Lea Salonga continues to expand her international body of work as she takes on a starring role in The Vale – Origins, a new hybrid live-action and animated short film set to make its world premiere at San Diego Comic-Con.

The Tony Award-winning actress and Disney Legend leads the cast of the project, which also features her rendition of the classic tune “Lavender’s Blue” over the closing credits. The special arrangement was created by composer Andromeda Wen, adding another musical showcase to Salonga’s celebrated career.

The Vale – Origins marks the directorial debut of New York Times-bestselling author Abigail Hing Wen, whose middle-grade novel The Vale became an instant bestseller following its release. The short serves as a prequel to the novel, exploring the emotional beginnings of its futuristic story centered on a young inventor who creates an artificial intelligence-powered fantasy world.

Blending live action with animation, the film explores themes of family, imagination, identity, technology and the ethical challenges surrounding AI. It also broadens the fictional universe beyond books through interactive platforms, including Roblox.

Joining Salonga in the cast are Robert Palmer Watkins and newcomer Egan Xander, while the animated sequences are directed by Emmy Award winner John Aoshima.

Following the Comic-Con premiere, Wen and members of the creative team will participate in a panel discussing the making of the film and the continued expansion of The Vale into a multimedia franchise. The session will also feature Aoshima, composer Andromeda Wen, actor-producer Efrem Bonetti, and will be moderated by actor Dante Basco.