Disney Re-Animates Iconic Songs in Sign Language for Deaf History Month
We don’t talk about Bruno, but we do sign about him
Modern Disney movies release in up to 45 spoken languages, but one key language is (almost) always excluded. It’s actually the third-most commonly used language in the U.S., and is the native language of at least half a million people nationwide.
I’m talking about American Sign Language (ASL). While spoken languages can be dubbed over existing animation, ASL translations tend to come in the form of a separate interpreter in the corner of the screen, and many production companies don’t even bother to make them. (When ASL translations do exist, they’re often created by third parties.)
Disney’s new approach is much more immersive: re-animating its beloved characters to sign their songs themselves. It’s a pretty involved process, which is why we’re only getting a few songs and not full movies, but it’s still a really cool way to practice inclusivity and celebrate an under-represented culture.
In honor of National Deaf History Month, Disney will be releasing ASL versions of songs from “Frozen 2,” “Encanto,” and “Moana 2” on Disney+ in late April. Check out the sneak peek below, or keep reading for more information.
How to watch Disney songs in ASL
Disney will release “Songs in Sign Language” on Monday, April 27. “Songs in Sign Language” is a collection of three animated shorts featuring re-animated ASL versions of “The Next Right Thing” from “Frozen 2,” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto,” and “Beyond” from “Moana 2.”
Subscribers will be able to stream the collection on Disney+.
Most Disney films do not come with official ASL translations, except for the ASL version of “Ant-Man” that Disney+ added to its collection for National American Sign Language Day. If you want to watch any other Disney movies with sign language interpretation, you’ll have to use a third-party plugin like SignUp (which is actually a really cool free resource).
Is this legit? Is it AI?
Listen, I get it. I really hate having to be skeptical of every cool new thing I see, wondering if I’m being fooled by water-guzzling, artist-exploiting gen AI slop. But good news! This isn’t that!
Walt Disney Animation Studios recruited a team of over 20 talented animators to painstakingly recreate the songs from “Frozen 2,” “Encanto,” and “Moana 2.” They picked recent films so that they could load the animation files back up and get right to work on the re-animation.
They were able to do this not due to generative AI, but due to the help of a sign language reference choreographer and eight performers from Deaf West Theatre. This team spent a lot of time interpreting the songs into ASL, creating unique signing styles for each character based on their personalities and emotions. According to an interview with Cartoon Brew, the animators even changed characters’ facial expressions to better reflect the choices made in the hand gestures.
It’s clear that the team at Disney put a lot of care into properly representing ASL in these three songs, and I hope it’s a sign (ha) that Disney will continue to work towards better inclusivity in the future. And that it will do it in a way that continues to uplift (and employ) human artists.
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