Over the Moon!

Veteran Disney Glen Keane animator directs this brand new film, Over the Moon, and I can't wait to see it. His work on classics such as Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin show he knows how to tell a story and tell it well. Certainly the opening of the new E Ticket Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland is further proof of the impact this enduring classic has made. Glen has his own fascinating story to tell about the impact of Beast on his life. Go here to read more.

A Brand New Beast

Disney animator Glen Keane will be directing Netflix's upcoming Over the Moon, a tale about a young girl who builds a rockets and takes off on an exciting adventure. He's certainly no stranger to creating memorable characters! Glen was the backbone to many Disney projects (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Tangled). 

For me, the ultimate Keane project was Beast, from the classic Beauty and the Beast, my favorite Disney animated film (which also holds up stunningly well next to the live action release). Not only does the animated film have a huge following, but the whole experience of animating / transforming Beast was a powerful one! This was apparently just as true for his animator.

Glen says,

"This is the moment- this is what I was born for...As I started animating it, for me it's really an expression of my spiritual life. There's a verse in the Bible that says 'If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away and all things have become new...'Because it is really about an inner spiritual transformation that's taking place with the Beast. I saw it as a parable of my life."

Boy, I'm with you, Glen. Perhaps that's why this film strikes such a deep note in me and millions of others! There's a longing in us to be more than what we've been, perhaps to be the best version of ourselves, the version that God created- free from the eternal stain of sin and with new hope for life eternal. This is what Jesus Christ does! 

When our hearts are opened by God to hear His Message of hope, forgiveness, and a fresh life, our heart leaps! When we choose to believe that Jesus died for our sin, paying full price for it, and then was raised from the dead to prove He is God in the flesh- wow! Just wow! New life is birthed in us. The failures and brokenness from the past are now just a part of our eternal journey as we increasingly become who God designed us to be. Make the leap into the Arms of Love- and Beast's transformation will be your own parable as well. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)