Dr. M. Sanjayan is passionate about animals, which explains why he is a Disneynature Ambassador. Well, that may also have something to do with the fact that his scientific work has been published in various journals, he is the TV host of “EARTH A New Wild,” on PBS, and he serves as a science and environment contributor to CBS News. Yep…he knows his stuff!
Working on Disneynature Films is not new to Dr. M. Sanjayan, he worked on both Earth and Oceans, so I’m not surprised that he’s involved with their newest film, Monkey Kingdom (opening in theaters 4/17).
Getting to chat with him about the film was interesting because not only does he know a lot about the monkeys, he also went and visited them and he has personal stories about his experience with monkeys as well.
Here’s what I learned about the Monkey Kingdom, the monkeys and his life…
- Maya is a camera hog
- They filmed for 1003 days (don’t worry the movie is only 88 minutes long)
- Maya was the main focus of the story because…
- Because of her ranking.
- She was the right age, they knew there would be a change in her life.
- She was distinctive and therefore easy to recognize.
- Although a monkey ruined his 6th birthday by stealing the cake from his home right before his birthday celebrations, he still loves monkeys.
He also went on to say the following about Walt Disney…
Walt Disney was inspired by natural world. After all, his first inspiration was an animal.
Dr. M. Sanjayan hopes families are entertained with the movie and that we believe that we are involved and can make a difference. That being said, don’t forget to go and see Monkey Kingdom in theaters opening weekend (4/17 – 4/23) so that donations will be made on your behalf to Conservation International to help protect monkeys and other endangered species!
More about Monkey Kingdom
Disneynature’s new feature film is narrated by Tina Fey and is set among ancient ruins in the storied jungles of South Asia. Maya’s world is forever changed when she welcomes her son, Kip, into her complicated extended family. Like all families, Maya’s has more than its share of colorful personalities—and she’s determined to give her son a leg up in the world. When their longtime home at Castle Rock is taken over by powerful neighboring monkeys, Maya’s whole family retreats, and she uses her street smarts and ingenuity to uncover untapped resources amidst strange new creatures and unsettling surroundings. Ultimately, they will all have to work together to reclaim Castle Rock, where Maya can hopefully realize her dreams for her son’s future.
How great to meet him and talk about monkeys. Have to see the movie.
Wow you really get get to do the coolest thing as a blog. Congrats
It has its perks 😉