On June 11th (June 10th local time), comedian Naomi Watanabe attended the world premiere of Disney & Pixar's new animated film "Elio" (released August 1st) at the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. Watanabe appeared in a custom-made purple dress, which she had specially ordered for the occasion, inspired by the fluffy, light purple character Ova, whom she plays.
Watanabe, who voices Ova, a bright and passionate ambassador for a peace-loving planet and member of the Communiverse in both the original US and Japanese versions of the film, enjoyed the event, posing for a group photo with Hollywood actress Zoe Saldana, who voiced the protagonist Elio's aunt Olga, and revealing how she was moved to tears by the world premiere of the film, saying, "I literally cried! The love of friends and family is the best...!!"
The world premiere was attended by Pixar Studios CCO (Chief Creative Officer) Pete Docter, producer Mary Alice Drumm and other staff members. In addition, Watanabe, who was a voice actor in the original US version, appeared on the red carpet as one of the main cast members, alongside Saldana and other star-studded cast members. The venue was decorated in a colorful manner to resemble the "Communiverse," a place where representatives from various planets gather, which is the setting for this film, and he and the audience who gathered there livened up the event.
Regarding Watanabe's English performance, CCO Pete praised, "Amazing! Fantastic! We first recorded the voice, and then the animators listened to it repeatedly as they worked. In other words, the person who heard Naomi's voice was inspired by it and created the performance." Upon hearing this, Watanabe exploded with joy, saying, "I'm so happy to meet someone who has been making Pixar works for so long. I'm really nervous, but I've been a voice actor in both this time (the original US version and the Japanese version), so I'm really happy to be praised so much."
Furthermore, Watanabe, who walked the red carpet, said excitedly, "I'm really grateful to be able to be a voice actor in the US and participate in the world premiere, and I feel like I've taken my first step in the entertainment industry, and it's a really valuable experience." Regarding her outfit, she explained, "What do you think? It's cute, isn't it? The character Ova is one of the members of the Communiverse. She's purple and big, but she's passionate and kind. I thought that purple would be good to match Ova's character, so I made it fluffy. I also made my nails space nails in the image of Elio! I tried to make my hair look Japanese, like Princess Kaguya!"
Also, after watching the world premiere screening of the film, she expressed her joy, saying, "My name appeared in the end credits. When I saw 'Ova Naomi Watanabe' I was so moved. I'm so happy!!"
Ova, voiced by Watanabe, is full of positive energy and gently watches over Elio on his adventure, teaching him about the "Communiverse." This is the first time that a Japanese person has acted as a voice actor in the original US version of a Disney and Pixar film, other than a creator at Pixar Animation Studios, and also the first time that a Japanese person has acted as a voice actor for the Japanese version at the same time.
The protagonist of "Elio" is a boy named Elio who loves space and feels lonely after losing his parents, who were his biggest supporters. Elio was thinking that somewhere in this vast world, there must be a "true place" for him. His sad wish is answered, and he is invited to the dreamlike "Comniverse" where representatives of the stars gather. There, he meets Grodon, an alien boy who is just as lonely. "I love you just the way you are" - a threat that will shake the "world of the stars" is approaching before the two people who share a heart. The key to saving it lies in a "promise" made by two lonely people... This is the story.
The film will be directed by three people: Sharafian, who served as story artist on "Coco" (2017), Domee Shi, director of "Me and the Red Panda" (2022), and Adrian Molina, who wrote and co-directed "Coco."
Also appearing at the event were Jonas Kibreabu, who plays the main character Elio, Brad Garrett, who plays Glygon, the alien leader who plots to take over the Communiverse, Jameela Jamil, who plays Questa, the ambassador from the planet Gorm, Remy Edgerly, who plays Grodon, a kind-hearted, lonely alien boy who suffers from being timid, Brendan Hunt, who plays Melmac, a radio nerd, Dylan Gilmer, who plays Bryce, Jake Getman, who plays Caleb, and Brandon Moon, who plays Helix, the ambassador from the planet Farubinum.
