Five character posters featuring the quirky forest friends surrounding Mabel, the protagonist of Disney and Pixar's latest animated film, Hoppers (directed by Daniel Chung, released March 13th), have been released.
"When I Became a Beaver" tells the story of Mabel, an animal-loving college student who learns that the forest she holds dear will be destroyed by a highway project. In order to protect this precious place, she uses secret technology to transform into the appearance of a beaver and devises a plan to protect the animals and the forest.
Director Chung, who served as a storyboard artist for "Inside Out" (2015), was inspired by Studio Ghibli's "Pom Poko" (1994, directed by Isao Takahata) and thoroughly researched the beaver ecosystem to produce this film. In the Japanese version, actor Kyoko Yoshine will play Mabel, Kote Shinya will play the beaver king, King George, and Miyata Toshiya of the popular group Kis-My-Ft2 will voice Loaf, a "soothing beaver who is so laid-back he often gets eaten."
The character posters that have been released feature five forest friends: college student Mabel, the kind-hearted King George, the laid-back Loaf "Beavers," Ellen the bear, and Tom the lizard. Each one has its own unique personality, making them "fluffy and cute."
Mabel, the protagonist, has a fluffy beaver appearance but is actually a college student. She has loved animals since she was a child, but when she learns that the forest where she spent precious memories with her grandmother will be destroyed by a highway construction project, she decides to transfer her consciousness and become a beaver to prevent the forest from being destroyed. She is fearless and will charge ahead without regard for danger in order to protect her precious place, and she jumps into the animal world of her dreams.
When Mabel infiltrates the animal world, she is helped by King George, an overly kind beaver who is the king of mammals in the forest pond that Mabel is trying to protect. He has a cheerful personality and is trusted by the other animals, and he makes "pond rules" to ensure that everyone can live in peace, but his overly kind personality sometimes gets him into trouble.
Loaf is a laid-back beaver who travels with Mabel and King George, and although he is too laid-back and tends to get eaten, he is a character who accepts that "it can't be helped." He is the "soothing" beaver, with a strong will to faithfully follow the "pond rules" that live in the animal world, such as "eat when you want to eat."
Ellen is a large, intimidating bear who was trying to eat Loaf. He is always hungry, grumpy, and on the lookout for prey, but he also has a kind, caring side and is very friendly with his forest friends.
Tom the lizard wants to stay away from conflict and trouble as much as possible and live a peaceful life, but for some reason his natural curiosity gets the better of him and he gets caught up in the troubles of Mabel and her friends...
Regarding the film, which features many unique characters including Mabel, director Chung said, "It was a big challenge to feature so many different kinds of animals in the animation. But I think that viewers will find it to be a lively and truly exciting film."
