In Sony Pictures Animation‘s “GOAT,” the roar of the crowd filling the theater speakers carries a significance most audiences won’t know.

Those chants, crowd noise and ambient arena energy were provided by nearly two dozen actors with disabilities, making history as the first-ever all-disability loop group to work on a major studio film.

The Disability Loop Group, formed through the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge(EDFC), made its feature film debut in “GOAT,” the original animated action-comedy now in theaters.

It’s a milestone that Nic Novicki, the EDFC’s founder and director, has been building toward for over a decade.

“Like Will in ‘GOAT,’ these talented artists earned a chance to show what they can do,” said Novicki.

A little person and working actor whose credits include “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Sopranos,” and “The Good Doctor,” he launched the film challenge 13 years ago after noticing a persistent gap in opportunity for disabled creators in Hollywood.

“Seeing so many people with disabilities recognized for their skill and invited to contribute to a major studio film is truly exciting,” he said.

He expressed his excitement, stating that seeing so many talented individuals with disabilities recognized for their skills and invited to contribute to a major studio film is truly inspiring, emphasizing that, much like the character Will in “GOAT,” these artists earned their chance to showcase their abilities.

In filmmaking, loop groups are the unsung heroes behind the crowd sounds and background chatter that make a movie feel alive.

For GOAT, an animated tale about an underdog goat chasing a professional roarball dream in an all-animal world, the Disability Loop Group brought the arena scenes to life.

Over two days on the Sony lot, they created chants, cheers, and the buzzing energy of the crowd, from solo voices to full-group improvisations, and even playful accents, turning the film’s soundscape into a lively, immersive experience, almost like a perfectly tuned orchestra.

This group started at a special workshop on the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot, where EDFC participants got coaching from animation experts and casting directors.

Sony has supported the EDFC challenge for seven years, helping disabled talent get noticed.

The success stories include Novicki, who voiced Lego Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and Danielle Perez, a wheelchair user cast as Sun-Spider after being discovered through the challenge.

Novicki believes voice-over work is perfect for actors with disabilities and unlike on-camera roles, it focuses on talent, not appearance.

As she says, “It doesn’t matter what your disability is or what you look like. Your voice is your instrument.”

Directed by autism advocate Brock Powell, the group features actors with many different disabilities, bringing together a diverse and talented team of voices.

“GOAT,” with voices from Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Stephen Curry, and Jennifer Hudson, is the first project from this groundbreaking group.

More projects are coming, showing a bright future ahead. Novicki is thrilled to be part of this movement, celebrating the talent of people with disabilities and the new opportunities they’re getting.

The 2026 EDFC competition opens for registration from March 24–29, with the awards ceremony on May 7 at Sony Pictures Studios.