” like Arabian Coast, Mermaid Lagoon, and Lost River Delta. (Don’t you just wish you could teleport to different Disney parks around the world, even for an afternoon?)
Beginning in April 2016, Tokyo DisneySea will celebrate its big anniversary with “The Year of Wishes”—an event focusing on wishes and dreams, symbolized in the form of glittering crystals that’ll decorate the park. Guests can catch the new “Crystal Wishes Journey” show at Mediterranean Harbor, in which Disney characters will share their own special wishes, and a new version of “Big Band Beat”—the popular Broadway Music Theatre show—will debut with brand-new music, costumes, and scenery. “The Year of Wishes” will run at Tokyo DisneySea from April 15, 2016 through March 17, 2017.
Ever wanted to help Luke Skywalker restore the peace and freedom he fought so hard for in Star Wars: A New Hope? Disney’s latest mobile app strategy game, Star Wars: Heroes Path, reimagines the classic movie and challenges players to rely on their smarts—not to mention their connection to the Force—to defeat the Empire.
Players will guide Luke, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi through puzzles that will wrack their brain and test their quick-thinking approach. Using each character’s special abilities, fans will travel from Tatooine to the Death Star, with every move capable of triggering enemy reactions that can change the game in an instant!
Star Wars: Heroes Path is now available at the Apple App Store for $4.99.
Looking to add a dash of sparkle to family photos (or yes, even selfies) from a recent trip to the Disneyland Resort? Want a great keepsake of Disneyland’s big Diamond Celebration?
Just by sharing your favorite park picture on Twitter with the hashtag #Disneyland60, you might receive your image back from @Disneyland with a magical, glittery boost! And keep an eye out for even more magical touches coming from our friends at @Disneyland in the very near future…
The good folks over at Oh My Disney have compiled a ridiculously cool gallery of international posters for Disney•Pixar’s Inside Out… and it’s making us emotional all over again! We all might speak different languages, but feelings are pretty universal.
See how Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger, and Fear are depicted in countries as diverse as Korea, France, and even Russia.
We recently told you about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World and all its fabulous new additions. Sure, the photos were great (we seriously wanted to book a stay there immediately after news of its update came across our desks), but now we can take a special peek at one of the Resort’s Deluxe Studio rooms with a brand-new video, courtesy of Disney Parks Blog’s ongoing “Room with a View” series. For those keeping score at home, this video highlights Room 3020 on the third floor of the Moorea longhouse . . .
Gaze at the Resort’s gorgeous location! (The Magic Kingdom, and its nightly fireworks spectacular, is just across the Seven Seas Lagoon.) Marvel at the amazing “murphy-style” bed hidden discreetly under the room’s TV! (Honestly, why didn’t we think of that?) Run to the phone and immediately make a reservation!
The ultimate in Disney graduations, High School Musical 3 saw our favorite East High Wildcats staging one final show before going their separate ways. Troy picks a college close to Gabriella (aww), Sharpay finally gets her comeuppance, and we personally can’t believe this movie came out seven years ago!
The final episode of the animated series saw teen crime-fighter Kim and her sidekick/boyfriend Ron graduating from Middleton High School—but not before the duo has a final showdown with Warhawk the Conqueror.
As if graduating high school wasn’t life-altering enough, Topanga shocks Cory with a marriage proposal during the ceremony. By the time the series ended, the pair had gotten hitched—and we know from Girl Meets World that they really did live “happily ever after.”
The late, great Robin Williams starred in this 1996 film about Jack Powell, a boy who ages four times faster than normal due to a rare genetic disease. As an old man, Jack graduates from high school (as valedictorian!) and gives an impassioned speech to the kids who grew to accept him.
This ABC Family series featured several noteworthy (and dramatic) graduations, including Season 4’s ceremony—where Ricky asked for Amy’s hand in marriage. She accepts, but the couple eventually breaks up and goes their separate ways. We’re just hoping little John is doing well…
This 1995 drama followed the career of composer-turned-schoolteacher Glenn Holland. Early in the film, Mr. Holland is faced with prepping his band for the 1965 graduation ceremony. Later, he “graduates” to retirement—but not before hearing one of his beloved compositions played live (by current and former students) for the very first time.
Young scout Russell doesn’t really graduate in the Disney•Pixar hit, but he does end up earning a makeshift badge of achievement (made of a grape soda bottle cap) from ornery but kindly Carl. We’d take that over a boring ol’ cap and gown any day.
We may not see Maggie Peyton’s college graduation in this 2005 comedy, but we know that Maggie’s dad decides to buy her a car as a gift… And it’s that fateful trip to the junkyard that sends Maggie on a racing adventure of a lifetime!
Throughout May and June, everyone from preschoolers to doctoral candidates dons caps and gowns and proudly struts across graduation stages to receive their degrees.
But we’ve noticed a new trend—creative grads decorating their caps with personal touches.
And of course, Disney fans have been quick to start adding their own bits of pixie dust to their mortarboards!
If you’re graduating next year and already thinking about personalizing your cap, take a look at the fans below for some inspiration!
Graduation is all about having a positive attitude about the future, and Zoe’s Carousel of Progress-inspired cap portrays that perfectly!
Kelli’s degree is in early childhood education, so of course her cap had to feature a shiny apple. Hopefully it’s not poisoned!
Education can take you anywhere, including “to infinity, and beyond!” We love this cap created by Alyx.
Marjo used rhinestones to capture the sparkle of Cinderella’s glass slippers on her mortarboard.
Courtney combined her love of Disney with her course of study—nursing—for her dazzling cap.
Katherine took inspiration from the dark side to create this Star Wars cap.
Jamie incorporated Baymax into her cap when she graduated with a Masters in Nursing.
Sarah’s cap was inspired by the animation from Tangled.
A song lyric from Beauty and the Beast, and a rose (which we assume is enchanted) adorns Delanie’s cap.
As graduation season comes to a close, let’s take a nostalgic look back to another time—to “a warmer kind of sunrise” and the 1970s Grad Nites at Walt Disney World.
Grad Nite was first held at Disneyland in June 1961
. . . when more than 8,500 students gathered for the largest graduation party ever thrown in the United States. The event became an instant tradition, with attendance increasing more than tenfold by the end of the decade. In 1972, Grad Nite was introduced at Walt Disney World, with an all-new Magic Kingdom serving as the backdrop to special live entertainment and activities catering to graduates. To glimpse the culture of American youth of the era, look no further than these perfect slices of time.
That’s why we’re so lucky that a mid-’70s film promoting Grad Nite at Walt Disney World survives. To advertise the event to schools across the United States, vice president of entertainment and Disney Legend Bob Jani spearheaded the project, enlisting Bob and Gary of the Saltwater Express—the hilarious duo that performed folk tunes at Captain Cook’s Hideaway at the Polynesian Village—to write the script and perform a catchy song.
Dressed as pied pipers, we see Bob and Gary recruit graduates for the biggest Grad Nite yet—with Walt Disney World entertainment’s Susan Hatfield playing the magical Glinda. Keep an eye out for glimpses at the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village and Space Mountain, fresh new additions to the Vacation Kingdom in 1975.
We hope you enjoy this nostalgic throwback as we “move along” to a different time and the “dawning of a brand-new generation.”
Get ready, Disney fans, to be wowed by the unique product experiences and exclusive merchandise Disney Consumer Products will unveil at this year’s D23 EXPO, Disney’s ultimate fan event, held at the Anaheim Convention Center August 14–16. Reflecting a “Tradition Meets Innovation” theme, the expansive Disney Consumer Products pavilion will provide interactive opportunities for fans of all ages to explore exciting stories and engaging experiences and products celebrating everyone’s favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars stories.
Throughout the weekend, Disney Consumer Products will give fans the chance to get hands-on with the very latest in product innovations, explore fashion trends, books, apps, and more, as well as shop for collectible Disney Store merchandise at D23 EXPO. Special artist signings and stage presentations also will take place over the three-day event, offering fans the chance to get up close and personal with their favorite storytellers.
Events and attractions within the Disney Consumer Products pavilion include:
In addition to the exciting events and attractions offered in the Disney Consumer Products pavilion, the Disney Store shop at D23 EXPO invites attendees to shop an array of special products not yet available to the general public. Showcased throughout more than 3,000 sq. ft. of retail space, new collections and Limited Edition items will launch throughout the D23 EXPO weekend.
Offering even more collectible merchandise, Disney Store will be launching “Disney 3D Print Studio” at D23 EXPO, offering fans the chance to personalize new figures, including a Disney Mouseketeer, Star Wars Stormtrooper, and Marvel’s Iron Man, with their likeness through the use of facial-scanning kiosks. Marking the first foray into 3-D printing by Disney Store, the figures sold at EXPO will feature unique packaging with a special D23 Certificate of Authenticity.
More details about Disney Store merchandise offered at EXPO will be released in the coming weeks.
Disney Publishing will take fans into the world of books, apps, and everything in between by showcasing how artists, storytelling, and innovative content come together to create stories full of magic and adventure.
Disney Publishing will also present in Stage 28 at D23 EXPO. Located inside the Disney Consumer Products pavilion, Stage 28 will feature exciting presentations and author signings including:
New York Times bestselling author Ridley Pearson joins Disney Imagineering Legend Marty Sklar as they discuss their seemingly different careers and roles as storytellers, along with how their worlds pleasantly and serendipitously collided with the creation of Pearson’s Kingdom Keepers series.
From the acclaimed author of DREAM IT! DO IT!, Disney Imagineering Legend Marty Sklar joins five well-known Imagineers in a lively conversation about what inspired them to go into the arts, ultimately become Imagineers, and the advice they have for young creative talent who wish to do the same. Sklar will engage his fellow Imagineers in an inspiring discussion that will appeal to young and old alike—those who hope to take that “Road to Imagineering” someday, along with the parents and grandparents who encourage young people to follow their dreams.
Based on the book containing whimsical, deluxe Art Deco-themed art showcasing Walt Disney characters in a style reminiscent of caricatures from the famed walls of Sardi’s and The Brown Derby, join Disney Supervising Animator Dave Bossert and Director Eric Goldberg as they discuss the stylized images in the collection that first debuted as a display within the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California. Fans of all ages, and from all over, will learn what inspired Goldberg to create these playful portraits, starting with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse through characters from Frozen and Big Hero 6.
Additional details and updates about Disney Consumer Products events and activities will continue to be updated on www.D23EXPO.com, on Facebook, and Twitter at “DisneyD23.”
Tickets for D23 EXPO 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. Now through June 30, 2015, tickets are $67 for one-day adult admission and $48 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $58 for one-day adult admission and $42 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $188 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for D23 Members and general admission, visit D23EXPO.com.
Inside Out hits theaters this weekend, and we’ve already been hearing Disney fans identify with the main characters: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. We love them all, but which one do you feel like YOU are?
THE SURVEY IS NOW CLOSED
D23 EXPO 2015 is just around the corner, and we know you’re starting your packing list: trading pins, comfortable shoes, your favorite mouse ears… But we want to make it a little easier (and way more fun) for you—with four amazing prize packs!
Each of these special Disney-themed suitcases from American Tourister is stuffed full of prizes from D23 EXPO 2015 Partner Retailers, Disney Interactive, Vans, and Target! Every Tuesday, starting July 14, we’ll open up one of the four suitcases to show you what’s inside and randomly pick a winner!
We can’t wait to see you at D23 EXPO 2015, the ultimate Disney fan event!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Open only to persons who are legal residents of the 50 U.S. or D.C. and who are not minors as defined by their state of primary residence. Sweepstakes starts 12 a.m. PT on 6/17/15 and ends 11:59 p.m. PT on 8/3/15. Limit one (1) entry per person. To enter, follow the instructions and Official Rules on this website. Click here for official rules, including full entry requirements and prize limitations.
Disney•Pixar’s new film Inside Out opens this Friday, June 19. The film takes you inside the mind of Riley, an 11-year-old girl who has just moved to a new city with her parents. Based in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, eager to guide her through the difficult transition. We recently attended a Q&A with Inside Out’s incredibly talented filmmakers and voice cast—and we’re excited that they shared with us some of the little voices inside their heads.
Producer Jonas Rivera: “Albert Lozano, our character art director, came up with this great little simple drawing of each of them as a different shape: Joy was a star, and she was golden, illuminated, almost like a spark—like an explosion. Sadness was a teardrop, even the shape and color, and her hair was almost a waterfall. Fear was just a raw nerve—drawn like this straight line. He’s tight and conservative and just wound up. Anger is a brick—this brutal briquette that won’t stop, just a square; and Disgust was a stalk of broccoli—because our kids would be disgusted by that.”
Jonas Rivera: “I remember looking at the Milennium Falcon [from Star Wars] and there’s a throttle. You don’t need to know what the buttons do. You sort of just accepted that those buttons worked and did things, and we wanted a similar grammar but in a fun way. We talked to the art department as they started coming up with it—that and the whole room—that it was almost like this combination of it’s a small world and an Apple Store. It was just clinical enough to work and be functional and so forth.”
Director Pete Docter: “Giving her blue hair, which was completely opposite of yellow, just rounded her out and made her a more visually complex character. And we liked the idea that even though she doesn’t understand sadness, she has an element of that in her right from the very beginning.”
Pete Docter: “I don’t remember whose idea this was, but instead of recording right away, we spent the whole day reading through the script, one sequence at a time, then Amy would start narrating some of the lines, not just for her, but for some of the other characters as well. She has such a brilliant writing mind as well as being an amazing performer. We took advantage of that.”
Jonas Rivera: “I was a fan of Bill Hader since Saturday Night Live, and it turned out Bill was a fan of Pixar and we didn’t know it. He shows up one day at Pixar and the casting director calls and says, ‘Bill Hader is in the lobby. Does anyone want to go have coffee with him?’ So we go down there and there’s Bill Hader, drinking coffee by himself, and on his own dime he had flown up just because he loves animation… We go and introduce ourselves to him, and he says, ‘Oh my god, is that Ralph Eggleston?’ our production designer that no one would [recognize] unless you watched side three of the WALL•E Blu-ray. He watched everything and knew everybody. We just fell in love with him. He came on to write with us—he’s a great writer and he was so much fun in the story room.”
Jonas Rivera: “I saw her in the movie Bad Teacher and she was just so funny. In Bad Teacher, she was hesitant, couldn’t even order a chicken sandwich. Like, ‘I’ll have the chicken sandwich?’ Everything had a question mark and that felt right. It worked. That’s how we ended up playing the character—she just nailed it.”
Lewis Black (Anger): “They sent me a box of stuff with a letter in which they said that I may not know what Pixar is—which meant either they were crazy or they thought I was just something short of a recluse, I thought. And so they said that they had this role with Anger—well, that fit—and would I be interested in it? And maybe if I didn’t know them, they sent me all their stuff like, you know, all these things that I’ve seen. And a nice book—I mean, I think I made out better than any of you [the other actors]!”
Mindy Kaling (Disgust): “It’s almost as if Pixar and Pete and Jonas and the experience of working with them is like dating a guy. It’s like this really well-raised guy that doesn’t know that he looks like Tom Brady.”
Jonas Rivera: “That really felt like the fork in the road for most kids. I always think about Steven Spielberg movies in the ’80s. I was always a hair younger than those kids at that time, and I always thought that was cool.”
Pete Docter: “We did kind of hedge up and down around 11, just trying to find exactly the right age where you’re becoming an adult; because some parents would say, ‘My 9-year-old is already doing that.’ Some people would say, ‘My 13-year-old.’ So 11 seemed like a good target.”
Amy Poehler (Joy): “I love that age girl, that moment before you know you’ve been thrown in the snake pit, where you’re just like all possibility and really open-faced and just ready for everything. And boys are the same way, too. It’s just that great time. I feel like as an adult you’re just trying to always get back to it, it’s like “magic hour.”
Bill Hader (Fear): “Mindy and figured out that we’re all actually reading with Pete. So in the movie, we’re all just sort of responding to Pete, all of our characters were basically just talking to Pete.”
Phyllis Smith (Sadness): “I had the privilege of recording with Amy, and it was great. Amy helped me through some lines that I might have been having a little trouble with and she’d give a suggestion, tweak here and there…”
Pete Docter: “I think everybody chips in stuff. Frankly, you could show Casablanca in that room and we would find things wrong with it and chip it apart. A lot of it is schedule, and everybody knows the schedule. Everybody knows where we are and is respectful of that, so on the ninth screening people aren’t going to say, ‘Why emotions?’ They’re going to have more specific, targeted notes.”
Mindy Kaling: “Up really made me feel, as a writer, like ‘Wow, you can do anything,’ and as you get older it’s harder to find movies that do that.”
Amy Poehler: “I love WALL•E. I just love the first 35 minutes of no talking. The audacity to make a movie like that… it’s kind of like the big risk, big reward philosophy of Pixar.”
Bill Hader: “I think what’s so great about this movie is that they chose to make a film about a time in your life that we all have to go through, you go from being young and then you start to go—you know, you’re an adolescent and things start to change and things start to get hard for you. A lot of normal movies don’t talk about that. I wish I had that growing up, because you look for answers and you think you’re the only one going through this thing. And they did it in this film in such a beautiful, fantastic way. My life would have been a little easier if this movie existed when I was a kid.”
When most people go on a Hawaiian honeymoon, they come back with a great tan, stunning photos, and memories to last a lifetime.
But when Jim Murphy went on his honeymoon on the Big Island in Hawaii, he came home with the inspiration for LAVA, the short that’s opening in front of Inside Out, starting this Friday, June 19.
The short tells the story of Uku, an adorable volcano in paradise, who wants just one thing: someone to love.
Having an affinity for all things Hawaiian since his honeymoon 25 years ago, Murphy returned to the islands for a family vacation and learned a few things about volcanoes and their life cycle while he was there. That life cycle, by the way, is about 85 million years. Around the time that Murphy was studying volcanoes, his sister got married for the first time, at 43. “I thought about how happy she was and how long she waited for this very special day,” Murphy recalls, explaining, “It was there at my sister’s wedding that I had an epiphany: What if my sister, Molly, was a volcano? And what if volcanoes spend their entire lives searching for love, like humans do?”
Murphy spent the next eight months developing a story and writing a song. But not just any song. LAVA has no actual dialogue—the soundtrack is a simple, beautiful song that evokes the Hawaiian islands—and love. Murphy shares, “I’ll never forget the first time I heard Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version of ‘Over the Rainbow.’ It absolutely stunned me and I thought, ‘What if I could write a song that makes me feel the way that song does, and feature it in a Pixar short film?’” Murphy sat down at his kitchen table, drew a picture on a napkin of a volcano with a head on it, along with the words, “I lava you,” and started playing around with chords on his own ukulele.
So when Murphy pitched the idea for his short film to Pixar and Disney Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, he didn’t just tell him a story—he sang him a song. And, Murphy proudly says, “It worked. After my pitch, LAVA was put into production.”
After films about toys (the Toy Story films), robots (WALL•E), and fish (Finding Nemo), LAVA marks the first time that Pixar has made a film about a land mass. But Uku is as full of personality as any creature we’ve seen from Pixar to date. The animators divided Uku’s face—a mountain, essentially—into movable parts (like his eyelids) and nonmovable parts. “We didn’t want him to look fleshy. We wanted him to look like a rock,” Murphy explains. Producer Andrea Warren adds, “The team tried to make it look like the facial shapes were formed by a water pathway or the way a wind would have eroded it. It was sort of like a face had eroded out of it.”
Murphy says that the biggest challenge in creating LAVA, from a technical standpoint, was “To get it all to work properly, where you don’t even pay attention to it. It just becomes part of the story, so that you buy that the character is a mountain—to make him look like a mountain before a cartoon character—and then to make the vegetation and the rock textures believable as a place, as rock, and as scale.” Scale was a big priority—they really wanted to make everything feel “giant.”
Both Murphy and Warren, have a long history with Pixar. Warren was hired by Inside Out producer Jonas Rivera 17 years ago as a production assistant on a bug’s life and worked her way up. Pete Docter (Inside Out’s director) brought on Murphy in 1996 for animation on a bug’s life—he’d been inspired by seeing Toy Story in the theater when it was released, and decided then and there that he wanted to work for Pixar.
“The Hawaiians say the greatest gift you can give someone is a song, and the greatest honor that you can give a song is to perform it as a hula, and I’ve always loved the sentiment of both of those ideas,” Murphy says. “But I’d have to add that in our case, the greatest gift in our song was the privilege and opportunity we had to make it into this film called LAVA.”