Pixar Introduces Coco’s Lovable Dog With All-New Short (2024)

Pixar's short films are more than your standard corporate marketing ploy. Some of them win Academy Awards! So when Pixar decides to introduce a character from the upcoming Coco via a short film, that introduction is going to have an arc, laughter, and pathos. It’s just the Pixar way. And here, in an adventure all his own, is Dante the Xoloitzcuintle (a.k.a. Xolo, a.k.a. Mexican hairless), canine sidekick of Coco star Miguel. The name Dante, as you might imagine, is a nod to the Italian poet and author of The Inferno. This Dante will join Miguel on his journey to the Land of the Dead.

The two-minute film, titled Dante’s Lunch—A Short Tail, was originally an animation test made to give director Lee Unkirch and his team a better sense of Dante’s potential. “We just were really happy with how it came out,” Unkirch told Yahoo Movies, “and thought we would share it with the world as a little appetizer until the movie comes out.”

Though Dante may seem like an outlandishly cartoonish version of a classic canine sidekick, his look—including that lolling tongue—is actually very true to real-life Xolos. Unkrich says that during his team’s many months of research, it discovered that the Xolo breed “figures very prominently in Aztec legends about the afterlife. It was said that in order to make the journey through the afterlife, you needed to have one of these Xolo dogs with you.” As for the trademark tongue, well, “we thought we would kind of embrace that and make it part of Dante’s character. So his tongue is almost its own character, separate from him.” If this short film is any indication, poor Dante’s tongue will be working overtime in the bone-filled Land of the Dead.

Pixar Introduces Coco’s Lovable Dog With All-New Short (2024)

FAQs

What does the dog in Coco represent? ›

One of the most endearing characters in Coco is Dante, a xolo dog. Xoloitzcuintli (xolo “sho-low” for short) were a beloved and sacred breed that acted as a guide and companion to the dead. Mexica believed that the journey to the afterlife would take someone four long years after their death.

What was the Pixar short for Coco? ›

The short film playing before Coco is “Olaf's Frozen Adventure ”.

What was the name of the dog the dog's name was in Coco? ›

And here, in an adventure all his own, is Dante the Xoloitzcuintle (a.k.a. Xolo, a.k.a. Mexican hairless), canine sidekick of Coco star Miguel. The name Dante, as you might imagine, is a nod to the Italian poet and author of The Inferno.

What was the name of Miguel's dog companion in the movie Coco? ›

Dante is a major character from the 2017 Disney•Pixar animated feature film Coco. He is a stray Xoloitzcuintle Miguel adopted as his pet and friend.

What does Coco symbolize? ›

Coco provides us with a strong reminder that despite death, family history can transcend the years and continue to shape our families for generations to come. For families that may be grieving, we are reminded of many themes we've experienced throughout our own grief journeys.

What does Coco mean for a dog? ›

Coco is a French name, derived from the Latin word 'cocos', meaning 'sugar' or 'sweet'. It is also a nickname for the popular name 'Nicolas'. Coco is a very popular name for both cats and dogs in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Why is Coco named after Coco? ›

The title refers to Miguel's great-grandmother Mamá Coco, whose father is key to the anti-music mystery. This tale unfolds in an unspecified Mexican town on the eve of El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) as the entire community is preparing to honor their departed loved ones.

Is Coco A Boy or a girl? ›

Coco is a gender-neutral name of French origin with Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian roots. This name is a reference to the chocolate bean, translating to “cocoa.” Along with the sweet confection, Coco can also be a French term meaning "darling," always reminding your little one of how much you mean to them.

Is Coco a girl in Coco? ›

Coco Rivera also known as Mama Coco (b. 1918-2018), was the daughter of Hector Rivera and the daughter of Imelda Rivera, when Coco was a little girl her father Hector sing her this song (one of her favorite songs) Remember Me. But after Ernesto De La Cruz murdered Hector, he stole his songs, and he became famous.

What is the animal's name in Coco? ›

The animal characters Dante and Pepita are alebrijes, spirit guides in this film. Dante is a Xoloitzcuintle with bird-like wings in his alebrije form.

Can you name a dog Coco? ›

While Coco is a very popular choice of dog name for both boys and girls, Disney fans know that the name is far more special than that.

Where is Coco the dog now? ›

The animal shelter took care of Coco in early 2021. She's now a star in one of the summer's biggest hits on Hulu "Prey." It's the latest installment in the Predator franchise.

What Abuelita said was forbidden? ›

Elena Rivera, better known as Abuelita to her family, is the loving and overprotective matriarch of the Riveras and strictly enforces the ban against music set by her grandmother, Imelda, to the point that she disallows any kind of musical expression made by anyone in her family, like whistling, tapping one's toe, or ...

Is pepita from Coco a chupacabra? ›

Pepita is what is known as an Alebrije. She is a mixture of different animals such as a ram, tiger, lizard, and an eagle. The inspiration for your creation was a mixture of all of these animals put together into pieces.

Who is the scary character Coco? ›

The Coco or Coca (also known as the Cucuy, Cuco, Cuca, Cucu, Cucuí or El-Cucuí) is a mythical ghost-like monster, equivalent to the bogeyman, found in Spain and Portugal. Those beliefs have also spread in many Hispanophone and Lusophone countries.

What is the spirit animal in Coco? ›

Flying through the sky in the Land of the Dead is the fearsome, Pepita, the spirit guide of Mama Imelda. With eagle wings and talons, a lizard-like tail, horns from a ram, and the face of a jaguar, Pepita is quite a creature to behold.

What is the significance of the bridge in Coco? ›

The marigold bridge is used by ancestors to cross over into the land of the living on the Day of the Dead. "The marigold bridge literally connects those two worlds and that is building on the mythology of marigold petals representing the path to family," said Harley Jessup, Coco production designer.

What is the Mexico dog from Coco? ›

His name is Dante, but is he a particular breed of dog? Dante is based on the Xoloitzcuintli, or Xolo dog breed in short. The breed is native to Mexico and is identifiable for its hairless appearance, regal frame, and large ears.

What is the alebrije dog in Coco? ›

Dante is a major character from the 2017 Disney•Pixar animated feature film, Coco. He is an Alebreije stray Xoloitzcuintle Miguel adopted as his pet and friend.

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