Strange World

***Strange World*** is an American computer-animated science-fiction action adventure film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 61st animated film produced by the studio, the film is directed by Don Hall, written and co-directed by Qui Nguyen, and produced by Roy Conli. The film features the voices of Jake Gyllenhaal, Dennis Quaid, Jaboukie Young-White, Gabrielle Union, and Lucy Liu, and follows the Clades, a legendary family of explorers who must set aside their differences as they embark on a journey to a mysterious planet Avalonia inhabited by surreal lifeforms.

## Plot

Jaeger Clade and his son Searcher are adventurers who brave the wilderness to explore new worlds. While trying to traverse a mountain that surrounds the land of Avalonia, Searcher discovers a plant that gives off energy. Jaeger insists on continuing the expedition, but Searcher and the rest of the expedition team believe that the new plant, dubbed Pando, is good enough, and Jaeger angrily continues his mission alone. 25 years later, Searcher has made a name for himself by harvesting Pando and turning it into a fuel resource for Avalonia. He is married to fellow harvester Meridian and they have a son named Ethan, who gets embarrassed whenever Searcher tries talking to his crush, Diazo.

One day, Callisto Mal, the assistant leader of Avalonia, arrives at the Clades' home in a giant flying ship called the Venture. She informs the Clades that the Pando is losing its power and that they need Searcher to help find the cause, and that is how her founder and great leader Captain Calypso Khan appoints them to join a new expedition team on their quest. He joins a new expedition team and they travel into a giant sinkhole where giant roots of Pando have been located. On the way down, Meridian tries catching up in her crop duster after Ethan and their dog Legend have snuck aboard the ship. They are attacked by wyvern-like creatures and continue going down until they break through sensitive crust and end up in a subterranean world. During the crash, Searcher and Legend are separated from the group.

While chasing off a creature he later nicknames "Splat", Searcher and Legend are rescued by Jaeger, who has been living underground all these years. He reveals that he has tried taking advantage of traversing under the mountain, but is blocked off by an acidic ocean that he is unable to cross. He decides to help look for the Venture as a means to cross it. Meanwhile, the group tries to prepare the ship, but Ethan sneaks away to find Searcher and discovers Splat, who tries taking him to his father. They end up getting attacked by creatures called Reapers, but reunite with Searcher and Jaeger. They are soon rescued by Meridian and Callisto, who outrun the creatures and return to the Venture.

Searcher insists on completing their mission while Jaeger wants to continue journeying across the Strange World. Callisto agrees to help fix the ship so that they can continue traveling. During this time, Ethan realizes that Searcher and Jaeger do not see eye-to-eye and he becomes frustrated with the two of them and their opposing views. After another wild encounter, Searcher and Jaeger finally have a heart-to-heart talk with one another and realize that they do respect each other's goals in life. They finally encounter a root cluster of where the Pando is as it is being attacked by the creatures. Believing that the Pando is fighting back, they decide to try and help it.

Searcher and Jaeger have another argument that ends with Ethan angrily storming off. Searcher follows him aboard a small flying vehicle, but as they are making up, they realize that they are floating above an ocean and in front of a giant eye with a mountain on top of it. The two realize that Avalonia has been on the back of a giant creature and that they have been traveling inside its body, meaning that the Pando is an illness that is slowly killing it. They head back to inform everyone about it, but they are in disbelief with an infuriated Jaeger leaving to see for himself and Callisto and her team locking up the Clades to prevent them from stopping their mission. Luckily, Legend and Splat release the family.

Searcher and Ethan head to the root cluster, which is actually the heart, while Meridian takes over the ship and finally convinces Callisto to stop the mission. Jaeger, after having a change of heart, returns and they break through the Pando. Creatures suddenly appear and bring the heart back to life, saving the land, but losing the Pando power source. Searcher and Ethan show everyone the giant creature, which is actually a turtle. One year later, Ethan is in a relationship with Diazo as they and their friends collect resources from the Strange World, Avalonia has shifted from Pando energy to wind turbines, Jaeger revisits his ex-wife who has remarried, and Searcher and Jaeger's relationship has improved.

## Production

### Development

On April 3, 2020, an animated feature was announced for a late 2022 release. On [ay 31, 2021, auditions began for the role of Ethan with production set to commence on July 1. In August, information on the film, alongside its working title, *Searcher Clade* was revealed. On December 8, 2021, The official logo for the film, with the updated title of *Strange World*, was published on Disney's press platform. A day later, the film was formally announced by Disney, along with the reveal of some concept art. On June 6, 2022, a teaser trailer for the film was released along with the reveal of Jake Gyllenhaal as the voice of the main protagonist, Searcher Clade. Eleven days later on June 17, the rest of the main cast for the film was announced at France's **Annecy Animation Festival** with Jaboukie Young-White as Ethan Clade, Gabrielle Union as Meridian Clade, Lucy Liu as Callisto Mal and Dennis Quaid as Jaeger Clade.

## Trivia

* Ethan is Disney’s first gay protagonist.
* *Strange World* is the first Disney film to use the 2022 logo.

## References

1. ↑ Walt Disney Studios Announces Updated Release Schedule
2. ↑ Details Released for Next Walt Disney Animation Studios Film
3. ↑ Title Confirmed for 2022 Animated Disney Film
4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `:0`
5. ↑ Walt Disney Animation Studios Announces New Movie ‘Strange World’
6. ↑ Jake Gyllenhaal Joins Disney’s ‘Strange World’; Teaser and Poster Released
7. ↑ ‘Strange World’ Rounds Out Cast