Big Hero 6 Introduction

I had the opportunity to spend a day at the Walt Disney Animation Studio to learn about "Big Hero 6". This post is part two of three. The first post looked at the short, “Feast”, that will accompany the film. In this piece I wanted to share an introduction/primer to the Who, What, Where, and When of "Big Hero 6". In the third and final part I will share some factoids and interesting pieces of information I learned while at the preview day about what it took to bring Big Hero 6 to the screen.

What:
“Big Hero 6” is Walt Disney Animation Studios 54th feature film, to be released November 7, 2014. It is directed by Don Hall (“Winnie the Pooh”) and Chris Williams (“Bolt”) and produced by Roy Conli (“Tangled”).

Big Hero 6 is inspired by a Marvel comic with the same name, about a robotics genius named Hiro Hamada, who learns how to harness his skills. Through a series of events, Hiro, Baymax his robot, and four of their friends, find themselves in the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in San Fransokyo. Hiro transforms the group into a band of high-tech heroes to solve the mystery.
Here is the official trailer that was released on July 15, 2014

Where/When:
Big Hero 6 takes place in San Fransokyo in the not-too-distant future. As the name suggests, San Fransokyo is a combination of San Francisco and Tokyo. Here is some first-look footage Disney released back in May 2013

To illustrate the blending of the two cities here is a piece of concept art showing a bridge in San Fransokyo

Who (Meet the Cast):

Hiro Hamada
Voice:
Ryan Potter
Notes:
14-year-old robotics prodigy, inspired to gain admission to the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology by his older brother Tadashi

Baymax
Voice:
Scott Adsit
Notes: An inflatable robot designed to be a personal healthcare companion conceived and built by Tadashi. His goal/purpose is to help people.

Fred
Voice: T.J. Miller
Notes: A laid-back sign-twirling, monster-loving, comic-book fanboy

Go Go Tomago
Voice: Jamie Chung
Notes:
An adrenaline junkie who is tough, athletic, very loyal, and not much of a conversationalist. Her character was inspired by bicycle messengers.

Honey Lemon
Voice: Genesis Rodriguez
Notes: An optimistic chemistry whiz with a unique fashion sense and can-do attitutde.

Wasabi
Voice: Damon Wayans , Jr.
Notes: Is committed to precision, super smart, and has martial arts skills.

Other Characters
Aunt Cass (Maya Rudolph) – Hiro and Tadashi’s aunt and guardian. She owns a bakery and coffee shop in San Fransokyo.
Tadashi Hamada (Daniel Henney) – Hiro’s older brother and guide. He created Baymax and looks out for his younger brother.
Professor Robert Callaghan (James Cromwell) – Heads up the robotics program at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology.
Alistair Krei (Alan Tudyk) – An illustrious alum of San Fransokyo Institute of Technology who is the owner of the biggest technology company in the world.

"Big Hero 6" opening in theaters on November 7, 2014. Check back soon for Part III of my day at the Walt Disney Animation Studios, which will feature some information I learned on the making of the film. If you missed part I, a look at the short, "Feast", that will preced the film, you may want to check that out. I will not be reviewing the film in any of the three parts because this was an early preview. We saw less than 30 minutes of footage and it was incomplete, out of sequence, and only enough to give a flavor for the film and for the rest of the day.