Over the Moon

About the Film

Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of the legendary Moon Goddess. There she ends up on an unexpected quest, and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures. Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, co-directed by John Kahrs, and produced by Gennie Rim, and Peilin Chou, Over the Moon is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination. The film stars Cathy Ang, Phillipa Soo, Ken Jeong, John Cho, Ruthie Ann Miles, Sandra Oh, Robert G. Chiu, Margaret Cho, and Kimiko Glenn.

The film offers a new and unique interpretation of the traditional folklore behind the Chinese Moon Goddess, Chang’e, and the significance her story holds during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.

IT STARTED WITH AN IDEA

Executive producer Janet Yang initially pitched the idea to Pearl in 2015 the seed of an idea about a little girl named Fei Fei going to the Moon to meet the Moon Goddess. The Pearl Development team in Shanghai, with Producer Peilin Chou, then developed the story and wrote a one-sheet, which screenwriter Audrey Wells then turned into the OVER THE MOON script.

In June of 2017 Chou attended the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, the  same year that Academy Award-winning director Glen Keane (Dear Basketball) was also in attendance. It was a masterclass Keane gave that year that compelled her to pursue the legendary animator to direct the film (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast).

“It was a talk called ‘Thinking Like A Child,’” recalls Keane. “So much of everything I believe in animation was wrapped up in that little presentation, about believing the impossible is possible.”

“When I found out Glen would be giving a masterclass, I knew I had to attend. I was really eager and excited to reconnect with him after 20 years. In his talk, Glen spoke a lot about all the things that were important to him about storytelling, and what was appealing to him about creating a character — living in the skin of that character in order to truly understand where they came from or how the key to any character was sincerity. Somehow, all I really heard in that presentation was Glen secretly saying to me: ‘I want to direct OVER THE MOON!’”

After Annecy wrapped, Chou sent Keane the script and made sure to keep the film on his radar with regular updates on artwork and music until he agreed to come on board. Keane recalls the moment that sealed the deal for him: “Walt Disney was always talking about the ‘plausible impossible.’ And I thought, a 13-year-old girl building a rocket to the moon? I don’t know... But as I was reading it, I got to the page where Fei Fei’s rocket launches and then it runs out of power and starts falling back, like they're going to die. And I thought, Yes! Now I believe it. But you've got to save them somehow! I was suddenly invested. It was when that beam of light hit them and the moon lions leapt onto the page that I knew I had to direct this movie.”

The scene also invoked a cherished childhood memory for Keane from his 7th birthday: “When I was a kid, I had a birthday party and all of my friends were hanging out. My dad came in and said he had been talking to NASA and that he was building a rocket ship. It was very top secret, no one had seen it. He said, ‘I can't show it to you, but I can blindfold you guys and give you a ride on it.’ So, I sat in the cockpit, and imagined ground control talking, the rumbling, I felt the wind in my face as I was flying  across the lake, feet in the water. When I took the blindfold off, I realized I was just sitting in a lawn chair in my backyard. But I never forgot that. That's what this movie is like — it takes you on this ride that everyone will believe. I felt like I was called to do this movie.”

Keane wasn’t the only connection forged at Annecy, however. Chou was also able to meet with Emmy and Academy Award-winning Producer Gennie Rim (Dear Basketball), a long time colleague of Keane’s at Disney who turned to producing in 2012 with a VR short that Keane directed for Google. Rim, a Korean American, didn’t grow up hearing the legend of Chang’e specifically, but aspects of the story resonated deeply with her. 

“I feel like this movie was made for me. I always wanted to take part in bringing Asian stories to the screen, and I felt so honored to be able to tell this story about a young girl living in modern-day China. There’s so much about this character that resonates with me,” says Rim. “I was the same age as Fei Fei when my mother wanted to remarry. My new stepfather had kids from another marriage, so I understood what Fei Fei was feeling when she had to face the idea of embracing a blended family when her father, who’s a widower, meets someone new. I also really loved the portrayal of a family-owned restaurant — how everything about it dictates the daily rhythms of life. But to also be able to talk about grief at this level — for kids and adults alike — and not shy away from the hard parts was incredible. The characters want to give love and be loved, and to have that all shown in the context of Chinese culture was a gift.”