While inspiration can spring from unlikely places, you'd probably be surprised to learn Disney+'s upcoming "Myth: A Frozen Tale" short was inspired in part by American outlaw Jesse James. During a press conference, director Jeff Gipson explained how an old family bedtime story involving the famous bank robber led him to create "Myth."
"So I started thinking about what were some inspirations that really connected with me growing up? And I love bedtime stories; when you go to sleep and your parents tell you a story, your mind just wanders," Gipson shared. "There's this one story that my dad would tell me growing up."
"It goes: in the 1860s, my family lived about a day’s ride straight out of Kansas City, Missouri, and it was the Wild West still they worked on a farm," he continued. "At that time, if you saw two riders, or two people in general, riding out in the distance coming toward you, you were hesitant [because] you [weren't] sure if they're good or bad. But still, there were people that would come through, stop for water and continue on."
"As they worked on the farm, my great-great-great-great-grandfather after his chores would go down to the river and play with his friends. They'd take the horses down and ride, and one ordinary day, they did just that. They were playing and hanging out, and sure enough, out in the distance they see two silhouettes of two people on horseback, riding, coming closer and closer and closer. These boys, they’re 8 or 10 years old, and they're startled. They go and hide in the willows, and these riders, sure enough, they come right up to where the boys tied their horses," he recalled.
"The two riders swap the horses, and the kids are thinking, 'Oh my gosh, these horses are our livelihood -- we need this to run the farm!' And they rush over as soon as the riders take off and they actually see that the two horses they left behind are better horses. And there's a note tied in the horse's mane and it says, 'Thanks for the horses boys - JJ.' And of course, the only 'JJ' roaming around that area of the country at that time was Jesse James," he revealed.
"I just remember the way that story made me feel," he explained. "The sense of wonder, this legendary Western figure interacting with my family and some level, and it just was really inspiring. So when it came to 'Myth: A Frozen Tale,' I started thinking about what types of stories what a bedtime story would you be told, if you grew up in or around Arendelle."
"That's how 'Myth' kind of started, and I was really thinking about those elemental spirits who are such a big part of Frozen 2. I was really inspired by the graphic look of shadow puppets and pop-up books and imagine a world that if you were able to step into that kind of pop-up book, that story, what would that look like as a stylized version of the Frozen 2 world?" he concluded.
According to the official description for "Myth: A Frozen Tale,"
Inspired by the exciting environments, themes and elemental characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen 2, acclaimed director Jeff Gipson (Cycles) brings to life this imaginative and vibrant tale set in an enchanted forest outside of Arendelle. A family gathering for an evening of bedtime stories sets the stage for a magnificent adventure to a colorful and mythical world, which includes close encounters with the Nokk (a water spirit in the form of a mighty stallion), Gale (the playful wind spirit who can manifest as a light breeze or a raging tornado-like force), the Earth Giants (the massive creatures that form the rocky riverbanks and are capable of intense destruction when awakened), and the Fire Spirit (a fast-moving and mercurial salamander named Bruni). As the story unfolds, these spirits come to life and the myth of their past and future is revealed.
Created by director Jeff Gipson and production designer Brittany Lee, "Myth: A Frozen Tale" features Evan Rachel Wood as the voice of Queen Iduna and a score by Joseph Trapanese. The short releases Friday, Feb. 26 on Disney+.