Disney and Pixar's latest animated film, "Hoppers" (directed by Daniel Chong), is now showing in theaters. The story follows Mabel, an animal-loving college student who learns that her beloved forest is going to be destroyed by a highway project. To protect her precious place, she uses top-secret technology to transform into a beaver and devises a plan to save the forest and the animals. We spoke with director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Grindl about the origins of the film's concept and how it drew inspiration from Studio Ghibli's "Pom Poko" (1994, directed by Isao Takahata).
◇"Initially, I was thinking of making a movie about penguins." Why beavers instead?
Regarding the concept of using top-secret technology to transform into a beaver, director Daniel revealed, "Initially, I was thinking of making a movie about penguins."
"I proposed the idea to the studio and Pete Docter (Chief Creative Officer of Pixar Animation Studios), but he said, 'I don't think the world needs penguins anymore.' He's probably right. There are certainly a lot of penguin movies out there."
"That's when I changed my focus to beavers," he says. "As I thought about it more, I realized that beavers are very interesting creatures that create an ecosystem where other animals can live," he explains.
"Where beavers are, ecosystems are born. They became a wonderful metaphor for nature's power to heal and regenerate itself. The technology aspect was inspired by documentaries that send robotic animals into the wild to observe and film them. I imagined what would happen if that technology evolved further and became so seamlessly integrated into the animal world that it went unnoticed. Those two elements were the starting point for this idea."
◇Which Studio Ghibli film holds a special place in the director's heart?
Director Daniel said that while he was conceiving this film, the movie "Pom Poko" suddenly came to mind, and he realized that "this might be similar to what Director Takahata was trying to do with 'Pom Poko'."
"This film, which depicts how humans and animals interact and the influence humans have had on animals, had a lot of inspiration for us. A major element is that you can see two perspectives from the human side. You can see not only cartoonish versions of animals, but also more animalistic versions of them. If you watch 'When I Become a Beaver,' you'll see a lot of things reflected in it."
Incidentally, when asked about his favorite Studio Ghibli film, Director Daniel says, "One of my favorite movies is 'My Neighbor Totoro.' Of course, I know it's very popular in Japan (laughs). That film has a beauty and respect for nature. Furthermore, it has a delicate observational eye and charm that looks at childhood, and I really love that. And that movie has a 'magic' that cannot be replaced or replicated anywhere else. It's a film that I have a particularly strong attachment to in my life."
Nicole revealed, "I love Ghibli films too, but my daughter especially loves ' Kiki's Delivery Service,' so we often watched it together. And while thinking about Mabel, I remembered Kiki and Jiji. I may have unconsciously resonated with them in some way. It's because they are a girl who works hard and struggles for what she believes in, and an animal that stays by her side."
◇ An incident that occurred in Yellowstone National Park served as the catalyst.
The beavers and other forest creatures featured in this film are not only cute, but they also accept the harsh realities of the natural world, including the law of the jungle. When asked about the reason for depicting the ecosystem so realistically, director Daniel began by saying, "While researching various animals, I learned about an incident that occurred in Yellowstone National Park in the United States."
"The ecosystem there had collapsed. So we brought the wolves back. As the wolves began to control the deer population, grass grew back, and the ecosystem began to recover. Beavers also contributed greatly to this. When the beavers returned, they created large ponds and ecosystems, allowing various animals to return, and rich biodiversity returned. I started to think, 'Beavers are amazing!' They're called 'ecosystem engineers.' As I learned more about beavers, and of course because they're plump and very cute, I decided that 'beavers are the stars of this movie!'"
Nicole also said, "When we started making the film, we went to Yellowstone National Park. The guide who accompanied us was very helpful in understanding what it feels like to be in nature. He emphasized the silence, and we sat and walked together, but we didn't talk. We tried to be in harmony with nature. From time to time he would ask, 'Can you hear any human sounds?' We could only hear the sound of cars in the distance. It's very rare now for animals to be in a place where they can't hear any human sounds at all. For us, it was a really big discovery to realize what humans are doing to the environment and the animals. It was a really important trip for us."
Finally, when asked about the highlights for the Japanese audience, director Daniel said, "I don't intend to overemphasize the message. More than anything, I wanted to make a movie that would connect people, that they could see in the theater, and that would make them genuinely happy and laugh. This film is about connection and coexistence. If this movie inspires someone to go outside, that would be wonderful. And if it inspires people to cherish animals more and care more about nature, that would be wonderful. If this movie can be a catalyst for people to understand the importance of cherishing their connections with others more, being kinder, and being more patient, then I think it would be very meaningful." Nicole added, "I hope everyone comes to love beavers."
