Big Hero 6 (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Big Hero 6
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Don Hall Chris Williams
Produced by	Roy Conli
Screenplay by	Jordan Roberts Robert L. Baird Dan Gerson
Starring	Scott Adsit Ryan Potter Daniel Henney T.J. Miller Jamie Chung Damon Wayans Jr. Genesis Rodriguez James Cromwell Maya Rudolph Alan Tudyk
Music by	Henry Jackman
Cinematography	Rob Dressel (layout) Adolph Lusinsky (lighting)
Editing by	Tim Mertens
Studio	Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Animation Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date(s)	October 23, 2014 (2014-10-23) (Tokyo International Film Festival) November 7, 2014 (2014-11-07) (United States) January 30, 2015 (2015-01-30) (United Kingdom)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$165 million
Money made	$657.8 million

Big Hero 6 is a 2014 American computer animated superhero film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Inspired by the Marvel's comics of the same name created by Man of Action, the film is the 54th Disney animated feature film. Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams, the film tells the story of Hiro Hamada, a young robotics prodigy, and Baymax, his late brother's healthcare provider robot, who forms a superhero team to combat a masked villain. The film features the voices of Scott Adsit, Ryan Potter, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Genesis Rodriguez, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell, and Maya Rudolph.

Big Hero 6 is the first Disney animated film to feature Marvel Comics characters, whose parent company was acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2009. Walt Disney Animation Studios created new software technology to produce the film's animated visuals.

Big Hero 6 premiered at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival on October 23, 2014, and at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on October 31; it was theatrically released in the Disney Digital 3D and RealD 3D formats in the United States on November 7, 2014. The film was met with both critical and commercial success, grossing over $657.8 million worldwide and becoming the highest-grossing animated film of 2014. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and the Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Animated Movie. It also received nominations for the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature and the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. It was also nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, but lost to The Lego Movie. Big Hero 6 was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on February 24, 2015.

A television series, which continues the story of the film, debuted on November 20, 2017 on Disney Channel and Disney XD.

Plot

Hiro Hamada is a 14-year-old high school graduate, and robotics genius living in the futuristic city of San Fransokyo (a portmanteau of San Francisco and Tokyo, rendered in kanji as 奏京) who spends much of his free time gambling in robot fights. To redirect Hiro, his older brother Tadashi takes him to the research lab at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, where Hiro meets Tadashi's friends - Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Fred, Baymax, the inflatable healthcare robot that Tadashi created, and Professor Robert Callaghan, the head of the university's robotics program. Amazed, Hiro decides to apply to the university. To enroll, he signs up for the school's showcase and presents his project: microbots, swarms of tiny robots that can link together in any arrangement imaginable using a neurocranial transmitter. At the fair, Hiro declines an offer from Alistair Krei, CEO of Krei Tech, to market the microbots, and Callaghan accepts him into the school. As the Hamada family leaves to celebrate Hiro's success, a massive fire suddenly breaks out in the showcase hall and Tadashi rushes in to save Callaghan, the only person left inside. The building explodes moments later.

Two weeks later, Hiro, mourning Tadashi's death, inadvertently reactivates Baymax. The two find Hiro's only remaining microbot and follow it to an abandoned warehouse. There they discover that someone has been mass-producing the microbots. A man wearing a Kabuki mask attacks them with the microbot swarms. After they escape, Hiro suspects that the fire that claimed his brother may not have been accidental and in fact started by the man in the kabuki mask to cover the theft of the microbots. Seeking vengeance, Hiro equips Baymax with armor and a battle chip containing various karate moves and they track the masked man to the docks. Go Go, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, and Fred arrive, responding to a call from Baymax, and the masked man chases the group. The six escape to Fred's mansion, where they decide to form a high-tech superhero team to combat the villain.

The group tracks the masked man, whom they suspect to be Krei, to an abandoned Krei Tech laboratory that was used for teleportation research until a test pilot was lost in an accident. The masked man attacks, but the group subdues him and knocks off his mask, revealing him to be Callaghan, who shielded himself from the explosion that killed Tadashi. Enraged at the discovery that Tadashi had died in vain, Hiro removes Baymax's healthcare chip and orders him to kill Callaghan. Honey re-installs the healthcare chip at the last second, preventing Baymax from carrying out the kill order. Callaghan barely escapes, recovering the mask as he does so, and Hiro leaves with Baymax, intent on avenging Tadashi.

Back home, Hiro repairs the robot's damaged scanners and tries to remove the healthcare chip again, but Baymax blocks his access port, convincing Hiro with video of Tadashi running numerous tests during Baymax's development as a demonstration of Tadashi's benevolence and legacy. Hiro remorsefully apologizes to his friends, who reassure him they will catch Callaghan the right way.

Video footage from the laboratory accident reveals that the lost test pilot was Callaghan's daughter, Abigail, meaning that Callaghan is seeking revenge on Krei. Callaghan interrupts Krei at a public event and attempts to destroy his headquarters using Krei's teleportation portal. After a lengthy battle, the team deprives Callaghan of his microbots and the mask, saving Krei, but the portal remains active. Baymax detects Abigail alive inside and leaps into the portal with Hiro to rescue her. They find Abigail in hyper-sleep, but Baymax is struck by debris on the way back out, disabling his thrusters. With no other option but to sacrifice himself, Baymax activates his armor's rocket fist and asks Hiro if he is satisfied with his care in order to deactivate him. Hiro tearfully agrees and Baymax fires his rocket fist before deactivating, propelling Hiro and Abigail back through the portal before it closes. Abigail is taken to the hospital while the remorseful Callaghan is forcibly arrested.

Some time later, Hiro discovers Baymax's health care chip clenched in the rocket fist. He rebuilds Baymax's body, who keeps his memories and emotions due to his health care chip, and he and Hiro share a hug. The university awards Hiro a grant and dedicates a building in Tadashi's honor, and Hiro, Baymax, and their friends continue protecting the city.

The post-credits scene shows Fred talking to the portrait of his father, expressing sadness that he is unable to share his accomplishments as a superhero due to his father always being away. Upon touching the picture frame, Fred inadvertently opens a secret door leading to a room filled with superhero clothing (underpants mainly) and equipment. Fred's father returns and reunites with his son, telling him that they have a lot to talk about.

Voice cast

• Scott Adsit as Baymax, an inflatable robot built by Tadashi as a medical assistant. Hall said, "Baymax views the world from one perspective – he just wants to help people, he sees Hiro as his patient". Producer Roy Conli said "The fact that his character is a robot limits how you can emote, but Scott was hilarious. He took those boundaries and was able to shape the language in a way that makes you feel Baymax's emotion and sense of humor. Scott was able to relay just how much Baymax cares".
• Ryan Potter as Hiro, a 14-year-old robotics prodigy. Speaking of the character, co-director Don Hall said "Hiro is transitioning from boy to man, it's a tough time for a kid and some teenagers develop that inevitable snarkiness and jaded attitude. Luckily Ryan is a very likeable kid. So no matter what he did, he was able to take the edge off the character in a way that made him authentic, but appealing".
• Daniel Henney as Tadashi, Hiro's older brother and Baymax's creator. On Hiro and Tadashi's relationship, Conli said "We really wanted them to be brothers first. Tadashi is a smart mentor. He very subtly introduces Hiro to his friends and what they do at San Fransokyo Tech. Once Hiro sees Wasabi, Honey, Go Go, and Fred in action, he realizes that there's a much bigger world out there that really interests him".
• T.J. Miller as Fred, a comic-book fan and slacker who is also a team mascot at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Speaking of Miller, co-director Chris Williams said "He's a real student of comedy. There are a lot of layers to his performance, so Fred ended up becoming a richer character than anyone expected", both literally and metaphorically.
• Jamie Chung as Go Go, a tough, athletic student who specializes in electromagnetics. Hall said "She's definitely a woman of few words. We looked at bicycle messengers as inspiration for her character".
• Damon Wayans Jr. as Wasabi, a smart, slightly neurotic youth who specializes in lasers. On the character, Williams said "He's actually the most conservative, cautious—he [sic] the most normal among a group of brazen characters. So he really grounds the movie in the second act and becomes, in a way, the voice of the audience and points out that what they're doing is crazy".
• Genesis Rodriguez as Honey Lemon, a chemistry enthusiast at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Williams said "She's a glass-is-half-full kind of person. But she has this mad-scientist quality with a twinkle in her eye – there's more to Honey than it seems".
  • Rodriguez reprised her role in the Latin American Spanish dubbing of the movie.
• James Cromwell as Robert Callaghan, the head of a robotics program at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology who becomes an extremely powerful masked supervillain, who plans revenge on Krei. According to film merchandising, this supervillain alter ego is named "Yokai".
• Alan Tudyk as Alistair Krei, a pioneer entrepreneur, tech guru, and the CEO of Krei Tech and is always on the hunt for the next big thing.
• Maya Rudolph as Cass, Hiro and Tadashi's aunt and guardian.
• Katie Lowes as Abigail, the daughter of Professor Callaghan and a test pilot for Krei Tech.
• Daniel Gerson as Desk Sergeant, the desk sergeant for the San Fransokyo Police Department.
• Paul Briggs as Yama, a notorious gangster who seeks revenge after Hiro defeats his robot in a clandestine robot fight with illegal betting.
• David Shaughnessy as Heathcliff, Fred's family butler.
• Billy Bush as Newscaster
• Stan Lee as Fred's dad, who briefly appears at the end of the credits.

Soundtrack

Henry Jackman composed the score for the film. The soundtrack features an original song titled "Immortals" written and recorded by American rock band Fall Out Boy, which was released by Walt Disney Records on October 14, 2014. The soundtrack album was digitally released by Walt Disney Records on November 4, 2014, and had a CD release on November 24. While not part of the soundtrack, a brief instrumental section of "Eye of the Tiger" plays in the film.

Track listing

All music composed by Henry Jackman (except "Immortals", performed by Fall Out Boy).

Other media

Comics

• A Japanese manga adaptation of Big Hero 6 (which is titled Baymax (ベイマックス, Beimakkusu) in Japan), illustrated by Haruki Ueno, began serialization in Kodansha's Magazine Special from August 20, 2014. A prologue chapter was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine on August 6, 2014. According to the film's official Japanese website, the manga revealed plot details in Japan before anywhere else in the world. The website also quoted the film's co-director Don Hall, to whom it referred as a manga fan, as saying that the film was Japanese-inspired. Yen Press publishes the series in English.
• It was announced that IDW Publishing will be adapting the Disney version of Big Hero 6 into an ongoing comic. This marks one of the few times where Marvel Comics loans out one of its properties to another comic publishing company. The series was intended to debut in July 2018 with Hannah Blumenreich writing and Nicoletta Baldari doing the art. The release of the first issue was later pushed to September 19, 2018, before getting pushed back to April 2019 and now titled after the television series.

Video games

• A video game based on the film titled Big Hero 6: Battle in the Bay was released on October 28, 2014 for the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo DS. This game is set after the events of the film and is a side-scrolling beat 'em up game. Four of the six members are playable (with Baymax and Honey Lemon being non-playable), and the Touch Screen can be used to launch Honey Lemon's grenades in the heat of battle. This was the last game released for the original Nintendo DS. Additionally, after the game's release a Disney Two Pack was released containing both this game and Disney Frozen: Olaf's Quest on one cartridge.
• Hiro and Baymax from the film are also available in Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes as playable Disney Originals characters in the Toy Box.
• A mobile game based on the film titled Big Hero 6: Bot Fight was also released on November 3, 2014. It takes place a year after the events of the film, where the heroes discover and battle runaway robots via match-3 battles. It was later discontinued on February 3, 2016 due to the constraints of Disney Mobile's support team and the need to discontinue old games to release new ones.
• A world based on Big Hero 6 makes its debut appearance in Kingdom Hearts III. The world continues the story from the events at the end of the film, with Organization XIII taking control of the original Baymax body left behind in the portal space, turning it into a monstrous Heartless that the second Baymax and Sora fight. The cast of the film reprise their roles, with the exception of Wayans.

Toys

Vinyl toy company Funko released the first images of the toy figures via their Big Hero 6 Funko. The POP Vinyl series collection features Hiro Hamada, Go Go Tomago, Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Fred, and a 6-inch Baymax.

Bandai released a number of action figures related to the film; these toys including a number of different Baymax figures. One is a soft plastic 10-inch version that includes a series of projected stills from the film on his stomach, which can be changed when the figure's arm is moved, and which emits accompanying sounds. Deluxe Flying Baymax, which retails for $39.99, depicts the armored version of the character and features lights and sounds that activate at the push of a button. Placing the Hiro figurine on his back changes the sounds into speech and when the figure is tilted, the sounds are those of flying. The Armor-Up Baymax (original retail cost $19.99) comes with 20 pieces of armor that can be assembled onto the robot by the owner. The other characters from the film, including the other members of team and Professor Callaghan (who is called Yokai) are issued in 4-inch action figures, each of which have eight points of articulation.

Possible sequel film

On February 18, 2015, the film's directors, Don Hall and Chris Williams, said a sequel was possible. Hall added, "Having said that, of course, we love these characters, and the thought of working with them again some day definitely has its appeal." In March 2015, Genesis Rodriguez told MTV that a sequel was being considered, saying, "…There's nothing definitive. There's talks of something happening. We just don't know what yet." In April 2015, Stan Lee mentioned a projected sequel as one of several that he understood were in Marvel's plans for upcoming films. In March 2021, head animator Zach Parrish expressed a desire for a sequel, "There have definitely been stories told beyond... I think there’s still a lot of potential. There's still plenty of time. The beauty of animation is that can pick up the story at the very end of Big Hero, or we could jump in time. We could go wherever we want, since it's animation."

Images for kids

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  An inflatable vinyl robotic arm that helped inspire Baymax's design, from the researchers in the new field of soft robotics at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute.

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  An inflatable Baymax on top of the El Capitan Entertainment Centre, near a film poster in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Big Hero 6 (película) para niños