Disney Songs From ‘Moana,’ ‘Encanto’ And ‘Frozen’ Revived In Sign Language

InnovationScienceDisney Songs From ‘Moana,’ ‘Encanto’ And ‘Frozen’ Revived In Sign LanguageByLeslie Katz,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Leslie Katz covers the intersection of culture, science and tech.Follow AuthorApr 25, 2026, 02:34pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Moana sings "Beyond" using sign language as part of a new project that brings Disney hits to a wider audience.Disney Animation StudiosDisney is reimagining three hit songs from its animated films in American Sign Language, turning the musical numbers into performances shaped by ASL’s richly expressive visual vocabulary of movement. The numbers, part of a new Disney Animation Studios project called Songs in Sign Language, include “Beyond” from Moana 2, “The Next Right Thing” from Frozen 2, and from Encanto, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” a viral smash that topped the Billboard Hot 100. The sequences primarily feature new animation based on the performances of Deaf actors who helped interpret and choreograph the Disney songs while preserving each tune’s emotional core. The full songs will be available on Disney+ starting Monday in celebration of National Deaf History Month, which takes place every April. “Sign language is one of the most beautiful ways of communication on Earth,” said veteran Disney animator Hyrum Osmond, the project’s director. “If ever there was a medium to showcase sign language, it was animation.” Osmond grew up with a Deaf father and began wondering what Disney songs would look like if they’d been created with his dad — and others who are Deaf or hard of hearing — in mind. MORE FOR YOUAmerican Sign Language doesn’t map English words one to one, but is its own distinct language that prioritizes ideas and visual-spatial expression. Artists from Tony Award-winning Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles actively rebuilt the three Disney son...