Echo (film)

Echo would be a 2034 American computer-animated superhero drama film written and directed by Katsitsionni Fox, and produced by Osnat Shurer and Sacheen Littlefeather. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, the film would star the voices of Akaqua Cox, Simone Missick, Sacheen Littlefeather, Amber Midthunder, and Angela Bassett. The film would be based on the comic book character of the same name by David Mack and Joe Quesada, and would have a scored composed by Kris Bowers.

Development on an animated film based on Echo would begin in early 2031, with Fox set to write and direct the project. Cox and Littlefeather would join the cast in mid-2031, with Littlefeather also set to produce the film. Missick and Midthunder would join in late 2031, and Bassett would join in early 2032. Fox would aim to make the film closer to the source material's spirit than Disney's previous Marvel-based project, Big Hero 6 (2014). She would also consult with therapists on abusive maternal figures and the effects it can have on an individual, in order to have an accurate potrayal within the film's story.

Echo would be released on November 9, 2034, and would become a critical and commercial success. Critics would praise the film's themes, direction, writing, vocal performances, musical score, and animation. The film would earn 1.2 billion dollars at the worldwide box office over a budget of 150 million dollars. The film would earn three Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

Synopsis
Set in New York City, Disney's Echo centers in a young girl named Maya Lopez, whose father was a member of a powerful gang led by Ariel "Shock" Tremmore, a gangster who suffered a mutation during a job and became able to release fear-inducing pheromones. One day, Maya's father was killed by a rival gang, but not before asking Shock to take care of his daughter. Seeing Maya's potential, she raises her as an assasain for the gang named "Echo", althrougth still growing to geninualy love her as a daughter. Maya, meanwhile, becomes convinced that the gang is doing the right thing. However, in her first night, when Shock orders innocents to be murdered, Maya becomes aware of her adopted mother's true nature and runs away, meeting private detective Misty Knight and an old friend of her fathers' in the meantime. Now, Maya has to overcxome the years of emotional abuse she was unknowingly put througth by Shock and discover her true self and destiny before Shock forms an alliance with powerful crime leader Mariah Dillard that will cause New York to fall to their knees.

Voice cast

 * Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez / Echo, a deaf Native American girl capable of imitating the physical movements of everybody upon mere sight, who was raised by Shock as an assasain, but turned on her upon realizing her true nature. Cox would reprise her role from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
 * Simone Missick as Misty Knight, a private detective who teams-up with Echo to take down Shock, while also befirending her and helping her overcome her trauma. According to director Katsitsionni Fox, the character's profession would be changed from the comics due to concerns of potraying cops in a good light.
 * Sacheen Littlefeather as Chief, a former friend of Maya's father, who takes care of her upon running away from Shock. Littlefeather would describe her as "the film's Fairy Godmother figure".
 * Amber Midthunder as Ariel Tremmore / Shock: A gangster from New York City with a mutation that allows her to transform into a hideous creature capable of releasing fear-inducing pheromones, who took care of Maya and raised her as an assasain after Maya's father was killed, becoming an abusive-but-caring mother figure to Maya. Midthunder would describe her as "a very complex figure", being "as threatening and dangerous as Jafar or Scar, but at the same time as caring and loving as Mufasa". Tremmore would take the place of Kingpin from the original comics in order to avoid potential similarities to Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which featured Kingpin as the main antagonist. The character would also retain the original version's origin story instead of a more realistic approach to differentiate the film from Disney's Big Hero 6, which discarded the source material's fantastical approach in favor of a more science-fiction approach.
 * Angela Bassett as Mariah Dillard, a powerful-but-level-headed crime boss from New York City, whom Shock tries to form an alliance with.

Additionally, Janice Kawaye would voice Colleen Wing, a private detective and Knight's partner.

Music
Kris Bowers would compose the score for the film. Bowers would create a very "drama-like superhero score" for the film, with strong Native American influences.