Divided

Divided would be a 2029 animated psychological comedy adventure film directed by Nyla Innuksuk and co-directed by Meg LeFauve from a screenplay by Innsuk, Victoria Strouse, and LeFauve, and a story by Insuk, while Osnat Shurer would produce the film, with Insuk, Dana Terrace, Jennifer Lee and LeFauve serving as executive producers. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distribuited by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film would star the voices of Anna Lambe, Atuat Akkitirq, and Bill Farmer. Kathryn Bostic would compose the film's score.
Development on the film would begin in early 2026, with Innuksuk set to write and direct the film. Lambe and Strouse would join the film as its leads and co-writer, respectively, in early 2027, while Akkitirq would join the cast in mid-2027. The film's animators would use several animation systems from previous Disney movies in order to potray uniquely each of the main character's personalities. The studio would form a "Psychiatrist Story Group" in order to potray Dissiociative Identity Disorder more accuretly than several other films, as well as in order to potray it a style that was "lighthearted, but not offensive".
Divided would be released in May 22, 2029, and would become a critical and commercial success, with critics praising the film's take on Dissiociative Identity Disorder compared to other films, humor, direction, vocal performances (particularly Lambe and Akkitirq), writing, animation, score, songs and visuals. Divided would also be positively reviewed by the mental health community for its positive potrayal of Dissiociative Identity Disorder. The film would earn 987 million dollars at the worldwide box office over a budget of 130 million dollars. The film would earn an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
== Voice cast ==
* Anna Lambe as Arnaq:A princess with 5 alternative personalities, collectively known as "The Council". Director Nyla Innuksuk said that "her alternative selves here work as an alegory for teamwork, coping with trauma, and self-acceptance", and that "while in other films somebody has to overcome his or her other personality, she has to embrace them here". 
** TBA as Wonder Arnaq:An incarnation of Jessica's curiousity in the form of a little child. Innuksuk would define her relationship with Jessica as "the heart of the story", as well as the Wonder persona being "the heart of the system".
**Janice Kawaye as Tensai, a Japanese alter in Arnaq's system. She is a nerd in a cyborg body.
**Tara Strong as Peintre, a French alter within Arnaq's system, wuth a pasdion for all forms of artistic expression. Strong would base her performance on Jerry Orbach's performance as Lumiére in Beauty and the Beast (1991). Eric Goldberg and Bruce W. Smith would serve as Artist's supervising animators within the inner world.
**Michelle Jenner as Alejandra, an adventurous and thrill-loving Spanish alter within Arnaq's system.
**Michaela Dietz as Chungdol, a highly expressive Korean alter within Arnaq's system.
* Atuat Akkitirq as Elisapee, the queen of a futuristic kingdom and Jessica's mother, who wants her daughter to supress her unique qualities.
*Bill Farmer as Fluffy, Jessica's pet dog. The character would be depicted as a silent comic relief character in a similar vein to Pascal and Maximus. Executive producer Dana Terrace would describe him as "basically Pluto in a Looney Tunes cartoon".
Additionally, Producer Osnat Shurer would provide the voice of the head of the Princess Summer Camp. Corey Burton would voice the captain of the soldiers at Jessica's kingdom. Director Nyla Innuksuk, Grey DeLisle, Cree Summer, Tress MacNeille, and Jessica DiCcico would voice the girls at the Princess Summer Camp. Jeff Bennet would make a voice cameo as a delivery boy.
== Production ==
===Development===
In January 2026, Nyla Innuksuk would reveal that she is writing and directing an animated film at Walt Disney Animation Studios "that takes a concept that Hollywood has used for years, and uses it on a way that audiences never expected, but still leaves them very impressed". In June 2026, it would be announced that the film Innuksuk would working on would be titled Divided. It would also be announced that the film would center on a princess with seven different personalities facing a threat to her kingdom. Innuksuk would state that, while "[she] was aware of how Hollywood loves to use Disssociative Identity Disorder for horror and thriller movies, [she] feels that the concept has potential for a more emotional and sincere story".
In November 1, 2026, it would be reported that Meg LeFauve has joined the film as co-writer and co-director. Producer Osnat Shurer would explain that "LeFauve was one of the writers for Inside Out, and [Lee] felt that her joining the film helps give the film and Inside Out tone to the story, which would really help it to stand from the crowd". In November 20, 2026, Innuksuk would explain that "[she] wants the film to be as far from a horror movie as possible" and that "[she] wants to potray the good side of DID, and how people can live with it in real life. Its fun sides, its tragic parts, how they have to learn to work together, and, ultimately, the fact that that people with DID have somebody they can lean on".
In January 2027, Victoria Strousse would reveal that she joined the film as a co-writer alongside Lee and LeFauve. Strousse would say that "[she] wants the film to have a little bit of Finding Dory's sensibility towards those with mental incapacities", while Innuksuk would say that "Finding Dory is the exact reason [she] hired Strousse in the first place".
==== Writing ====
In order to "avoid the mistakes of past movies", Disney would hire several psyschiatrists and therapists to form a "Pyschiatric Story Group", similar to Moana's "Oceanic Story Group". The filmmakers would consult with the group on Divided's potrayal and sensivity towards DID, with Innuksuk pitching them scenes and concepts, to which the group would provide her with feedback and notes. They would also be consuted for the film's humor, which Innuksuk would explain would be because "[she] dosen't want to paint DID as something to be laughed at. [She wants] the film to be lighthearted, but not offensive. This is a serious mental illness, it comes from painful experiences, but [she] also want[s] the film to have the scenes that can make the audience laugh. So the Psychiatric Story Group was very involved with how to approach that humor". Additionally, Disney would hire therapist Paula McHugh, psychiatrist Garrett Marie Deckel, and psychologist and psychoanalyst Sheldon Itzkowitz to serve as co-producers on the film. According to Innuksuk, the investigation and support from the Psychiatrist Story Group "really helped to concieve the story and what kind of story [the filmmakers] wanted to tell".
Innuksuk would cite Ice Age and Disney's Zootopia as inspirations for the film's "buddy comedy tone", as well as John Burne's Fantastic Four run for the dynamic between Arnaq's personalities. She would also describe The Muppet Movie (1979) as an inspiration for the film's handling of Jessica's personalities. Another inspiration for the film's humor would be Ghostbusters and "its humor rooted on characters rather than situations. Where the situations are played seriously but the characters deliver some levity that fits with their personality"
Througth the characters are depicted as Inuit, their ethnic wouldn't be crucial to the story. However, Innuksuk would neverthless aim to "have the feeling and spirit of a Native American story". She would also add Inuit language during casual conversations between Native American characters, and would feature several visual elements reminiscent of Inuit culture.
=== Casting and recording ===
In December 2026, it would be reported that Anna Lambe would be in talks to voice Arnaq, a princess with seven alternative personalities, in the film as its lead. Lambe would be confirmed to have joined the project the following month. In July 2027, it would be reported that Atuat Akkitirq has joined the film's voice cast as Arnaq's mother, Elisapee, respectively.
=== Animation ===
Two different animation teams would be made for Divided: one that works on scenes set on the real world and one working on scenes at Arnaq's inner world. Director Nyla Innuksuk would explain that the different teams would be made in order to catch the "different feels" of each scenario. Innuksuk would describe the work of comic book artist and Disney Legend Jack Kirby as "a big influence" on the design of Arnaq's inner world.
Different character models would be made for each of Arnaq's personas when they are in their inner world, with producer Osnat Shurer explaining that Disney "wanted to take advantage of the media of animation and make sure the personas really incarnate visually the aspect of Arnaq that they are meant to represent" while in their mind. Animation supervisor Jennifer Hagen would describe both Te-Ka from Moana (2016) and Hades from Hercules (1997) as "big influences" on Arnaq's Cynical persona's design. The animators would create a new animation software named Group in order for the different animation styles to be used for a same scene.
Hand-drawn animation would be used througth the film, with Lauren MacMullen serving as director of animation. Arnaq's Genius persona would be designed as a hand-drawn animated drawing on a chalkboard, which Innuksuk would explain would be done in order to "further give the character this all-knowing feeling and be funny at the same time". Kendra Vander Vlie twould serve as Arnaq's Genius persona's supervising animator. Vlie wpuld be hired dye to her work on the "Short Circuit" Downtown, which also featured "a very livid 2D character". Hand-drawn animation would also be used when Genius Arnaq is co-conscious and helps another personality with a plan. Vlie would draw inpiration from the visual style used in the "The Backson Song" sequence from Winnie the Pooh (2011), for her work on the film. 
Additionally, hand-drawn animation would be used for the film's "Personal Room" sequences, with Natalie Nourigat serving as supervising animator. The sequences' animation would be strongly influenced by Inuit art, with Innuuksuk describing it as "the best way to implement Inuit culture in the film". Innuksuk would explain that she wanted to explore Arnaq's emotional pain througth visuals because she feels that "in animation, images speak louder than words", and that she would ask for hand-drawn animation for the sequences because "it has a power and level for visual storytelling that CG effects simply lack". Nourigat would partially base her work on the Fantasia 2000 segment "The Firebird Suite". 
Artist Arnaq would be animated using the Meaner system utilized in the shorts Paperman (2012), Feast (2014), and Inner Workings (2016). Innuksuk would feel that, since Artist Arnaq "is a representation of Arnaq's love for all the forms of art, including painting", it would be natural for her to "look like she came straight out of a painting", througth she would choose to use the Meaner system instead of hand-drawn animation in order to evoke that feeling while at the same time "standing apart from the Genius persona". According to Innuksuk, the design for Artist Arnaq would be inspired by both Inuit paintings and the DC Superhero Girls version of DC superhero Zatanna.
A new animation software, named Transition, would be created in order to animate scenes in which Arnaq changes from one persona to another. Innuksuk would explain that, based on declarations from the Psychiatric Story Group that a person's body has slight changes according to which persona is in control, the animators would create the Transition software in order for Arnaq's body to "change slightly, but at the same time noticeably" when another of her personas takes control.
The design of Arnaq's kingdom would be inspired by Tokyo, Japan, as the filmmakers would want a "100% futuristic style" for the kingdom. Star Wars and Star Trek would also serve as inspirations for the design of Arnaq's kingdom. The animators would also use the animation for the "Short Circuit" short Downtown (2020) for the background in order to further convey a futuristic feeling. The animators would aim for a more photorealistic look in order to "give it a different feel than Arnaq's inner world". The filmmakers would consult with inventors and mechanics in order to "create machines that felt they could exist in a few years".
Innuksuk, who has experience working on virtual reality, would use the virtual reality technology used on Disney's The Lion King (2019) for certain sequences. Innuksuk would say it would be to "give the film a bit of [her] visual flavor". According to Innuksuk, the technology would have to be modified in order for it to be able to work with the film's visuals due to The Lion King's photorealistic style, througth her experience on virtual reality would "help [her] make the transition easier".
== Music ==
Kathryn Bostic would compose the film's score, which would feature Inuit chants and vocals composed and arranged by Andrew Balfour. Bostic would create a score that "didn't focused a lot on the psychological concept, but more on the heart and fun in the story. And with a little bit of the psychological stuff because it still plays a role in the movie", and that "it would have a very philosophical and tragic feel to it". Bostic would describe Arnaq and her alters' theme as "super dynamic", as he has to change it in order to represent each personality "yet still keeping a same vibe in order to make clear that they are part of the same being". Bostic would compose an "strict" theme for Martha, and a "dangerous theme" for Alexandra with a "circus-like melody" to represent her pleasure for her evil deeds and insanity.
Bostic would also produce and curate a soundtrack featuring songs for the film, which would be performefd by several artists including Tiw Savage, Mr Eazi, Beyoncé, Andy Grammer, Will.i.am, and X Ambassadors. Bostic would compare the film's soundtrack to the soundtrack for Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), in the sense that "it has songs that work perfectly well as pure pop songs to listen in the radio, but at the same time fit perfectly with the film's story". Bostic and Glenn Slater would also co-write an end-credits song for the film, which would be performed by H.E.R.
Disney would also produce and release Divided Music, a curated soundtrack featuring covers of 9 pop culture songs performed by artists such as Kesha and SZA. According to Bostic, the soundtrack would be created due to "a desire of Disney to find ways to promote the film througth its concept. And when the studio found pop culture songs that matched the main characters here, they choose to create a soundtrack with songs like those being featured".
== Reception ==
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film would have an approval rating of 89%, with an average rating of 8/10, based on 227 reviews. The website's critical consensus would read, "Thanks to a light-hearted tone and a great story about self-acceptance and teamwork, Disney's Divided manages to tackle the theme of split personalities in a stye that distinguish itself from other movies thanks to its wonderful voice acting, awesome visuals, charm, and timeless appeal". On Metacritic, the film would have a weighted rating of 79 ot of 100, based on 44 reviews, indicating "generally positive reviews".
== Franchise ==
=== Animated series ===
An animated television series set after the events of the film, also titled Divided, would be produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, and created by director Nyla Innuksuk and Bruce W. Smith. Lambe and Akkitirq would reprise their roles from the film, while Kris Bostic would return to compose the score. The series would center on the individual lives of Jessica and her other personalities, and how those lives affect the other personalities and their relationships. According to Inuksuk, the series would be created because she would feel that, while the film explored well the friendship between Arnaq's personas, it mostly told "Arnaq's story", while a TV show would allow the other personalities to be further explored, and to tell stories from each persona's point of view.
=== Shorts ===
A series of shorts, titled Divided Mind, would be released in late 2032 on Disney+. Set between the animated series' first and second seasons, the shorts would show the mishaps of Arnaq's personas while inside their inner world. Nyla Innuksuk would return as writer and director, while Lambe would reprise her role as Arnaq's personas, and Bostic would return to compose the score.
A second short series, titled Genius Arnaq's Guide Througth DID, would be released througth 2033 alongside several Disney-distribuited films. The short series would consist of public service announcements in which Genius Jessica explains to the audience about real-life Dissociative Identity Disorder.
===Sequel===
In January 2034, it would be reported that a sequel to Divided is in development, with Nyla Innuksuk set to return as director and co-writer alongside Victoria Strousse and Meg LeFauve, and Osnat Shurer returning as producer, while Lambe and Akkitirq would be set to reprise their roles. The plot would reportedly focus on "Arnaq and her personalities going throught a kingdom-wide mystery following the emergence of a new personality".
== Trivia ==
* This would be Disney's first animated film to star a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder.
** This would also mark the first time a Disney Princess wears glasses, with Arnaq mostly using contact glasses, except for when her Genius persona takes control, to which she takes off her contact glasses and instead uses regular glasses (which she would claim she would do because "hitting [herself] softly with them helps [her] think").
* This would be the first Disney full-length film to feature the animation style used in Paperman (2012), Feast (2014), and Inner Workings (2016).
* This would be Nyla Innuksuk's first animated film.
*The film would mark the first time an African-American woman composed a Disney film, as well as the first time a female composer scored a Walt Disney Animation Studios film.
* The film would mark Chris Sanders' first time acting in an animated Disney movie since the television film Leroy and Stitch (2006).
*This would be Disney's third animated film to star Native American characters after Pocahontas (1995), and Brother Bear (2003).
**This would also be Disney's second animated film to feature a Native American lead voice actress, after Pocahontas.
**It would also be the second Disney film to feature Inuit characters, after Brother Bear.
**However, unlike previous films, the characters' Native American ancestry wouldn't be crucial to the story.
* During the personalities' introductions, Princess Arnaq would comment that she "now has to watch out in case one persona tries to take over [her] body and do something bad", only for Genius Arnaq to explain that  "its just a terrible stereotype", to which Princess Arnaq would comment that "then [she's] not evil and schizophrenic, just schizo", only to be corrected again by Genius Arnaq. According to Inuksuk, the scene would be added in order for audiences to understand how Dissociative Identity Disorder works in real life.
=== Easter eggs ===
* Anne Boonchuy's backpack from Amphibia (2019-present) would appear in the film as Arnaq's backpack.
*The scene where Arnaq meets her Prankster persona would be strikingly similar to Aladdin and Genie's first meeting in Aladdin (1992).
*The song Artist Arnaq would be performing in her violin when Arnaq meets her for the first time would be the theme song from Disney's The Owl House.
*During Hitty's introduction, she passes by a room of "prizes" won during her conquests. Among those prizes there would be elements such as Jafar's scepter from Aladdin, Emperor Belos' helmet from The Owl House, Maleficent's horns from Sleeping Beauty (1959), Negaduck's hat, Dr. Facilier's voodo talisman from The Princess and the Frog (2009), Yzma's lab costume from The Emperor's New Groove (2000), Demona's wings from Gargoyles (1994-97), Luz Noceda's cat hoodie from The Owl House (2020-present), Star Butterfly's wand from Star vs the Forces of Evil (2016-19).
* The outfit of Arnaq's Prankster persona inside Arnaq's mind would be very similar to Clopin's outfit in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), during the "Topsy Turvy" sequence, while her crown would resemble Quasimodo's "King of Fools" crown from the same film.
** Additionally, the hat that Arnaq's Extreme persona would wear would strongly resemble the one used by Clopin througth The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
* At one point in the film, a young Arnaq would be seen reading a book about human biology, with the book's cover beng the poster for the Disney short Inner Workings (2016).
** During the same scene, books with the names Basil of Baker Street and John Henry would be see at the floor. Basil of Baker Street was the inspiration for Disney's The Great Mouse Detective, while the real-life story of John Henry was adapted by Disney as a short in 2000.
* Among the objects in Arnaq's bedroom would be Minnie Mouse clock, a Della Duck plush toy, and the Calamity Box from Amphibia.
* The time machines from Meet the Robinsons (2006) would be briefly seen in the background a one point.
* Near the start of the film, Fluffy would be seen chewing a "Mr. Carrot" toy from Bolt (2008).
* During a raid on Hitty's base, Prankster Arnaq would tie a soldier to an ejection seat, which would instantly be launched to the sky, to which the "Goofy Holler" would be heard.
*During the first "Art Creating Room" sequence, Winnie the Pooh and his friends would manifest tl Wonder Jessica as a representation of her childlike spirit.
* At one point in the film, Artist Arnaq would be seen puttinng in her wall an imaginary potrait of Kenai and Koda from Brother Bear (2003), while it would be shown that she made imaginary potraits of several Disney characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Tod and Copper from The Fox and the Hound (1981), Miss Bianca from The Rescuers (1977) and The Rescuers Down Under (1990), the Yo-Yo Flamingo from Fantasia 2000, Robin Hood and Little John from Robin Hood (1973), The Three Caballeros, The Horned King and the Black Cauldron from The Black Cauldron, Ortensia, Gosalyn Mallard from Darlwing Duck, Mabel Pines from Gravity Falls (2012-15), Pocahontas, Ludwig Von Drake, Terk from Tarzan (1999), Daisy Duck & her nieces April, May, and June, and Kuzco and Pacha from The Emperor's New Groove. There would also be statues of Victor, Hugo, and Laverne from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid (1989), and Plio from Dinosaur (2000).
** Additionally, the museum's address within the inner world would be "1992, Goldberg Street", a reference to animator Eric Goldberg and his work on Aladdin, which was released on 1992.
* A "Hidden Mickey" would be seen in Arnaq's door at one point in the film.
* Among the conspiracy theories on the floor in Genius Arnaq's lab are "Dead Celebrities' Heads Are Cryoginetically Frozen", "European Goverments Hide Lighting That Makes Siblings Disappear", and "Dead Bodies Used At Parks". The first would be a nod to the famous conspiracy theory that Walt Disney's head is cryoginetocally frozen, while the second one wpuld be a nod to Phooey Duck, a fourth nephew of Donald Duck's that was accidentally drawn in some comics and was later explained in European comics that it is due to have been hit by a lighting, and the third one is a reference to how the Pirates of the Caribbean ride originally had real skeletons.
**Additionally, in her lab are shown plans for the Sea Duck and the Iron Vulture from TaleSpin (1990-91), the Iron Man "Bleeding Edge" armor from Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Donald Duck's 313 car, Herbie from The Love Bug (1961), and Doc Hudson from Pixar's Cars (2006).
*At the climax, Extreme Arnaq would try to think on a plan to enter Alexandra's ship and defeat her, only for Genius Arnaq to become co-conscious and show her a plan of her own. The way this would be shown would be strinkingly similar to when Goofy came up with a plan tl defeat the Beagle Boys and save Minnie in Disneytoon Studios' Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004).
Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios
Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films