Nowadays the phrase “pulp fiction” mostly evokes images of John Travolta dancing with Uma Thurman, or Bruce Willis brandishing a samurai sword. But Quentin Tarantino took the title Pulp Fiction from a whole world of pulp magazines that were enormously popular in the first half of the 20th century. The name came from the cheap wood pulp paper that these magazines were printed upon. Iconic fictional heroes like Buck Rogers, John Carter, and the Shadow all get their start in pulp magazines and novels.

Now Disney says it’s drawing on that pulp tradition for their next film, Strange World, which will debut in theaters next fall. (Even the title evokes the names of the old pulps, which were called things like Amazing StoriesPlanet Stories, and Weird Tales.) Today they released the first piece of concept art for the movie — you can see the unedited image below.

STRANGE WORLD
DISNEY
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The film is directed by Don Hall, the animator behind the Disney films Big Hero 6 and Raya the Last Dragon. (He also co-directed Moana.) In a press release, he called Strange World a “nod” to the pulp magazines, explaining:

I loved reading the old issues of pulps growing up. They were big adventures in which a group of explorers might discover a hidden world or ancient creatures. They’ve been a huge inspiration for ‘Strange World.’

As for the premise, the film “journeys deep into an uncharted and treacherous land where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades, a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest—and by far— most crucial mission.” So far, none of the voice cast for the film has been revealed.

Strange Worlds is scheduled to open in theaters on November 23, 2022.

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