Two Mexicans Achieve their American Dream at Disney

Juan Pablo Reyes and Alberto Belli became friends while studying Computer Science Engineering at the University of Engineering in Guadalajara, Mexico. They bonded over their shared dream of working as storytellers at Disney, even though it seemed impossible then. Alberto aspired to become a live-action film director, while Juan Pablo dreamed of being an executive producer at Disney Animation. Their dream finally came true after twelve years of hard work and dedication. Alberto is now the director of The Naughty Nine, and Juan Pablo is the producer of Wish, both films set to release this Thanksgiving. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, and it’s nothing short of divine intervention.

Juan Pablo and Alberto’s story began like many others. They met each other at the university parking lot one random day. Both had to convince their parents to support their riskier career choices. Their parents had the same advice: they should study a “real” career first, and then, if after four and a half years, they still wanted to pursue Hollywood, they could go ahead. Juan Pablo grew up in a traditional Mexican family and was the youngest of four siblings. Initially, his family was not supportive of his dream. Alberto’s Italian family was also hesitant. However, four and a half years passed, and the Hollywood dream did not fade away. It became more apparent that it was their true calling.

Alberto was accepted to USC in 2008 and even received a scholarship for his good grades. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo found a job at HP in Guadalajara. He would visit Alberto occasionally, and they both enjoyed going to theme parks. As engineers, they even designed a ride for Disney and became finalists in a contest hosted by Disney Imagineering. Although they didn’t win, they were content with the experience and knew it wasn’t meant to be.

In 2014, Alberto created a viral video that completely changed his life. The video titled “It’s Not Porn, it’s HBO” went viral, putting him in the spotlight as a new comedy director. Meanwhile, Juan Pablo had already moved to LA and was accepted into the Stark program at USC. Although things were headed in the right direction, there was still a long and steep road ahead of him. Eventually, Juan Pablo landed a job at Amazon Studios and, later, at Disney Animation – finally, his dream came to fruition!

Alberto’s manager knew that Alberto loved Disney and Christmas. So, he arranged a Zoom meeting for him with an executive at Disney Branded in 2021. The executive mentioned a Christmas movie they were working on and wanted to introduce Alberto to it. Alberto and his manager didn’t overthink it then, but the idea stuck with Alberto. Months later, he received the script for The Naughty Nine and loved it, but there was a problem: a director was already attached to it. Alberto thought he had missed his chance, but he got a call a few weeks later that the deal with the director fell through, and he was still being considered for the job. Alberto impressed all the department heads and got the job. He went to Canada to film his dream movie in December 2021.

Juan Pablo had previously worked on successful films like Encanto and A Strange World, where his passion, talent, and hard work had been recognized and appreciated. As a result, he was offered a producer’s role in the 100-year Disney movie Wish, which was an exceptional project.
Initially, Alberto’s movie was planned to air in 2022. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everything slowed down, and the film was postponed for another year. Although disappointing, this delay allowed for more time to work on special effects and post-production, which was a positive outcome. As a result of this one-year delay, the movie was able to air during Thanksgiving, which was a pleasant surprise for Alberto and Juan Pablo, as both their films were slated to release at the same time. Witnessing their journey unfold made me emotional to see these two individuals from Guadalajara achieve their dreams through hard work and perseverance. It’s a testament that if you keep pushing towards your goals, eventually, they will come true. I recommend watching “The Naughty Nine” and “Wish” for more inspiration!