When Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, they announced their first project would be ‘Big Hero 6’. It was somewhat of a surprising choice based on a fairly obscure 90s miniseries.  Director Don Hall appeared at Disney’s D23 Expo 2013 to tease the project which hits theaters next year on November 7, 2014 and we have some of the highlights to share with you.

The movie is set in San Fansokyo, a high tech fusion of San Francisco and Tokyo.  Hall described the story as being about 14 year-old genius, Hiro, who loses his brother before finding Baymax, a robot that helps Hiro deal with his loss.  Hiro returns the favor by souping Baymax up into a powerful mecha and later building cybernetic enhancements for his friends, to form a super team, after a super villain steals his latest invention.

In addition to Hiro and Baymax, the other four heroes are:

  • Go Go – a bike messenger
  • Wasabi No Ginger – a sushi chef
  • Honey Lemon – a chemist and barista
  • Fred – a comic book fanboy

Below, you can see a distance shot of Baymax and Hiro perched on top of a blimp:

Finally, take a look at some animated footage of San Fransokyo to get a feel for this animated reality:

The movie’s official description is:

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes “Big Hero 6,” an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion—a robot named Baymax—Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the CG-animated “Big Hero 6” hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.

Yes, they aren’t exactly The Avengers, but Hall explained last year, “I was looking for something on the obscure side, something that would mesh well with what we do. The idea of a kid and a robot story with a strong brother element, it’s very Disney… Marvel properties take place in the real world. We were looking for something to do where we could make our own world — bring in the Japanese influences,  have recognizable landmarks mashed up with a Japanese aesthetic.”

Is Disney wise in attempting a low-profile property for its first Marvel animated feature?  Or would they have been smarter banking on Iron Man or one of their more famous heroes?  Will you be checking out ‘Big Hero 6’ next winter?  Leave a comment below!

Source Slash Film