Telling Nature’s Story [Disneynature “Bears”]

We invite you to take an intimate look into the lives of a mother bear and her two cubs in Disneynature’s movie “Bears” this Friday, April 18. Directed by Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey and co-directed by Adam Chapman, the movie takes place in the Alaska Peninsula. John C. Reilly, the voice of Wreck-It Ralph, narrates the story.

With any nature film, I think the concern has always been that they are boring…and for the most part they are! Disney understood that and took lengths to make sure that wasn’t the case with their nature films by taking a concept that they’re known for in all their previous films: story. But capturing a story with live actors doesn’t match the challenge that is capturing wild animals.

By capturing the wildlife as it is in nature, the task of telling a fluid and engaging story got even harder, especially when it came to filming “Bears”. “I’d have one eye to the camera and the other one closed most of the time – so I was happy to have someone watch my back,” commented camera operator Gavin Thurston said about working with the unpredictability of the bears themselves.

That unpredictability wasn’t the only hinderance that the production crew saw either! Weather was a problem too with keeping just even keeping the camera dry. But after months of filming over the course of two patient years, the production team said it was all worth it.

“One of the wonderful things about working on Disneynature movies and spending so much time with these animals is that you get unbelievably emotionally involved,” said director Alastair Fothergill. “If we can get just some of that emotion onto the screen, we know we’re going to make an engaging movie.”

And that’s what they did. Complete with wildlife “actors” and a great story about on of the most iconic animals – the grizzly bear.

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We’ll have a SPOILER-FREE review up of “Bears” tomorrow, so be sure to check that out!

In the meantime, what are your thoughts of nature films? Do you think Disney’s vision of telling a story through them will help change their stigma in people’s minds? What are you looking forward to seeing (or learning) about in the newest Disneynature film? Comment below!