Disney is putting feminism and cultural diversity on top of its priority list, and Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter said that they are working hard to let their future animated films reflect that.
"It's very important to us... to have female and ethnic characters," Lasseter told Variety. "It's grown in importance over time. As you'll see in future films, we're really paying attention to that."
When Lasseter first started working in animation, he noticed that the industry was dominated by men, but things are changing now. "We have been seeing more and more women, and more and more people from all over the world starting to work with it," Lasseter said. "That's exciting. I think it will get reflected in the characters."
This is the case in Disney's 2016 released called "Moana," which will be all about the story of a Polynesian princess. Lasseter said that it's already pretty spectacular. People often associate fairy tales to European fairy tales, he said, but they are trying to reach out and find origins of legends all over the world.
Another movie from them called "Inside Out" uses the voices of different women - Amy Poehler is Joy, Phyllis Smith is Sadness, and Mindy Kaling is Disgust, and Lasseter believes that "in all of Pixar history, this is one of the most talented and amazing casts that we had."
The movie is set in the mind of a young girl and the emotions will go on an adventure in order for the young girl to reclaim her joy.
The film was actually inspired by director Pete Docter's daughter, Elie, who was nine when she did a voice of the girl in 2009's "Up." As she grew older, Docter observed that his daughter "was a lot less energetic and reserved" and he sought to figure out what was going on inside her head.
Lasseter revealed that they relied heavily on scientific data about emotions and thoughts. "We did a tremendous amount of research to get the details right," he said.
Kaling actually wept when she first read the script, and she is a huge fan of the story. Kaling really appreciates the fact that the movie gave voice to a specific demographic - young girls, since they do not always headline their own movies.
"I remember being an 11-year-old girl," Kaling gushed.
"Inside Out" will hit cinemas on June 16.
