Apart from a bouquet of movies and shows, Disney has created a series of animated shorts that are available on the Disney+ Hotstar platform. Initially meant to be kept inside the walls of Disney Animation, these shorts have been produced to explore new technology and inspire artists to come up with innovative visuals and stories.
Here are six Disney short series on Disney+ Hotstar to feast your eyes on.
Short Circuit
Walt Disney Animation Studios: Short Circuit Experimental Films or Short Circuit is a series of experimental short films created by independent animators. The first season of the series came out in 2020, while the second season started streaming in 2022. Each of these shorts showcases different animation styles and tells different stories. Before the animated films begin, the animators share with us their vision, giving us an understating of the backstory of the shorts.
Baymax!
Baymax! is a spinoff of Disney’s 2014 film Big Hero 6 that started streaming on Disney+ Hotstar in 2022. Each of the six episodes, which are under nine minutes, shows the inflatable nurse robot Baymax going on adventures to heal people around the fictional city of San Fransokyo. The lovable robot makes new friends, finds a new purpose and also needs to be rescued by his creator’s brother Hiro Hamada and his new friends. Disney continues to give us a dose of Baymax through this short series till the film gets a much-awaited sequel.
Pixar Popcorn
Released in 2021, the first season of Pixar Popcorn comprises spinoff short films based on popular Pixar movies. The series contains three Toy Story shorts, two Cars shorts and two The Incredibles shorts, as well as one short each from Soul, Finding Nemo/Finding Dory and Coco. We get to see some characters from these movies return for tiny adventures in the 10-episode series. Each short ranges from a minute to nearly four minutes.
Pixar SparkShorts
Animators at Pixar Studio have created a series of short films that are not related to their big animated franchises. These shorts, initially released on YouTube but now available on Disney+ Hotstar, explore love, hope and belonging. The ever-expanding series started off in 2019 with Purl, the story of an anthropomorphised ball of pink yarn trying to fit into the corporate world. In 2019, Smash and Grab, Kitbull, Float and Wind were added to the series. Loop, Out and Burrow were added to SparkShorts in 2020; and Twenty Something and Nona were added in 2021.
Dug Days
The story of the old man Carl Fredricksen and his unlikely friendship with eight-year-old Russell in Up (2009) would have been incomplete without the adorable talking golden retriever, Dug. Dug, still voiced by Bob Peterson, stars in his own short series, Dug Days (2021). It shows the changes in the dog’s life after Carl becomes his new owner. He goes from a high-pressure life in the South American forests to a relaxed suburban life with the old man. However, Dug manages to go on interesting adventures while battling his arch nemesis, the squirrel.
Forky Asks a Question
Toy Story is a film franchise that has delivered some of Disney and Pixar’s most recognisable characters. Each film introduces us to new characters, but Forky (voiced by Tony Hale) in Toy Story 4 (2019) became a fan favourite. The DIY toy made using a spork and some bits of craft material went on to star in his own animated short series in 2019. Forky Asks a Question shows Forky asking his toy friends basic questions about money, art, pets and reading. It is the ideal short series for young audiences to learn more about the world around them.
