As the Annecy Film Festival is underway, Pixar hosted a special virtual event showcasing what’s next for the studio. As reported by Laughing Place, Head of Production, Oscar-winner Jonas Rivera hosted the event and welcomed, Turning Red director Domee Shi and producer Lindsey Collins out to talk about their film.
Domee shared that once production ended on her Oscar-winning short, Bao, she felt that she still had a lot to unpack about her relationship with her mother.
The synopsis of Turning Red follows Mei Lee, a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if changes to her interests, relationships, and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which for a teenager is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda!
Thanks to our keen-eyed Pixar Post Forum user, PixarFan, the official Disney France Twitter account released a never-before-seen piece of concept art (as shown above) showcasing Mei after she transforms into her red panda form as she walks through the hallways at school.
What we love about this concept art is that you can really see the scale of how giant Mei is when she turns into a red panda and the shy/embarrassed look on her face. No additional details were released regarding the new art; however, we will update this post once the artist’s name has been announced.
PIXAR RETURNING TO THEATERS?
Could Pixar be planning for Turning Red to be its first theatrical release post-pandemic? According to Insider, this may be the case. Since March of 2020, Onward, Soul, and Luca have had their theatrical releases affected by the pandemic. While Onward released in theaters (albeit briefly), the film was ultimately released early to Disney+ for the at-home audience.
As the COVID-19 restrictions continue to shift and ease, it’s no wonder that the studio may be thinking that the March 11, 2022 release of Turning Red may be an appropriate time to return to the theaters.
CAST ANNOUNCEMENT?
Back in early May, TIFF_NET announced via Twitter that Sandra Oh would be working with Academy Award-winning filmmaker (and fellow Canadian), Domee Shi in Turning Red. Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh has lent her voice to numerous animated shows and films, including the latest Disney animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon. At this time, no official cast announcement from Pixar has been revealed.
What are your thoughts on the new Turning Red concept art and potential vocal casting? Leave a comment below or chat about it with other Pixar fans in the Pixar Post Forum thread all about Turning Red.
