Kingdom of the Sun is a 2023 hand-drawn/computer-animated musical film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Inspired by the Incan culture and based on the original idea by Roger Allers and Matthew Jacobs, the movie serves as a prequel to The Emperor's New Groove. The film was directed by Jennifer Lee and Charise Castro Smith from a screenplay by Castro Smith who also conceived the film's story with Lee, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, and Byron Howard and produced by Osnat Shurer, Clark Spencer, Trudie Styler, and Miranda. It features original songs by Sting, David Hartley, and Miranda who also composed the score with Germaine Franco and the voices of Tom Holland, James Marsden, Tina Fey, Stephanie Beatriz, Mindy Sterling, John Cho, and Idris Elba.
The film follows a greedy, selfish emperor who finds a peasant who looks just like him. So, the two decide to switch places for fun. However, the evil sorceress Yzma has plans to summon a dark spirit named Supai to block out the sun (the object she blames for her wrinkles) in exchange for eternal youth. Discovering the switch between the prince and the peasant, Yzma turns the real emperor into a llama and threatens to reveal the pauper's identity unless he obeys her. Meanwhile, the emperor-llama learns humility in his new form and even comes to love a girl llama-herder named Mata. Together, the girl and the llama set out to undo the witch's plans.
Kingdom of the Sun premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on February 17, 2023, and was theatrically released in the United States on March 2, 2023. The film received critical acclaim for its visuals, voice acting, music, and story and grossed over $556 million worldwide. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and won numerous other awards, including the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Character Animation in a Feature Production at the 51st Annie Awards.
Plot[]
In the beginning, the shadow god Supai had ruled the earth. Viracocha created the sun god Inti who came and imprisoned him deep in the earth. Inti then created the Incans who built a city to keep Supai from escaping, thus it became known as the Kingdom of the Sun.
Pacha is a simple llama herder who tells his flock that it is time for a cut. They are all scared so he explains in song why it is important. Pacha and his llamas discover a procession entering a secret passage to the sacred city with Snowball, his favorite llama having escaped, now part of their litter. Pacha tries to rescue Snowball but is thwarted by the guards. Yzma, the high priestess, approaches soon to be emperor Manco Capac to pick a llama to sacrifice. He chooses Snowball. After Yzma reminds Manco that he needs a bride, she sneaks out to her underground catacombs where it is revealed that she is in league with reviving Supai so that she can restore her beauty. In order to do this, she must kill Manco who bears the mark of the sun.
Pacha sneaks into the palace and sees Manco choosing his bride Nina. He finds Snowball, but they are forced to hide as the sound of approaching footsteps and voices are heard. Yzma and Huaca prevent Manco from leaving the palace and going to the tavern and force him to go to bed and lock his room. Manco and Pacha see each other and realize that they look the same and that they're twin brothers. Pacha suggests switching places with Manco, and he agrees; allowing him to sleep in his bed while Manco goes into town with Snowball.
While making the poison, Yzma spots Manco leaving and rushes out to catch him. He ends up at the tavern and while he is distracted, Yzma "poisons" Manco, only to have accidentally given him a llama potion. Yzma still tries to kill Manco who escapes into a llama pen. There, Manco meets Snowball, who becomes smitten with him, and the owner of the pen, a tough and beautiful llama herder named Mata. The only thing that gives him away is his birthmark. Meanwhile, "Manco" (Pacha) is awoken by Huaca, who is disappointed with the human race, and suddenly discovers that he is not Manco. After Pacha explains himself, Huaca explains that if he goes through with the ceremony, he will give him 100 llamas.
Yzma tires herself out searching for Manco and hears the coronation horns, forcing her to leave. Pacha is paraded out in town with his bride-to-be Nina who he immediately falls in love with, but she gives him the cold shoulder. Huaca tries to prevent him from talking. Manco spends some time getting to know Mata when he sees the procession and is angry. He stops the parade by releasing the llamas into the crowd. Pacha hops down to help, something that shocks everyone, and he bursts out his pan flute to herd the llamas back in including Manco. Huaca is angry at Pacha for defying the hierarchy and sends him back to his chambers.
While Huaca combs the city for Manco, Pacha is called for the coronation banquet. He flees to the llama pen to get his llamas to leave, but the food is delivered to him. Yzma tries to kill Pacha but fails until she spots Manco as a llama. She attempts to sacrifice him for "the emperor", but Manco begins pushing new laws and ideas and demands that there be no more llama sacrifices. Nina is impressed, while Mata enters the dining room with Snowball and the rest of the llamas as they chase Yzma away. She returns to Supai who angrily gives her one more chance or else. Pacha and Nina begin to grow closer as they visit the Viracocha stone. Manco overhears Nina's feelings and soon begins to feel bad about himself. So, he tells Mata the truth, and she comforts him. Afterwards, Pacha and Nina confess their love, while Manco and Mata confess theirs. Meanwhile, Huaca still searches for Manco.
As Pacha and Nina come down the mountain, Pacha tries to tell her the truth, but they hear the sacrificial horns, and Mata rushes towards them and tells them it is Yzma who has managed to capture Manco. The three make it in time, and Pacha tells her to stop, but she refuses and rips off his sleeve to reveal that Pacha is a fraud and does not bare the sun mark. Huaca arrives and claims that he was the one behind the switch, and Yzma humiliates him. Pacha gets dragged away by the guards while Huaca spots the sun mark on the llama. He teams up with Snowball, and they ride to rescue Manco just as the eclipse arrives.
However, the heroes are too late as Yzma has killed Manco, and she celebrates her victory by becoming younger. Supai arises from the ground to take over the world. However, Pacha refuses to give up, and Huaca prays to Viracocha who transports him and Pacha to the Viracocha stone which turns into a real rope. Pacha, with the help of everyone in the city, lassos Inti to come and destroy Supai. Yzma is reduced to dust, and everything returns to normal. Manco is revived and made human again and bows to Pacha. Manco offers his crown, but Pacha would rather return to his life as a llama herder. Manco then turns to Mata and proposes to her. She happily accepts his marriage proposal, and the two kiss. The film ends with a double wedding of Manco to Mata and Pacha to Nina as the newlyweds leave the city with a whole flock of llamas.
Cast[]
- Tom Holland as Manco Capac, the prince of the Sacred City who will soon be an emperor.
- Brian Ferguson serves as the supervising animator for Manco.
- James Marsden as Pacha, a male peasant who is a llama herder and Manco's lost twin brother.
- John Pomeroy serves as the supervising animator for Pacha.
- Tina Fey as Mata, a female llama herder who is Manco's love interest.
- Mark Henn serves as the supervising animator for Mata.
- Stephanie Beatriz as Nina, the emperor's soon-to-be fiancé who eventually became Pacha's love interest.
- Michael Show serves as the supervising animator for Nina.
- Mindy Sterling as Yzma, the evil sorceress.
- Shakira provides Yzma's singing voice.
- Andreas Deja serves as the supervising animator for Yzma.
- John Cho as Huaca, a talking Talisman who is Yzma's ally.
- Nik Ranieri serves as the supervising animator for Huaca.
- Idris Elba as Supai, the god of darkness.
- Bruce W. Smith serves as the supervising animator for Supai.
- Alan Tudyk as Snowball, Pacha's favorite llama.
- Tudyk also provides narration for the film's prologue.
- Russ Edmonds serves as the supervising animator for Snowball.
Production[]
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Music[]
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Trivia[]
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Transcript[]
To see the transcript for the movie, click here.
Credits[]
To see the credits for the movie, click here.