Oakland's UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital received some Disney magic Friday when Pixar animators visited for a special screening of Elemental, according to ABC7.
- In addition to the visit from animators and the special screening of Elemental, Friday marked the opening of the new Disney Movie Moments Theater at the hospital.
- The new mobile theater allows patients, who often can’t go to a real movie theater because of their medical conditions, to get the theater experience rather than just watching a movie on a TV in their room.
- This is the latest in a long run of community events like this in the Bay Area for Pixar. Jonas Rivera, executive vice president of production, explained why events like this are important to them:
- "We go way back to Toy Story 2 in 1999. This is our backyard and this is where we're from, so this one has a special place in our heart."
- Cody Lyon, one of the animators who made the visit, shared that sentiment and pointed out an even longer history:
- "For Walt Disney, it's been over 100 years. Walt would visit hospitals and bring animators with him and that was part of his outreach in Southern California.”
- Even after the Elemental screening, patients at UCSF will have access to the Disney+ library at the Movie Moments Theater.
- Check out ABC7’s video from the visit below:
About Elemental:
- Elemental is an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where Fire, Water, Earth and Air residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in.
- Directed by Peter Sohn, produced by Denise Ream, p.g.a., and executive produced by Pete Docter, Elemental features a screenplay by John Hoberg & Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh with story by Sohn, Hoberg & Likkel and Hsueh. The film’s original score was composed and conducted by Thomas Newman.
- You can see Disney-Pixar’s Elemental in theaters now.