Disney is Considering Developing Traditional 2D Animated Films Again

Disney and Pixar Animation Studios have spent years developing CGI-animated movies and I’ve gotta say, I miss the traditional hand-drawn 2D animation. I believe the last traditional 2D animated movie from Disney was The Princess and the Frog in 2009.

Well, according to the co-director of Disney Animation’s upcoming movie, Wish, Disney is considering making 2D animated films again. While Wish is CGI/3D animated, the style if very much inspired by the 2D animated movies that came before it.

During an interview with The Direct, director Chris Buck was asked if Disney would make 2D animated films again and he shared that the studio would “absolutely” look into including 2D animation in their future movies. He explained:

“I think, absolutely. This film was inspired, obviously, by the legacy and the 2D animation. And the look has a somewhat 2D look with the lines on the characters. We did early tests with Star as 2D. But yeah, I think we keep exploring.”

When talking about the unique style of Wish, Buck shared how the movie was the product of an ever-evolving style:

“The nice thing is, we started with some shorts, you got 'Paperman' and 'Feast' and 'Far From the Tree' that sort of explored the look that we adapted, and we kept evolving. We had never done it in full feature before. So that was going to be a challenge. I would say absolutely. You just don't know what the next thing is going to be.”

There are no word on if any 2D animated films are currently in development, but it would be great to see Disney make a traditional animated movie again and go back to its roots.

When it comes to Wish, the story takes place in a world called Rosas, a fairytale kingdom of wishes. It’s a “fantastical land located off the Iberian Peninsula. People come from everywhere to give their wishes to a magical king who promises to grant their deepest desires—someday. Only he can decide which wishes will come true and when.”

The main character of the story is Asha (Ariana DeBose), “a sharp-witted idealist, makes a wish so powerful that it is answered by a cosmic force—a little ball of boundless energy called Star.” It’s explained that, “Together, Asha and Star confront a most formidable foe—the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico—to save her community and prove that when the will of one courageous human connects with the magic of the stars, wondrous things can happen.”

Wish opens only in theaters on November 22, 2023.